Comparison of Free Vortex Wake and BEM Structural Results Against Large Eddy Simulations Results for Highly Flexible Turbines Under Challenging Inflow Conditions

Throughout wind energy development, there has been a push to increase wind turbine size due to the substantial economic benefits. However, increasing turbine size presents several challenges, both physically and computationally. Modeling large, highly flexible wind turbines requires highly accurate models to capture the complicated aerodynamic response due to large deflections and nonstraight blade geometries. Additionally, development of floating offshore wind turbines requires modeling techniques that can predict large rotor and tower motion. Free vortex wake (FVW) methods model such complex physics while remaining computationally tractable to perform the many simulations necessary for the turbine design process. Recently, a FVW model—cOnvecting LAgrangian Filaments (OLAF)—was added to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory engineering tool OpenFAST to allow for the aerodynamic modeling of highly flexible turbines along with the aerohydro- servo-elastic response capabilities of OpenFAST. In this work, FVW and low-fidelity blade-element momentum (BEM) structural results are compared to high-fidelity simulation results for a highly-flexibly downwind turbine for varying TI, shear exponent, and yaw misalignment conditions. Through these comparisons, it was found that for all considered quantities of interest, SOWFA, OLAF, and BEM results compare well for steady inflow conditions with no yaw misalignment. For OLAF results, this strong agreement was consistent for all yaw misalignment values. The BEM results, however, deviated significantly more from SOWFA results with increasing absolute yaw misalignment. Differences between OLAF and BEM results were dominated by yaw misalignment angle, with varying shear exponent and TI leading to more subtle differences. Overall, OLAF results were more consistent than BEM results when compared to SOWFA results under challenging inflow conditions.

Vibrations of Slender Structures Caused by Vortices

Slender cylindrical structures such as overhead transmission lines, skyscrapers, chimneys, risers, and pipelines can experience flow induced vibration (FIV). The vortex vibrations are a type of FIV; they arise because of oscillating forces caused by flow separation and the detachment of vortices. The paper presents a brief overview of experimental research on vortex induced vibration - VIV of short, rigid cylinders elastically supported (with a small aspect ratio). This overview summarizes the basic results of the vortex vibration (VIV) which have been performed in the last five decades. These studies were mainly related to determining the influence of selected parameters - mass, damping and Reynolds number on the cylinder response, either in one direction only or simultaneously in the flow direction and transverse to the flow direction, and with the search for a map of vortex images in the trace (vortex wake pattern map).

Effect of the Wake Vortex on the Mutual Safety of Winged Aircraft Following the Same Route

The wake vortex consists mainly of two vortices, which are formed when the stream flows around the wings of an aircraft. A semi-empirical model of a stable vortex wake is proposed and analyzed. The model allows describing the velocity field in a vortex, depending on the characteristics of the aircraft generator, as well as assessing the effect of the vortex on the subsequent aircraft. Statistical modeling was carried out to determine the safe interval between the aircrafts for the characteristic sections of the trajectory. When moving over the sea, a straight-line route, a trajectory with turns and an ascent to an altitude for flying around the island were chosen; on the land section of the movement, a flight over the relief was simulated. A significant influence of the ruggedness of the relief on the probability of an aircraft falling when it enters a wake vortex is shown. The effect of the displacement of the aircraft trajectories in the vertical and horizontal planes and the increase in the average flight speed on the safe interval between the aircrafts is investigated.

Numerical Evaluation of the Flow around a New Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Concept

In order to develop a sustainable economy based on the efficient use of green energy resources, it is necessary to research and innovate systems such as wind turbines. In this paper, a new configuration for vertical axis wind turbines was proposed and numerically analyzed using CFD methods. The concept is based on solving the starting problem of lift-based vertical axis wind turbines. The new concept consists of three blades with different chords, arranged at different radii so that the interaction between the blades is reduced and the operation in the vortex wake is minimal, thus reducing the losses. Through comparing a classic case of an H-Darrieus wind turbine with the new concept, not only were satisfying results regarding the blade-to-blade interaction presented, but an increased efficiency of up to 10% was also observed. Among the presented results is the variation of the vorticity magnitude at different positions of the blades, thus, the concept’s blade-to-blade interaction is reduced. Conclusions drawn after the investigation are in favor of the proposed geometry and the concept should be pursued further.

Aeroelastic loads on a 10 MW turbine exposed to extreme events selected from a year-long large-eddy simulation over the North Sea

In this article the aeroelastic loads on a 10 MW turbine in response to extreme events (low-level jet, shear, veer and turbulence intensity) selected from a year-long large-eddy simulation (LES) on a site at the North Sea are evaluated. These events are generated with a high-fidelity LES wind model and fed into an aeroelastic tool using two different aerodynamic models: a model based on blade element momentum (BEM) and a free vortex wake model. Then the aeroelastic loads are calculated and compared with the loads from the IEC standards. It was found that the loads from all these events remain within those of the IEC design loads. Moreover, the accuracy of BEM-based methods for modelling such wind conditions showed a considerable overprediction compared to the free vortex wake model for the events with extreme shear and/or veer.

Methods for predicting the noise of transport vessels propellers

Object and purpose of research. The object of the research is the cavitation noise of transport vessels propellers. The purpose is to analyze and generalize modern research and methods for predicting broadband noise induced by the operation of the transport vessels cavitating propellers. Materials and methods. A review of the research materials (published in the XXI century) on the cavitation noise of transport vessels propellers, in particular broadband noise, as well as the author's own research on the causes and physical aspects of the occurrence of broadband noise is carried out. Based on the Fourier analysis of the time functions of velocities and pressures in the flow near the propeller, the conditions for the occurrence of broadband noise at (4–10)-blade harmonics and the parameters that relate this noise to various types of cavitation on the propeller are found. Main results. A review of recent studies results devoted to the cavitation noise of transport vessels propellers has shown that the levels of the so-called broadband noise that occurs when the cavitating propeller operates in nonuniform flow at high (4–10)-blade harmonics are used as the basis for modern noise predicting methods. At the same time, the authors of the methods consider broadband noise only as a result of the tip vortices development. The paper considers and generalizes an alternative hypothesis of the broadband noise occurrence caused by the occurrence and collapse of cavities within the blade with the formation of a double-headed peak on the time function of pressures. The analysis of publications on the development of the vortex wake behind the propeller and the modeling of pressures at the buckling failure of the tip vortex spirals allowed to show that double pressure peaks can be formed in the flow during the development of the vortex wake behind the propeller. This made it possible to combine both hypotheses of the broadband noise formation – from the development of the tip vortex and from the occurrence and collapse of cavities on the blades – and to link the assessment of the growth possibility of high blade harmonics with the cavitation parameters. Conclusions. It is shown that modern research methods have made it possible to obtain new data on the mechanism of the occurrence and collapse of cavitation both on the blade and in the tip vortex. At the same time, the currently used methods for predicting cavitation and, in particular, broadband noise are very approximate and require refinement to assess the effect of various cavitation characteristics on broadband noise. The hypotheses of broadband noise occurrence and the proposed physical model covering both vortex cavitation and the formation and collapse of cavities can serve as a basis for such clarification.

Analysis of rotorcraft wind turbine wake encounters using piloted simulation

The use of offshore wind farms in Europe to provide a sustainable alternative energy source is now considered normal. Particularly in the North Sea, a large number of wind farms exist with a significant distance from the coast. This is becoming standard practice as larger areas are required to support operations. Efficient transport and monitoring of these wind farms can only be conducted using helicopters. As wind turbines continue to grow in size, there is a need to continuously update operational requirements for these helicopters, to ensure safe operations. This study assesses German regulations for flight corridors within offshore wind farms. A semi-empirical wind turbine wake model is used to generate velocity data for the research flight simulator AVES. The reference offshore wind turbine NREL 5 MW has been used and scaled to represent wind turbine of different sizes. This paper reports result from a simulation study concerning vortex wake encounter during offshore operations. The results have been obtained through piloted simulation for a transport case through a wind farm. Both subjective and objective measures are used to assess the severity of vortex wake encounters.