Analysing flow structures around a blade using spectral/hp method and HPIV

A still difficult, yet pressing task for blade manufacturers and turbine producers is the correct prediction of the effects of turbulent winds on the blade. Reynolds Averaged Numerical Simulations (RANS) are a limited tool for calculating the effects. For large eddy simulations (LES) boundary layer calculation are still difficult therefore the spectral element method seems to be an approach to improve numerical calculations of flow separation. The flow field around an fx79-w151a airfoil has been calculated by the spectral element code NεκTαrusing a direct numerical simulation (DNS) solver. In a first step a laminar inflow on the airfoil at angle of attack of α = 120 and a Reynolds number of Re= 33000 was simulated using the 2D Version of the code. The flow pattern was compared to measurements using holographic particle induced velocimetry (HPIV) in a wind tunnel