Fluid-Structure Interaction analysis of resonant wind generators

Fluid-Structure Interaction simulation oEnergy harvesting from natural sources using fluid-elastic phenomena is a new focus of engineering fields, those both industrial than to academic. Several studies, conducted in recent times, indicate as scope of vibration-based energy harvesting the power supply of small devices, like micromechanical systems and sensors. This thesis aims to analyze and simulate the Fluid-Structure Interaction of two possible harvester designs based on the Vortex-induced vibrations (VIVs). The interaction between a bluff body without streamline shape and the flow field in which is immersed cause self-excited phenomena, the separation occurs arising excitation forces, the behavior concerns Fluid-Structure Interaction. From a classical engineering point of view, these scenarios are considered as problems that have to predict in order to be avoided. The opposite perspective is to exploit these excitations to collect energy from a natural and renewable source, it has to be considered that the potential of such a kind of energy collecting is a debate. Within this framework, VIVs are introduced in the first section of this work. Furthermore, an analysis of the physical models and the parameters involved was carried out. The focus is the Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation of the flow field whose forces due to pressure and shear.