scholarly journals Flutter Behavior of Highly Flexible Two- and Three-bladed Wind Turbine Rotors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayank Chetan ◽  
Shulong Yao ◽  
D. Todd Griffith
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Structural Design ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Rotor Blades ◽  
Flutter Speed ◽  
Cost Of Energy ◽  
Manufacturing Technologies

Abstract. With the progression of novel design, material, and manufacturing technologies, the wind energy industry has successfully produced larger and larger wind turbine rotor blades while driving down the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). Though the benefits of larger turbine blades are appealing, larger blades are prone to aero-elastic instabilities due to their long, slender, highly flexible nature, and this effect is accentuated as rotors further grow in size. In addition to the trend of larger rotors, new rotor concepts are emerging including two-bladed rotors and downwind configurations. In this work, we introduce a comprehensive evaluation of flutter behavior including classical flutter, edgewise vibration, and flutter mode characteristics for two-bladed, downwind rotors. Flutter speed trends and characteristics for a series of both two- and three-bladed rotors are analyzed and compared in order to illustrate the flutter behavior of two-bladed rotors relative to more well-known flutter characteristics of three-bladed rotors. In addition, we examine the important problem of blade design to mitigate flutter and present a solution to mitigate flutter in the structural design process. A study is carried out evaluating the effect of leading edge and trailing edge reinforcement on flutter speed and hence demonstrates the ability to increase the flutter speed and satisfy structural design requirements (such as fatigue) while maintaining or even reducing blade mass.

scholarly journals Damage tolerance and structural monitoring for wind turbine blades

2015 ◽  
Vol 373 (2035) ◽  
pp. 20140077 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. McGugan ◽  
G. Pereira ◽  
B. F. Sørensen ◽  
H. Toftegaard ◽  
K. Branner
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Damage Tolerance ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Rotor Blades ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Tolerance Index ◽  
Wind Turbine Blades ◽  
Efficient Operation ◽  
Reliable Design

The paper proposes a methodology for reliable design and maintenance of wind turbine rotor blades using a condition monitoring approach and a damage tolerance index coupling the material and structure. By improving the understanding of material properties that control damage propagation it will be possible to combine damage tolerant structural design, monitoring systems, inspection techniques and modelling to manage the life cycle of the structures. This will allow an efficient operation of the wind turbine in terms of load alleviation, limited maintenance and repair leading to a more effective exploitation of offshore wind.

scholarly journals Enhancement of Free Vortex Filament Method for Aerodynamic Loads on Rotor Blades

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamidreza Abedi ◽  
Lars Davidson ◽  
Spyros Voutsinas
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Boundary Layer Separation ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Rotor Blades ◽  
Free Vortex ◽  
Irrotational Flow ◽  
Aerodynamic Loads ◽  
Operational Conditions ◽  
Turbine Rotor Blade

The aerodynamics of a wind turbine is governed by the flow around the rotor, where the prediction of air loads on rotor blades in different operational conditions and its relation to rotor structural dynamics is one of the most important challenges in wind turbine rotor blade design. Because of the unsteady flow field around wind turbine blades, prediction of aerodynamic loads with high level of accuracy is difficult and increases the uncertainty of load calculations. A free vortex wake method, based on the potential, inviscid and irrotational flow, is developed to study the aerodynamic loads. Since it is based on the potential, inviscid and irrotational flow, it cannot be used to predict viscous phenomena such as drag and boundary layer separation. Therefore it must be coupled to the tabulated airfoil data to take the viscosity effects into account. The results are compared with the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) [1] method and the GENUVP code [2] (see also the acknowledgments).

scholarly journals Experimental Investigation of Finite Aspect Ratio Cylindrical Bodies for Accelerated Wind Applications

Fluids ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Parker ◽  
Douglas Bohl
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Cylindrical Body ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Flow Speed ◽  
The Body ◽  
Rotor Blades ◽  
Wind Turbine Blades ◽  
Smooth Cylinder

The placement of a cylindrical body in a flow alters the velocity and pressure fields resulting in a local increase in the flow speed near the body. This interaction is of interest as wind turbine rotor blades could be placed in the area of increased wind speed to enhance energy harvesting. In this work the aerodynamic performance of two short aspect ratio (AR = 0.93) cylindrical bodies was evaluated for potential use in “accelerated wind” applications. The first cylinder was smooth with a constant diameter. The diameter of the second cylinder varied periodically along the span forming channels, or corrugations, where wind turbine blades could be placed. Experiments were performed for Reynolds numbers ranging from 1 × 105 to 9 × 105. Pressure distributions showed that the smooth cylinder had lower minimum pressure coefficients and delayed separation compared to the corrugated cylinder. Velocity profiles showed that the corrugated cylinder had lower peak speeds, a less uniform profile, and lower kinetic energy flux when compared to the smooth cylinder. It was concluded that the smooth cylinder had significantly better potential performance in accelerated wind applications than the corrugated cylinder.

Basalt Carbon Hybrid Composite for Wind Turbine Rotor Blades: A Short Review

2014 ◽  
Vol 970 ◽  
pp. 67-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Nawaz Mengal ◽  
Saravanan Karuppanan ◽  
Azmi Abdul Wahab
Keyword(s):  
Composite Material ◽  
Carbon Fiber ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Hybrid Composite ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Basalt Fiber ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Rotor Blades ◽  
Wind Turbine Blades ◽  
Wind Turbine Rotor

Wind turbine blades are the major structural element and highest cost component in the wind power system. Modern wind turbine blade sizes are increasing, and the driving motivation behind this is to increase the efficiency and energy output per unit rotor area, and to reduce the cost per kilowatt hour. However due to the increase in size the material selection for wind turbine has become critical and complex. To achieve the desired materials to improve the design of wind turbine blades several factors such as high fatigue strength, less weight, less cost and potential of recycling must be focused. Basalt fiber is a relative newcomer to fiber reinforced polymers and structural composites. Basalt fiber with their excellent mechanical properties represents an interesting alternative composite material for modern wind turbine blades. Some manufacturers claim that basalt fiber has similar or better properties than S-2 glass fiber and its cheaper than carbon fiber. Basalt fiber together with carbon fiber are the most advanced and interesting area of hybrid technologies. This paper reviews extra ordinary properties of basalt fiber over other fiber reinforced composites and highlight how the basalt special properties together with carbon fiber will reduce the weight and cost of wind turbine blades while improving their performance. This paper also demonstrates why the basalt carbon hybrid composite material will be an ideal alternative for the wind turbine rotor blades.

Selection of a leading edge noise prediction method for PNoise

2018 ◽  
pp. 214-223
Author(s):  
AM Faria ◽  
MM Pimenta ◽  
JY Saab Jr. ◽  
S Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Prediction Method ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Broadband Noise ◽  
Turbulence Energy ◽  
Noise Prediction ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
Turbulent Inflow

Wind energy expansion is worldwide followed by various limitations, i.e. land availability, the NIMBY (not in my backyard) attitude, interference on birds migration routes and so on. This undeniable expansion is pushing wind farms near populated areas throughout the years, where noise regulation is more stringent. That demands solutions for the wind turbine (WT) industry, in order to produce quieter WT units. Focusing in the subject of airfoil noise prediction, it can help the assessment and design of quieter wind turbine blades. Considering the airfoil noise as a composition of many sound sources, and in light of the fact that the main noise production mechanisms are the airfoil self-noise and the turbulent inflow (TI) noise, this work is concentrated on the latter. TI noise is classified as an interaction noise, produced by the turbulent inflow, incident on the airfoil leading edge (LE). Theoretical and semi-empirical methods for the TI noise prediction are already available, based on Amiet’s broadband noise theory. Analysis of many TI noise prediction methods is provided by this work in the literature review, as well as the turbulence energy spectrum modeling. This is then followed by comparison of the most reliable TI noise methodologies, qualitatively and quantitatively, with the error estimation, compared to the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings solution for computational aeroacoustics. Basis for integration of airfoil inflow noise prediction into a wind turbine noise prediction code is the final goal of this work.

Leading edge erosion of wind turbine blades: Understanding, prevention and protection

2021 ◽  
Vol 169 ◽  
pp. 953-969
Author(s):  
Leon Mishnaevsky ◽  
Charlotte Bay Hasager ◽  
Christian Bak ◽  
Anna-Maria Tilg ◽  
Jakob I. Bech ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Wind Turbine Blades

Experimental investigations of flow over NACA airfoils 0021 and 4412 of wind turbine blades with and without Tubercles

2021 ◽  
pp. 0309524X2110071
Author(s):  
Usman Butt ◽  
Shafqat Hussain ◽  
Stephan Schacht ◽  
Uwe Ritschel
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Drag Coefficient ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Critical Region ◽  
Lift Coefficient ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Wind Turbine Blades

Experimental investigations of wind turbine blades having NACA airfoils 0021 and 4412 with and without tubercles on the leading edge have been performed in a wind tunnel. It was found that the lift coefficient of the airfoil 0021 with tubercles was higher at Re = 1.2×105 and 1.69×105 in post critical region (at higher angle of attach) than airfoils without tubercles but this difference relatively diminished at higher Reynolds numbers and beyond indicating that there is no effect on the lift coefficients of airfoils with tubercles at higher Reynolds numbers whereas drag coefficient remains unchanged. It is noted that at Re = 1.69×105, the lift coefficient of airfoil without tubercles drops from 0.96 to 0.42 as the angle of attack increases from 15° to 20° which is about 56% and the corresponding values of lift coefficient for airfoil with tubercles are 0.86 and 0.7 at respective angles with18% drop.

Influence of Leading Edge Fillet and Nonaxisymmetric Contoured Endwall on Turbine NGV Exit Flow Structure and Interactions With the Rim Seal Flow

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Özhan H. Turgut ◽  
Cengiz Camcı
Keyword(s):  
Flow Structure ◽  
Total Pressure ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Rotor Blades ◽  
Constant Thickness ◽  
Computational Evaluation ◽  
Nozzle Guide

Three different ways are employed in the present paper to reduce the secondary flow related total pressure loss. These are nonaxisymmetric endwall contouring, leading edge (LE) fillet, and the combination of these two approaches. Experimental investigation and computational simulations are applied for the performance assessments. The experiments are carried out in the Axial Flow Turbine Research Facility (AFTRF) having a diameter of 91.66cm. The NGV exit flow structure was examined under the influence of a 29 bladed high pressure turbine rotor assembly operating at 1300 rpm. For the experimental measurement comparison, a reference Flat Insert endwall is installed in the nozzle guide vane (NGV) passage. It has a constant thickness with a cylindrical surface and is manufactured by a stereolithography (SLA) method. Four different LE fillets are designed, and they are attached to both cylindrical Flat Insert and the contoured endwall. Total pressure measurements are taken at rotor inlet plane with Kiel probe. The probe traversing is completed with one vane pitch and from 8% to 38% span. For one of the designs, area averaged loss is reduced by 15.06%. The simulation estimated this reduction as 7.11%. Computational evaluation is performed with the rotating domain and the rim seal flow between the NGV and the rotor blades. The most effective design reduced the mass averaged loss by 1.28% over the whole passage at the NGV exit.

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