Control Framework and Integrative Design Method for an Adaptive Wind Turbine Blade

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Khakpour Nejadkhaki ◽  
John F. Hall

Abstract A control framework and integrative design method for an adaptive wind turbine blade is presented. The blade is adapted by actively transforming the twist angle distribution (TAD) along the blade. This can alleviate fatigue loads and improve wind capture. In this paper, we focus on wind capture. The proposed design concept consists of a rigid spar that is surrounded by a series of flexible blade sections. Each section has two zones of stiffness. The sections are actuated at each end to deform the TAD. A quasi-static control technique is proposed for the TAD. The controller sets the position of the blade actuators that shape the TAD during steady-state operation. A design procedure is used to define the required TAD as a function of the wind speed. This is based on an optimization procedure that minimizes the deviation between the actual TAD and that found in the aerodynamic design. The design inputs for this optimization problem include the stiffness for each zone of the section, and the actuator locations along the blade. Given the optimal TAD at each wind speed, the free position of the blade is established using a dynamic programming technique. The position is selected based on minimal actuation energy according to wind conditions at any installation site. The proposed framework is demonstrated using a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) certified wind turbine model with recorded wind data. An increase in efficiency of 3.8% with only a deviation of 0.34% from the aerodynamic TAD is observed.

2011 ◽  
Vol 88-89 ◽  
pp. 549-553
Author(s):  
Wen Xian Tang ◽  
Cheng Cheng ◽  
Yun Di Cai ◽  
Fei Wang

According to the design procedure of wind turbine blade, a design method that can make CAD software joint used was brought up. Wilson method was used to design and calculate the main data of blade. On this basis, the three-dimensional solid model of wind turbine blade could get by using and playing the function of different CAD software. This study provided a reference for the design of wind turbine blade and other similar complicated structures, which settles the basis for the further analysis of blade.


Author(s):  
Hamid Khakpour Nejadkhaki ◽  
John F. Hall

A method for designing and controlling a novel wind turbine blade is presented. The blade is modular, flexible, and additively manufactured. Conventional blades are monolithic and relatively stiff. The conventional method for improving aerodynamic efficiency is through generator torque control. The anisotropic nature of the additive manufacturing (AM) process has the potential to create a flexible blade with a low torsional-to-longitudinal-stiffness ratio. This enables new design and control capabilities that could be applied to the twist angle distribution (TAD). Simulation results suggest this can increase the aerodynamic efficiency during Region 2 operation. The suggested blade design includes a rigid spar with flexible AM segments that form the surrounding shells. The stiffness of each individual segment and the actuator placement define the TAD. In practice, the degree of flexibility for each segment will be established through the design and AM processes. These variations in compliance allow the blade to conform to the desired set of TAD geometries. The proposed design process first determines the TAD that maximizes the aerodynamic efficiency in Region 2. A mechanical design algorithm subsequently locates a series of actuators and defines the stiffness ratio between the blade segments. The procedure is optimized to minimize the amount of variation between the theoretical TAD and that which is obtained in practice. The free-shape TAD is also determined in the final design step. The geometry is chosen to minimize the amount of deflection needed to shape the TAD as it changes with Region 2 wind speed. A control framework is also developed to set the TAD in relation to wind speed. A case study demonstrates the capability of the proposed method. The simulation results suggest that a TAD controlled through five actuators can achieve the full range of required motion. Moreover, the design solution can increase the efficiency at cut-in and rated speeds up to 3.8% and 3.3%, respectively.


Author(s):  
Hamid Khakpour Nejadkhaki ◽  
John F. Hall

This paper presents a methodology for designing key features of a flexible wind turbine blade with an actively variable twist distribution. Simulation results suggest this capability can increase the aerodynamic efficiency during Region 2 operation. The concept for the flexible blade consists of a rigid spar with flexible modular segments that form the surrounding shells. The segments are additively manufactured. The associated compliances of the each individual segment and actuator placement determine the Twist Angle Distribution (TAD). It is assumed that the degree of flexibility for each segment will be established through the design and additive manufacturing (AM) processes. Moreover, the variations in compliance make it possible for the blade to conform to the desired set of TAD geometries. The design process first determines the TAD that maximizes the aerodynamic efficiency for discrete points of wind speed in Region 2. The results are obtained using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Aerodyn software and a genetic algorithm. The TAD geometry is then passed to a mechanical design algorithm that locates a series of actuators and defines the stiffness ratio between the blade segments. The process employs a computer cluster to create the TAD for a set of design scenarios. The design selections are found through an objective function. It minimizes the amount of deviation between the actual TAD and that found in the aerodynamic analysis. The free-shape TAD is determined in the final step. The geometry is chosen to minimize the amount of deflection needed to shape the TAD, which changes with Region 2 wind speed. A case study suggests that a blade with only five actuators can achieve the full range of TAD geometry. Moreover, the design solution can increase the efficiency at cut-in and rated speeds up to 3.8% and 3.3%, respectively.


Author(s):  
Hamid Khakpour Nejadkhaki ◽  
John F. Hall

A methodology for the design and control of a variable twist wind turbine blade is presented. The blade is, modular, flexible, and additively manufactured (AM). The AM capabilities have the potential to create a flexible blade with a low torsional-to-longitudinal-stiffness ratio. This enables new design and control capabilities that could be applied to the twist angle distribution. The variable twist distribution can increase the aerodynamic efficiency during Region 2 operation. The suggested blade design includes a rigid spar and flexible AM segments that form the surrounding shells. The stiffness of each segment and the actuator placement define the twist distribution. These values are used to find the optimum free shape for the blade. Given the optimum twist distributions, actuator placement, and free shape, the required amount of actuation could be determined. The proposed design process first determines the twist distribution that maximizes the aerodynamic efficiency in Region 2. A mechanical design algorithm subsequently locates a series of actuators and defines the stiffness ratio between the blade segments. The free shape twist distribution is selected in the next step. It is chosen to minimize the amount of actuation energy required to shape the twist distribution as it changes with Region 2 wind speed. Wind profiles of 20 different sites, gathered over a three-year period, are used to get the free shape. A control framework is then developed to set the twist distribution in relation to wind speed. A case study is performed to demonstrate the suggested procedure. The aerodynamic results show up to 3.8 and 3.3% increase in the efficiency at cut-in and rated speeds, respectively. The cumulative produced energy within three years, improved by up to 1.7%. The mechanical design suggests that the required twist distribution could be achieved by five actuators. Finally, the optimum free shape is selected based on the simulations for the studied sites.


2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ki-Hak Lee ◽  
Kyu-Hong Kim ◽  
Dong-Ho Lee ◽  
Kyung-Tae Lee ◽  
Jong-Po Park

A horizontal-axis wind turbine blade is designed using two step optimization procedures with probability approach. For the efficient management of the multiple design variables required for the blade design, the design procedure is divided into two optimization steps. In step 1, the diameter and rotating speed of a blade are determined and design points are extracted from the design space. In step 2-1, blade shapes are optimized by using the strip theory with the minimum energy loss method. The capacity factor and the cost model for each optimized blade shape are calculated in steps 2-2 and 2-3, respectively. To find the global optimum point in the design space, the space is modified into a highly possible region through the use of the probability approach.


2018 ◽  
Vol 217 ◽  
pp. 01003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Zhou Yi ◽  
Choe-Yung Teoh

Wind turbines cannot simply be installed in Malaysia due to low wind speed condition. the project has analyzed the existing wind turbine blade (Aeolos-V 1k) design based on modal properties using computational approach (ANSYS Workbench) and redesign it. the modal analysis is simulated to observe natural frequency and corresponding mode shaped of the system under free vibration. the flow induced vibration can cause blade failure due to resonance or fatigue. Fluid Structural Interaction (FSI) ANSYS is used to the determined the interaction between the wind flow and the blade. Harmonic Response ANSYS is used to analyze the frequency response of the blade under wind induced vibration. After modification, the first mode has increased from 91.42 Hz to 102.12, since it is more than 50.92 Hz (Turbine maximum operating frequency), resonance would not occur during operating condition. the Aeolos-V’s blade has been modified by using. teak wood material and. redesign the blade for weight. reduction and aim for lower blade cost. the weight of modified blade has reduced 72.8 % after using teak wood and the efficiency of the wind turbine also increased. Modified design has been tested under Malaysia maximum wind speed of 9.44 m/s, the yield stress of teak wood (10.3 MPa) is higher than the maximum stress (4.2 MPa) obtained under force vibration which gives safety factor of 2.4. Hence, modified blade is reliable, efficient and more economic for Malaysia.


2014 ◽  
Vol 889-890 ◽  
pp. 221-224
Author(s):  
Gao Hua Liao ◽  
Jian Zhong Wu ◽  
Yong Jun Yu

According to the principle of equivalent, the approach to draw up the fatigue test loading spectrum of wind turbine blade is presented. Analysis of wind load characteristics, based on ARMA (Autoregressive Moving Average Model) for the simulation of wind speed, wind load simulation example is given. Using Bladed software, the wind speed-time history is converted to a moment-time history that is the equivalent of blade root.Using data compression technology and the rain flow counting algorithm, load represented by a 2D matrix examples is given.The one-dimensional symmetry loading spectrum draw up, the complexity can be simplified, and provides the necessary foundation for fatigue life analysis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Khakpour Nejadkhaki ◽  
John F. Hall

A modeling framework to analyze a wind turbine blade subjected to an out-of-plane transformation is presented. The framework combines aerodynamic and mechanical models to support an automated design process. The former combines the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) aerodyn software with a genetic algorithm solver. It defines the theoretical twist angle distribution (TAD) as a function of wind speed. The procedure is repeated for a series of points that form a discrete range of wind speeds. This step establishes the full range of blade transformations. The associated theoretical TAD geometry is subsequently passed to the mechanical model. It creates the TAD geometry in the context of a novel wind turbine blade concept. The blade sections are assumed to be made by additive manufacturing, which enables tunable stiffness. An optimization problem minimizes the difference between the practical and theoretical TAD over the full range of transformations. It does so by selecting the actuator locations and the torsional stiffness ratios of consecutive segments. In the final step, the blade free shape (undeformed position) is found. The model and design support out-of-plane twisting, which can increase energy production and mitigate fatigue loads. The proposed framework is demonstrated through a case study based on energy production. It employs data acquired from the NREL Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment. A set of blade transformations required to improve the efficiency of a fixed-speed system is examined. The results show up to 3.7% and 2.9% increases in the efficiency at cut-in and rated speeds, respectively.


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