Implementation, Optimization and Validation of a Nonlinear Lifting Line Free Vortex Wake Module Within the Wind Turbine Simulation Code QBlade

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Marten ◽  
Matthew Lennie ◽  
Georgios Pechlivanoglou ◽  
Christian Navid Nayeri ◽  
Christian Oliver Paschereit
Keyword(s):  
Cfd Simulation ◽  
Unsteady Aerodynamics ◽  
Momentum Balance ◽  
Vortex Rings ◽  
Vortex Wake ◽  
Computationally Efficient ◽  
Simulation Code ◽  
Free Vortex ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
Lifting Line

The development of the next generation of large multi-megawatt wind turbines presents exceptional challenges to the applied aerodynamic design tools. Because their operation is often outside the validated range of current state of the art momentum balance models, there is a demand for more sophisticated, but still computationally efficient simulation methods. In contrast to the Blade Element Momentum Method (BEM) the Lifting Line Theory (LLT) models the wake explicitly by a shedding of vortex rings. The wake model of freely convecting vortex rings induces a time-accurate velocity field, as opposed to the annular averaged induction that is computed from the momentum balance, with computational costs being magnitudes smaller than those of a full CFD simulation. The open source code QBlade, developed at the Berlin Institute of Technology, was recently extended with a Lifting Line - Free Vortex Wake algorithm. The main motivation for the implementation of a LLT algorithm into QBlade is to replace the unsteady BEM code AeroDyn in the coupling to FAST to achieve a more accurate representation of the unsteady aerodynamics and to gain more information on the evolving rotor wake and flow-field structure. Therefore, optimization for computational efficiency was a priority during the integration and the provisions that were taken will be presented in short. The implemented LLT algorithm is thoroughly validated against other benchmark BEM, LLT and panel method codes and experimental data from the MEXICO and NREL Phase VI tests campaigns. By integration of a validated LLT code within QBlade and its database, the setup and simulation of LLT simulations is greatly facilitated. Simulations can be run from already existing rotor models without any additional input. Example use cases envisaged for the LLT code include; providing an estimate of the error margin of lower fidelity codes i.e. unsteady BEM, or providing a baseline solution to check the soundness of higher fidelity CFD simulations or experimental results.

Implementation, Optimization, and Validation of a Nonlinear Lifting Line-Free Vortex Wake Module Within the Wind Turbine Simulation Code qblade

2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Marten ◽  
Matthew Lennie ◽  
Georgios Pechlivanoglou ◽  
Christian Navid Nayeri ◽  
Christian Oliver Paschereit
Keyword(s):  
Cfd Simulation ◽  
Unsteady Aerodynamics ◽  
Momentum Balance ◽  
Vortex Rings ◽  
Vortex Wake ◽  
Computationally Efficient ◽  
Simulation Code ◽  
Free Vortex ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
Lifting Line

The development of the next generation of large multimegawatt wind turbines presents exceptional challenges to the applied aerodynamic design tools. Because their operation is often outside the validated range of current state-of-the-art momentum balance models, there is a demand for more sophisticated, but still computationally efficient simulation methods. In contrast to the blade element momentum method (BEM), the lifting line theory (LLT) models the wake explicitly by a shedding of vortex rings. The wake model of freely convecting vortex rings induces a time-accurate velocity field, as opposed to the annular-averaged induction that is computed from the momentum balance, with computational costs being magnitudes smaller than those of a full computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. The open source code qblade, developed at the Berlin Institute of Technology, was recently extended with a lifting line-free vortex wake algorithm. The main motivation for the implementation of an LLT algorithm into qblade is to replace the unsteady BEM code aerodyn in the coupling to fast to achieve a more accurate representation of the unsteady aerodynamics and to gain more information on the evolving rotor wake and flow-field structure. Therefore, optimization for computational efficiency was a priority during the integration and the provisions that were taken will be presented in short. The implemented LLT algorithm is thoroughly validated against other benchmark BEM, LLT, and panel method codes and experimental data from the MEXICO and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Phase VI tests campaigns. By integration of a validated LLT code within qblade and its database, the setup and simulation of LLT simulations are greatly facilitated. Simulations can be run from already existing rotor models without any additional input. Example use cases envisaged for the LLT code include: providing an estimate of the error margin of lower fidelity codes, i.e., unsteady BEM, or providing a baseline solution to check the soundness of higher fidelity CFD simulations or experimental results.

An Unsteady Aerodynamics Model for Lifting Line Free Vortex Wake Simulations of HAWT and VAWT in QBlade

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliane Wendler ◽  
David Marten ◽  
George Pechlivanoglou ◽  
Christian Navid Nayeri ◽  
Christian Oliver Paschereit
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Unsteady Aerodynamics ◽  
Vortex Method ◽  
Vertical Axis ◽  
Empirical Method ◽  
Vortex Wake ◽  
Simulation Code ◽  
Free Vortex ◽  
Lifting Line

This paper describes the introduction of an unsteady aerodynamics model applicable for horizontal and vertical axis wind turbines (HAWT/VAWT) into the advanced blade design and simulation code QBlade, developed at the HFI of the TU Berlin. The software contains a module based on lifting line theory including a free vortex wake algorithm (LLFVW) which has recently been coupled to the structural solver of FAST to allow for time-resolved aeroelastic simulations of large, flexible wind turbine blades. The aerodynamic model yields an accuracy improvement with respect to Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory and a more practical approach compared to higher fidelity methods such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) which are too computationally demanding for load case calculations. To capture the dynamics of flow separation, a semi-empirical method based on the Beddoes-Leishman model now extends the simple table lookups of static polar data by predicting the unsteady lift and drag coefficients from steady data and the current state of motion. The model modifications for wind turbines and the coupling to QBlade’s vortex method are described. A 2D validation of the implementation is presented in this paper to demonstrate the capability and reliability of the resulting simulation scheme. The applicability of the model is shown for exemplary HAWT and VAWT test cases. The modelling of the dynamic stall vortex, the empiric model constants as well as the influence of the dynamic coefficients on performance predictions are investigated.

scholarly journals Is the Blade Element Momentum Theory overestimating Wind Turbine Loads? – A Comparison with a Lifting Line Free Vortex Wake Method

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Perez-Becker ◽  
Francesco Papi ◽  
Joseph Saverin ◽  
David Marten ◽  
Alessandro Bianchini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Vortex Wake ◽  
Bending Moments ◽  
Free Vortex ◽  
Aerodynamic Loads ◽  
Blade Root ◽  
Out Of Plane ◽  
Design Loads ◽  
Lifting Line ◽  
Blade Element

Abstract. Load calculations play a key role in determining the design loads of different wind turbine components. State of the art in the industry is to use the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory to calculate the aerodynamic loads. Due to their simplifying assumptions of the rotor aerodynamics, BEM methods have to rely on several engineering correction models to capture the aerodynamic phenomena present in Design Load Cases (DLCs) with turbulent wind. Because of this, BEM methods can overestimate aerodynamic loads under challenging conditions when compared to higher-order aerodynamic methods - such as the Lifting Line Free Vortex Wake (LLFVW) method – leading to unnecessarily high design loads and component costs. In this paper, we give a quantitative answer to the question of BEM load overestimation by comparing the results of aeroelastic load calculations done with the BEM-based OpenFAST code and the QBlade code which uses a LLFVW method. We compare extreme and fatigue load predictions from both codes using 66 ten-minute load simulations of the DTU 10 MW Reference Wind Turbine according to the IEC 61400-1 power production DLC group. Results from both codes show differences in fatigue and extreme load estimations for practically all considered sensors of the turbine. LLFVW simulations predict 4 % and 14 % lower lifetime Damage Equivalent Loads (DELs) for the out-of-plane blade root and the tower base fore-aft bending moments, when compared to BEM simulations. The results also show that lifetime DELs for the yaw bearing tilt- and yaw moments are 2 % and 4 % higher when calculated with the LLFVW code. An ultimate state analysis shows that extreme loads of the blade root out-of-plane and the tower base fore-aft bending moments predicted by the LLFVW simulations are 3 % and 8 % lower than the moments predicted by BEM simulations, respectively. Further analysis reveals that there are two main contributors to these load differences. The first is the different treatment in both codes of the effect that sheared inflow has on the local blade aerodynamics and second is the wake memory effect model which was not included in the BEM simulations.

Free-Vortex Wake and CFD Simulation of a Small Rotor for a Quadcopter at Hover

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres M. Pérez ◽  
Omar Lopez ◽  
Svetlana V. Poroseva
Keyword(s):  
Cfd Simulation ◽  
Vortex Wake ◽  
Free Vortex

Coupling of an Unsteady Lifting Line Free Vortex Wake Code to the Aeroelastic HAWT Simulation Suite FAST

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Saverin ◽  
David Marten ◽  
George Pechlivanoglou ◽  
Christian Navid Nayeri ◽  
Christian Oliver Paschereit
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Vortex Wake ◽  
Free Vortex ◽  
Blade Loading ◽  
Simplifying Assumptions ◽  
Aeroelastic Simulations ◽  
Lifting Line

A coupling of the Lifting Line Free Vortex Wake (LLFVW) model of the open source wind turbine software QBlade and the wind turbine structural analysis tool FAST has been achieved. FAST has been modified and compiled as a dynamic library, taking rotor blade loading from the LLFVW model as input. Most current wind turbine aeroelastic simulations make use of the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) model, based upon a number of simplifying assumptions which are often violated in unsteady situations. The purpose of the implemented model is to improve accuracy under unsteady conditions. The coupling has been thoroughly validated against the NREL 5MW reference turbine. The turbine is compared under both steady conditions and three unsteady operating conditions to the BEM code AeroDyn. The turbine has been simulated operating at a constant RPM and with a variable-speed, variable blade-pitch-to-feather controller. Under steady conditions the agreement between the LLFVW and AeroDyn is demonstrated to be very good. The LLFVW produces different predictions for rotor power, blade deflection and blade loading during transient conditions. A number of important observations have been made which illustrate the necessity of a higher fidelity aerodynamic model. The validation and results are considered as a step towards the implementation of an open-source, high fidelity aeroelastic tool for wind turbines.

scholarly journals Implementation and Validation of an Advanced Wind Energy Controller in Aero-Servo-Elastic Simulations Using the Lifting Line Free Vortex Wake Model

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Perez-Becker ◽  
David Marten ◽  
Christian Navid Nayeri ◽  
Christian Oliver Paschereit
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Control Strategy ◽  
Vortex Wake ◽  
Load Reduction ◽  
Free Vortex ◽  
Pitch Control ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Individual Pitch Control ◽  
Lifting Line

Accurate and reproducible aeroelastic load calculations are indispensable for designing modern multi-MW wind turbines. They are also essential for assessing the load reduction capabilities of advanced wind turbine control strategies. In this paper, we contribute to this topic by introducing the TUB Controller, an advanced open-source wind turbine controller capable of performing full load calculations. It is compatible with the aeroelastic software QBlade, which features a lifting line free vortex wake aerodynamic model. The paper describes in detail the controller and includes a validation study against an established open-source controller from the literature. Both controllers show comparable performance with our chosen metrics. Furthermore, we analyze the advanced load reduction capabilities of the individual pitch control strategy included in the TUB Controller. Turbulent wind simulations with the DTU 10 MW Reference Wind Turbine featuring the individual pitch control strategy show a decrease in the out-of-plane and torsional blade root bending moment fatigue loads of 14% and 9.4% respectively compared to a baseline controller.

scholarly journals Development of a Simulation Tool Coupling Hydrodynamics and Unsteady Aerodynamics to Study Floating Wind Turbines

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Leroy ◽  
Jean-Christophe Gilloteaux ◽  
Maxime Philippe ◽  
Aurélien Babarit ◽  
Pierre Ferrant
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Unsteady Aerodynamics ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Computational Time ◽  
Vortex Wake ◽  
Rotor Wake ◽  
Free Vortex ◽  
Code Validation ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Wake Interactions

Depending on the environmental conditions, floating Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (FHAWTs) may have a very unsteady behaviour. The wind inflow is unsteady and fluctuating in space and time. The floating platform has six Degrees of Freedom (DoFs) of movement. The aerodynamics of the rotor is subjected to many unsteady phenomena: dynamic inflow, stall, tower shadow and rotor/wake interactions. State-of-the-art aerodynamic models used for the design of wind turbines may not be accurate enough to model such systems at sea. For HAWTs, methods such as Blade Element Momentum (BEM) [1] have been widely used and validated for bottom fixed turbines. However, the motions of a floating system induce unsteady phenomena and interactions with its wake that are not accounted for in BEM codes [2]. Several research projects such as the OC3 [3], OC4 [4] and OC5 [5] projects focus on the simulation of FHAWTs. To study the seakeeping of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs), it has been chosen to couple an unsteady free vortex wake aerodynamic solver (CACTUS) to a seakeeping code (InWave [6]). The free vortex wake theory assumes a potential flow but inherently models rotor/wake interactions and skewed rotor configurations. It shows a good compromise between accuracy and computational time. A first code-to-code validation has been done with results from FAST [7]on the FHAWT OC3 test case [3] considering the NREL 5MW wind turbine on the OC3Hywind SPAR platform. The code-to-code validation includes hydrodynamics, moorings and control (in torque and blade pitch). It shows good agreement between the two codes for small amplitude motions, discrepancies arise for rougher sea conditions due to differences in the used aerodynamic models.

scholarly journals Is the Blade Element Momentum theory overestimating wind turbine loads? – An aeroelastic comparison between OpenFAST's AeroDyn and QBlade's Lifting-Line Free Vortex Wake method

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 721-743
Author(s):  
Sebastian Perez-Becker ◽  
Francesco Papi ◽  
Joseph Saverin ◽  
David Marten ◽  
Alessandro Bianchini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Vortex Wake ◽  
Free Vortex ◽  
Aerodynamic Loads ◽  
Blade Root ◽  
Out Of Plane ◽  
Design Loads ◽  
Lifting Line ◽  
Blade Element

Abstract. Load calculations play a key role in determining the design loads of different wind turbine components. To obtain the aerodynamic loads for these calculations, the industry relies heavily on the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory. BEM methods use several engineering correction models to capture the aerodynamic phenomena present in Design Load Cases (DLCs) with turbulent wind. Because of this, BEM methods can overestimate aerodynamic loads under challenging conditions when compared to higher-order aerodynamic methods – such as the Lifting-Line Free Vortex Wake (LLFVW) method – leading to unnecessarily high design loads and component costs. In this paper, we give a quantitative answer to the question of load overestimation of a particular BEM implementation by comparing the results of aeroelastic load calculations done with the BEM-based OpenFAST code and the QBlade code, which uses a particular implementation of the LLFVW method. We compare extreme and fatigue load predictions from both codes using sixty-six 10 min load simulations of the Danish Technical University (DTU) 10 MW Reference Wind Turbine according to the IEC 61400-1 power production DLC group. Results from both codes show differences in fatigue and extreme load estimations for the considered sensors of the turbine. LLFVW simulations predict 9 % lower lifetime damage equivalent loads (DELs) for the out-of-plane blade root and the tower base fore–aft bending moments compared to BEM simulations. The results also show that lifetime DELs for the yaw-bearing tilt and yaw moments are 3 % and 4 % lower when calculated with the LLFVW code. An ultimate state analysis shows that extreme loads of the blade root out-of-plane bending moment predicted by the LLFVW simulations are 3 % lower than the moments predicted by BEM simulations. For the maximum tower base fore–aft bending moment, the LLFVW simulations predict an increase of 2 %. Further analysis reveals that there are two main contributors to these load differences. The first is the different way both codes treat the effect of the nonuniform wind field on the local blade aerodynamics. The second is the higher average aerodynamic torque in the LLFVW simulations. It influences the transition between operating modes of the controller and changes the aeroelastic behavior of the turbine, thus affecting the loads.

scholarly journals About the suitability of different numerical methods to reproduce model wind turbine measurements in a wind tunnel with a high blockage ratio

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 439-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Claudia Klein ◽  
Sirko Bartholomay ◽  
David Marten ◽  
Thorsten Lutz ◽  
George Pechlivanoglou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Far Field ◽  
Vortex Wake ◽  
Blockage Ratio ◽  
Bending Moments ◽  
Free Vortex ◽  
Lifting Line

Abstract. In the present paper, numerical and experimental investigations of a model wind turbine with a diameter of 3.0 m are described. The study has three objectives. The first one is the provision of validation data. The second one is to estimate the influence of the wind tunnel walls by comparing measurements to simulated results with and without wind tunnel walls. The last objective is the comparison and evaluation of methods of high fidelity, namely computational fluid dynamics, and medium fidelity, namely lifting-line free vortex wake. The experiments were carried out in the large wind tunnel of the TU Berlin where a blockage ratio of 40 % occurs. With the lifting-line free vortex wake code QBlade, the turbine was simulated under far field conditions at the TU Berlin. Unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations of the wind turbine, including wind tunnel walls and under far field conditions, were performed at the University of Stuttgart with the computational fluid dynamics code FLOWer. Comparisons among the experiment, the lifting-line free vortex wake code and the computational fluid dynamics code include on-blade velocity and angle of attack. Comparisons of flow fields are drawn between the experiment and the computational fluid dynamics code. Bending moments are compared among the simulations. A good accordance was achieved for the on-blade velocity and the angle of attack, whereas deviations occur for the flow fields and the bending moments.

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