The research in this thesis focuses on the investigation of tidal turbines using a small scale horizontal axis tidal turbine and a 2D hydrofoil testing rig, combining experiments with simulations to provide comprehensive results and to better understand some of the variables that affect their performance. The experimental campaigns were carried out at the University of Victoria fluids research lab and the Sustainable Systems Design Lab (SSDL). The experimental testing rigs were re-designed by the author and are now fully automated, including a friendly graphical user interface for easy implementation. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique was used as the quantitative flow visualization method to obtain the time-averaged flow fields. This thesis presents three investigations. The first study aims to quantify the impacts of channel blockage, free surface effects and foundations on hydrokinetic turbine performance, using porous discs and an axial flow rotor. The results were used to cross-validate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. It was found that as wall blockage increases, thrust and power are incremented with and without the inclusion of free surface deformation. Discrepancies between simulations and experimental results on free surface effects compared to a slip wall were obtained and hence further research is recommended and the author gives some advice on how to proceed in this investigation. The second study determines the performance of four hydrofoil candidates over a range of low Reynolds number (Re), delivering useful information that can be applied to low Re energy conversion systems and, specifically in this case, to improve the performance of the small scale tidal turbine at the SSDL lab. The study combines the 2D hydrofoil test rig along with PIV measurements in order to experimentally obtain lift and drag coefficients. The experiments were carried out in the recirculating flume tank over the range of low Re expected for the small scale rotor rig, in order to provide more accurate results to improve rotor blade design. In addition, numerical simulations using XFOIL, a viscid-inviscid coupled method, were introduced to the study. These results were analysed against experiments to find the most suitable parameters for reliable performance prediction. The final results suggested that adding a numerical trip at a certain chordwise distance produced more reliable results. Finally, an experimental study on turbine rotor performance and tip vortex behavior was performed using again the rotor rig and PIV. Blade design and rotor performance were assessed, showing good agreement with Blade Element Momentum (BEM) simulations, particularly at predicting the tip speed ratio corresponding to the maximum power coefficient point. Regarding the wake structure, tip vortex locations (shed from the blade tips) were captured using PIV in the near wake region, showing evidence of wake expansion. The velocity and vorticity fields are also provided to contribute to the development and validation of CFD and potential flow codes. / Graduate / 0548 / 0547 / 0538 / iafranch@uvic.ca

With the advantage of modern high speed computers, there has been an increased interest in the use of first-principles based computational approaches for the aerodynamic modeling of horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT). Since these approaches are based on the laws of conservation (mass, momentum, and energy), they can capture much of the physics in great detail. The ability to accurately predict the airloads and power output can greatly aid the designers in tailoring the aerodynamic and aeroelastic features of the configuration. First-principles based analyses are also valuable for developing active means (e.g., circulation control), and passive means (e.g., Gurney flaps) of reducing unsteady blade loads, mitigating stall, and for efficient capture of wind energy leading to more electrical power generation. In this present study, the aerodynamic performance of a wind turbine rotor equipped with circulation enhancement technology (trailing edge blowing or Gurney flaps) is investigated using a three-dimensional unsteady viscous flow analysis. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Phase VI horizontal axis wind turbine is chosen as the baseline configuration. Prior to its use in exploring these concepts, the flow solver is validated with the experimental data for the baseline case under yawed flow conditions. Results presented include radial distribution of normal and tangential forces, shaft torque, root flap moment, surface pressure distributions at selected radial locations, and power output. Results show that good agreement has been for a range of wind speeds and yaw angles, where the flow is attached. At high wind speeds, however, where the flow is fully separated, it was found that the fundamental assumptions behind this present methodology breaks down for the baseline turbulence model (Spalart-Allmaras model), giving less accurate results. With the implementation of advanced turbulence model, Spalart-Allmaras Detached Eddy Simulation (SA-DES), the accuracy of the results at high wind speeds are improved. Results of circulation enhancement concepts show that, at low wind speed (attached flow) conditions, a Coanda jet at the trailing edge of the rotor blade is effective at increasing circulation resulting in an increase of lift and the chordwise thrust force. This leads to an increased amount of net power generation compared to the baseline configuration for moderate blowing coefficients. The effects of jet slot height and pulsed jet are also investigated in this study. A passive Gurney flap was found to increase the bound circulation and produce increased power in a manner similar to the Coanda jet. At high wind speed where the flow is separated, both the Coanda jet and Gurney flap become ineffective. Results of leading edge blowing indicate that a leading edge blowing jet is found to be beneficial in increasing power generation at high wind speeds. The effect of Gurney flap angle is also studied. Gurney flap angle has significant influence in power generation. Higher power output is obtained at higher flap angles.

This thesis introduces a design optimization methodology that is based on minimizing the Cost of Energy (COE) of a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) that is to be operated at a specific wind site. In the design methodology for the calculation of the Cost of Energy, the Annual Energy Production (AEP) model to calculate the total energy generated by a unit wind turbine throughout a year and the total cost of that turbine are used. The AEP is calculated using the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory for wind turbine power and the Weibull distribution for the wind speed characteristics of selected wind sites. For the blade profile sections, either the S809 airfoil profile for all spanwise locations is used or NREL S-series airfoil families, which have different airfoil profiles for different spanwise sections, are used,. Lift and drag coefficients of these airfoils are obtained by performing computational fluid dynamics analyses. In sample design optimization studies, three different wind sites that have different wind speed characteristics are selected. Three scenarios are generated to present the effect of the airfoil shape as well as the turbine power. For each scenario, design optimizations of the reference wind turbines for the selected wind sites are performed the Cost of Energy and Annual Energy Production values are compared.

This thesis presents an aerodynamic shape optimization methodology for rotor blades of horizontal axis wind turbines. Genetic Algorithm and Blade Element Momentum Theory are implemented in order to find maximum power production at a specific wind speed, rotor speed and rotor diameter. The potential flow solver, XFOIL, provides viscous aerodynamic data of the airfoils. Optimization variables are selected as the sectional chord length, the sectional twist and the blade profiles at root, mid and tip regions of the blade. The blade sections are defined by the NACA four digit airfoil series or arbitrary airfoil profiles defined by a Bezier curve. Firstly, validation studies are performed with the airfoils and the wind turbines having experimental data. Then, optimization studies are performed on the existing wind turbines. Finally, design optimization applications are carried out for a 1 MWwind turbine.

Wind turbines installed in the open atmosphere experience much more complex and highly-varying flow than their counterparts in wind tunnels or numerical simulations. In particular, aerodynamic stall—which occurs often on stall-regulated wind turbines in such variable flow conditions—can affect both wind turbine blade lifespan and noise generation. A field test site was therefore installed at the outer limits of the city of Waterloo, Ontario to study a small-scale 30 kW stall-regulated wind turbine. Experimental equipment was installed to monitor parameters such as wind speed and direction, electrical power output, blade pitch angle, rotor rotational speed, and wind turbine yaw orientation. Extensive hardware and software was developed and installed to wirelessly collect data from all instrumentation. Tufts and a remote-operated camera were also installed on one of the two blades of the 10 m diameter horizontal-axis turbine. In a variation on the tuft flow visualisation technique, video files were analysed using a novel digital image processing code. The code was developed in MATLAB to calculate the fraction of the blade which was stalled by determining the position and angle of each tuft in every video frame. The algorithm was able to locate on average 85% of the visible tufts and correctly tagged those which were stalled with a bias of only −5% compared to the typical manual method. When the algorithm was applied to 7 h of tuft video at the outboard 40% of the blade, the total average fraction of stalled tufts varied from 5% at 5 m/s to 40% at 21 m/s. This trend was expected for the stall-regulated design since, as the wind speed is increased, the stall progresses from inboard to outboard regions and from trailing edge to leading edge. The 7 h time period represents at least a two order-of-magnitude increase compared with time periods analysed using previous manual methods. This work has demonstrated a digital implementation of tuft flow visualisation which lends statistical validity (through long-time-period averaging) to a common tool for researching wind turbine stall. The speed and ease with which the tuft method can be implemented, combined with the high cost per energy of small-scale wind turbines, suggest that this digital algorithm is a highly beneficial tool for future studies.

O experimento Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment Phase VI, realizado no ano de 2000 pelo Laboratório Nacional norte-americano para as Energias Renováveis (NREL) no túnel de vento Ames da NASA, foi reproduzido numericamente neste trabalho. O objetivo é o estudo das características da esteira aerodinâmica produzida pela turbina eólica de duas pás e 10 metros de diâmetro, operando à velocidade de rotação constante de 72 RPM, sujeita a uma velocidade de corrente livre do vento uniforme de 9 m/s, em um túnel de vento cuja seção de testes mede 36,6 m de largura por 24,4 m de altura e o comprimento mede 170 m. Para isso, foi utilizado o programa comercial ANSYS FLUENT versão 13.0, baseado no Método dos Volumes Finitos para a solução numérica das Equações de Navier-Stokes em regime transiente em conjunto com a Simulação de Grandes Escalas (SGE) para resolver a turbulência. As geometrias de todos os componentes da máquina foram criadas em software CAD. Um domínio móvel em forma de disco, contendo as pás do rotor e o hub da máquina, foi criado separadamente, e posteriormente inserido no domínio principal, estático, usando a ferramenta Moving Mesh disponível no software FLUENT. Ambos os domínios foram preenchidos por malhas compostas por tetraedros. Dados provenientes das simulações numéricas foram comparados aos dados experimentais de velocidade fornecidos por dois anemômetros sônicos instalados 5,8 m à jusante do rotor, ao que foi verificada boa concordância, com diferenças da ordem de 1% para o anemômetro 1 e 6% para o anemômetro 2. Resultados de velocidade na linha de centro do túnel e perfis de velocidade à jusante foram comparados com recente estudo numérico, e revelam diferenças importantes entre dados obtidos pela SGE, principalmente no que se refere à detecção de picos e flutuações relacionados às escalas turbulentas, e dados obtidos através da modelagem clássica da turbulência, RANS. As perturbações ultrapassaram a marca dos 10 diâmetros à jusante e atingiram o final do domínio localizado a 15 diâmetros. A esteira não apresentou simetria axial, e o ponto de maior redução na velocidade do escoamento foi detectado fora da linha de centro do rotor. / The Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment Phase VI, which has been carried out in 2000 by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at the NASA Ames wind tunnel, has been numerically reproduced. The purpose of this work is to study the characteristics of the wind wake produced by the 10 meter two bladed wind turbine, operating at a constant rotational speed of 72 RPM, subject to a free stream wind velocity of 9 m/s, inside a wind tunnel in which dimensions are 36.6 m in width, 24.4 m in height and length of 170 m. To achieve that, the ANSYS FLUENT version 13.0 commercial code, based in the Finite Volume Method to numerically solve the Navier-Stokes equations in transient state, has been used, together with the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) to characterize the turbulence. Geometries of all the machine components have been created in CAD software. A disc shaped moving domain, containing the blades and hub, has been created separately, and later inserted into the main, static domain, using the Moving Mesh tool available in the software. Both domains have been filled with meshes composed by tetrahedra. Data collected at the numerical simulations have been compared to experimental wind speed data provided by two sonic anemometers installed 5.8 m downstream from the rotor, for which a good agreement has been found, with differences of approximately 1% to the anemometer 1 and 6% to the anemometer 2. Results of wind velocity at the tunnel centerline and velocity profiles downstream have been compared with recent numerical study, and show important differences between data obtained by LES, especially with regard to the detection of peaks and fluctuations related to the turbulent scales, and data obtained by the classic turbulence modeling, RANS. Disturbances have passed the 10 diameter mark and reached the end at the domain located at 15 diameters. The wake did not show axial symmetry and the point of maximum reduction in the flow speed was detected outside the rotor centerline.

O presente trabalho realiza um estudo do desempenho aerodinâmico da turbina eólica de duas pás e 10 m de diâmetro da UAE Phase VI, testada pelo NREL no túnel de vento NASA Ames, através do uso de dinâmica dos fluidos computacional (CFD). Para tanto são apresentados conceitos fundamentais para análise da performance do aerogerador, a metodologia aplicada para a análise numérica e os resultados obtidos. O modelo geométrico da turbina foi inserido em ambiente computacional num domínio com as mesmas dimensões da seção de testes do túnel de vento. A esse domínio foi empregada uma malha de elementos tetraédricos. A modelagem numérica e as simulações foram efetuadas através do código comercial ANSYS FLUENT 13.0 e utilizaram as equações médias de Reynolds e modelos de turbulência k  SST e Spalart-Allmaras. A turbina simulada possui ângulo de giro (yaw) e de cone de 0°. Os casos simulados foram de turbina com ângulos de passo das pás de 0° e 3°, para velocidades de ar na entrada do domínio de 5 m/s, 7 m/s e 9 m/s. As simulações foram feitas em regime transiente utilizando o método de malha móvel. Dados provenientes da simulação numérica são comparados aos dados experimentais de empuxo, torque e potência, divulgados pelo laboratório. Os modelos de turbulência testados apresentaram boa concordância com os resultados experimentais de empuxo. O torque e a potência foram bem previstos para velocidades de entrada do domínio baixas, mas foram subdimensionados para velocidades mais altas. A separação da camada limite foi prevista por ambos os modelos. Na comparação com resultados obtidos com outros autores para o mesmo caso, o início de descolamento da camada limite se deu antes do previsto. A metodologia adotada nas simulações numéricas realizadas mostrou-se adequada e representativa nas análises desse estudo. / This study makes a CFD analysis of the aerodynamic performance of the NREL UAE Phase VI two-bladed wind turbine, which have been tested in the NASA Ames wind tunnel. Fundamental concepts on the evaluation of turbine performance, the applied methodology for the numerical analysis and the results are presented. A numerical model has been inserted in a computational environment that has the same dimensions as the real wind tunnel section, and a tetrahedral mesh has been created to fill this domain. Numerical modeling and the simulations have been performed using the ANSYS FLUENT 13.0 commercial code, making use of the RANS equations and the k  SST and Spalart-Allmaras turbulence models. The simulated turbine has 0 degrees of cone and yaw angle. Simulations were performed in unsteady state using the moving mesh technique. Results are compared to experimental data regarding to thrust, torque and power. The k  SST and Spalart-Allmaras turbulence models have shown good agreement with experimental values of thrust. Torque and power have been adequately predicted to lower free flow velocities, but have been underpredicted to higher velocities. Separation of the boundary layer has been adequately predicted by both models, but the beginning of the separation occurred earlier than expected in comparison with results of other authors to the same case. The methodology used in the numerical simulations proved to be adequate and representative in this study.

O experimento Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment Phase VI, realizado no ano de 2000 pelo Laboratório Nacional norte-americano para as Energias Renováveis (NREL) no túnel de vento Ames da NASA, foi reproduzido numericamente neste trabalho. O objetivo é o estudo das características da esteira aerodinâmica produzida pela turbina eólica de duas pás e 10 metros de diâmetro, operando à velocidade de rotação constante de 72 RPM, sujeita a uma velocidade de corrente livre do vento uniforme de 9 m/s, em um túnel de vento cuja seção de testes mede 36,6 m de largura por 24,4 m de altura e o comprimento mede 170 m. Para isso, foi utilizado o programa comercial ANSYS FLUENT versão 13.0, baseado no Método dos Volumes Finitos para a solução numérica das Equações de Navier-Stokes em regime transiente em conjunto com a Simulação de Grandes Escalas (SGE) para resolver a turbulência. As geometrias de todos os componentes da máquina foram criadas em software CAD. Um domínio móvel em forma de disco, contendo as pás do rotor e o hub da máquina, foi criado separadamente, e posteriormente inserido no domínio principal, estático, usando a ferramenta Moving Mesh disponível no software FLUENT. Ambos os domínios foram preenchidos por malhas compostas por tetraedros. Dados provenientes das simulações numéricas foram comparados aos dados experimentais de velocidade fornecidos por dois anemômetros sônicos instalados 5,8 m à jusante do rotor, ao que foi verificada boa concordância, com diferenças da ordem de 1% para o anemômetro 1 e 6% para o anemômetro 2. Resultados de velocidade na linha de centro do túnel e perfis de velocidade à jusante foram comparados com recente estudo numérico, e revelam diferenças importantes entre dados obtidos pela SGE, principalmente no que se refere à detecção de picos e flutuações relacionados às escalas turbulentas, e dados obtidos através da modelagem clássica da turbulência, RANS. As perturbações ultrapassaram a marca dos 10 diâmetros à jusante e atingiram o final do domínio localizado a 15 diâmetros. A esteira não apresentou simetria axial, e o ponto de maior redução na velocidade do escoamento foi detectado fora da linha de centro do rotor. / The Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment Phase VI, which has been carried out in 2000 by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at the NASA Ames wind tunnel, has been numerically reproduced. The purpose of this work is to study the characteristics of the wind wake produced by the 10 meter two bladed wind turbine, operating at a constant rotational speed of 72 RPM, subject to a free stream wind velocity of 9 m/s, inside a wind tunnel in which dimensions are 36.6 m in width, 24.4 m in height and length of 170 m. To achieve that, the ANSYS FLUENT version 13.0 commercial code, based in the Finite Volume Method to numerically solve the Navier-Stokes equations in transient state, has been used, together with the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) to characterize the turbulence. Geometries of all the machine components have been created in CAD software. A disc shaped moving domain, containing the blades and hub, has been created separately, and later inserted into the main, static domain, using the Moving Mesh tool available in the software. Both domains have been filled with meshes composed by tetrahedra. Data collected at the numerical simulations have been compared to experimental wind speed data provided by two sonic anemometers installed 5.8 m downstream from the rotor, for which a good agreement has been found, with differences of approximately 1% to the anemometer 1 and 6% to the anemometer 2. Results of wind velocity at the tunnel centerline and velocity profiles downstream have been compared with recent numerical study, and show important differences between data obtained by LES, especially with regard to the detection of peaks and fluctuations related to the turbulent scales, and data obtained by the classic turbulence modeling, RANS. Disturbances have passed the 10 diameter mark and reached the end at the domain located at 15 diameters. The wake did not show axial symmetry and the point of maximum reduction in the flow speed was detected outside the rotor centerline.

O presente trabalho realiza um estudo do desempenho aerodinâmico da turbina eólica de duas pás e 10 m de diâmetro da UAE Phase VI, testada pelo NREL no túnel de vento NASA Ames, através do uso de dinâmica dos fluidos computacional (CFD). Para tanto são apresentados conceitos fundamentais para análise da performance do aerogerador, a metodologia aplicada para a análise numérica e os resultados obtidos. O modelo geométrico da turbina foi inserido em ambiente computacional num domínio com as mesmas dimensões da seção de testes do túnel de vento. A esse domínio foi empregada uma malha de elementos tetraédricos. A modelagem numérica e as simulações foram efetuadas através do código comercial ANSYS FLUENT 13.0 e utilizaram as equações médias de Reynolds e modelos de turbulência k  SST e Spalart-Allmaras. A turbina simulada possui ângulo de giro (yaw) e de cone de 0°. Os casos simulados foram de turbina com ângulos de passo das pás de 0° e 3°, para velocidades de ar na entrada do domínio de 5 m/s, 7 m/s e 9 m/s. As simulações foram feitas em regime transiente utilizando o método de malha móvel. Dados provenientes da simulação numérica são comparados aos dados experimentais de empuxo, torque e potência, divulgados pelo laboratório. Os modelos de turbulência testados apresentaram boa concordância com os resultados experimentais de empuxo. O torque e a potência foram bem previstos para velocidades de entrada do domínio baixas, mas foram subdimensionados para velocidades mais altas. A separação da camada limite foi prevista por ambos os modelos. Na comparação com resultados obtidos com outros autores para o mesmo caso, o início de descolamento da camada limite se deu antes do previsto. A metodologia adotada nas simulações numéricas realizadas mostrou-se adequada e representativa nas análises desse estudo. / This study makes a CFD analysis of the aerodynamic performance of the NREL UAE Phase VI two-bladed wind turbine, which have been tested in the NASA Ames wind tunnel. Fundamental concepts on the evaluation of turbine performance, the applied methodology for the numerical analysis and the results are presented. A numerical model has been inserted in a computational environment that has the same dimensions as the real wind tunnel section, and a tetrahedral mesh has been created to fill this domain. Numerical modeling and the simulations have been performed using the ANSYS FLUENT 13.0 commercial code, making use of the RANS equations and the k  SST and Spalart-Allmaras turbulence models. The simulated turbine has 0 degrees of cone and yaw angle. Simulations were performed in unsteady state using the moving mesh technique. Results are compared to experimental data regarding to thrust, torque and power. The k  SST and Spalart-Allmaras turbulence models have shown good agreement with experimental values of thrust. Torque and power have been adequately predicted to lower free flow velocities, but have been underpredicted to higher velocities. Separation of the boundary layer has been adequately predicted by both models, but the beginning of the separation occurred earlier than expected in comparison with results of other authors to the same case. The methodology used in the numerical simulations proved to be adequate and representative in this study.

O experimento Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment Phase VI, realizado no ano de 2000 pelo Laboratório Nacional norte-americano para as Energias Renováveis (NREL) no túnel de vento Ames da NASA, foi reproduzido numericamente neste trabalho. O objetivo é o estudo das características da esteira aerodinâmica produzida pela turbina eólica de duas pás e 10 metros de diâmetro, operando à velocidade de rotação constante de 72 RPM, sujeita a uma velocidade de corrente livre do vento uniforme de 9 m/s, em um túnel de vento cuja seção de testes mede 36,6 m de largura por 24,4 m de altura e o comprimento mede 170 m. Para isso, foi utilizado o programa comercial ANSYS FLUENT versão 13.0, baseado no Método dos Volumes Finitos para a solução numérica das Equações de Navier-Stokes em regime transiente em conjunto com a Simulação de Grandes Escalas (SGE) para resolver a turbulência. As geometrias de todos os componentes da máquina foram criadas em software CAD. Um domínio móvel em forma de disco, contendo as pás do rotor e o hub da máquina, foi criado separadamente, e posteriormente inserido no domínio principal, estático, usando a ferramenta Moving Mesh disponível no software FLUENT. Ambos os domínios foram preenchidos por malhas compostas por tetraedros. Dados provenientes das simulações numéricas foram comparados aos dados experimentais de velocidade fornecidos por dois anemômetros sônicos instalados 5,8 m à jusante do rotor, ao que foi verificada boa concordância, com diferenças da ordem de 1% para o anemômetro 1 e 6% para o anemômetro 2. Resultados de velocidade na linha de centro do túnel e perfis de velocidade à jusante foram comparados com recente estudo numérico, e revelam diferenças importantes entre dados obtidos pela SGE, principalmente no que se refere à detecção de picos e flutuações relacionados às escalas turbulentas, e dados obtidos através da modelagem clássica da turbulência, RANS. As perturbações ultrapassaram a marca dos 10 diâmetros à jusante e atingiram o final do domínio localizado a 15 diâmetros. A esteira não apresentou simetria axial, e o ponto de maior redução na velocidade do escoamento foi detectado fora da linha de centro do rotor. / The Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment Phase VI, which has been carried out in 2000 by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at the NASA Ames wind tunnel, has been numerically reproduced. The purpose of this work is to study the characteristics of the wind wake produced by the 10 meter two bladed wind turbine, operating at a constant rotational speed of 72 RPM, subject to a free stream wind velocity of 9 m/s, inside a wind tunnel in which dimensions are 36.6 m in width, 24.4 m in height and length of 170 m. To achieve that, the ANSYS FLUENT version 13.0 commercial code, based in the Finite Volume Method to numerically solve the Navier-Stokes equations in transient state, has been used, together with the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) to characterize the turbulence. Geometries of all the machine components have been created in CAD software. A disc shaped moving domain, containing the blades and hub, has been created separately, and later inserted into the main, static domain, using the Moving Mesh tool available in the software. Both domains have been filled with meshes composed by tetrahedra. Data collected at the numerical simulations have been compared to experimental wind speed data provided by two sonic anemometers installed 5.8 m downstream from the rotor, for which a good agreement has been found, with differences of approximately 1% to the anemometer 1 and 6% to the anemometer 2. Results of wind velocity at the tunnel centerline and velocity profiles downstream have been compared with recent numerical study, and show important differences between data obtained by LES, especially with regard to the detection of peaks and fluctuations related to the turbulent scales, and data obtained by the classic turbulence modeling, RANS. Disturbances have passed the 10 diameter mark and reached the end at the domain located at 15 diameters. The wake did not show axial symmetry and the point of maximum reduction in the flow speed was detected outside the rotor centerline.