| Purdue University Calumet (PUC) was planning to install a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) on the roof of an academic building on campus for teaching and research purposes. While several potential sites have been identified as feasible, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and Virtual Reality (VR) visualization technology have been coupled to assist in assessing the optimal location for sitting the wind turbine. 3-D wind fields were constructed which take into account the neighboring building effects to the flow fields. Wind speeds, turbulent intensity, and aesthetic look are some of the factors used to make the final decision. After the installation, estimated power generation was calculated based on the wind turbine power output curve and statistical analysis of measured wind data. |
