Comparison of different numerical approaches to the study of the H-Darrieus turbines start-up

Self-start capability is an important feature of wind turbines. It allows to obtain simpler and cheaper turbines not actively controlled. Different approaches to describe the self-start of an H-blade Darrieus rotor are presented and compared in the present work. The Blade Element Momentum (BEM) approach was compared with two and three-dimensional CFD simulations. The tip–speed ratio versus power coefficient curves and the evolution of the trust forces over a blade revolution highlighted the limits and the strengths of each approach.