This study investigates the impact of windblown sand particles on the aerodynamic performance of wind turbines in desert environments using a 3D Eulerian-Lagrangian computational model. The fluid phase is treated as a continuous medium using the Navier-Stokes equations, while sand particles are modeled as a dispersed phase and tracked through stochastic methods based on the Lagrangian approach. The primary objective is to analyze how sand particles affect the efficiency of horizontal axis wind turbines by simulating various sand particle sizes, concentrations, and their interactions with wind turbine blades. The analysis was conducted for the arid region of Adrar, Algeria, with simulations considering sand particle diameters ranging from 100 to 500 mm and concentrations varying from 0.3 to 3 kg/m3. Results indicate that sand particles significantly reduce the turbine's aerodynamic efficiency. Performance degradation ranged from approximately 2.8% for fine sand particles (100 mm) at low concentrations to 20% for larger sand particles (500 mm) at higher concentrations. Sand particles reduce aerodynamic efficiency by disrupting airflow and decreasing pressure, particularly at the blade’s leading edge. The tip region, characterized by higher velocities and turbulence, experiences the most significant degradation. These findings highlight the critical importance of considering both particle size and concentration in the design of wind turbines for desert environments.
Bouhelal et al. (Tue,) studied this question.