Experimental identification of blade-level forces, torque, and pitching moment for cross-flow turbines

Abstract: Cross-flow turbine power is a net sum of power generation from rotating blades and power loss from rotating support structures. While the aggregate forces and torques at the turbine level are important for end use, these can inhibit a deeper understanding of fluid-structure interactions. Identification of blade-level forces and torques allows for specific investigations into how the fluid forcing on the blade drives rotation and can aid blade structural design. Here, we present a physics-based methodology for extracting blade-level forces and torques from experimental measurements at the axis of rotation of a cross-flow turbine, and demonstrate strong agreement with equivalent blade-only simulations. In doing so, we highlight the significance of the commonly ignored pitching moment term which is found to oppose power generation and drive performance degradation in the downstream portion of the rotation.