External aerodynamic CFD of a vertical axis wind turbine in ANSYS Fluent and OpenFOAM. Velocity and pressure fields resolved at operating RPM with power coefficient and torque evaluation.
Due to client NDA commitments, the showcased projects represent only a portion of our work and not the full scope of what we've delivered.
Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) Aerodynamic CFD Analysis
Wind turbine performance lives or dies on aerodynamics, and for vertical axis machines the flow field is complex enough that simulation is the only practical way to evaluate performance before committing to hardware. Fluxiss delivered a complete external-flow CFD study of a vertical axis wind turbine, from CAD model to torque and power results.
From CAD Model to Simulation-Ready Geometry
The full VAWT was first modelled in SolidWorks, blade profile, hub, shaft, and support structure, and was deliberately designed for CFD and structural analysis downstream. That single-thread workflow, CAD and simulation handled by one coordinated team, eliminates the geometry handover errors that commonly derail external-flow studies.
The Aerodynamic Analysis
- External aerodynamic CFD around the vertical axis turbine in ANSYS Fluent and OpenFOAM
- Velocity and pressure field resolution at operating RPM
- Power coefficient evaluation at design operating conditions
- Torque monitoring with animated flow visualization deliverables
Why It Matters
The client received a quantified picture of how the rotor actually performs in moving air: where the pressure differentials develop across the blades, how the wake behaves, and what torque and power the geometry can realistically produce. This is the analysis foundation on which blade profile refinement and structural verification are built.