Savonius (Two-Blade) Wind Turbine (2D) — ANSYS Fluent CFD SimulationDescriptionThis project presents a 2D CFD simulation of a Savonius wind turbine using ANSYS Fluent. The Savonius turbine is a type of vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) used to generate electricity from wind, with curved blades mounted on a vertically positioned rotor. The most important advantage of vertical turbines is that they need no adjustment to the wind direction and can be used at low altitudes. This project simulates the airflow around a two-blade Savonius rotor to illustrate the pressure and velocity distribution and to animate the fluid motion behind the turbine.MethodologyThe geometry is produced in Design Modeler: two blades of 350 mm diameter and 25 mm thickness placed in a rotating circle of 1000 mm diameter, surrounded by an 8000 mm × 4000 mm rectangular domain. The model is meshed in ANSYS Meshing with 58,468 elements, and the transient solver is enabled to accompany the Mesh Motion option. Air enters the fluid domain at the inlet with a velocity of 10 m/s while the turbine rotates at a constant angular velocity of 40 rpm. The Mesh Motion option defines the rotating motion of the blades, and the SST k-omega model solves the turbulent flow equations, chosen for its ability to capture the flow patterns both near and far from the blade surfaces.AnalysisAfter the solution, 2D contours of pressure, velocity, and streamlines are obtained, showing how the fluid changes as it moves through the turbine blades. The results reveal distinctly different pressure and velocity distributions on the inner and outer blades. The flow enters at 10 m/s, and after colliding with the inner blade a large pressure increase occurs, so the velocity magnitude drops and reaches zero at the stagnation point — which can cause an unwanted negative torque. The outer blade, by contrast, experiences a high-velocity flow across its back that tends to push it clockwise, driving the rotation. By the end of this project, you'll be able to set up a transient 2D Mesh Motion simulation of a Savonius VAWT, define a rotating zone for the blades with the SST k-omega model, and interpret the pressure and velocity contours that reveal how the inner and outer blades contribute to the turbine's torque.

Savonius (Two-Blade) Wind Turbine (3D) — ANSYS Fluent CFD SimulationDescriptionThis project presents a 3D CFD simulation of a two-blade Savonius wind turbine using ANSYS Fluent. The Savonius turbine is a type of vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) used to generate electricity from wind, with curved blades mounted on a vertically positioned rotor. The most important advantage of vertical turbines is that they need no adjustment to the wind direction and can be used at low altitudes. This project simulates the airflow around the rotor in three dimensions to illustrate the pressure and velocity distribution and to animate the fluid motion behind the turbine.MethodologyThe three-dimensional geometry is produced in SpaceClaim: two blades of 350 mm diameter, 25 mm thickness, and 800 mm height placed in a rotating circle of 1000 mm diameter, surrounded by an 8000 mm × 4000 mm × 800 mm cuboid domain. The model is meshed in ANSYS Meshing with 494,456 elements, and the transient solver is enabled to accompany the Mesh Motion option. Air enters the fluid domain at the inlet with a velocity of 10 m/s while the turbine rotates at a constant angular velocity of 40 rpm. The Mesh Motion model defines the rotating motion of the blades, and the SST k-omega model solves the turbulent flow equations, chosen for its ability to capture the flow patterns both near and far from the blade surfaces.AnalysisAfter the solution, contours of pressure, velocity, and streamlines are obtained, showing how the fluid changes as it moves through the turbine blades. The results reveal distinctly different pressure and velocity distributions on the inner and outer blades. The flow enters at 10 m/s, and after colliding with the inner blade a large pressure increase occurs, so the velocity magnitude drops and reaches zero at the stagnation point — which can cause an unwanted negative torque. The outer blade, by contrast, experiences a high-velocity flow across its back that tends to push it clockwise, driving the rotation. By the end of this project, you'll be able to set up a transient 3D Mesh Motion simulation of a Savonius VAWT, define a rotating zone for the blades with the SST k-omega model, and interpret the pressure and velocity results that reveal how the inner and outer blades contribute to the turbine's torque.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) CFD Simulation by Mesh Motion Method, ANSYS Fluent TrainingDescriptionThis project simulates airflow around a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) using ANSYS Fluent. VAWTs are a class of wind turbine in which the rotor shaft is oriented vertically (perpendicular to the ground) rather than horizontally, allowing them to capture wind from any direction without needing to actively orient, or "yaw," toward the wind — a key advantage over horizontal axis turbines in turbulent or variable-direction wind environments such as urban settings.In this simulation, the turbine's three blades rotate at 2.8285 rad/s while incoming air approaches at 7 m/s, capturing how the surrounding air responds to the moving blades and revealing the associated flow parameters. A particularly important phenomenon in VAWT aerodynamics also emerges in this simulation: dynamic stall, which occurs because each blade's angle of attack relative to the oncoming flow changes continuously as it rotates around the vertical axis — unlike a horizontal axis turbine, where blade angle of attack relative to the wind stays comparatively steady. This continuously varying angle of attack can drive the flow into and out of stall multiple times per rotation, generating unsteady lift and torque fluctuations that significantly affect both turbine performance and structural loading.The 3D geometry was designed in Design Modeler and meshed in ANSYS Meshing using a hybrid mesh combining structured and unstructured regions, totaling 904,145 elements.MethodologyThe Mesh Motion method was used to model the turbine's rotational movement, physically rotating the mesh to track the blades' motion through the domain rather than relying on a rotating reference frame. The simulation was run as unsteady (transient), which is essential for capturing the time-varying dynamic stall behavior described above, with turbulence modeled using the standard k-epsilon model.ConclusionSince the primary objective was to investigate airflow behavior around the VAWT, the resulting 2D contours of pressure, velocity, and turbulent intensity provide a detailed picture of this interaction. The pressure contour shows a critical rise in air pressure directly ahead of the blade zone, corresponding to the region where each blade first meets the oncoming flow, while the velocity contour reveals wake structures forming and trailing behind the rotating blades.Together, these results characterize how the turbine's continuous rotation reshapes the surrounding flow field throughout each cycle, offering insight into the unsteady aerodynamic loading and dynamic stall behavior that distinguishes VAWT performance from that of horizontal axis designs.

Helical Wind Turbine — ANSYS Fluent CFD SimulationDescriptionThis project presents a CFD simulation of a helical wind turbine using ANSYS Fluent. The vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) is becoming ever more important in wind power generation thanks to its adaptability for domestic installations; however, VAWTs are known to have lower efficiency, especially compared to horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs). To improve their performance, industries and researchers work to optimize the rotor design. This project simulates the airflow field near a helical wind turbine, investigating the airflow behavior and pressure distribution and studying the drag force.MethodologyThe geometry is drawn in Design Modeler and includes a rotary zone for the turbine walls and a stationary zone for the rest of the domain. The model is meshed in ANSYS Meshing with an unstructured grid of about 2,000,000 cells. In this simulation, the rotational motion of the turbine blades must be defined — but rather than applying rotation to the blades themselves, the rotation is applied to the field around them, which requires separating a distinct moving zone from the overall computational domain. Because a vertical axis turbine's flow is time-dependent, as the position of the blades varies over time, the Mesh Motion method is used in the cell zone conditions, with the rotation axis and rotation speed defined. The inlet wind enters at 1 m/s, and the turbine zone rotates at 120 RPM. The simulation is carried out as an unsteady (transient) analysis.AnalysisAfter the simulation, contours of velocity and pressure are obtained, along with velocity vectors around the turbine blades. The results show that the wind flow around the blades has a rotational movement, and the velocity field adjacent to the turbine wall has the highest gradient. The leading edge of the turbine wall experiences the highest pressure gradient, which is logical since the velocity there has just reached zero, and the streamlines illustrate the quality of the flow resolved in the wake — the core challenge of aerodynamic simulation. Finally, the drag force is 2.3 N, which is accurate for a turbine with the noted specifications. By the end of this project, you'll be able to set up a transient Mesh Motion simulation of a helical vertical axis wind turbine, define a rotating zone around the blades with the correct axis and speed, and interpret the velocity, pressure, and drag results that characterize helical VAWT aerodynamics.

Darrieus Wind Turbine Evaluation — ANSYS Fluent CFD SimulationDescriptionThis project presents a CFD simulation of a Darrieus wind turbine using ANSYS Fluent. The vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) is becoming ever more important in wind power generation thanks to its adaptability for domestic installations; however, VAWTs are known to have lower efficiency, especially compared to horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs). To improve their performance, industries and researchers work to optimize the rotor design, and CFD is employed here to evaluate this type of turbine. The project simulates the airflow near a vertical axis Darrieus turbine, investigating the airflow behavior and pressure distribution and studying the drag force.MethodologyThe geometry is drawn in Design Modeler and includes a rotary zone for the turbine walls and a stationary zone for the rest of the domain. The model is meshed in ANSYS Meshing with an unstructured grid of 2,289,621 cells. In this simulation, the rotational motion of the turbine blades must be defined — but rather than applying rotation to the blades themselves, the rotation is applied to the field around them, which requires separating a distinct moving zone from the overall computational domain. Because a vertical axis turbine's flow is time-dependent, as the position of the blades varies over time, the Mesh Motion method is used in the cell zone conditions, with the rotation axis and rotation speed defined. The inlet wind enters at 1 m/s, and the turbine zone rotates at 120 RPM. The simulation is carried out as an unsteady (transient) analysis.AnalysisAfter the simulation, contours of velocity and pressure are obtained, along with velocity vectors around the turbine blades. The results show that the wind flow around the blades has a rotational movement, and the velocity field adjacent to the turbine wall has the highest gradient. The leading edge of the turbine wall experiences the highest pressure gradient, which is logical since the velocity there has just reached zero, and the streamline vectors illustrate the quality of the flow resolved in the wake — the core challenge of aerodynamic simulation. Finally, the drag force is 0.1826 N, which is accurate for a turbine with the noted specifications. By the end of this project, you'll be able to set up a transient Mesh Motion simulation of a vertical axis Darrieus wind turbine, define a rotating zone around the blades with the correct axis and speed, and interpret the velocity, pressure, and drag results that characterize VAWT aerodynamics.

Contra-Rotating Turbine, ANSYS Fluent CFD Simulation TrainingDescriptionThis project simulates a contra-rotating VAWT turbine using ANSYS Fluent. A contra-rotating turbine is an axial flow turbine featuring two rows of blades that rotate at equal speed but in opposite directions. This configuration allows the turbine to recover energy and power that would otherwise be lost as airflow passes through the front row of blades — in effect, using two counter-rotating blade rows in this way doubles the turbine's overall torque output compared to a single-row design.In this simulation, the Mesh Motion method defines the rotational behavior of the surrounding air. Two rows of three blades each were modeled, with a distinct airflow zone defined around each row, and mesh motion applied independently to both. Both rows rotate at 14.7 rad/s, but with their central rotation axes oriented in opposite directions — air around the upper blade row rotates clockwise, while the lower row rotates counterclockwise. Incoming airflow enters the computational domain at 5.3 m/s.Geometry & MeshThe 3D geometry was designed in Design Modeler, consisting of a rectangular cube-shaped computational domain containing the two parallel blade rows positioned in the middle, each with three blades. The domain was meshed in ANSYS Meshing using an unstructured grid totaling 3,747,546 cells.MethodologyThis steady-state simulation uses a pressure-based solver, with gravitational effects excluded. Turbulence was resolved using the standard k-epsilon model with standard wall functions for near-wall treatment. Boundary conditions included a velocity inlet at 5.3 m/s, stationary walls for both the upper and lower blade rows, a pressure outlet at 0 Pa gauge pressure, and symmetry boundaries elsewhere in the domain. The solution used SIMPLE pressure-velocity coupling with standard initialization.ConclusionResults include streamlines and 2D contours of velocity, pressure, and their respective gradients throughout the domain. The contours reveal that both pressure and velocity increase in the space between the two blade rows, correspondingly enhancing the torque and power generated at the turbine blades.Specifically, the torque applied to the upper (clockwise-rotating) blade row measured 1.89 N·m, while the lower (counterclockwise-rotating) row measured 1.93 N·m — confirming that this contra-rotating configuration distributes approximately equal torque across both blade rows, validating the design's intended balanced energy recovery between the two counter-rotating stages.

Acoustic (Broadband) Investigation on a HAWT, ANSYS Fluent CFD Simulation TutorialDescriptionThis project investigates the acoustic performance of a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT), examining the noise it generates at multiple points throughout its surrounding domain. The simulation runs in a transient state using ANSYS Fluent, with the turbine rotating at 72 rad/s about its horizontal axis while an incoming air stream approaches at 15 m/s. Several monitoring points positioned both upstream and downstream of the turbine were selected for detailed noise investigation.The acoustic results from this project are directly comparable to the companion study, "Acoustic (FWH) Investigation on a HAWT, ANSYS Fluent CFD Simulation Tutorial", which solves the same underlying model using the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FWH) method instead — giving learners a direct side-by-side comparison of two distinct aeroacoustics prediction approaches applied to identical turbine conditions. Setting up this Broadband approach requires creating monitor points through the Surface–Create–Point tab under the Domain menu, then defining corresponding plots in the Report Definitions tab so acoustic quantities can be tracked transiently at each time step.The geometry was designed in Design Modeler and meshed in ANSYS Meshing using tetrahedral elements, totaling 2,696,011 elements.MethodologyAcoustic behavior was modeled using the Broadband Noise Source model, while turbine rotation was captured using the Moving Reference Frame (MRF) method applied within the Cell Zone Conditions. Turbulence was resolved using the k-ω SST model.ConclusionThe acoustic results extracted at each defined monitoring point throughout the domain include Acoustic Power Level (dB), Surface Acoustic Power Level (dB), Power Spectral Density, and Lilley's self-noise source, among other parameters. Results show Acoustic Power Level increasing significantly along the turbine's blade surface with distance from the hub, tracking the corresponding rise in local velocity magnitude toward the blade tip.These results can be directly compared against the companion FWH-based study referenced above, since both solve the identical turbine model using different acoustic prediction methods. The full set of resulting contours, plots, pathlines, and FFT spectra are provided as accompanying figures, offering a comprehensive view of the turbine's acoustic signature across the surrounding domain.

Water Wheel (Pelton Wheel), ANSYS Fluent CFD Simulation TrainingDescriptionThis project simulates the performance of a water wheel — a classic example of a Pelton turbine — using ANSYS Fluent.Most water wheels are mounted vertically on a horizontal axis, though horizontal mounting on a vertical shaft is also possible. The fluid flow equations are solved using the averaged form of the Navier-Stokes equations within ANSYS Fluent.The turbine has a diameter of 0.7 m, with the free surface boundary positioned 0.2 m below the wheel's center. Water velocity ranges between 3 and 5 m/s, depending on average river conditions, from which the turbine's rotational speed is determined to avoid drag or disruption in the flow — in this simulation, the turbine rotates at 60 rpm.MethodologyThe wheel's blades are positioned perpendicular to specific turbine sections to reduce friction and increase nozzle thrust, while a portion of the turbine remains outside the water. As a result, the wheel operates across two distinct phases — water and air — as it rotates about its axis, modeled using the VOF (Volume of Fluid) multiphase model.The turbine geometry was designed in SOLIDWORKS and divided into smaller sections to improve both geometric detail and mesh quality. The model was split into two rotating (Rotor) regions and one stationary (Stator) region: the rotor comprises the turbine itself along with a surrounding cylinder, while the static region encloses this rotating cylinder.Meshing was performed in ICEM CFD. The rotor section was meshed using an unstructured grid, with finer mesh density applied at the turbine's leading edge to capture the complex flow behavior and high gradients present in that region. The stationary zone used a structured mesh, which reduces overall element count while maintaining high mesh quality. The two separately meshed regions were then coupled together to form the complete domain.Impeller rotation was applied incrementally, with 3 degrees of rotation per time step — a value that should be reduced further for higher simulation accuracy. This motion was handled using the Mesh Motion approach, with the static and rotating mesh regions sliding relative to one another across a shared interface boundary.ConclusionThe results clearly capture the wheel's continuous rotational motion as it interacts with the incoming water stream, with velocity and pressure contours highlighting how the flow strikes each bucket in sequence to sustain the wheel's rotation. The VOF-based volume fraction contours trace the air-water interface as it deforms around the submerged buckets, showing the free surface dipping and recovering as each bucket enters and exits the water.Pathlines around the turbine illustrate how incoming flow is redirected by the curved bucket geometry, transferring momentum to the wheel and producing the torque that drives its rotation. Together, these results confirm that the coupled rotor-stator mesh motion setup successfully reproduces the expected physical behavior of a Pelton-type water wheel operating at the free surface, providing a validated basis for evaluating design changes such as bucket geometry, submersion depth, or rotational speed in further studies.

Solar Heat Exchanger, ANSYS Fluent CFD Simulation TutorialDescriptionThis project investigates a specialized solar heat exchanger design featuring a solar absorber plate, an air gap, and internal flow barriers that together capture solar thermal energy and transfer it to a working fluid. The system uses a dual-medium approach — an air gap positioned between the front plate and the absorber, paired with a water flow channel routed through strategic internal barriers to extend fluid residence time and improve heat transfer.Heat moves through the system in stages: solar radiation is first absorbed at the absorber plate, warming the adjacent air gap through combined radiation and convection; heat then conducts through the absorber plate itself before transferring convectively into the water flowing through the extended channel formed by the internal barriers.The domain was meshed in ANSYS Meshing using an unstructured grid totaling 304,200 elements, with increased resolution concentrated near the absorber plate and internal barriers to accurately capture the more complex local flow and thermal behavior in those regions.MethodologyRadiation was modeled using the Discrete Ordinates (DO) model, chosen for its ability to handle scattering media, semi-transparent boundaries, specular surfaces, and wavelength-dependent transmission — all relevant to accurately capturing how solar energy moves through the air gap and interacts with the absorber surface. Solar ray tracing was used to apply the incoming solar load directly, with direct solar radiation set to 1150 W/m² and diffuse solar radiation to 80 W/m², striking the absorber plane at a perpendicular incidence angle.Water entered the flow channel at 4 m/s and 30°C, with the outlet held at atmospheric pressure. The air gap was governed by natural convection combined with radiation heat transfer, while the absorber surface itself served as the primary thermal boundary receiving the solar load.ConclusionResults characterize the system's thermal and flow behavior in detail: temperature distribution throughout the exchanger reveals the primary heat transfer pathways, with the absorber's surface temperature profile and the water's progressive temperature rise along its extended flow path both clearly captured. Velocity and pressure results show how the internal barriers shape flow development, identify any recirculation zones that may enhance or hinder thermal mixing, and quantify the pressure drop introduced by the extended flow path.Radiation-specific results further reveal how absorbed solar energy distributes across the absorber surface, the resulting thermal stratification within the air gap, and the relative contributions of direct versus diffuse solar radiation to overall system performance, alongside an assessment of thermal losses not ultimately transferred to the working fluid.Together, these results demonstrate that combining strategic flow path extension with optimized solar absorption achieves effective thermal energy capture and transfer — providing practical guidance for barrier placement, flow rate selection, and overall design optimization in solar thermal heat exchanger applications.

PCM Solar Collector CFD Simulation by ANSYS Fluent TutorialDescriptionThis project simulates heat transfer within a PCM-based solar collector using ANSYS Fluent. The system centers on a U-shaped tube carrying water flow, surrounded by a cylindrical space filled with phase change material (PCM). This PCM region is itself enclosed by three concentric layers: an aluminum layer that absorbs incoming solar radiation, an air gap layer, and an outer glass layer.The collector operates through a straightforward thermal pathway: sunlight passes through the glass layer, heating the enclosed air gap; this heat then transfers to the aluminum absorber layer, which in turn transfers heat inward to the PCM. During the day, as the absorber captures solar heat, the PCM absorbs part of this energy to drive its melting process. At night, as ambient conditions cool, the PCM releases its stored latent heat by solidifying, transferring that heat into the water flowing through the U-shaped tube — effectively storing daytime solar heat for use during colder nighttime hours.Geometry & MeshThe 2D geometry was designed in Design Modeler, consisting of two parallel pipes forming the U-shaped tube, surrounded by the cylindrical PCM layer. Around this, an incomplete cylindrical aluminum absorber layer was placed, followed by an incomplete cylindrical air gap layer, and finally an incomplete cylindrical glass layer as the outermost boundary.The domain was meshed in ANSYS Meshing using a structured grid totaling 969,866 elements.MethodologyThe Solidification and Melting model was used to represent the PCM's phase-change behavior, with the material defined by a density of 910 kg/m³, specific heat capacity of 2100 J/kg·K, thermal conductivity of 0.5 W/m·K, and viscosity of 0.0273 kg/m·s. Its solidus temperature was set to 302 K, liquidus temperature to 310 K, and latent heat of fusion to 178,000 J/kg.Radiative heat transfer and incoming solar radiation were captured using the Discrete Ordinates (DO) radiation model, which solves the radiative transfer equations across a discrete set of finite solid angles — well suited to this system's transparent glass layer, reflective surfaces, and wavelength-dependent transmission behavior. Solar ray tracing was activated to apply the solar load directly, requiring inputs such as the site's longitude and latitude, the date and time of the simulated radiation, solar direction, and both direct and diffuse radiation intensities. The laminar model and energy equation were enabled to solve the fluid flow and capture temperature variation throughout the domain.ConclusionResults include 2D and 3D contours of pressure, velocity, temperature, and the liquid mass fraction produced within the PCM. The results confirm that the PCM within the central cylindrical region undergoes a clear phase change, generating liquid within that zone as it absorbs solar heat. Comparing the U-shaped tube's inlet and outlet temperatures further confirms that heat is successfully transferred into the water flow — validating the collector's core function of capturing, storing, and later releasing solar thermal energy through the PCM's melting-solidification cycle.