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Description:
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Various methods have been developed to predict the performance and aerodynamic loads of the Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine . The most accurate of these is the vortex method developed by Strickland (1981 ) . As implemented in the program , VDART (Vortex method for the DARrieus Turbine ) , the vortex method proved to be uneconomical because of the large computation times required for convergence to a solution . In the present study , significant savings in computation time are achieved by assuming that the wake convection velocity can be determined at the time of vortex generation . A new program , VDART -TURBO , has been developed using this time saving assumption . Both two -and three -dimensional versions have been successfully implemented . The two -dimensional version , VDART2T , has been successful in reproducing both experimental and computational results achieved by Strickland (1979 ,1981 ) . The three -dimensional version , VDART3T , is presently in the advanced stages of development , and promises to be highly effective in reducing computational time , while maintaining an acceptable degree of accuracy . |