3-D Navier-Stokes Analysis of Blade Root Aerodynamics for a Tiltrotor Aircraft In Cruise

Science.gov (United States)

Romander, Ethan

2006-01-01

The blade root area of a tiltrotor aircraft's rotor is constrained by a great many factors, not the least of which is aerodynamic performance in cruise. For this study, Navier-Stokes CFD techniques are used to study the aerodynamic performance in cruise of a rotor design as a function of airfoil thickness along the blade and spinner shape. Reducing airfoil thickness along the entire blade will be shown to have the greatest effect followed by smaller but still significant improvements achieved by reducing the thickness of root airfoils only. Furthermore, altering the shape of the spinner will be illustrated as a tool to tune the aerodynamic performance very near the blade root.

Multidisciplinary Aerodynamic Design of a Rotor Blade for an Optimum Rotor Speed Helicopter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiayi Xie

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The aerodynamic design of rotor blades is challenging, and is crucial for the development of helicopter technology. Previous aerodynamic optimizations that focused only on limited design points find it difficult to balance flight performance across the entire flight envelope. This study develops a global optimum envelope (GOE method for determining blade parameters—blade twist, taper ratio, tip sweep—for optimum rotor speed helicopters (ORS-helicopters, balancing performance improvements in hover and various freestream velocities. The GOE method implements aerodynamic blade design by a bi-level optimization, composed of a global optimization step and a secondary optimization step. Power loss as a measure of rotor performance is chosen as the objective function, referred to as direct power loss (DPL in this study. A rotorcraft comprehensive code for trim simulation with a prescribed wake method is developed. With the application of the GOE method, a DPL reduction of as high as 16.7% can be achieved in hover, and 24% at high freestream velocity.

KNOW-BLADE Task-2 report: Aerodynamic accessories

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, J.; Sørensen, Niels N.; Zahle, Frederik

2004-01-01

In the EC project KNOW-BLADE a work package has been defined to investigate the possibility to numerically model aerodynamic accessories in existing Navier-Stokes solvers. Four different aerodynamic accessories have been investigated. Firstly, thepotential of applying active flow control by means...... of the stall strip. Finally, the effect of surface roughness was modelled by either modifying the boundary condition of the turbulence model or by modifying the airfoil geometry. Using the roughness model gave relatively good agreement withmeasurements and it must be concluded that the effect of using...... to increase the oscillation amplitude, which is not very attractive for load control on wind turbines. Secondly, the effect of vortex generators hasbeen modelled using two phenomenological vortex generator models. The models have been applied to three airfoil configurations. For all cases investigated...

Aerodynamic investigation of winglets on wind turbine blades using CFD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Jeppe; Sørensen, Niels N.

2006-01-01

The present report describes the numerical investigation of the aerodynamics around a wind turbine blade with a winglet using Computational Fluid Dynamics, CFD. Five winglets were investigated with different twist distribution and camber. Four of them were pointing towards the pressure side...

Numerical investigation on aerodynamic performance of a novel vertical axis wind turbine with adaptive blades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Ying; Sun, Xiaojing; Dong, Xiaohua; Zhu, Bing; Huang, Diangui; Zheng, Zhongquan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A novel vertical axis wind turbine with deformed blades is designed. • The universal tendency of power characteristics for simulated turbine is found. • The whole flow field of different turbines from the aspect of vortex is analyzed. • The tracking analysis of vortex at different positions for a blade is conducted. • The aerodynamic performance of turbine with three deformed blades is analyzed. - Abstract: In this paper, a novel Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine was designed whose blade can be deformed automatically into a desired geometry and thus achieve a better aerodynamic performance. A series of numerical simulations were conducted by utilizing the United Computational Fluid Dynamics code. Firstly, analysis and comparison of the performance of undeformed and deformed blades for the rotors having different blades were conducted. Then, the power characteristics of each simulated turbine were summarized and a universal tendency was found. Secondly, investigation on the effect of blade number and solidity on the power performance of Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine with deformable and undeformable blades was carried out. The results indicated that compared to conventional turbines with same solidity, the maximum percentage increase in power coefficient that the low solidity turbine with three deformable blades can achieve is about 14.56%. When solidity is high and also turbine operates at low tip speed ratio of less than the optimum value, the maximum power coefficient increase for the turbines with two and four deformable blades are 7.51% and 8.07%, respectively. However, beyond the optimal tip speed ratio, the power improvement of the turbine using the deformable blades seems not significant and even slightly worse than the conventional turbines. The last section studied the transient behavior of vortex and turbulent flow structures around the deformable rotor blade to explore the physical mechanism of improving aerodynamic

Aerodynamic investigation of winglets on wind turbine blades using CFD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johansen, Jeppe; Soerensen, Niels N.

2006-02-15

The present report describes the numerical investigation of the aerodynamics around a wind turbine blade with a winglet using Computational Fluid Dynamics, CFD. Five winglets were investigated with different twist distribution and camber. Four of them were pointing towards the pressure side (upstream) and one was pointing towards the suction side (downstream). Additionally, a rectangular modification of the original blade tip was designed with the same planform area as the blades with winglets. Results show that adding a winglet to the existing blade increase the force distribution on the outer approx 14 % of the blade leading to increased produced power of around 0.6% to 1.4% for wind speeds larger than 6 m/s. This has to be compared to the increase in thrust of around 1.0% to 1.6%. Pointing the winglet downstream increases the power production even further. The effect of sweep and cant angles is not accounted for in the present investigation and could improve the winglets even more. (au)

Non-intrusive aerodynamic loads analysis of an aircraft propeller blade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ragni, D.; Oudheusden, B.W. van; Scarano, F. [Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft (Netherlands)

2011-08-15

The flow field in a cross-sectional plane of a scaled Beaver DHC aircraft propeller has been measured by means of a stereoscopic PIV setup. Phase-locked measurements are obtained in a rotational frequency range from 18,900 to 21,000 rpm, at a relative Mach number of 0.6 at 3/4 propeller radius. The use of an adapted formulation of the momentum equation in differential form for rotating frame of references, integrated with isentropic relations as boundary conditions, allowed to compute the pressure field around the blade and the surface pressure distribution directly from the velocity data in the compressible regime. The procedure, extended to the computation of the aerodynamic lift and drag coefficients by a momentum contour integral approach, proved to be able to couple the aerodynamical loads to the flow field on the moving propeller blade, comparing favorably with a numerical simulation of the entire scaled model. Results are presented for two propeller rotation speeds and three different yawing angles. (orig.)

Non-intrusive aerodynamic loads analysis of an aircraft propeller blade

Science.gov (United States)

Ragni, D.; van Oudheusden, B. W.; Scarano, F.

2011-08-01

The flow field in a cross-sectional plane of a scaled Beaver DHC aircraft propeller has been measured by means of a stereoscopic PIV setup. Phase-locked measurements are obtained in a rotational frequency range from 18,900 to 21,000 rpm, at a relative Mach number of 0.6 at ¾ propeller radius. The use of an adapted formulation of the momentum equation in differential form for rotating frame of references, integrated with isentropic relations as boundary conditions, allowed to compute the pressure field around the blade and the surface pressure distribution directly from the velocity data in the compressible regime. The procedure, extended to the computation of the aerodynamic lift and drag coefficients by a momentum contour integral approach, proved to be able to couple the aerodynamical loads to the flow field on the moving propeller blade, comparing favorably with a numerical simulation of the entire scaled model. Results are presented for two propeller rotation speeds and three different yawing angles.

Numerical investigation of different tip shapes for wind turbine blades. Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic aspects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aagaard Madsen, H.; Fuglsang, P.

1996-12-01

The aerodynamic optimization of the tip region is discussed and it is concluded that in principle there is no main difference to the optimization problem of the rest of the blade except that the performance of the aerodynamic models as, e.g., the blade element momentum theory (BEM) is more uncertain in this region due to the complex, three dimensional flow field. It is shown that an optimization of an entire blade in general leads to a slender tip with a chord decreasing to zero at the blade tip. Finally, the influence on the blade aerodynamics from minor changes of the planform in the tip region is illustrated. Two common aeroacoustic models are reviewed. The aerodynamic input parameters to both models are strength of the tip vortex and the length of the separated flow bubble formed by the tip vortex at the trailing edge. In the original aeroacoustic models these two parameters are calculated from empirical relations based on different experiments, e.g., using flow visualization. In the present work the two parameters was compared with the results of a CFD calculation of the flow around a rectangular shaped tip. The principal influence of sweep of the tip axis has also been investigated from detailed CFD simulations. It is found that sweeping the leading edge towards the trailing edge results in a stronger flow separation at moderate and high angles of attack compared to, when the trailing edge is swept towards the leading edge. This can have a considerable influence on the total loading on the blade. Similar tendencies have been found in full scale experiments. At the end of the report the application of the results from the present study are discussed for practical tip design. As the tip noise is linked to the strength of the tip vortex and the extension of the separation region these two parameters should be reduced in order to lower the tip noise. (Abstract Truncated)

Axial compressor blade design for desensitization of aerodynamic performance and stability to tip clearance

Science.gov (United States)

Erler, Engin

Tip clearance flow is the flow through the clearance between the rotor blade tip and the shroud of a turbomachine, such as compressors and turbines. This flow is driven by the pressure difference across the blade (aerodynamic loading) in the tip region and is a major source of loss in performance and aerodynamic stability in axial compressors of modern aircraft engines. An increase in tip clearance, either temporary due to differential radial expansion between the blade and the shroud during transient operation or permanent due to engine wear or manufacturing tolerances on small blades, increases tip clearance flow and results in higher fuel consumption and higher risk of engine surge. A compressor design that can reduce the sensitivity of its performance and aerodynamic stability to tip clearance increase would have a major impact on short and long-term engine performance and operating envelope. While much research has been carried out on improving nominal compressor performance, little had been done on desensitization to tip clearance increase beyond isolated observations that certain blade designs such as forward chordwise sweep, seem to be less sensitive to tip clearance size increase. The current project aims to identify through a computational study the flow features and associated mechanisms that reduces sensitivity of axial compressor rotors to tip clearance size and propose blade design strategies that can exploit these results. The methodology starts with the design of a reference conventional axial compressor rotor followed by a parametric study with variations of this reference design through modification of the camber line and of the stacking line of blade profiles along the span. It is noted that a simple desensitization method would be to reduce the aerodynamic loading of the blade tip which would reduce the tip clearance flow and its proportional contribution to performance loss. However, with the larger part of the work on the flow done in this

3D numerical analysis and optimization of aerodynamic performance of turbine blade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Dingbiao; Xie Wen; Zhou Junjie

2010-01-01

To reduce the stator profile loss and improve the efficiency of the industrial steam turbine, a numerical analysis and optimization of the data for the steam turbine stator blade are conducted by the NUMECA,a CFD software. The result shows that, compared with the original blade, the 'after loading' blade is with the best static pressure coefficient distribution, and effectively postpones the transition point position, reduces the radial pressure gradient of suction surface, and cut down the secondary flow loss effectively. The total pressure losses of the 'after loading' blade is 1.03%, which is the least, and the single-stage efficiency is 94.462%, which is the maximum and increases 14.33%. Thus, the aerodynamic performance of stage is improved obviously, the profile loss decreases through using the 'after loading' blade. (authors)

Effect of a rough surface on the aerodynamic characteristics of a two-bladed wind-powered engine with cylindrical blades

Science.gov (United States)

Tanasheva, N. K.; Kunakbaev, T. O.; Dyusembaeva, A. N.; Shuyushbayeva, N. N.; Damekova, S. K.

2017-11-01

We have reported the results of experiments on determining the drag coefficient and the thrust coefficient of a two-bladed wind-powered engine based on the Magnus effect with rotating rough cylinders in the range of air flow velocity of 4-10 m/s (Re = 26800-90000) for a constant rotation number of a cylindrical blade about its own axis. The results show that an increase in the Reynolds number reduces the drag coefficient and the thrust coefficient. The extent of the influence of the relative roughness on the aerodynamic characteristics of the two-bladed wind-powered engine has been experimentally established.

Effect of Geometric Uncertainties on the Aerodynamic Characteristic of Offshore Wind Turbine Blades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ernst, Benedikt; Schmitt, Henning; Seume, Jörg R

2014-01-01

Offshore wind turbines operate in a complex unsteady flow environment which causes unsteady aerodynamic loads. The unsteady flow environment is characterized by a high degree of uncertainty. In addition, geometry variations and material imperfections also cause uncertainties in the design process. Probabilistic design methods consider these uncertainties in order to reach acceptable reliability and safety levels for offshore wind turbines. Variations of the rotor blade geometry influence the aerodynamic loads which also affect the reliability of other wind turbine components. Therefore, the present paper is dealing with geometric uncertainties of the rotor blades. These can arise from manufacturing tolerances and operational wear of the blades. First, the effect of geometry variations of wind turbine airfoils on the lift and drag coefficients are investigated using a Latin hypercube sampling. Then, the resulting effects on the performance and the blade loads of an offshore wind turbine are analyzed. The variations of the airfoil geometry lead to a significant scatter of the lift and drag coefficients which also affects the damage-equivalent flapwise bending moments. In contrast to that, the effects on the power and the annual energy production are almost negligible with regard to the assumptions made

Aerodynamic Research on the Midsection of a Long Turbine Blade

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šimurda, David; Luxa, Martin; Šafařík, Pavel; Synáč, J.

2008-01-01

Roč. 12, 3-4 (2008), s. 135-145 ISSN 1428-6394. [Polish National Conference of Fluid Mechanics /18./. Jastrzebia Góra, 21.09.2008-25.09.2008] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA101/07/1508 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20760514 Keywords : high speed aerodynamics * blade cascade * experiment Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics

Aerodynamic optimization of the blades of diffuser-augmented wind turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaz, Jerson R.P.; Wood, David H.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An optimization procedure to design shrouded wind turbine blades is proposed. • The procedure relies on the diffuser speed-up ratio. • The diffuser speed-up ratio increases the velocity at the rotor plane. • Chord and twist angle are optimized for typical speed-up ratios. • The procedure is applicable for any tip-speed ratio greater than 1. - Abstract: Adding an exit diffuser is known to allow wind turbines to exceed the classical Betz–Joukowsky limit for a bare turbine. It is not clear, however, if there is a limit for diffuser-augmented turbines or whether the structural and other costs of the diffuser outweigh any gain in power. This work presents a new approach to the aerodynamic optimization of a wind turbine with a diffuser. It is based on an extension of the well-known Blade Element Theory and a simple model for diffuser efficiency. It is assumed that the same conditions for the axial velocity in the wake of an ordinary wind turbine can be applied on the flow far downwind of the diffuser outlet. An algorithm to optimize the blade chord and twist angle distributions in the presence of a diffuser was developed and implemented. As a result, an aerodynamic improvement of the turbine rotor geometry was achieved with the blade shape sensitive to the diffuser speed-up ratio. In order to evaluate the proposed approach, a comparison with the classical Glauert optimization was performed for a flanged diffuser, which increased the efficiency. In addition, a comparative assessment was made with experimental results available in the literature, suggesting better performance for the rotor designed with the proposed optimization procedure.

Effect of Blade Pitch Angle on the Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Straight-bladed Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Based on Experiments and Simulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanzhao Yang

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The blade pitch angle has a significant influence on the aerodynamic characteristics of horizontal axis wind turbines. However, few research results have revealed its impact on the straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine (Sb-VAWT. In this paper, wind tunnel experiments and CFD simulations were performed at the Sb-VAWT to investigate the effect of different blade pitch angles on the pressure distribution on the blade surface, the torque coefficient, and the power coefficient. In this study, the airfoil type was NACA0021 with two blades. The Sb-VAWT had a rotor radius of 1.0 m with a spanwise length of 1.2 m. The simulations were based on the k-ω Shear Stress Transport (SST turbulence model and the wind tunnel experiments were carried out using a high-speed multiport pressure device. As a result, it was found that the maximum pressure difference on the blade surface was obtained at the blade pitch angle of β = 6° in the upstream region. However, the maximum pressure coefficient was shown at the blade pitch angle of β = 8° in the downstream region. The torque coefficient acting on a single blade reached its maximum value at the blade pitch angle of β = 6°. As the tip speed ratio increased, the power coefficient became higher and reached the optimum level. Subsequently, further increase of the tip speed ratio only led to a quick reversion of the power coefficient. In addition, the results from CFD simulations had also a good agreement with the results from the wind tunnel experiments. As a result, the blade pitch angle did not have a significant influence on the aerodynamic characteristics of the Sb-VAWT.

A stochastic aerodynamic model for stationary blades in unsteady 3D wind fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fluck, Manuel; Crawford, Curran

2016-01-01

Dynamic loads play an important roll in the design of wind turbines, but establishing the life-time aerodynamic loads (e.g. extreme and fatigue loads) is a computationally expensive task. Conventional (deterministic) methods to analyze long term loads, which rely on the repeated analysis of multiple different wind samples, are usually too expensive to be included in optimization routines. We present a new stochastic approach, which solves the aerodynamic system equations (Lagrangian vortex model) in the stochastic space, and thus arrive directly at a stochastic description of the coupled loads along a turbine blade. This new approach removes the requirement of analyzing multiple different realizations. Instead, long term loads can be extracted from a single stochastic solution, a procedure that is obviously significantly faster. Despite the reduced analysis time, results obtained from the stochastic approach match deterministic result well for a simple test-case (a stationary blade). In future work, the stochastic method will be extended to rotating blades, thus opening up new avenues to include long term loads into turbine optimization. (paper)

Combining Unsteady Blade Pressure Measurements and a Free-Wake Vortex Model to Investigate the Cycle-to-Cycle Variations in Wind Turbine Aerodynamic Blade Loads in Yaw

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moutaz Elgammi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Prediction of the unsteady aerodynamic flow phenomenon on wind turbines is challenging and still subject to considerable uncertainty. Under yawed rotor conditions, the wind turbine blades are subjected to unsteady flow conditions as a result of the blade advancing and retreating effect and the development of a skewed vortical wake created downstream of the rotor plane. Blade surface pressure measurements conducted on the NREL Phase VI rotor in yawed conditions have shown that dynamic stall causes the wind turbine blades to experience significant cycle-to-cycle variations in aerodynamic loading. These effects were observed even though the rotor was subjected to a fixed speed and a uniform and steady wind flow. This phenomenon is not normally predicted by existing dynamic stall models integrated in wind turbine design codes. This paper couples blade pressure measurements from the NREL Phase VI rotor to a free-wake vortex model to derive the angle of attack time series at the different blade sections over multiple rotor rotations and three different yaw angles. Through the adopted approach it was possible to investigate how the rotor self-induced aerodynamic load fluctuations influence the unsteady variations in the blade angles of attack and induced velocities. The hysteresis loops for the normal and tangential load coefficients plotted against the angle of attack were plotted over multiple rotor revolutions. Although cycle-to-cycle variations in the angles of attack at the different blade radial locations and azimuth positions are found to be relatively small, the corresponding variations in the normal and tangential load coefficients may be significant. Following a statistical analysis, it was concluded that the load coefficients follow a normal distribution at the majority of blade azimuth angles and radial locations. The results of this study provide further insight on how existing engineering models for dynamic stall may be improved through

Complementary Aerodynamic Performance Datasets for Variable Speed Power Turbine Blade Section from Two Independent Transonic Turbine Cascades

Science.gov (United States)

Flegel, Ashlie B.; Welch, Gerard E.; Giel, Paul W.; Ames, Forrest E.; Long, Jonathon A.

2015-01-01

Two independent experimental studies were conducted in linear cascades on a scaled, two-dimensional mid-span section of a representative Variable Speed Power Turbine (VSPT) blade. The purpose of these studies was to assess the aerodynamic performance of the VSPT blade over large Reynolds number and incidence angle ranges. The influence of inlet turbulence intensity was also investigated. The tests were carried out in the NASA Glenn Research Center Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade Facility and at the University of North Dakota (UND) High Speed Compressible Flow Wind Tunnel Facility. A large database was developed by acquiring total pressure and exit angle surveys and blade loading data for ten incidence angles ranging from +15.8deg to -51.0deg. Data were acquired over six flow conditions with exit isentropic Reynolds number ranging from 0.05×106 to 2.12×106 and at exit Mach numbers of 0.72 (design) and 0.35. Flow conditions were examined within the respective facility constraints. The survey data were integrated to determine average exit total-pressure and flow angle. UND also acquired blade surface heat transfer data at two flow conditions across the entire incidence angle range aimed at quantifying transitional flow behavior on the blade. Comparisons of the aerodynamic datasets were made for three "match point" conditions. The blade loading data at the match point conditions show good agreement between the facilities. This report shows comparisons of other data and highlights the unique contributions of the two facilities. The datasets are being used to advance understanding of the aerodynamic challenges associated with maintaining efficient power turbine operation over a wide shaft-speed range.

Wind Turbine Blade Design System - Aerodynamic and Structural Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Dey, Soumitr

2011-12-01

The ever increasing need for energy and the depletion of non-renewable energy resources has led to more advancement in the "Green Energy" field, including wind energy. An improvement in performance of a Wind Turbine will enhance its economic viability, which can be achieved by better aerodynamic designs. In the present study, a design system that has been under development for gas turbine turbomachinery has been modified for designing wind turbine blades. This is a very different approach for wind turbine blade design, but will allow it to benefit from the features inherent in the geometry flexibility and broad design space of the presented system. It starts with key overall design parameters and a low-fidelity model that is used to create the initial geometry parameters. The low-fidelity system includes the axisymmetric solver with loss models, T-Axi (Turbomachinery-AXIsymmetric), MISES blade-to-blade solver and 2D wing analysis code XFLR5. The geometry parameters are used to define sections along the span of the blade and connected to the CAD model of the wind turbine blade through CAPRI (Computational Analysis PRogramming Interface), a CAD neutral API that facilitates the use of parametric geometry definition with CAD. Either the sections or the CAD geometry is then available for CFD and Finite Element Analysis. The GE 1.5sle MW wind turbine and NERL NASA Phase VI wind turbine have been used as test cases. Details of the design system application are described, and the resulting wind turbine geometry and conditions are compared to the published results of the GE and NREL wind turbines. A 2D wing analysis code XFLR5, is used for to compare results from 2D analysis to blade-to-blade analysis and the 3D CFD analysis. This kind of comparison concludes that, from hub to 25% of the span blade to blade effects or the cascade effect has to be considered, from 25% to 75%, the blade acts as a 2d wing and from 75% to the tip 3D and tip effects have to be taken into account

Computational assessment of the DeepWind aerodynamic performance with different blade and airfoil configurations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bedon, Gabriele; Schmidt Paulsen, Uwe; Aagaard Madsen, Helge

2017-01-01

An aerodynamic improvement of the DeepWind rotor is conducted adopting different rotor geometries and solutions with respect to the original configuration while keeping the comparison as fair as possible. The objective of this work is to find the most suitable configuration in order to maximize...... the power production and minimize the blade stress and the cost of energy. Different parameters are considered for the study. The DeepWind blade is characterized by a shape similar to the Troposkien geometry but asymmetric between the top and bottom parts. The blade shape is considered as a fixed parameter...

Advanced multistage turbine blade aerodynamics, performance, cooling, and heat transfer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fleeter, S.; Lawless, P.B. [Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)

1995-10-01

The gas turbine has the potential for power production at the highest possible efficiency. The challenge is to ensure that gas turbines operate at the optimum efficiency so as to use the least fuel and produce minimum emissions. A key component to meeting this challenge is the turbine. Turbine performance, both aerodynamics and heat transfer, is one of the barrier advanced gas turbine development technologies. This is a result of the complex, highly three-dimensional and unsteady flow phenomena in the turbine. Improved turbine aerodynamic performance has been achieved with three-dimensional highly-loaded airfoil designs, accomplished utilizing Euler or Navier-Stokes Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes. These design codes consider steady flow through isolated blade rows. Thus they do not account for unsteady flow effects. However, unsteady flow effects have a significant impact on performance. Also, CFD codes predict the complete flow field. The experimental verification of these codes has traditionally been accomplished with point data - not corresponding plane field measurements. Thus, although advanced CFD predictions of the highly complex and three-dimensional turbine flow fields are available, corresponding data are not. To improve the design capability for high temperature turbines, a detailed understanding of the highly unsteady and three-dimensional flow through multi-stage turbines is necessary. Thus, unique data are required which quantify the unsteady three-dimensional flow through multi-stage turbine blade rows, including the effect of the film coolant flow. This requires experiments in appropriate research facilities in which complete flow field data, not only point measurements, are obtained and analyzed. Also, as design CFD codes do not account for unsteady flow effects, the next logical challenge and the current thrust in CFD code development is multiple-stage analyses that account for the interactions between neighboring blade rows.

Prediction of dynamic and aerodynamic characteristics of the centrifugal fan with forward curved blades

Science.gov (United States)

Polanský, Jiří; Kalmár, László; Gášpár, Roman

2013-12-01

The main aim of this paper is determine the centrifugal fan with forward curved blades aerodynamic characteristics based on numerical modeling. Three variants of geometry were investigated. The first, basic "A" variant contains 12 blades. The geometry of second "B" variant contains 12 blades and 12 semi-blades with optimal length [1]. The third, control variant "C" contains 24 blades without semi-blades. Numerical calculations were performed by CFD Ansys. Another aim of this paper is to compare results of the numerical simulation with results of approximate numerical procedure. Applied approximate numerical procedure [2] is designated to determine characteristics of the turbulent flow in the bladed space of a centrifugal-flow fan impeller. This numerical method is an extension of the hydro-dynamical cascade theory for incompressible and inviscid fluid flow. Paper also partially compares results from the numerical simulation and results from the experimental investigation. Acoustic phenomena observed during experiment, during numerical simulation manifested as deterioration of the calculation stability, residuals oscillation and thus also as a flow field oscillation. Pressure pulsations are evaluated by using frequency analysis for each variant and working condition.

Computer subroutine for estimating aerodynamic blade loads on Darrieus vertical axis wind turbines. [FORCE code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, W. N.; Leonard, T. M.

1980-11-01

An important aspect of structural design of the Darrieus rotor is the determination of aerodynamic blade loads. This report describes a load generator which has been used at Sandia for quasi-static and dynamic rotor analyses. The generator is based on the single streamtube aerodynamic flow model and is constructed as a FORTRAN IV subroutine to facilitate its use in finite element structural models. Input and output characteristics of the subroutine are described and a complete listing is attached as an appendix.

AERFORCE: Subroutine package for unsteady blade-element/momentum calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bjoerck, Anders

2000-05-01

A subroutine package, called AERFORCE, for the calculation of aerodynamic forces of wind turbine rotors has been written. The subroutines are written in FORTRAN. AERFORCE requires the input of airfoil aerodynamic data via tables as function of angle of attack, the turbine blade and rotor geometry and wind and blade velocities as input. The method is intended for use in an aeroelastic code. Wind and blade velocities are given at a sequence of time steps and blade forces are returned. The aerodynamic method is basically a Blade-Element/Momentum method. The method is fast and coded to be used in time simulations. In order to obtain a steady state solution a time simulation to steady state conditions has to be carried out. The BEM-method in AERFORCE includes extensions for: Dynamic inflow: Unsteady modeling of the inflow for cases with unsteady blade loading or unsteady wind. Extensions to BEM-theory for inclined flow to the rotor disc (yaw model). Unsteady blade aerodynamics: The inclusion of 2D attached flow unsteady aerodynamics and a semi-empirical model for 2D dynamic stall.

Stochastic modeling of lift and drag dynamics to obtain aerodynamic forces with local dynamics on rotor blade under unsteady wind inflow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luhur, M.R.

2014-01-01

This contribution provides the development of a stochastic lift and drag model for an airfoil FX 79-W-151A under unsteady wind inflow based on wind tunnel measurements. Here we present the integration of the stochastic model into a well-known standard BEM (Blade Element Momentum) model to obtain the corresponding aerodynamic forces on a rotating blade element. The stochastic model is integrated as an alternative to static tabulated data used by classical BEM. The results show that in comparison to classical BEM, the BEM with stochastic approach additionally reflects the local force dynamics and therefore provides more information on aerodynamic forces that can be used by wind turbine simulation codes. (author)

Stochastic Modeling of Lift and Drag Dynamics to Obtain Aerodynamic Forces with Local Dynamics on Rotor Blade under Unsteady Wind Inflow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Ramzan Luhur

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This contribution provides the development of a stochastic lift and drag model for an airfoil FX 79-W-151A under unsteady wind inflow based on wind tunnel measurements. Here we present the integration of the stochastic model into a well-known standard BEM (Blade Element Momentum model to obtain the corresponding aerodynamic forces on a rotating blade element. The stochastic model is integrated as an alternative to static tabulated data used by classical BEM. The results show that in comparison to classical BEM, the BEM with stochastic approach additionally reflects the local force dynamics and therefore provides more information on aerodynamic forces that can be used by wind turbine simulation codes

aerodynamics and heat transfer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. N. Rajadas

1998-01-01

Full Text Available A multidisciplinary optimization procedure, with the integration of aerodynamic and heat transfer criteria, has been developed for the design of gas turbine blades. Two different optimization formulations have been used. In the first formulation, the maximum temperature in the blade section is chosen as the objective function to be minimized. An upper bound constraint is imposed on the blade average temperature and a lower bound constraint is imposed on the blade tangential force coefficient. In the second formulation, the blade average and maximum temperatures are chosen as objective functions. In both formulations, bounds are imposed on the velocity gradients at several points along the surface of the airfoil to eliminate leading edge velocity spikes which deteriorate aerodynamic performance. Shape optimization is performed using the blade external and coolant path geometric parameters as design variables. Aerodynamic analysis is performed using a panel code. Heat transfer analysis is performed using the finite element method. A gradient based procedure in conjunction with an approximate analysis technique is used for optimization. The results obtained using both optimization techniques are compared with a reference geometry. Both techniques yield significant improvements with the multiobjective formulation resulting in slightly superior design.

Aerodynamics of wind turbines emerging topics

CERN Document Server

Amano, R S

2014-01-01

Focusing on Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines with topics ranging from Fundamental to Application of horizontal axis wind turbines, this book presents advanced topics including: Basic Theory for Wind turbine Blade Aerodynamics, Computational Methods, and Special Structural Reinforcement Technique for Wind Turbine Blades.

KNOW-BLADE task-3.2 report: Tip shape study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Niels N.; Johansen, Jeppe; Conway, S.

2005-01-01

For modern rotor blades with their very large aspect ratio, the blade tip is a very limited part of the overall rotor, and as such of limited importance for the overall aerodynamics of the rotor. Even though they may not be very important for the overallpower production, the tip noise can be very...... important for the acoustics of the rotor [15], and the blade tips can as well be important for the aerodynamic damping properties of the rotor blades [13]. Unfortunately, not many options exists for predictingthe aerodynamic behavior of blade tips using computational methods. Experimentally it is di...

Blade dynamic stress analysis of rotating bladed disks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kellner J.

2007-10-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with mathematical modelling of steady forced bladed disk vibrations and with dynamic stress calculation of the blades. The blades are considered as 1D kontinuum elastic coupled with three-dimensional elastic disk centrally clamped into rotor rotating with constant angular speed. The steady forced vibrations are generated by the aerodynamic forces acting along the blade length. By using modal synthesis method the mathematical model of the rotating bladed disk is condensed to calculate steady vibrations. Dynamic stress analysis of the blades is based on calculation of the time dependent reduced stress in blade cross-sections by using Hubert-Misses-Hencky stress hypothesis. The presented method is applied to real turbomachinery rotor with blades connected on the top with shroud.

Experimental and Numerical Study of the Aerodynamic Characteristics of an Archimedes Spiral Wind Turbine Blade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyung Chun Kim

2014-11-01

Full Text Available A new type of horizontal axis wind turbine adopting the Archimedes spiral blade is introduced for urban-use. Based on the angular momentum conservation law, the design formula for the blade was derived using a variety of shape factors. The aerodynamic characteristics and performance of the designed Archimedes wind turbine were examined using computational fluid dynamics (CFD simulations. The CFD simulations showed that the new type of wind turbine produced a power coefficient (Cp of approximately 0.25, which is relatively high compared to other types of urban-usage wind turbines. To validate the CFD results, experimental studies were carried out using a scaled-down model. The instantaneous velocity fields were measured using the two-dimensional particle image velocimetry (PIV method in the near field of the blade. The PIV measurements revealed the presence of dominant vortical structures downstream the hub and near the blade tip. The interaction between the wake flow at the rotor downstream and the induced velocity due to the tip vortices were strongly affected by the wind speed and resulting rotational speed of the blade. The mean velocity profiles were compared with those predicted by the steady state and unsteady state CFD simulations. The unsteady CFD simulation agreed better with those of the PIV experiments than the steady state CFD simulations.

Aerodynamic potpourri

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, R. E.

1981-01-01

Aerodynamic developments for vertical axis and horizontal axis wind turbines are given that relate to the performance and aerodynamic loading of these machines. Included are: (1) a fixed wake aerodynamic model of the Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine; (2) experimental results that suggest the existence of a laminar flow Darrieus vertical axis turbine; (3) a simple aerodynamic model for the turbulent windmill/vortex ring state of horizontal axis rotors; and (4) a yawing moment of a rigid hub horizontal axis wind turbine that is related to blade coning.

A Multi-Point Method Considering the Maximum Power Point Tracking Dynamic Process for Aerodynamic Optimization of Variable-Speed Wind Turbine Blades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiqiang Yang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Due to the dynamic process of maximum power point tracking (MPPT caused by turbulence and large rotor inertia, variable-speed wind turbines (VSWTs cannot maintain the optimal tip speed ratio (TSR from cut-in wind speed up to the rated speed. Therefore, in order to increase the total captured wind energy, the existing aerodynamic design for VSWT blades, which only focuses on performance improvement at a single TSR, needs to be improved to a multi-point design. In this paper, based on a closed-loop system of VSWTs, including turbulent wind, rotor, drive train and MPPT controller, the distribution of operational TSR and its description based on inflow wind energy are investigated. Moreover, a multi-point method considering the MPPT dynamic process for the aerodynamic optimization of VSWT blades is proposed. In the proposed method, the distribution of operational TSR is obtained through a dynamic simulation of the closed-loop system under a specific turbulent wind, and accordingly the multiple design TSRs and the corresponding weighting coefficients in the objective function are determined. Finally, using the blade of a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL 1.5 MW wind turbine as the baseline, the proposed method is compared with the conventional single-point optimization method using the commercial software Bladed. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Influence of Reynolds Number on Multi-Objective Aerodynamic Design of a Wind Turbine Blade.

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Mingwei; Fang, Le; Tian, De

2015-01-01

At present, the radius of wind turbine rotors ranges from several meters to one hundred meters, or even more, which extends Reynolds number of the airfoil profile from the order of 105 to 107. Taking the blade for 3MW wind turbines as an example, the influence of Reynolds number on the aerodynamic design of a wind turbine blade is studied. To make the study more general, two kinds of multi-objective optimization are involved: one is based on the maximum power coefficient (CPopt) and the ultimate load, and the other is based on the ultimate load and the annual energy production (AEP). It is found that under the same configuration, the optimal design has a larger CPopt or AEP (CPopt//AEP) for the same ultimate load, or a smaller load for the same CPopt//AEP at higher Reynolds number. At a certain tip-speed ratio or ultimate load, the blade operating at higher Reynolds number should have a larger chord length and twist angle for the maximum Cpopt//AEP. If a wind turbine blade is designed by using an airfoil database with a mismatched Reynolds number from the actual one, both the load and Cpopt//AEP will be incorrectly estimated to some extent. In some cases, the assessment error attributed to Reynolds number is quite significant, which may bring unexpected risks to the earnings and safety of a wind power project.

Influence of Reynolds Number on Multi-Objective Aerodynamic Design of a Wind Turbine Blade

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Mingwei; Fang, Le; Tian, De

2015-01-01

At present, the radius of wind turbine rotors ranges from several meters to one hundred meters, or even more, which extends Reynolds number of the airfoil profile from the order of 105 to 107. Taking the blade for 3MW wind turbines as an example, the influence of Reynolds number on the aerodynamic design of a wind turbine blade is studied. To make the study more general, two kinds of multi-objective optimization are involved: one is based on the maximum power coefficient (C Popt) and the ultimate load, and the other is based on the ultimate load and the annual energy production (AEP). It is found that under the same configuration, the optimal design has a larger C Popt or AEP (C Popt//AEP) for the same ultimate load, or a smaller load for the same C Popt//AEP at higher Reynolds number. At a certain tip-speed ratio or ultimate load, the blade operating at higher Reynolds number should have a larger chord length and twist angle for the maximum C popt//AEP. If a wind turbine blade is designed by using an airfoil database with a mismatched Reynolds number from the actual one, both the load and C popt//AEP will be incorrectly estimated to some extent. In some cases, the assessment error attributed to Reynolds number is quite significant, which may bring unexpected risks to the earnings and safety of a wind power project. PMID:26528815

垂直轴风力发电机叶片气动性能研究%The research of the vertical-axis wind turbine blade's aerodynamic performance

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

戴湘晖; 徐海波

2011-01-01

性能优越的垂直轴风力发电机正越来越受到关注.优良的风叶是使垂直风力发电机获得最大风能利用系数和良好经济效益的基础.垂直风力发电机叶型的气动性能研究是当前叶片设计的重要内容.利用ANSYS FLUENT12.0对NACA4412、FX76MPl2、DU86-137-25以及C型四种不同叶片的气动性能进行了仿真和分析,得出C型叶片相对其他三种叶片有着更好的气动性能,能为垂直风力发电机叶片的设计起到指导作用.%Now researchers of many countries are paying more and more attention to the vertical-axis wind turbine for its superexcellent perfrmance. Excellent wind turbine blade is the foundation to get the most wind power coefficient and economic efficiency of the vertical-axis wind turbine. Research the aerodynamic performance of the vertical-axis wind turbine blade is the important content of the blade design at present. Use ANSYS FLUENT12.0 to simulate and analysis the aerodynamic performance of four different kinds of blades such as NACA4412,FX76MP12,DU86-137-25 and C,and conclude the C-shaped blade with a better aerodynamic performance compared with other three kinds of blades. The conclusion can play a guiding role in the design of the vertical-axis wind turbine blade.

Effect of technological deviation on aerodynamic efficiency of reaction blades of steam and gas turbines at high Mach nos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Husain, Z.

1991-01-01

During manufacture and assembly of steam and gas turbine blades there are always some technological deviation and is meant local increase or decrease in dimension at certain sections of the profile improper stagger angle of long blades during assembly etc. In this paper the effect of oversize in dimensions at certain important places along a reaction profile has been studied. The technological deviation has been made by sticking thin aluminium foils of 0.3 mm thickness and 15 mm width at inlet and exit tips of reactive profiles and its effect on aerodynamic efficiency at mach. nos ranging from 0.7 to 1.1. The object of performing these tests was to obtain comprehensive data based on which information suitable tolerances could be recommended during manufacture of these blades

High Humidity Aerodynamic Effects Study on Offshore Wind Turbine Airfoil/Blade Performance through CFD Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weipeng Yue

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Damp air with high humidity combined with foggy, rainy weather, and icing in winter weather often is found to cause turbine performance degradation, and it is more concerned with offshore wind farm development. To address and understand the high humidity effects on wind turbine performance, our study has been conducted with spread sheet analysis on damp air properties investigation for air density and viscosity; then CFD modeling study using Fluent was carried out on airfoil and blade aerodynamic performance effects due to water vapor partial pressure of mixing flow and water condensation around leading edge and trailing edge of airfoil. It is found that the high humidity effects with water vapor mixing flow and water condensation thin film around airfoil may have insignificant effect directly on airfoil/blade performance; however, the indirect effects such as blade contamination and icing due to the water condensation may have significant effects on turbine performance degradation. Also it is that found the foggy weather with microwater droplet (including rainy weather may cause higher drag that lead to turbine performance degradation. It is found that, at high temperature, the high humidity effect on air density cannot be ignored for annual energy production calculation. The blade contamination and icing phenomenon need to be further investigated in the next study.

Influence of Icing on the Modal Behavior of Wind Turbine Blades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sudhakar Gantasala

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Wind turbines installed in cold climate sites accumulate ice on their structures. Icing of the rotor blades reduces turbine power output and increases loads, vibrations, noise, and safety risks due to the potential ice throw. Ice accumulation increases the mass distribution of the blade, while changes in the aerofoil shapes affect its aerodynamic behavior. Thus, the structural and aerodynamic changes due to icing affect the modal behavior of wind turbine blades. In this study, aeroelastic equations of the wind turbine blade vibrations are derived to analyze modal behavior of the Tjaereborg 2 MW wind turbine blade with ice. Structural vibrations of the blade are coupled with a Beddoes-Leishman unsteady attached flow aerodynamics model and the resulting aeroelastic equations are analyzed using the finite element method (FEM. A linearly increasing ice mass distribution is considered from the blade root to half-length and thereafter constant ice mass distribution to the blade tip, as defined by Germanischer Lloyd (GL for the certification of wind turbines. Both structural and aerodynamic properties of the iced blades are evaluated and used to determine their influence on aeroelastic natural frequencies and damping factors. Blade natural frequencies reduce with ice mass and the amount of reduction in frequencies depends on how the ice mass is distributed along the blade length; but the reduction in damping factors depends on the ice shape. The variations in the natural frequencies of the iced blades with wind velocities are negligible; however, the damping factors change with wind velocity and become negative at some wind velocities. This study shows that the aerodynamic changes in the iced blade can cause violent vibrations within the operating wind velocity range of this turbine.

Introduction to wind turbine aerodynamics

CERN Document Server

Schaffarczyk, Alois Peter

2014-01-01

Wind-Turbine Aerodynamics is a self-contained textbook which shows how to come from the basics of fluid mechanics to modern wind turbine blade design. It presents a fundamentals of fluid dynamics and inflow conditions, and gives a extensive introduction into theories describing the aerodynamics of wind turbines. After introducing experiments the book applies the knowledge to explore the impact on blade design.The book is an introduction for professionals and students of very varying levels.

Calibrated Blade-Element/Momentum Theory Aerodynamic Model of the MARIN Stock Wind Turbine: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goupee, A.; Kimball, R.; de Ridder, E. J.; Helder, J.; Robertson, A.; Jonkman, J.

2015-04-02

In this paper, a calibrated blade-element/momentum theory aerodynamic model of the MARIN stock wind turbine is developed and documented. The model is created using open-source software and calibrated to closely emulate experimental data obtained by the DeepCwind Consortium using a genetic algorithm optimization routine. The provided model will be useful for those interested in validating interested in validating floating wind turbine numerical simulators that rely on experiments utilizing the MARIN stock wind turbine—for example, the International Energy Agency Wind Task 30’s Offshore Code Comparison Collaboration Continued, with Correlation project.

Vibration and flutter of mistuned bladed-disk assemblies

Science.gov (United States)

Kaza, K. R. V.; Kielb, R. E.

1984-01-01

An analytical model for investigating vibration and flutter of mistuned bladed disk assemblies is presented. This model accounts for elastic, inertial and aerodynamic coupling between bending and torsional motions of each individual blade, elastic and inertial couplings between the blades and the disk, and aerodynamic coupling among the blades. The disk was modeled as a circular plate with constant thickness and each blade was represented by a twisted, slender, straight, nonuniform, elastic beam with a symmetric cross section. The elastic axis, inertia axis, and the tension axis were taken to be noncoincident and the structural warping of the section was explicitly considered. The blade aerodynamic loading in the subsonic and supersonic flow regimes was obtained from two-dimensional unsteady, cascade theories. All the possible standing wave modes of the disk and traveling wave modes of the blades were included. The equations of motion were derived by using the energy method in conjunction with the assumed mode shapes for the disk and the blades. Continuities of displacement and slope at the blade-disk junction were maintained. The equations were solved to investigate the effects of blade-disk coupling and blade frequency mistuning on vibration and flutter. Results showed that the flexibility of practical disks such as those used for current generation turbofans did not have a significant influence on either the tuned or mistuned flutter characteristics. However, the disk flexibility may have a strong influence on some of the system frequencies and on forced response.

Parametric study on off-design aerodynamic performance of a horizontal axis wind turbine blade and proposed pitch control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Najafian Ashrafi, Z.; Ghaderi, M.; Sedaghat, A.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A pitch controlled 200 kW HAWT blade is designed with BEM for off-design conditions. • Parametric study conducted on power coefficient, axial and angular induction factors. • The optimal pitch angles were determined at off-design operating conditions. - Abstract: In this paper, a 200 kW horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) blade is designed using an efficient iterative algorithm based on the blade element momentum theory (BEM) on aerodynamic of wind turbines. The effects of off-design variations of wind speed are investigated on the blade performance parameters according to constant rotational speed of the rotor. The performance parameters considered are power coefficient, axial and angular induction factors, lift and drag coefficients on the blade, angle of attack and angle of relative wind. At higher or lower wind speeds than the designed rated speed, the power coefficient is reduced due to considerable changes in the angle of attacks. Therefore, proper pitch control angles were calculated to extract maximum possible power at various off-design speeds. The results showed a considerable improvement in power coefficient for the pitch controlled blade as compared with the baseline design in whole operating range. The present approach can be equally employed for determining pitch angles to design pitch control system of medium and large-scale wind turbines

Flapping inertia for selected rotor blades

Science.gov (United States)

Berry, John D.; May, Matthew J.

1991-01-01

Aerodynamics of helicopter rotor systems cannot be investigated without consideration for the dynamics of the rotor. One of the principal properties of the rotor which affects the rotor dynamics is the inertia of the rotor blade about its root attachment. Previous aerodynamic investigation have been performed on rotor blades with a variety of planforms to determine the performance differences due to blade planform. The blades tested for this investigation have been tested on the U.S. Army 2 meter rotor test system (2MRTS) in the NASA Langley 14 by 22 foot subsonic tunnel for hover performance. This investigation was intended to provide fundamental information on the flapping inertia of five rotor blades with differing planforms. The inertia of the bare cuff and the cuff with a blade extension were also measured for comparison with the inertia of the blades. Inertia was determined using a swing testing technique, using the period of oscillation to determine the effective flapping inertia. The effect of damping in the swing test was measured and described. A comparison of the flapping inertials for rectangular and tapered planform blades of approximately the same mass showed the tapered blades to have a lower inertia, as expected.

Influence of hinge point on flexible flap aerodynamic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, H Y; Ye, Z; Wu, P; Li, C

2013-01-01

Large scale wind turbines lead to increasing blade lengths and weights, which presents new challenges for blade design. This paper selects NREL S809 airfoil, uses the parameterized technology to realize the flexible trailing edge deformation, researches the static aerodynamic characteristics of wind turbine blade airfoil with flexible deformation, and the dynamic aerodynamic characteristics in the process of continuous deformation, analyses the influence of hinge point position on flexible flap aerodynamic performance, in order to further realize the flexible wind turbine blade design and provides some references for the active control scheme. The results show that compared with the original airfoil, proper trailing edge deformation can improve the lift coefficient, reduce the drag coefficient, and thereby more efficiently realize flow field active control. With hinge point moving forward, total aerodynamic performance of flexible flap improves. Positive swing angle can push the transition point backward, thus postpones the occurrence of the transition phenomenon

KNOW-BLADE, task-3.2 report, tip shape study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soerensen, N.N.; Johansen, J.; Conway, S.; Voutsinas, S.; Hansen, M.O.L.; Stuermer, A.

2005-01-01

For modern rotor blades with their very large aspect ratio, the blade tip is a very limited part of the overall rotor, and as such of limited importance for the overall aerodynamics of the rotor. Even though they may not be very important for the overall power production, the tip noise can be very important for the acoustics of the rotor [15], and the blade tips can as well be important for the aerodynamic damping properties of the rotor blades [13]. Unfortunately, not many options exists for predicting the aerodynamic behavior of blade tips using computational methods. Experimentally it is dicult to perform detailed measurements in the form of pressure and velocity measurements in natural wind conditions on modern large scale turbines due to the inherent unsteadiness in the natural wind. The present study describes the application of four different Navier-Stokes solvers to tip shape studies, and shows that these codes are well suited to study the flow around different tip shape geometries, and can predict the pressure distributions at the blade tip quite accurately. (au)

A novel folding blade of wind turbine rotor for effective power control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Wei; Zeng, Pan; Lei, Liping

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A novel folding blade for wind turbine power control is proposed. • Wind tunnel experiments were conducted to analyze folding blade validity. • Folding blade is valid to control wind turbine power output. • Compared to pitch control, thrust was reduced by fold control in power regulation. • Optimum fold angles were found for wind turbine start up and aerodynamic brake. - Abstract: A concept of novel folding blade of horizontal axis wind turbine is proposed in current study. The folding blade comprises a stall regulated root blade section and a folding tip blade section with the fold axis inclined relative to blade span. By folding blade, lift force generated on the tip blade section changes and the moment arm also shortens, which leads to variations of power output. The blade folding actuation mechanism with servo motor and worm-gear reducer was designed. Wind turbine rotor control scheme and servo system with double feedback loops for blade fold angle control were proposed. In this study, a small folding blade model was tested in a wind tunnel to analyze its performance. The blade model performance was estimated in terms of rotation torque coefficient and thrust coefficient. Wind tunnel experiments were also conducted for pitch control using the same blade model in order to make a direct comparison. The power control, start up and aerodynamic brake performance of the folding blade were analyzed. According to the wind tunnel experiment results, fold angle magnitude significantly affected blade aerodynamic performance and the thrust characteristic together with the rotation torque characteristic of folding blade were revealed. The experiment results demonstrated that the folding blade was valid to control power output and had advantages in reducing thrust with maximum reduction of 51.1% compared to pitch control. Optimum fold angles of 55° and 90° were also found for start up and aerodynamic brake, respectively

Progresses in application of computational ?uid dynamic methods to large scale wind turbine aerodynamics?

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhenyu ZHANG; Ning ZHAO; Wei ZHONG; Long WANG; Bofeng XU

2016-01-01

The computational ?uid dynamics (CFD) methods are applied to aerody-namic problems for large scale wind turbines. The progresses including the aerodynamic analyses of wind turbine pro?les, numerical ?ow simulation of wind turbine blades, evalu-ation of aerodynamic performance, and multi-objective blade optimization are discussed. Based on the CFD methods, signi?cant improvements are obtained to predict two/three-dimensional aerodynamic characteristics of wind turbine airfoils and blades, and the vorti-cal structure in their wake ?ows is accurately captured. Combining with a multi-objective genetic algorithm, a 1.5 MW NH-1500 optimized blade is designed with high e?ciency in wind energy conversion.

Smart actuation mechanisms for helicopter blades: design case for a mach-scaled model blade

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paternoster, Alexandre

2013-01-01

This work is part of the European project “Clean Sky”, which aims at improving the efficiency and the global transport quality of aircraft. The research, in this project, is currently focussing on active flap systems for helicopters to adapt the blade aerodynamic properties to local aerodynamic

KNOW-Blade Task-2 report - Aerodynamic accessories[Wind turbines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johansen, J.; Soerensen, N.N.; Zahle, F.; Kang, S.; Nikolaou, I.; Politis, E.S.; Chaviaropoulos, P.K.; Ekaterinaris, J.

2004-11-01

In the EC project KNOW-BLADE a work package has been defined to investigate the possibility to numerically model aerodynamic accessories in existing Navier-Stokes solvers. Four different aerodynamic accessories have been investigated. Firstly, the potential of applying active flow control by means of a pulsating jet placed at the leading edge in order to enhance mean lift. The general trend is that increased pulsation frequency is beneficial, in that it reduces the oscillation amplitude and raises the mean lift level while lowering the mean drag level. An increased jet exit velocity has a tendency to increase the oscillation amplitude, which is not very attractive for load control on wind turbines. Secondly, the effect of vortex generators has been modelled using two phenomenological vortex generator models. The models have been applied to three airfoil configurations. For all cases investigated the models shows qualitatively the correct behaviour, even though there are a considerable spread in the degree of success. Thirdly, the influence of adding a stall strip for changing the airfoil characteristics was investigated. Stall strips at three different positions were directly modelled by changing the airfoil geometry. In general the 7mm stall strips placed at P00 and P-02 had the greatest effect on the max lift followed by stall strip P02. Unfortunately, there was not sufficient agreement between the experimental results and the simulations to draw any conclusions of optimum position and geometry of the stall strip. Finally, the effect of surface roughness was modelled by either modifying the boundary condition of the turbulence model or by modifying the airfoil geometry. Using the roughness model gave relatively good agreement with measurements and it must be concluded that the effect of using roughness tape can be better predicted with a roughness model compared to using a modified airfoil surface. (au)

Prediction of H.A.W.T. blade stall and performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giannakidis, G.; Graham, J.M.R. [Imperial College, Dept. of Aeronautics, London (United Kingdom)

1996-09-01

A model is being developed for the prediction of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine blade stall and performance coupled with a simple aeroelastic analysis model. For the aerodynamic calculation a two dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes solver on a sectional basis on the blade is coupled with a three dimensional vortex lattice wake. Pressure coefficient distributions are calculated from the two dimensional viscous flow in each blade section. The aerodynamic computations are coupled with a vibrating beam model in order to incorporate flapwise deformations of the blade. (au) 17 refs.

Aerodynamic Optimization of a Wind Turbine Blade Designed for Egypt's Saharan Environment Using a Genetic Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khaled Yassin

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This work aims to optimize the aerodynamic parameters (airfoil chord lengths and twist angles smoothed using Bezier curves of the NREL 5MW wind turbine and a wind turbine designed for site-specific wind conditions to increase the wind turbine's annual energy production (AEP under this site conditions. This optimization process is carried out using a Genetic Algorithm (GA developed in MATLAB and coupled with NREL's FAST Modularization Framework. The results shows that after optimizing the NREL 5MW wind turbine design, the AEP was improved by 5.9% of the baseline design AEP while a site-specific designed wind turbine using Schmitz equations shows 1.2% improvement in AEP. These results shows that optimization of wind turbine blade aerodynamic parameters for site-specific wind conditions leads to improvement in AEP and hence decreasing cost of energy generated by wind turbines.

Analytical Aerodynamic Simulation Tools for Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deglaire, Paul

2010-01-01

Wind power is a renewable energy source that is today the fastest growing solution to reduce CO 2 emissions in the electric energy mix. Upwind horizontal axis wind turbine with three blades has been the preferred technical choice for more than two decades. This horizontal axis concept is today widely leading the market. The current PhD thesis will cover an alternative type of wind turbine with straight blades and rotating along the vertical axis. A brief overview of the main differences between the horizontal and vertical axis concept has been made. However the main focus of this thesis is the aerodynamics of the wind turbine blades. Making aerodynamically efficient turbines starts with efficient blades. Making efficient blades requires a good understanding of the physical phenomena and effective simulations tools to model them. The specific aerodynamics for straight bladed vertical axis turbine flow are reviewed together with the standard aerodynamic simulations tools that have been used in the past by blade and rotor designer. A reasonably fast (regarding computer power) and accurate (regarding comparison with experimental results) simulation method was still lacking in the field prior to the current work. This thesis aims at designing such a method. Analytical methods can be used to model complex flow if the geometry is simple. Therefore, a conformal mapping method is derived to transform any set of section into a set of standard circles. Then analytical procedures are generalized to simulate moving multibody sections in the complex vertical flows and forces experienced by the blades. Finally the fast semi analytical aerodynamic algorithm boosted by fast multipole methods to handle high number of vortices is coupled with a simple structural model of the rotor to investigate potential aeroelastic instabilities. Together with these advanced simulation tools, a standard double multiple streamtube model has been developed and used to design several straight bladed

The Influence of Eroded Blades on Wind Turbine Performance Using Numerical Simulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthias Schramm

2017-09-01

Full Text Available During their operation, wind turbine blades are eroded due to rain and hail, or they are contaminated with insects. Since the relative inflow velocity is higher at the outer than at the inner part of the blades, erosion occurs mostly at the outer blade region. In order to prevent strong erosion, it is possible to install a leading edge protection, which can be applied to the blades after the initial installation, but changes the shape of the initial airfoil sections. It is unclear how this modification influences the aerodynamic performance of the turbine. Hence, it is investigated in this work. The NREL 5 MW turbine is simulated with clean and eroded blades, which are compared to coated blades equipped with leading edge protection. Aerodynamic polars are generated by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics, and load calculations are conducted using the blade element momentum theory. The analysis in this work shows that, compared to clean rotor blades, the worse aerodynamic behaviour of strongly eroded blades can lead to power losses of 9 % . In contrast, coated blades only have a small impact on the turbine power of less than 1 % .

Aerodynamic design of the National Rotor Testbed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelley, Christopher Lee [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-10-01

A new wind turbine blade has been designed for the National Rotor Testbed (NRT) project and for future experiments at the Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) facility with a specific focus on scaled wakes. This report shows the aerodynamic design of new blades that can produce a wake that has similitude to utility scale blades despite the difference in size and location in the atmospheric boundary layer. Dimensionless quantities circulation, induction, thrust coefficient, and tip-speed-ratio were kept equal between rotor scales in region 2 of operation. The new NRT design matched the aerodynamic quantities of the most common wind turbine in the United States, the GE 1.5sle turbine with 37c model blades. The NRT blade design is presented along with its performance subject to the winds at SWiFT. The design requirements determined by the SWiFT experimental test campaign are shown to be met.

Optimization of Root Section for Ultra-long Steam Turbine Rotor Blade

Science.gov (United States)

Hála, Jindřich; Luxa, Martin; Šimurda, David; Bobčík, Marek; Novák, Ondřej; Rudas, Bartoloměj; Synáč, Jaroslav

2018-04-01

This study presents the comparison of aerodynamic performances of two successive designs of the root profiles for the ultra-long rotor blade equipped with a straight fir-tree dovetail. Since aerodynamic and strength requirements laid upon the root section design are contradictory, it is necessary to aerodynamically optimize the design within the limits given by the foremost strength requirements. The most limiting criterion of the static strength is the size of the blade cross-section, which is determined by the number of blades in a rotor and also by the shape and size of a blade dovetail. The aerodynamic design requires mainly the zero incidence angle at the inlet of a profile and in the ideal case ensures that the load does not exceed a limit load condition. Moreover, the typical root profile cascades are transonic with supersonic exit Mach number, therefore, the shape of a suction side and a trailing edge has to respect transonic expansion of a working gas. In this paper, the two variants of root section profile cascades are compared and the aerodynamic qualities of both variants are verified using CFD simulation and two mutually independent experimental methods of measurements (optical and pneumatic).

Design, fabrication, and test of a composite material wind turbine rotor blade

Science.gov (United States)

Griffee, D. G., Jr.; Gustafson, R. E.; More, E. R.

1977-01-01

The aerodynamic design, structural design, fabrication, and structural testing is described for a 60 foot long filament wound, fiberglass/epoxy resin matrix wind turbine rotor blade for a 125 foot diameter, 100 kW wind energy conversion system. One blade was fabricated which met all aerodynamic shape requirements and was structurally capable of operating under all specified design conditions. The feasibility of filament winding large rotor blades was demonstrated.

Design of low noise wind turbine blades using Betz and Joukowski concepts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shen, Wen Zhong; Hrgovan, Iva; Okulov, Valery

2014-01-01

This paper presents the aerodynamic design of low noise wind turbine blades using Betz and Joukowski concepts. The aerodynamic model is based on Blade Element Momentum theory whereas the aeroacoustic prediction model is based on the BPM model. The investigation is started with a 3MW baseline...

New airfoil sections for straight bladed turbine

Science.gov (United States)

Boumaza, B.

1987-07-01

A theoretical investigation of aerodynamic performance for vertical axis Darrieus wind turbine with new airfoils sections is carried out. The blade section aerodynamics characteristics are determined from turbomachines cascade model. The model is also adapted to the vertical Darrieus turbine for the performance prediction of the machine. In order to choose appropriate value of zero-lift-drag coefficient in calculation, an analytical expression is introduced as function of chord-radius ratio and Reynolds numbers. New airfoils sections are proposed and analyzed for straight-bladed turbine.

New airfoil sections for straight bladed turbine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boumaza, B.

1987-07-01

A theoretical investigation of aerodynamic performance for vertical axis Darrieus wind turbine with new airfoils sections is carried out. The blade section aerodynamics characteristics are determined from turbomachines cascade model. The model is also adapted to the vertical Darrieus turbine for the performance prediction of the machine. In order to choose appropriate value of zero-lift-drag coefficient in calculation, an analytical expression is introduced as function of chord-radius ratio and Reynolds numbers. New airfoils sections are proposed and analyzed for straight-bladed turbine

Straight-bladed Darrieus wind turbines - A protagonist's view

Science.gov (United States)

Migliore, P. G.

The technology development and market penetration of Darrieus and propeller-type wind turbines is addressed. Important characteristics of competing configurations are compared, and it is claimed that aerodynamic efficiency is not a distinguishing feature. Advantages of the Darrieus machine include omni-directionality and self-limitation, but propeller types require less rotor length per unit swept area. It is argued that the straight-bladed Darrieus is much simpler than the curved-bladed and should be capable of comparable aerodynamic efficiency. Some of the problems of structural design, as well as blade induced drag losses and support-arm counter torque, diminish rapidly as machine size is increased. Taper ratio has similar beneficial effects.

Aerodynamic optimization of wind turbine rotors using a blade element momentum method with corrections for wake rotation and expansion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Døssing, Mads; Aagaard Madsen, Helge; Bak, Christian

2012-01-01

The blade element momentum (BEM) method is widely used for calculating the quasi-steady aerodynamics of horizontal axis wind turbines. Recently, the BEM method has been expanded to include corrections for wake expansion and the pressure due to wake rotation (), and more accurate solutions can now...... by the positive effect of wake rotation, which locally causes the efficiency to exceed the Betz limit. Wake expansion has a negative effect, which is most important at high tip speed ratios. It was further found that by using , it is possible to obtain a 5% reduction in flap bending moment when compared with BEM....... In short, allows fast aerodynamic calculations and optimizations with a much higher degree of accuracy than the traditional BEM model. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd....

Aero-Thermo-Structural Design Optimization of Internally Cooled Turbine Blades

Science.gov (United States)

Dulikravich, G. S.; Martin, T. J.; Dennis, B. H.; Lee, E.; Han, Z.-X.

1999-01-01

A set of robust and computationally affordable inverse shape design and automatic constrained optimization tools have been developed for the improved performance of internally cooled gas turbine blades. The design methods are applicable to the aerodynamics, heat transfer, and thermoelasticity aspects of the turbine blade. Maximum use of the existing proven disciplinary analysis codes is possible with this design approach. Preliminary computational results demonstrate possibilities to design blades with minimized total pressure loss and maximized aerodynamic loading. At the same time, these blades are capable of sustaining significantly higher inlet hot gas temperatures while requiring remarkably lower coolant mass flow rates. These results suggest that it is possible to design internally cooled turbine blades that will cost less to manufacture, will have longer life span, and will perform as good, if not better than, film cooled turbine blades.

Darrieus rotor aerodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Klimas, P. C.

1982-05-01

A summary of the progress of modeling the aerodynamic effects on the blades of a Darrieus wind turbine is presented. Interference is discussed in terms of blade/blade wake interaction and improvements in single and multiple stream tube models, of vortex simulations of blades and their wakes, and a hybrid momentum/vortex code to combine fast computation time with interference-describing capabilities. An empirical model has been developed for treating the properties of dynamic stall such as airfoil geometry, Reynolds number, reduced frequency, angle-of-attack, and Mach number. Pitching circulation has been subjected to simulation as potential flow about a two-dimensional flat plate, along with applications of the concepts of virtual camber and virtual incidence, with a cambered airfoil operating in a rectilinear flowfield. Finally, a need to develop a loading model suitable for nonsymmetrical blade sections is indicated, as well as blade behavior in a dynamic, curvilinear regime.

Numerical study on aerodynamic damping of floating vertical axis wind turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Zhengshun; Aagaard Madsen, Helge; Gao, Zhen; Moan, Torgeir

2016-09-01

Harvesting offshore wind energy resources using floating vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) has attracted an increasing interest in recent years. Due to its potential impact on fatigue damage, the aerodynamic damping should be considered in the preliminary design of a floating VAWT based on the frequency domain method. However, currently the study on aerodynamic damping of floating VAWTs is very limited. Due to the essential difference in aerodynamic load characteristics, the aerodynamic damping of a floating VAWT could be different from that of a floating horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT). In this study, the aerodynamic damping of floating VAWTs was studied in a fully coupled manner, and its influential factors and its effects on the motions, especially the pitch motion, were demonstrated. Three straight-bladed floating VAWTs with identical solidity and with a blade number varying from two to four were considered. The aerodynamic damping under steady and turbulent wind conditions were estimated using fully coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic time domain simulations. It is found that the aerodynamic damping ratio of the considered floating VAWTs ranges from 1.8% to 5.3%. Moreover, the aerodynamic damping is almost independent of the rotor azimuth angle, and is to some extent sensitive to the blade number.

Sequential projection pursuit for optimised vibration-based damage detection in an experimental wind turbine blade

Science.gov (United States)

Hoell, Simon; Omenzetter, Piotr

2018-02-01

To advance the concept of smart structures in large systems, such as wind turbines (WTs), it is desirable to be able to detect structural damage early while using minimal instrumentation. Data-driven vibration-based damage detection methods can be competitive in that respect because global vibrational responses encompass the entire structure. Multivariate damage sensitive features (DSFs) extracted from acceleration responses enable to detect changes in a structure via statistical methods. However, even though such DSFs contain information about the structural state, they may not be optimised for the damage detection task. This paper addresses the shortcoming by exploring a DSF projection technique specialised for statistical structural damage detection. High dimensional initial DSFs are projected onto a low-dimensional space for improved damage detection performance and simultaneous computational burden reduction. The technique is based on sequential projection pursuit where the projection vectors are optimised one by one using an advanced evolutionary strategy. The approach is applied to laboratory experiments with a small-scale WT blade under wind-like excitations. Autocorrelation function coefficients calculated from acceleration signals are employed as DSFs. The optimal numbers of projection vectors are identified with the help of a fast forward selection procedure. To benchmark the proposed method, selections of original DSFs as well as principal component analysis scores from these features are additionally investigated. The optimised DSFs are tested for damage detection on previously unseen data from the healthy state and a wide range of damage scenarios. It is demonstrated that using selected subsets of the initial and transformed DSFs improves damage detectability compared to the full set of features. Furthermore, superior results can be achieved by projecting autocorrelation coefficients onto just a single optimised projection vector.

Quiet Clean Short-haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE). The aerodynamic and mechanical design of the QCSEE over-the-wing fan

Science.gov (United States)

1976-01-01

The aerodynamic and mechanical design of a fixed-pitch 1.36 pressure ratio fan for the over-the-wing (OTW) engine is presented. The fan has 28 blades. Aerodynamically, the fan blades were designed for a composite blade, but titanium blades were used in the experimental fan as a cost savings measure.

Use Deflected Trailing Edge to Improve the Aerodynamic Performance and Develop Low Solidity LPT Cascade

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Li; Peigang, Yan; Xiangfeng, Wang; Wanjin, Han; Qingchao, Wang

2017-08-01

This paper investigates the feasibility of improving the aerodynamic performance of low pressure turbine (LPT) blade cascades and developing low solidity LPT blade cascades through deflected trailing edge. A deflected trailing edge improved aerodynamic performance of both LPT blade cascades and low solidity LPT blade cascades. For standard solidity LPT cascades, deflecting the trailing edge can decrease the energy loss coefficient by 20.61 % for a Reynolds number (Re) of 25,000 and freestream turbulence intensities (FSTI) of 1 %. For a low solidity LPT cascade, aerodynamic performance was also improved by deflecting the trailing edge. Solidity of the LPT cascade can be reduced by 12.5 % for blades with a deflected trailing edge without a drop in efficiency. Here, the flow control mechanism surrounding a deflected trailing edge was also revealed.

An Experimental Analysis of the Effect of Icing on Wind Turbine Rotor Blades

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raja, Muhammad Imran; Hussain, Dil muhammed Akbar; Soltani, Mohsen

2016-01-01

Wind Turbine is highly nonlinear plant whose dynamics changes with change in aerodynamics of the rotor blade. Power extracted from the wind turbine is a function of coefficient of power (Cp). Wind turbine installed in the cold climate areas has an icing on its rotor blade which might change its...... aerodynamics. This paper is an experimental investigation of the aerodynamic changes occur due to effect of ice accumulated on the rotor blades of wind turbine. We have tested three small scale model of the NREL's 5MW rotor blade with same profile but simulated different icing effect on them. These models...... are printed with 3D printer and tested one by one in a Wind Tunnel. Lift, drag and moment coefficients are calculated from the measured experimental data and program WT-Perf based on blade-element momentum (BEM) theory is used to predict the performance of wind turbine. Cp curves generated from the test...

Measurements of blade aerodynamics on a rotor in the field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graham, J.M.R. [Imperical College, Dept. of Aeronautics, London (United Kingdom)

1997-12-31

This contribution describes the field test measurements undertaken on an instrumented rotor at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, UK, during the period 1994 - 97. The programme was directed at improving the prediction of the steady and unsteady rotor blade loading, particularly the loads arising from the stalling of the blade. The measured data consisted of blade surface pressure distributions sampled at 50Hz at 6 sections along the span of one blade of the 17m diameter, 3 bladed, fixed pitch, upwind H.A.W.T., together with measurements of the incident velocity. (au)

Aerodynamic models for a Darrieus wind turbine

Science.gov (United States)

Fraunie, P.; Beguier, C.; Paraschivoiu, I.; Delclaux, F.

1982-11-01

Various models proposed for the aerodynamics of Darrieus wind turbines are reviewed. The magnitude of the L/D ratio for a Darrieus rotor blade is dependent on the profile, the Re, boundary layer characteristics, and the three-dimensional flow effects. The aerodynamic efficiency is theoretically the Betz limit, and the interference of one blade with another is constrained by the drag force integrated over all points on the actuator disk. A single streamtube model can predict the power available in a Darrieus, but the model lacks definition of the flow structure and the cyclic stresses. Techniques for calculating the velocity profiles and the consequent induced velocity at the blades are presented. The multiple streamtube theory has been devised to account for the repartition of the velocity in the rotor interior. The model has been expanded as the double multiple streamtube theory at Sandia Laboratories. Futher work is necessary, however, to include the effects of dynamic decoupling at high rotation speeds and to accurately describe blade behavior.

Nonlinear aeroelastic modelling for wind turbine blades based on blade element momentum theory and geometrically exact beam theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Lin; Liu, Xiongwei; Renevier, Nathalie; Stables, Matthew; Hall, George M.

2014-01-01

Due to the increasing size and flexibility of large wind turbine blades, accurate and reliable aeroelastic modelling is playing an important role for the design of large wind turbines. Most existing aeroelastic models are linear models based on assumption of small blade deflections. This assumption is not valid anymore for very flexible blade design because such blades often experience large deflections. In this paper, a novel nonlinear aeroelastic model for large wind turbine blades has been developed by combining BEM (blade element momentum) theory and mixed-form formulation of GEBT (geometrically exact beam theory). The nonlinear aeroelastic model takes account of large blade deflections and thus greatly improves the accuracy of aeroelastic analysis of wind turbine blades. The nonlinear aeroelastic model is implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics and validated with a series of benchmark calculation tests. The results show that good agreement is achieved when compared with experimental data, and its capability of handling large deflections is demonstrated. Finally the nonlinear aeroelastic model is applied to aeroelastic modelling of the parked WindPACT 1.5 MW baseline wind turbine, and reduced flapwise deflection from the nonlinear aeroelastic model is observed compared to the linear aeroelastic code FAST (Fatigue, Aerodynamics, Structures, and Turbulence). - Highlights: • A novel nonlinear aeroelastic model for wind turbine blades is developed. • The model takes account of large blade deflections and geometric nonlinearities. • The model is reliable and efficient for aeroelastic modelling of wind turbine blades. • The accuracy of the model is verified by a series of benchmark calculation tests. • The model provides more realistic aeroelastic modelling than FAST (Fatigue, Aerodynamics, Structures, and Turbulence)

Multidisciplinary Optimization of Tilt Rotor Blades Using Comprehensive Composite Modeling Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Chattopadhyay, Aditi; McCarthy, Thomas R.; Rajadas, John N.

1997-01-01

An optimization procedure is developed for addressing the design of composite tilt rotor blades. A comprehensive technique, based on a higher-order laminate theory, is developed for the analysis of the thick composite load-carrying sections, modeled as box beams, in the blade. The theory, which is based on a refined displacement field, is a three-dimensional model which approximates the elasticity solution so that the beam cross-sectional properties are not reduced to one-dimensional beam parameters. Both inplane and out-of-plane warping are included automatically in the formulation. The model can accurately capture the transverse shear stresses through the thickness of each wall while satisfying stress free boundary conditions on the inner and outer surfaces of the beam. The aerodynamic loads on the blade are calculated using the classical blade element momentum theory. Analytical expressions for the lift and drag are obtained based on the blade planform with corrections for the high lift capability of rotor blades. The aerodynamic analysis is coupled with the structural model to formulate the complete coupled equations of motion for aeroelastic analyses. Finally, a multidisciplinary optimization procedure is developed to improve the aerodynamic, structural and aeroelastic performance of the tilt rotor aircraft. The objective functions include the figure of merit in hover and the high speed cruise propulsive efficiency. Structural, aerodynamic and aeroelastic stability criteria are imposed as constraints on the problem. The Kreisselmeier-Steinhauser function is used to formulate the multiobjective function problem. The search direction is determined by the Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno algorithm. The optimum results are compared with the baseline values and show significant improvements in the overall performance of the tilt rotor blade.

Numerical simulation of turbulent flows past the RoBin helicopter with a four-bladed rotor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, H.; Mamou, M.; Khalid, M. [National Research Council, Inst. for Aerospace Research, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)]. E-mail: Hongyi.Xu@nrc.ca

2003-07-01

The current paper presents a turbulent flow simulation study past a generic helicopter RoBin with a four-bladed rotor using the Chimera moving grid approach. The aerodynamic performance of the rotor blades and their interactions with the RoBin fuselage are investigated using the k - {omega} SST turbulence model contained in the WIND code. The rotor is configured as a Chimera moving grid in a quasisteady flow field. The rotor blades are rectangular, untapered, linearly twisted and are made from NACA 0012 airfoil profile. The blade motion (rotation and cyclic pitching) schedule is specified in the NASA wind tunnel testing of a generic helicopter RoBin. The aerodynamic radial load distributions in the rotor plane are generated by integrating the pressure on each blade surfaces along the blade chordwise direction. The rotor flow interacts strongly with the flow coming off from the fuselage and thus has a significant impact on helicopter aerodynamic performance. (author)

3X-100 blade field test.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zayas, Jose R.; Johnson, Wesley D.

2008-03-01

In support of a Work-For-Other (WFO) agreement between the Wind Energy Technology Department at Sandia National Laboratories and 3TEX, one of the three Micon 65/13M wind turbines at the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS) center in Bushland, Texas, has been used to test a set of 9 meter wind turbine blades, manufactured by TPI composites using the 3TEX carbon material for the spar cap. Data collected from the test has been analyzed to evaluate both the aerodynamic performance and the structural response from the blades. The blades aerodynamic and structural performance, the meteorological inflow and the wind turbine structural response has been monitored with an array of 57 instruments: 15 to characterize the blades, 13 to characterize inflow, and 15 to characterize the time-varying state of the turbine. For the test, data was sampled at a rate of 40 Hz using the ATLAS II (Accurate GPS Time-Linked Data Acquisition System) data acquisition system. The system features a time-synchronized continuous data stream and telemetered data from the turbine rotor. This paper documents the instruments and infrastructure that have been developed to monitor these blades, turbines and inflow, as well as both modeling and field testing results.

Analysis and modeling of unsteady aerodynamics with application to wind turbine blade vibration at standstill conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skrzypinski, W.

2012-02-15

Wind turbine blade vibrations at standstill conditions were investigated in the present work. These included vortex-induced and stall-induced vibrations. Thus, it was investigated whether the stand still vibrations are vortex-induced, stall-induced or a combination of both types. The work comprised analyzes based on engineering models and Computational Fluid Dynamics. Two-dimensional, three-degree-of-freedom, elastically-mounted-airfoil engineering models were created. These models aimed at investigating the effect of temporal lag in the aerodynamic response of an airfoil on the aeroelastic stability limits. The motivation for it was that the standard aerodynamics existing in state-of-the-art aeroelastic codes is effectively quasi-steady in deep stall. If such an assumption was incorrect, these codes could predict stall-induced vibrations inaccurately. The main conclusion drawn from these analyses was that even a relatively low amount of temporal lag in the aerodynamic response may significantly increase the aerodynamic damping and therefore influence the aeroelastic stability limits, relative to quasisteady aerodynamic response. Two- and three-dimensional CFD computations included non-moving, prescribed-motion and elastically mounted airfoil suspensions. 2D and 3D prescribed-motion CFD computations performed on a DU96-W-180 airfoil predicted vortex-induced vibrations at 90 degrees angle of attack at the frequency close to the stationary vortex shedding frequency predicted by 2D CFD computations. Significant discrepancies were observed between 2D and 3D computations around 25 degrees angle of attack. 3D computations predicted occurrence of vortex-induced vibrations while the wind speed necessary for the occurrence of stall-induced vibrations was predicted too high to occur in normal conditions. Analysis of the dynamic lift and drag resulting from 2D and 3D CFD computations carried out around 25 degrees angle of attack showed loops with the slopes of opposite signs

Design and fabrication of a wind turbine blade | Laryea | Ghana ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dimensions and weights were measured to determine the possibilities of its performance. Factors that affect the spinning of the blade include the weight, blade count and its aerodynamic features. The new blades are assumed to be more reliable and efficient than wholly wood design. The calculated wind speed and power ...

A Hybrid Metaheuristic-Based Approach for the Aerodynamic Optimization of Small Hybrid Wind Turbine Rotors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José F. Herbert-Acero

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This work presents a novel framework for the aerodynamic design and optimization of blades for small horizontal axis wind turbines (WT. The framework is based on a state-of-the-art blade element momentum model, which is complemented with the XFOIL 6.96 software in order to provide an estimate of the sectional blade aerodynamics. The framework considers an innovative nested-hybrid solution procedure based on two metaheuristics, the virtual gene genetic algorithm and the simulated annealing algorithm, to provide a near-optimal solution to the problem. The objective of the study is to maximize the aerodynamic efficiency of small WT (SWT rotors for a wide range of operational conditions. The design variables are (1 the airfoil shape at the different blade span positions and the radial variation of the geometrical variables of (2 chord length, (3 twist angle, and (4 thickness along the blade span. A wind tunnel validation study of optimized rotors based on the NACA 4-digit airfoil series is presented. Based on the experimental data, improvements in terms of the aerodynamic efficiency, the cut-in wind speed, and the amount of material used during the manufacturing process were achieved. Recommendations for the aerodynamic design of SWT rotors are provided based on field experience.

Aerodynamic Effects of Turbulence Intensity on a Variable-Speed Power-Turbine Blade with Large Incidence and Reynolds Number Variations

Science.gov (United States)

Flegel, Ashlie Brynn; Giel, Paul W.; Welch, Gerard E.

2014-01-01

The effects of inlet turbulence intensity on the aerodynamic performance of a variable speed power turbine blade are examined over large incidence and Reynolds number ranges. Both high and low turbulence studies were conducted in the NASA Glenn Research Center Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade Facility. The purpose of the low inlet turbulence study was to examine the transitional flow effects that are anticipated at cruise Reynolds numbers. The high turbulence study extends this to LPT-relevant turbulence levels while perhaps sacrificing transitional flow effects. Downstream total pressure and exit angle data were acquired for ten incidence angles ranging from +15.8 to 51.0. For each incidence angle, data were obtained at five flow conditions with the exit Reynolds number ranging from 2.12105 to 2.12106 and at a design exit Mach number of 0.72. In order to achieve the lowest Reynolds number, the exit Mach number was reduced to 0.35 due to facility constraints. The inlet turbulence intensity, Tu, was measured using a single-wire hotwire located 0.415 axial-chord upstream of the blade row. The inlet turbulence levels ranged from 0.25 - 0.4 for the low Tu tests and 8- 15 for the high Tu study. Tu measurements were also made farther upstream so that turbulence decay rates could be calculated as needed for computational inlet boundary conditions. Downstream flow field measurements were obtained using a pneumatic five-hole pitchyaw probe located in a survey plane 7 axial chord aft of the blade trailing edge and covering three blade passages. Blade and endwall static pressures were acquired for each flow condition as well. The blade loading data show that the suction surface separation that was evident at many of the low Tu conditions has been eliminated. At the extreme positive and negative incidence angles, the data show substantial differences in the exit flow field. These differences are attributable to both the higher inlet Tu directly and to the thinner inlet endwall

New morphing blade section designs and structural solutions for smart blades

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karakalas, Anargyros A.; Machairas, Theodore; Solomou, Alexandros

2015-01-01

Within INNWIND.EU new concepts are investigated having the ultimate goal to reduce the cost per kilowatt-hour of the produced energy. With increasing size of wind turbines, new approaches to load control are required to reduce the stresses in blades. Experimental and numerical studies in the fields...... of helicopter and wind turbine blade research have shown the potential of shape morphing in reducing blade loads. Morphing technologies, along with other control concepts, are investigated under Task 2.3 of WP “Lightweight Rotor”, against aerodynamic compliance and requirements of the complete wind turbine...... the efforts performed within Task 2.2 “Lightweight structural design” of INNWIND.Eu work-package WP2 “Lightweight Rotor” regarding the structural solutions necessary to accommodate the requirements of smart blades developed within work-package WP2 Task 2.3 “Active and passive loads control and alleviation...

A numerical analysis of the British Experimental Rotor Program blade

Science.gov (United States)

Duque, Earl P. N.

1989-01-01

Two Computational Fluid Dynamic codes which solve the compressible full-potential and the Reynolds-Averaged Thin-Layer Navier-Stokes equations were used to analyze the nonrotating aerodynamic characteristics of the British Experimental Rotor Program (BERP) helicopter blade at three flow regimes: low angle of attack, high angle of attack and transonic. Excellent agreement was found between the numerical results and experiment. In the low angle of attack regime, the BERP had less induced drag than a comparable aspect ratio rectangular planform wing. At high angle of attack, the blade attained high-lift by maintaining attached flow at the outermost spanwise locations. In the transonic regime, the BERP design reduces the shock strength at the outer spanwise locations which affects wave drag and shock-induced separation. Overall, the BERP blade exhibited many favorable aerodynamic characteristics in comparison to conventional helicopter rotor blades.

A shape adaptive airfoil for a wind turbine blade

Science.gov (United States)

Daynes, Stephen; Weaver, Paul M.

2011-04-01

The loads on wind turbine components are primarily from the blades. It is important to control these blade loads in order to avoid damaging the wind turbine. Rotor control technology is currently limited to controlling the rotor speed and the pitch of the blades. As blades increase in length it becomes less desirable to pitch the entire blade as a single rigid body, but instead there is a requirement to control loads more precisely along the length of the blade. This can be achieved with aerodynamic control devices such as flaps. Morphing technologies are good candidates for wind turbine flaps because they have the potential to create structures that have the conflicting abilities of being load carrying, light-weight and shape adaptive. A morphing flap design with a highly anisotropic cellular structure is presented which is able to undergo large deflections and high strains without a large actuation penalty. An aeroelastic analysis couples the work done by aerodynamic loads on the flap, the flap strain energy and the required actuation work to change shape. The morphing flap is experimentally validated with a manufactured demonstrator and shown to have reduced actuation requirements compared to a conventional hinged flap.

Aerodynamic load control strategy of wind turbine in microgrid

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiangming; Liu, Heshun; Chen, Yanfei

2017-12-01

A control strategy is proposed in the paper to optimize the aerodynamic load of the wind turbine in micro-grid. In grid-connection mode, the wind turbine adopts a new individual variable pitch control strategy. The pitch angle of the blade is rapidly given by the controller, and the pitch angle of each blade is fine tuned by the weight coefficient distributor. In islanding mode, according to the requirements of energy storage system, a given power tracking control method based on fuzzy PID control is proposed. Simulation result shows that this control strategy can effectively improve the axial aerodynamic load of the blade under rated wind speed in grid-connection mode, and ensure the smooth operation of the micro-grid in islanding mode.

System for determining aerodynamic imbalance

Science.gov (United States)

Churchill, Gary B. (Inventor); Cheung, Benny K. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A system is provided for determining tracking error in a propeller or rotor driven aircraft by determining differences in the aerodynamic loading on the propeller or rotor blades of the aircraft. The system includes a microphone disposed relative to the blades during the rotation thereof so as to receive separate pressure pulses produced by each of the blades during the passage thereof by the microphone. A low pass filter filters the output signal produced by the microphone, the low pass filter having an upper cut-off frequency set below the frequency at which the blades pass by the microphone. A sensor produces an output signal after each complete revolution of the blades, and a recording display device displays the outputs of the low pass filter and sensor so as to enable evaluation of the relative magnitudes of the pressure pulses produced by passage of the blades by the microphone during each complete revolution of the blades.

Numerical analysis of the effect of plasma flow control on enhancing the aerodynamic characteristics of stratospheric screw propeller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Yufeng; Nie Wansheng

2012-01-01

Based on the body force aerodynamic actuation mechanism of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma, the effect of plasma flow control on enhancing the aerodynamic characteristics of ten blade elements equably along the stratospheric screw propeller blade was numerical studied. Then the effect of plasma flow control enhancing the aerodynamic characteristics of stratospheric screw propeller was compared that by the blade element theory method. The results show that the flow separate phenomena will easily happen in the root region and top end region of screw propeller, and the blade elements in the root region of screw propeller may work on the negative attack angle condition. DBD plasma flow control can entirely restrain the faintish flow separate phenomena in middle region of screw propeller. Although DBD plasma flow control can not entirely restrain the badly flow separate phenomena in top end region of screw propeller, it also can enhance the aerodynamic characteristics of blade elements in these regions in same degree. But effect of DBD plasma flow control on enhancing the aerodynamic characteristics of the blade elements working on the negative attack angle condition is ineffectively. It can be concluded that DBD plasma flow control can enhance the aerodynamic characteristics of stratospheric screw propeller, the thrust of the whole propeller and the propeller efficiency in the case of plasma on will increases by a factor of 28.27% and 12.3% respectively compared with that in the case of plasma off studied. (authors)

Further dual purpose evolutionary optimization of small wind turbine blades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clifton-Smith, M J; Wood, D H

2007-01-01

Much work has been done to maximise the power extraction of wind turbine blades. However, small wind turbines are also required to be self starting and whilst blades designed for maximum power extraction can be optimised analytically, these blades often have poor starting performance. The numeric method of Differential Evolution is used here to maximise for both power and starting performance. Standard blade element theory is used to calculate the power coefficient, and a modified blade element method for starting time. The chord and twist of each blade element make up the genes for evolution. Starting times can be improved by a factor of 20 with only a small reduction in power coefficient. With the introduction of the tip speed ratio as an additional gene, up to 10% improvement in power coefficient was achieved. A second study was done in another case where analytical optimisation is not possible; the inclusion of tip losses. The inclusion resulted in only a small increase in the optimum chord in the tip region which becomes less noticeable at lower tip speed ratios

Multidisciplinary Design Optimization for Glass-Fiber Epoxy-Matrix Composite 5 MW Horizontal-Axis Wind-Turbine Blades

Science.gov (United States)

Grujicic, M.; Arakere, G.; Pandurangan, B.; Sellappan, V.; Vallejo, A.; Ozen, M.

2010-11-01

A multi-disciplinary design-optimization procedure has been introduced and used for the development of cost-effective glass-fiber reinforced epoxy-matrix composite 5 MW horizontal-axis wind-turbine (HAWT) blades. The turbine-blade cost-effectiveness has been defined using the cost of energy (CoE), i.e., a ratio of the three-blade HAWT rotor development/fabrication cost and the associated annual energy production. To assess the annual energy production as a function of the blade design and operating conditions, an aerodynamics-based computational analysis had to be employed. As far as the turbine blade cost is concerned, it is assessed for a given aerodynamic design by separately computing the blade mass and the associated blade-mass/size-dependent production cost. For each aerodynamic design analyzed, a structural finite element-based and a post-processing life-cycle assessment analyses were employed in order to determine a minimal blade mass which ensures that the functional requirements pertaining to the quasi-static strength of the blade, fatigue-controlled blade durability and blade stiffness are satisfied. To determine the turbine-blade production cost (for the currently prevailing fabrication process, the wet lay-up) available data regarding the industry manufacturing experience were combined with the attendant blade mass, surface area, and the duration of the assumed production run. The work clearly revealed the challenges associated with simultaneously satisfying the strength, durability and stiffness requirements while maintaining a high level of wind-energy capture efficiency and a lower production cost.

Composite rotor blades for large wind energy installations

Science.gov (United States)

Kussmann, A.; Molly, J.; Muser, D.

1980-01-01

The design of large wind power systems in Germany is reviewed with attention given to elaboration of the total wind energy system, aerodynamic design of the rotor blade, and wind loading effects. Particular consideration is given to the development of composite glass fiber/plastic or carbon fiber/plastic rotor blades for such installations.

Composite rotor blades for large wind energy installations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kussmann, A; Molly, J P; Muser, D

1979-06-01

The design of large wind power systems in Germany is reviewed with attention given to elaboration of the total wind energy system, aerodynamic design of the rotor blade, and wind loading effects. Particular consideration is given to the development of composite glass fiber/plastic or carbon fiber/plastic rotor blades for such installations.

Implicit geometric representations for optimal design of gas turbine blades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mansour, T.; Ghaly, W.

2004-01-01

Shape optimization requires a proper geometric representation of the blade profile; the parameters of such a representation are usually taken as design variables in the optimization process. This implies that the model must possess three specific features: flexibility, efficiency, and accuracy. For the specific task of aerodynamic optimization for turbine blades, it is critical to have flexibility in both the global and local design spaces in order to obtain a successful optimization. This work is concerned with the development of two geometric representations of turbine blade profiles that are appropriate for aerodynamic optimization: the Modified Rapid Axial Turbine Design (MRATD) model where the blade is represented by five low-order curves that satisfy eleven designer parameters; this model is suitable for a global search of the design space. The second model is NURBS parameterization of the blade profile that can be used for a local refinement. The two models are presented and are assessed for flexibility and accuracy when representing several typical turbine blade profiles. The models will be further discussed in terms of curve smoothness and blade shape representation with a multi-NURBS curve versus one curve and its effect on the flow field, in particular the pressure distribution along the blade surfaces, will be elaborated. (author)

Study of the Unsteady Aerodynamics associated with a Cycloidally Rotating Blade

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Nishant

Cycloidal Rotors have been studied for over 100 years, with a focus on applications for vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) for energy production and vertical-take-off-and-landing (VTOL) vehicles. Although, numerous experimental and analytical studies have demonstrated their potential competency compared to conventional horizontal-axis rotors, it is not until recently that the focus of these studies has shifted towards understanding the fundamental science behind how these complex systems function. The present study extends the existing fundamental knowledge about cycloidal rotors by particularly focusing on the unsteady aerodynamic phenomena associated with a single-fixed NACA 0012 blade cycloidal rotor as the system translates across an advance ratio (mu = Uinfinity/oR ) of 1. This phenomena was studied both experimentally, making use of particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements on the system, and computationally, making use of both simple analytical tools and two-dimensional Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes computational fluid dynamics (URANS-CFD) simulations. It is important to study the transition of the system through mu = 1 in order to better understand the incapability of VAWTs to self-start, and also the progression of VTOL vehicles into forward flight. When the advance ratio is less than one the blade cuts through its own wake. As it approaches one the local airspeed of the flow over the airfoil approaches zero during the retreating portion of the cycle. Finally, as the advance ratio increases beyond one the airfoil will experience reversed flow relative to its direction of rotation. The analysis of the PIV results show that the flow just downstream of the rotor is similar for cases at the same advance ratios, and that the wake structures do not depend upon the Reynolds number, within the range investigated. The phase-history velocity contour plots of the wake structure show a distinct cycloidal pattern for the advance ratio of mu = 1.25, a

Leading edge erosion of coated wind turbine blades: Review of coating life models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slot, H.M.; Gelinck, E.R.M.; Rentrop, A.; van der Heide, Emile

2015-01-01

Erosion of the leading edge of wind turbine blades by droplet impingement wear, reduces blade aerodynamic efficiency and power output. Eventually, it compromises the integrity of blade surfaces. Elastomeric coatings are currently used for erosion resistance, yet the life of such coatings cannot be

New Design of Blade Untwisting Device of Cyclone Unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. I. Misiulia

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a new design of a blade untwisting device where blades are considered as a main element of the device. A profile of the blades corresponds to a circular arch. An inlet angle of  the blades is determined by stream aerodynamics in an exhaust pipe, and an exit angle is determined by rectilinear gas motion. Optimum geometrical parameters of the untwisting device have been determined and its application allows to reduce a pressure drop in the ЦН-15 cyclones by 28–30 % while screw-blade untwisting device recovers only 19–20 % of energy.

Influences of mach number and flow incidence on aerodynamic losses of steam turbine blade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoo, Seok Jae; Ng, Wing Fai

2000-01-01

An experiment was conducted to investigate the aerodynamic losses of high pressure steam turbine nozzle (526A) subjected to a large range of incident angles (-34 .deg. to 26 .deg. ) and exit Mach numbers (0.6 and 1.15). Measurements included downstream pitot probe traverses, upstream total pressure, and endwall static pressures. Flow visualization techniques such as shadowgraph and color oil flow visualization were performed to complement the measured data. When the exit Mach number for nozzles increased from 0.9 to 1.1 the total pressure loss coefficient increased by a factor of 7 as compared to the total pressure losses measured at subsonic conditions (M 2 <0.9). For the range of incidence tested, the effect of flow incidence on the total pressure losses is less pronounced. Based on the shadowgraphs taken during the experiment, it's believed that the large increase in losses at transonic conditions is due to strong shock/ boundary layer interaction that may lead to flow separation on the blade suction surface

Method determination of aerodynamic performances of profile in the plane airfoil cascade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Л. Г. Волянська

2003-03-01

Full Text Available Method determination of aerodynamic forces by direct measurement using three-component aerodynamic balance are given in the article. There are the schematic model of the facility for determination airfoil cascade aerodynamic performances in the article. Drawing and description of slewing pack of blades are shown in the article

Advances in wind turbine blade design and materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wind energy is gaining critical ground in the area of renewable energy, with wind energy being predicted to provide up to 8% of the world’s consumption of electricity by 2021. Advances in wind turbine blade design and materials reviews the design and functionality of wind turbine rotor blades...... as well as the requirements and challenges for composite materials used in both current and future designs of wind turbine blades. Part one outlines the challenges and developments in wind turbine blade design, including aerodynamic and aeroelastic design features, fatigue loads on wind turbine blades......, and characteristics of wind turbine blade airfoils. Part two discusses the fatigue behavior of composite wind turbine blades, including the micromechanical modelling and fatigue life prediction of wind turbine blade composite materials, and the effects of resin and reinforcement variations on the fatigue resistance...

风力发电机叶片气动性能数值模拟%Numerical Simulation of Aerodynamic Performance for Wind Turbine Blades

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

王博; 祁文军; 孙文磊; 姜超

2013-01-01

　　利用FLUENT软件对750 kW风机叶片在额定风速和12个非额定风速工况下进行气动性能的数值模拟计算，计算叶轮的受力、扭转力矩、输出轴功率和风能利用效率等性能参数；绘制功率曲线图，并和风机叶片实测功率曲线进行比较，验证了风力机气动性能数值模拟的可靠性以及叶片建模的合理性。观察叶轮表面的压强分布、流速分布、湍流强度、流速矢量等流态图，对风力发电机叶片的数值模拟计算结果进行分析，可进一步验证所设计的风力发电机叶片气动性能的优劣，为风力机叶片的设计、改型和研发工作提供技术参数和指导。%The aerodynamic performance of 750 kW wind turbine blades was simulated and analyzed using FLUENT software in the rated wind speed and 12 unrated wind speed working conditions. The stress of the impeller,twisting moment,power of output shaft and wind energy efficiency were calculated. Power curve was drawn,and it was compared with the measured power curve to verify reliability of the wind turbine aerodynamic performance simulation and rationality of blade modeling. The flow pattern figures about pressure distribution,velocity distribution,turbulence intensity and velocity vector were observed,and the blade simulation results were analyzed. So the quality of the designed wind turbine blade can be confirmed,and it provides technical parameters and guidance for wind turbine blade design and modifications.

Aerodynamic benchmarking of the DeepWind design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bedon, Gabriele; Schmidt Paulsen, Uwe; Aagaard Madsen, Helge

The aerodynamic benchmarking for the DeepWind rotor is conducted comparing different rotor geometries and solutions and keeping the comparison as fair as possible. The objective for the benchmarking is to find the most suitable configuration in order to maximize the power production and minimize...... the blade solicitation and the cost of energy. Different parameters are considered for the benchmarking study. The DeepWind blade is characterized by a shape similar to the Troposkien geometry but asymmetric between the top and bottom parts. The blade shape is considered as a fixed parameter...

Aeroelastic response and blade loads of a composite rotor in forward flight

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Edward C.; Chopra, Inderjit

1992-01-01

The aeroelastic response, blade and hub loads, and shaft-fixed aeroelastic stability is investigated for a helicopter with elastically tailored composite rotor blades. A new finite element based structural analysis including nonclassical effects such as transverse shear, torsion related warping and inplane elasticity is integrated with the University of Maryland Advanced Rotorcraft Code. The structural dynamics analysis is correlated against both experimental data and detailed finite element results. Correlation of rotating natural frequencies of coupled composite box-beams is generally within 5-10 percent. The analysis is applied to a soft-inplane hingeless rotor helicopter in free flight propulsive trim. For example, lag mode damping can be increased 300 percent over a range of thrust conditions and forward speeds. The influence of unsteady aerodynamics on the blade response and vibratory hub loads is also investigated. The magnitude and phase of the flap response is substantially altered by the unsteady aerodynamic effects. Vibratory hub loads increase up to 30 percent due to unsteady aerodynamic effects.

Calculation and characteristics analysis of blade pitch loads for large scale wind turbines

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2010-01-01

Based on the electric pitch system of large scale horizontal-axis wind turbines,the blade pitch loads coming mainly from centrifugal force,aerodynamic force and gravity are analyzed,and the calculation models for them are established in this paper.For illustration,a 1.2 MW wind turbine is introduced as a practical sample,and its blade pitch loads from centrifugal force,aerodynamic force and gravity are calculated and analyzed separately and synthetically.The research results showed that in the process of rotor rotating 360o,the fluctuation of blade pitch loads is similar to cosine curve when the rotor rotational speed,in-flow wind speed and pitch angle are constant.Furthermore,the amplitude of blade pitch load presents quite a difference at a different pitch angle.The ways of calculation for blade pitch loads are of the universality,and are helpful for further research of the individual pitch control system.

Blade pitch optimization methods for vertical-axis wind turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Kozak, Peter

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) offer an inherently simpler design than horizontal-axis machines, while their lower blade speed mitigates safety and noise concerns, potentially allowing for installation closer to populated and ecologically sensitive areas. While VAWTs do offer significant operational advantages, development has been hampered by the difficulty of modeling the aerodynamics involved, further complicated by their rotating geometry. This thesis presents results from a simulation of a baseline VAWT computed using Star-CCM+, a commercial finite-volume (FVM) code. VAWT aerodynamics are shown to be dominated at low tip-speed ratios by dynamic stall phenomena and at high tip-speed ratios by wake-blade interactions. Several optimization techniques have been developed for the adjustment of blade pitch based on finite-volume simulations and streamtube models. The effectiveness of the optimization procedure is evaluated and the basic architecture for a feedback control system is proposed. Implementation of variable blade pitch is shown to increase a baseline turbine's power output between 40%-100%, depending on the optimization technique, improving the turbine's competitiveness when compared with a commercially-available horizontal-axis turbine.

State of the art in wind turbine aerodynamics and aeroelasticity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Martin Otto Laver; Sørensen, Jens Nørkær; Voutsinas, S

2006-01-01

A comprehensive review of wind turbine aeroelasticity is given. The aerodynamic part starts with the simple aerodynamic Blade Element Momentum Method and ends with giving a review of the work done applying CFD on wind turbine rotors. In between is explained some methods of intermediate complexity...

Wind turbine blade shear web disbond detection using rotor blade operational sensing and data analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Myrent, Noah; Adams, Douglas E; Griffith, D Todd

2015-02-28

A wind turbine blade's structural dynamic response is simulated and analysed with the goal of characterizing the presence and severity of a shear web disbond. Computer models of a 5 MW offshore utility-scale wind turbine were created to develop effective algorithms for detecting such damage. Through data analysis and with the use of blade measurements, a shear web disbond was quantified according to its length. An aerodynamic sensitivity study was conducted to ensure robustness of the detection algorithms. In all analyses, the blade's flap-wise acceleration and root-pitching moment were the clearest indicators of the presence and severity of a shear web disbond. A combination of blade and non-blade measurements was formulated into a final algorithm for the detection and quantification of the disbond. The probability of detection was 100% for the optimized wind speed ranges in laminar, 30% horizontal shear and 60% horizontal shear conditions. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Influence of inflow angle on flexible flap aerodynamic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, H Y; Ye, Z; Li, Z M; Li, C

2013-01-01

Large scale wind turbines have larger blade lengths and weights, which creates new challenges for blade design. This paper selects NREL S809 airfoil, and uses the parameterized technology to realize the flexible trailing edge deformation, researches the dynamic aerodynamic characteristics in the process of continuous flexible deformation, analyses the influence of inflow angle on flexible flap aerodynamic performance, in order to further realize the flexible wind turbine blade design and provides some references for the active control scheme. The results show that compared with the original airfoil, proper trailing edge deformation can improve the lift coefficient, reduce the drag coefficient, and thereby more efficiently realize flow field active control. With inflow angle increases, dynamic lift-drag coefficient hysteresis loop shape deviation occurs, even turns into different shapes. Appropriate swing angle can improve the flap lift coefficient, but may cause early separation of flow. To improve the overall performance of wind turbine blades, different angular control should be used at different cross sections, in order to achieve the best performance

Desirable airfoil features for smaller-capacity straight-bladed VAWT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Islam, Mazharul; Ting, D.S.-K.; Fartaj, Amir

2007-05-15

In the small scale wind turbine market, the simple straight-bladed Darrieus type vertical axis wind turbine (SB-VAWT) is very attractive for its simple blade design. A detailed aerodynamic performance analysis was conducted on a smaller capacity fixed-pitch SB-VAWT. Brief analyses of the main aerodynamic challenges of this type of wind turbine were first discussed and subsequently the authors conducted further literature survey and computational analysis to shortlist aerodynamic characteristics of a desirable airfoil for a self-starting and better performing SB-VAWT. The required geometric features of the desirable airfoil to achieve the short listed characteristics were also discussed. It has been found out that conventionally used NACA symmetric airfoils are not suitable for smaller capacity SB-VAWT. Rather, it is advantageous to utilize a high-lift and low-drag asymmetric thick airfoil suitable for low speed operation typically encountered by SB-VAWT. (author)

Aerodynamics of small-scale vertical-axis wind turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Paraschivoiu, I.; Desy, P.

1985-12-01

The purpose of this work is to study the influence of various rotor parameters on the aerodynamic performance of a small-scale Darrieus wind turbine. To do this, a straight-bladed Darrieus rotor is calculated by using the double-multiple-streamtube model including the streamtube expansion effects through the rotor (CARDAAX computer code) and the dynamicstall effects. The straight-bladed Darrieus turbine is as expected more efficient with respect the curved-bladed rotor but for a given solidity is operates at higher wind speeds.

Effect of steady deflections on the aeroelastic stability of a turbine blade

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kallesøe, Bjarne Skovmose

2011-01-01

This paper deals with effects of geometric non-linearities on the aeroelastic stability of a steady-state defl ected blade. Today, wind turbine blades are long and slender structures that can have a considerable steady-state defl ection which affects the dynamic behaviour of the blade. The fl...... apwise blade defl ection causes the edgewise blade motion to couple to torsional blade motion and thereby to the aerodynamics through the angle of attack. The analysis shows that in the worst case for this particular blade, the edgewise damping can be decreased by half. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons......, Ltd....

Aerodynamic Effects of High Turbulence Intensity on a Variable-Speed Power-Turbine Blade With Large Incidence and Reynolds Number Variations

Science.gov (United States)

Flegel, Ashlie B.; Giel, Paul W.; Welch, Gerard E.

2014-01-01

The effects of high inlet turbulence intensity on the aerodynamic performance of a variable speed power turbine blade are examined over large incidence and Reynolds number ranges. These results are compared to previous measurements made in a low turbulence environment. Both high and low turbulence studies were conducted in the NASA Glenn Research Center Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade Facility. The purpose of the low inlet turbulence study was to examine the transitional flow effects that are anticipated at cruise Reynolds numbers. The current study extends this to LPT-relevant turbulence levels while perhaps sacrificing transitional flow effects. Assessing the effects of turbulence at these large incidence and Reynolds number variations complements the existing database. Downstream total pressure and exit angle data were acquired for 10 incidence angles ranging from +15.8deg to -51.0deg. For each incidence angle, data were obtained at five flow conditions with the exit Reynolds number ranging from 2.12×10(exp 5) to 2.12×10(exp 6) and at a design exit Mach number of 0.72. In order to achieve the lowest Reynolds number, the exit Mach number was reduced to 0.35 due to facility constraints. The inlet turbulence intensity, Tu, was measured using a single-wire hotwire located 0.415 axial-chord upstream of the blade row. The inlet turbulence levels ranged from 8 to 15 percent for the current study. Tu measurements were also made farther upstream so that turbulence decay rates could be calculated as needed for computational inlet boundary conditions. Downstream flow field measurements were obtained using a pneumatic five-hole pitch/yaw probe located in a survey plane 7 percent axial chord aft of the blade trailing edge and covering three blade passages. Blade and endwall static pressures were acquired for each flow condition as well. The blade loading data show that the suction surface separation that was evident at many of the low Tu conditions has been eliminated. At

Evaluation of feasibility of prestressed concrete for use in wind turbine blades

Science.gov (United States)

Leiblein, S.; Londahl, D. S.; Furlong, D. B.; Dreier, M. E.

1979-01-01

A preliminary evaluation of the feasibility of the use of prestressed concrete as a material for low cost blades for wind turbines was conducted. A baseline blade design was achieved for an experimental wind turbine that met aerodynamic and structural requirements. Significant cost reductions were indicated for volume production. Casting of a model blade section showed no fabrication problems. Coupled dynamic analysis revealed that adverse rotor tower interactions can be significant with heavy rotor blades.

KNOW-BLADE task-4 report. Navier-Stokes aeroelasticity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Politis, E.S.; Nikolaou, I.G.; Chaviaropoulos, P.K.; Bertagnolio, F.; Soerensen, N.N.; Johansen, J.

2005-01-01

The problem of the aeroelastic stability of wind turbine blades is addressed in this report by advancing the aerodynamic modelling in the beam element type codes from the engineering-type empirical models to unsteady, 2D or 3D, Navier-Stokes solvers. In this project, structural models for the full wind turbine blade have been combined with 2D and 3D unsteady Navier-Stokes solvers. The relative disadvantage of the quasi-3D approach (where the elastic solver is coupled with a 2D Navier-Stokes solver) is its inability to model induced flow. The lack of a validation test case did not allow for quantitative comparisons with experimental data to be carried out; instead the results of the advanced aeroelastic tools are qualitatively cross-compared. All investigated methods predicted qualitatively similar results. They all resulted in positive aerodynamic damping values for the flap mode, in a decrease in damping with the increase of wind speeds and in a minimum value for the damping for wind speed around 15{approx}m/s. The eigenvalue analyses resulted in steeper distributions for this mode. The agreement in aerodynamic damping decrease with the increase of wind speed is also observed in the distributions for the lead-lag mode. In perspective, the uncoupled, linear method results in higher values of aerodynamic damping compared to the 3D aeroelastic tool. The quasi-3D tool results in lower aerodynamic damping values in the higher wind speeds and in lower damping values in the lower wind speed regime. Apart from the computations for the full blade, 2D computations for the so-called 'typical section' have been carried out. The 2D aeroelastic tools resulted in similar aerodynamic damping values. Qualitative agreement was better for the lead-lag mode. The presence of roughness tapes has a small, rather negligible impact on aeroelastic stability as depicted by the results of both aeroelastic tools. On the other hand, in conformity to the inability of the adopted

Measurements of the Aerodynamic Normal Forces on a 12-kW Straight-Bladed Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduard Dyachuk

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The knowledge of unsteady forces is necessary when designing vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs. Measurement data for turbines operating at an open site are still very limited. The data obtained from wind tunnels or towing tanks can be used, but have limited applicability when designing large-scale VAWTs. This study presents experimental data on the normal forces of a 12-kW straight-bladed VAWT operated at an open site north of Uppsala, Sweden. The normal forces are measured with four single-axis load cells. The data are obtained for a wide range of tip speed ratios: from 1.7 to 4.6. The behavior of the normal forces is analyzed. The presented data can be used in validations of aerodynamic models and the mechanical design for VAWTs.

Development and application of a dynamic stall model for rotating wind turbine blades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, B F; Yuan, Y; Wang, T G

2014-01-01

In unsteady conditions of wind turbines, both the dynamic stall phenomenon and the three-dimensional (3D) rotational effect affect the rotor aerodynamics. The dynamic stall mechanism for rotating wind turbine blades is first investigated. Through the comparison of the aerodynamic data between the rotating blade and the two-dimensional (2D) airfoil, the normal force slope in the attached flow and the separation point expression in the separated flow are modified in the Beddoes-Leishman (B-L) dynamic stall model for rotating NREL wind turbine blades. The modified model is validated by the comparison between the calculation results and the experimental results of the lift and drag coefficients at different radial positions. Both the hysteresis loop shapes and the calculation values are closer to the experiment than the 2D dynamic stall model. The present dynamic stall model is then coupled to a free vortex wake model. The coupled model is used to calculate the unsteady blade aerodynamic loads and the low speed shaft torque of the NREL wind turbine in a yawed condition. The accuracy is greatly improved by the corrections presented in the paper

Materials, Manufacturing, and Test Development of a Composite Fan Blade Leading Edge Subcomponent for Improved Impact Resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Sandi G.; Handschuh, Katherine; Sinnott, Matthew J.; Kohlman, Lee W.; Roberts, Gary D.; Martin, Richard E.; Ruggeri, Charles R.; Pereira, J. Michael

2015-01-01

Application of polymer matrix composite materials for jet engine fan blades is becoming attractive as an alternative to metallic blades; particularly for large engines where significant weight savings are recognized on moving to a composite structure. However, the weight benefit of the composite is offset by a reduction of aerodynamic efficiency resulting from a necessary increase in blade thickness; relative to the titanium blades. Blade dimensions are largely driven by resistance to damage on bird strike. Further development of the composite material is necessary to allow composite blade designs to approximate the dimensions of a metallic fan blade. The reduction in thickness over the state of the art composite blades is expected to translate into structural weight reduction, improved aerodynamic efficiency, and therefore reduced fuel consumption. This paper presents test article design, subcomponent blade leading edge fabrication, test method development, and initial results from ballistic impact of a gelatin projectile on the leading edge of composite fan blades. The simplified test article geometry was developed to realistically simulate a blade leading edge while decreasing fabrication complexity. Impact data is presented on baseline composite blades and toughened blades; where a considerable improvement to impact resistance was recorded.

Detailed analysis of the blade root flow of a horizontal axis wind turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Herráez

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The root flow of wind turbine blades is subjected to complex physical mechanisms that influence significantly the rotor aerodynamic performance. Spanwise flows, the Himmelskamp effect, and the formation of the root vortex are examples of interrelated aerodynamic phenomena that take place in the blade root region. In this study we address those phenomena by means of particle image velocimetry (PIV measurements and Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS simulations. The numerical results obtained in this study are in very good agreement with the experiments and unveil the details of the intricate root flow. The Himmelskamp effect is shown to delay the stall onset and to enhance the lift force coefficient Cl even at moderate angles of attack. This improvement in the aerodynamic performance occurs in spite of the negative influence of the mentioned effect on the suction peak of the involved blade sections. The results also show that the vortex emanating from the spanwise position of maximum chord length rotates in the opposite direction to the root vortex, which affects the wake evolution. Furthermore, the aerodynamic losses in the root region are demonstrated to take place much more gradually than at the tip.

Optimized chord and twist angle distributions of wind turbine blade considering Reynolds number effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, L.; Tang, X. [Univ. of Central Lancashire. Engineering and Physical Sciences, Preston (United Kingdom); Liu, X. [Univ. of Cumbria. Sustainable Engineering, Workington (United Kingdom)

2012-07-01

The aerodynamic performance of a wind turbine depends very much on its blade geometric design, typically based on the blade element momentum (BEM) theory, which divides the blade into several blade elements. In current blade design practices based on Schmitz rotor design theory, the blade geometric parameters including chord and twist angle distributions are determined based on airfoil aerodynamic data at a specific Reynolds number. However, rotating wind turbine blade elements operate at different Reynolds numbers due to variable wind speed and different blade span locations. Therefore, the blade design through Schmitz rotor theory at a specific Reynolds number does not necessarily provide the best power performance under operational conditions. This paper aims to provide an optimal blade design strategy for horizontal-axis wind turbines operating at different Reynolds numbers. A fixed-pitch variable-speed (FPVS) wind turbine with S809 airfoil is chosen as a case study and a Matlab program which considers Reynolds number effects is developed to determine the optimized chord and twist angle distributions of the blade. The performance of the optimized blade is compared with that of the preliminary blade which is designed based on Schmitz rotor design theory at a specific Reynolds number. The results demonstrate that the proposed blade design optimization strategy can improve the power performance of the wind turbine. This approach can be further developed for any practice of horizontal axis wind turbine blade design. (Author)

KNOW-BLADE task-3.3 report: Rotor blade computations with 3D vortex generators

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, J.; Sørensen, Niels N.; Reck, M.

2005-01-01

The present report describes the work done in work package WP3.3: Aerodynamic Accessories in 3D in the EC project KNOW-BLADE. Vortex generators (VGs) are modelled in 3D Navier-Stokes solvers and applied on the flow around an airfoil and a wind turbineblade. Three test cases have been investigated...

Active aerodynamic load control on wind turbines : Aeroservoelastic modeling and wind tunnel

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barlas, A.

2011-01-01

This thesis investigates particular concepts and technologies that can alleviate fatigue loads on wind turbines by using distributed active aerodynamic devices on the blades, a concept briefly referred to as `smart blades'. Firstly, published research work on smart control devices is reviewed, and

Recent Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine aerodynamical experiments at Sandia National Laboratories

Science.gov (United States)

Klimas, P. C.

1981-01-01

Experiments contributing to the understanding of the aerodynamics of airfoils operating in the vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) environment are described. These experiments are ultimately intended to reduce VAWT cost of energy and increase system reliability. They include chordwise pressure surveys, circumferential blade acceleration surveys, effects of blade camber, pitch and offset, blade blowing, and use of sections designed specifically for VAWT application.

Flowfield Analysis of Savonius-type Wind Turbine blade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noh, Tae Hyun; Chang, Se Myong [Kunsan National Univ., Kunsan (Korea, Republic of); Seo, Hyun Soo [Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2007-07-01

In this paper, we researched flow of 8000 {approx} 24000 Reynolds number around a blade model of Savonius-type wind turbine with experimental and numerical method. For the blade shape of arc, we analyzed flowfield with streak-image flow visualization, measured wake, computed drag coefficients, and compared them for given angle of attacks. The result of research can be used to design aerodynamic performance of Savonius-type turbine rotor directly.

Investigation and Optimization of Blade Tip Winglets Using an Implicit Free Wake Vortex Method

Science.gov (United States)

Lawton, Stephen; Crawford, Curran

2014-06-01

Novel outer-blade geometries such as tip winglets can increase the aerodynamic power that can be extracted from the wind by tailoring the relative position and strengths of trailed vorticity. This design space is explored using both parameter studies and gradient-based optimization, with the aerodynamic analysis carried out using LibAero, a free wake vortex-based code introduced in previous work. The starting design is the NREL 5MW reference turbine, which allows comparison of the aerodynamic simulation for the unmodified blade with other codes. The code uses a Prandtl-Weissinger lifting line model to represent the blade, and vortex filaments as the flow elements. A fast multipole method is implemented to accelerate the influence calculations and reduce the computational cost. This results in higher fidelity aerodynamic simulations that can capture the effects of novel geometries while maintaining sufficiently fast run-times (on the order of an hour) to allow the use of optimization. Gradients of the objective function with respect to design variables are calculated using the complex step method which is accurate and efficient. Since the vortex structure behind the rotor is being resolved in detail, insight is also gained into the mechanisms by which these new blade designs affect performance. It is found that adding winglets can increase the power extracted from the wind by around 2%, with a similar increase in thrust. It is also possible to create a winglet that slightly lowers the thrust while maintaining very similar power compared to the standard straight blade.

Investigation and Optimization of Blade Tip Winglets Using an Implicit Free Wake Vortex Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawton, Stephen; Crawford, Curran

2014-01-01

Novel outer-blade geometries such as tip winglets can increase the aerodynamic power that can be extracted from the wind by tailoring the relative position and strengths of trailed vorticity. This design space is explored using both parameter studies and gradient-based optimization, with the aerodynamic analysis carried out using LibAero, a free wake vortex-based code introduced in previous work. The starting design is the NREL 5MW reference turbine, which allows comparison of the aerodynamic simulation for the unmodified blade with other codes. The code uses a Prandtl-Weissinger lifting line model to represent the blade, and vortex filaments as the flow elements. A fast multipole method is implemented to accelerate the influence calculations and reduce the computational cost. This results in higher fidelity aerodynamic simulations that can capture the effects of novel geometries while maintaining sufficiently fast run-times (on the order of an hour) to allow the use of optimization. Gradients of the objective function with respect to design variables are calculated using the complex step method which is accurate and efficient. Since the vortex structure behind the rotor is being resolved in detail, insight is also gained into the mechanisms by which these new blade designs affect performance. It is found that adding winglets can increase the power extracted from the wind by around 2%, with a similar increase in thrust. It is also possible to create a winglet that slightly lowers the thrust while maintaining very similar power compared to the standard straight blade

Aeroelasticity and structural optimization of composite helicopter rotor blades with swept tips

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, K. A.; Friedmann, P. P.

1995-01-01

This report describes the development of an aeroelastic analysis capability for composite helicopter rotor blades with straight and swept tips, and its application to the simulation of helicopter vibration reduction through structural optimization. A new aeroelastic model is developed in this study which is suitable for composite rotor blades with swept tips in hover and in forward flight. The hingeless blade is modeled by beam type finite elements. A single finite element is used to model the swept tip. Arbitrary cross-sectional shape, generally anisotropic material behavior, transverse shears and out-of-plane warping are included in the blade model. The nonlinear equations of motion, derived using Hamilton's principle, are based on a moderate deflection theory. Composite blade cross-sectbnal properties are calculated by a separate linear, two-dimensional cross section analysis. The aerodynamic loads are obtained from quasi-steady, incompressible aerodynamics, based on an implicit formulation. The trim and steady state blade aeroelastic response are solved in a fully coupled manner. In forward flight, where the blade equations of motion are periodic, the coupled trim-aeroelastic response solution is obtained from the harmonic balance method. Subsequently, the periodic system is linearized about the steady state response, and its stability is determined from Floquet theory.

Effect of Wavy Trailing Edge on 100meter Flatback Wind Turbine Blade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, SJ; Baeder, J D

2016-01-01

The flatback trailing edge design for modern 100meter wind turbine blade has been developed and proposed to make wind turbine blade to be slender and lighter. On the other hand, it will increase aerodynamic drag; consequently the increased drag diminishes turbine power generation. Thus, an aerodynamic drag reducing technique should be accompanied with the flatback trailing edge in order to prevent loss of turbine power generation. In this work, a drag mitigation design, span-wise wavy trailing edge blade, has been applied to a modern 100meter blade. The span-wise trailing edge acts as a vortex generator, and breaks up the strong span-wise coherent trailing edge vortex structure at the flatback airfoil trailing edge which is a major source of large drag. Three-dimensional unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations have been performed for real scale wind turbine blade geometries. Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES) with the modified laminar-turbulent transition model has been applied to obtain accurate flow field predictions. Graphical Processor Unit (GPU)-accelerated computation has been conducted to reduce computational costs of the real scale wind turbine blade simulations. To verify the structural reliability of the wavy modification of the blade a simple Eigen buckling analysis has been performed in the current study. (paper)

Hybrid Vortex Method for the Aerodynamic Analysis of Wind Turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Hu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The hybrid vortex method, in which vortex panel method is combined with the viscous-vortex particle method (HPVP, was established to model the wind turbine aerodynamic and relevant numerical procedure program was developed to solve flow equations. The panel method was used to calculate the blade surface vortex sheets and the vortex particle method was employed to simulate the blade wake vortices. As a result of numerical calculations on the flow over a wind turbine, the HPVP method shows significant advantages in accuracy and less computation resource consuming. The validation of the aerodynamic parameters against Phase VI wind turbine experimental data is performed, which shows reasonable agreement.

Comparison of advanced aerodynamic models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McWilliam, M.; Cline, S.; Lawton, S.; Crawford, C. [Victoria Univ., BC (Canada). Inst. for Integrated Energy Systems; Victoria Univ., BC (Canada). Sustainable Systems Design Laboratory

2010-07-01

This PowerPoint presentation discussed the development of aerodynamic tools for designing sweep and out-of-plane curvatures for wind turbine blades. Potential flow and vortex methods are used to simulate individual vortex elements at the blade and in the wake, and are appropriate modelling tools are both out-of-plane and sweep curvatures. Centrifugal pumping, hub loss, and turbulent wake models are used to correct the blade element momentum (BEM) theory, where a blade's wake is modelled as a momentum balance between the far upstream and downstream. Wake shape can be numerically solved using the vortex theory. Wake vorticity is then integrated to characterize rotor conditions. Potential flow and vortex methods are used to account for the influence of the rotor and to model the wake structure. Details of experimental studies and validation test cases using the modelling methods were provided. tabs., figs.

A combined piezoelectric composite actuator and its application to wing/blade tips

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, Kwangtae

A novel combined piezoelectric-composite actuator configuration is proposed and analytically modeled in this work. The actuator is a low complexity, active compliant mechanism obtained by coupling a modified star cross sectional configuration composite beam with a helicoidal bimorph piezoelectric actuator coiled around it. This novel actuator is a good candidate as a hinge tension-torsion bar actuator for a helicopter rotor blade flap or blade tip and mirror rotational positioning. In the wing tip case, the tip deflection angle is different only according to the aerodynamic moment depending on the hinge position of the actuator along the chord and applied voltage because there is no centrifugal force. For an active blade tip subject to incompressible flow and 2D quasi steady airloads, its twist angle is related not only to aerodynamic moment and applied voltage but also to coupling terms, such as the trapeze effect and the tennis racquet effect. Results show the benefit of hinge position aft of the aerodynamic center, such that the blade tip response is amplified by airloads. Contrary to this effect, results also show that the centrifugal effects and inertial effect cause an amplitude reduction in the response. Summation of these effects determines the overall blade tip response. The results for a certain hinge position of Xh=1.5% chord aft of the quarter chord point proves that the tip deflection target design range of beta ∈ [-2,+2] can be achieved for all pitch angle configurations chosen.

The prediction of rotor rotational noise using measured fluctuating blade loads

Science.gov (United States)

Hosier, R. N.; Pegg, R. J.; Ramakrishnan, R.

1974-01-01

In tests conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center Helicopter Rotor Test Facility, simultaneous measurements of the high-frequency fluctuating aerodynamic blade loads and far-field radiated noise were made on a full-scale, nontranslating rotor system. After their characteristics were determined, the measured blade loads were used in an existing theory to predict the far-field rotational noise. A comparison of the calculated and measured rotational noise is presented with specific attention given to the effect of blade loading coefficients, chordwise loading distributions, blade loading phases, and observer azimuthal position on the predictions.

Unsteady aerodynamics simulation of a full-scale horizontal axis wind turbine using CFD methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Xin; Gu, Rongrong; Pan, Pan; Zhu, Jie

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A full-scale HAWT is simulated under operational conditions of wind shear and yaw. • The CFD method and sliding mesh are adopted to complete the calculation. • Thrust and torque of blades reach the peak and valley at the same time in wind shear. • The wind turbine produces yaw moment during the whole revolution in yaw case. • The torques and thrusts of the three blades present cyclical changes. - Abstract: The aerodynamic performance of wind turbines is significantly influenced by the unsteady flow around the rotor blades. The research on unsteady aerodynamics for Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs) is still poorly understood because of the complex flow physics. In this study, the unsteady aerodynamic configuration of a full-scale HAWT is simulated with consideration of wind shear, tower shadow and yaw motion. The calculated wind turbine which contains tapered tower, rotor overhang and tilted rotor shaft is constructed by making reference of successfully commercial operated wind turbine designed by NEG Micon and Vestas. A validated CFD method is utilized to analyze unsteady aerodynamic characteristics which affect the performance on such a full-scale HAWT. The approach of sliding mesh is used to carefully deal with the interface between static and moving parts in the flow field. The annual average wind velocity and wind profile in the atmospheric border are applied as boundary conditions. Considering the effects of wind shear and tower shadow, the simulation results show that the each blade reaches its maximum and minimum aerodynamic loads almost at the same time during the rotation circle. The blade–tower interaction imposes great impact on the power output performance. The wind turbine produces yaw moment during the whole revolution and the maximum aerodynamic loads appear at the upwind azimuth in the yaw computation case.

Shape Optimization of Wind Turbine Blades

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Xudong; Shen, Wen Zhong; Zhu, Wei Jun

2009-01-01

of the rotor. The design variables used in the current study are the blade shape parameters, including chord, twist and relative thickness. To validate the implementation of the aerodynamic/aero-elastic model, the computed aerodynamic results are compared to experimental data for the experimental rotor used...... in the European Commision-sponsored project Model Experiments in Controlled Conditions, (MEXICO) and the computed aero-elastic results are examined against the FLEX code for flow post the Tjereborg 2 MW rotor. To illustrate the optimization technique, three wind turbine rotors of different sizes (the MEXICO 25 k...

Aerodynamic Benchmarking of the Deepwind Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bedona, Gabriele; Schmidt Paulsen, Uwe; Aagaard Madsen, Helge

2015-01-01

The aerodynamic benchmarking for the DeepWind rotor is conducted comparing different rotor geometries and solutions and keeping the comparison as fair as possible. The objective for the benchmarking is to find the most suitable configuration in order to maximize the power production and minimize...... the blade solicitation and the cost of energy. Different parameters are considered for the benchmarking study. The DeepWind blade is characterized by a shape similar to the Troposkien geometry but asymmetric between the top and bottom parts: this shape is considered as a fixed parameter in the benchmarking...

Wind energy conversion. Volume II. Aerodynamics of horizontal axis wind turbines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, R.H.; Dugundji, J.; Martinez-Sanchez, M.; Gohard, J.; Chung, S.; Humes, T.

1978-09-01

The basic aerodynamic theory of the wind turbine is presented, starting with the simple momentum theory based on uniform inflow and an infinite number of blades. The basic vortex theory is then developed. Following these basics, the more complete momentum theory, including swirl, non-uniform inflow, the effect of a finite number of blades, and empirical correction for the vortex ring condition is presented. The more complete vortex theory is presented which includes unsteady aerodynamic effects but based on a semi-rigid wake. Methods of applying this theory for performance estimation are discussed as well as for the purpose of computing time varying airloads due to windshear and tower interference.

Massachusetts Large Blade Test Facility Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahul Yarala; Rob Priore

2011-09-02

Project Objective: The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (CEC) will design, construct, and ultimately have responsibility for the operation of the Large Wind Turbine Blade Test Facility, which is an advanced blade testing facility capable of testing wind turbine blades up to at least 90 meters in length on three test stands. Background: Wind turbine blade testing is required to meet international design standards, and is a critical factor in maintaining high levels of reliability and mitigating the technical and financial risk of deploying massproduced wind turbine models. Testing is also needed to identify specific blade design issues that may contribute to reduced wind turbine reliability and performance. Testing is also required to optimize aerodynamics, structural performance, encourage new technologies and materials development making wind even more competitive. The objective of this project is to accelerate the design and construction of a large wind blade testing facility capable of testing blades with minimum queue times at a reasonable cost. This testing facility will encourage and provide the opportunity for the U.S wind industry to conduct more rigorous testing of blades to improve wind turbine reliability.

Mechanical Design, Analysis, and Testing of a Two-Bladed Wind Turbine Hub

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cotrell, J.

2002-06-01

Researchers at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) in Golden, Colorado, began performing the Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment in 1993 to better understand the unsteady aerodynamics and structural responses of horizontal-axis wind turbines. The experiment consists of an extensively instrumented, downwind, three-bladed, 20-kilowatt wind turbine. In May 1995, I received a request from the NWTC to design a two-bladed hub for the experiment. For my thesis, I present the results of the mechanical design, analysis, and testing of the hub. The hub I designed is unique because it runs in rigid, teetering, or independent blade-flapping modes. In addition, the design is unusual because it uses two servomotors to pitch the blades independently. These features are used to investigate new load reduction, noise reduction, blade pitch optimization, and yaw control techniques for two-bladed turbines. I used a methodology by G. Phal and W. Bietz to design the hub. The hub meets all the performance specifications except that it achieves only 90% of the specified teeter range. In my thesis, I focus on the analysis and testing of the hub body. I performed solid-mechanics calculations, ran a finite-element analysis simulation, and experimentally investigated the structural integrity of the hub body.

Methods for root effects, tip effects and extending the angle of attack range to {+-} 180 deg., with application to aerodynamics for blades on wind turbines and propellers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montgomerie, Bjoern

2004-06-01

For wind turbine and propeller performance calculations aerodynamic data, valid for several radial stations along the blade, are used. For wind turbines the data must be valid for the 360 degree angle of attack range. The reason is that all kinds of abnormal conditions must be analysed especially during the design of the turbine. Frequently aerodynamic data are available from wind tunnel tests where the angle of attack range is from say -5 to +20 degrees. This report describes a method to extend such data to be valid for {+-} 180 degrees. Previously the extension of data has been very approximate following the whim of the moment with the analyst. Furthermore, the Himmelskamp effect at the root and tip effects are treated in the complete method.

Effects of axial gap and nozzle distribution on aerodynamic forces of a supersonic partial-admission turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinpeng JIANG

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The turbine in an LH2/LOX rocket engine is designed as a two-stage supersonic partial-admission turbine. Three-dimensional steady and unsteady simulations were conducted to analyze turbine performance and aerodynamic forces on rotor blades. Different configurations were employed to investigate the effects of the axial gap and nozzle distribution on the predicted performance and aerodynamic forces. Rotor blades experience unsteady aerodynamic forces because of the partial admission. Aerodynamic forces show periodicity in the admission region, and are close to zero after leaving the admission region. The unsteady forces in frequency domain indicate that components exist in a wide frequency region, and the admission passing frequency is dominant. Those multiples of the rotational frequency which are multiples of the nozzle number in a full-admission turbine are notable components. Results show that the turbine efficiency decreases as the axial gap between nozzles and the 1st stage rotor (rotor 1 increases. Fluctuation of the circumferential aerodynamic force on rotor 1 blades decreases with the axial gap increasing. The turbine efficiency decreases as the circumferential spacing between nozzles increases. Fluctuations of the circumferential and axial aerodynamic forces increase as the circumferential spacing increases. As for the non-equidistant nozzle distribution, it produces similar turbine performance and amplitude-frequency characteristics of forces to those of the normal configuration, when the mean spacing is equal to that of the normal case. Keywords: Aerodynamic force, Axial gap, Computational fluid dynamics (CFD, Nozzle distribution, Partial admission, Turbine

Aerodynamic loads calculation and analysis for large scale wind turbine based on combining BEM modified theory with dynamic stall model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dai, J.C. [College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha (China); School of Electromechanical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan (China); Hu, Y.P.; Liu, D.S. [School of Electromechanical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan (China); Long, X. [Hara XEMC Windpower Co., Ltd., Xiangtan (China)

2011-03-15

The aerodynamic loads for MW scale horizontal-axis wind turbines are calculated and analyzed in the established coordinate systems which are used to describe the wind turbine. In this paper, the blade element momentum (BEM) theory is employed and some corrections, such as Prandtl and Buhl models, are carried out. Based on the B-L semi-empirical dynamic stall (DS) model, a new modified DS model for NACA63-4xx airfoil is adopted. Then, by combing BEM modified theory with DS model, a set of calculation method of aerodynamic loads for large scale wind turbines is proposed, in which some influence factors such as wind shear, tower, tower and blade vibration are considered. The research results show that the presented dynamic stall model is good enough for engineering purpose; the aerodynamic loads are influenced by many factors such as tower shadow, wind shear, dynamic stall, tower and blade vibration, etc, with different degree; the single blade endures periodical changing loads but the variations of the rotor shaft power caused by the total aerodynamic torque in edgewise direction are very small. The presented study approach of aerodynamic loads calculation and analysis is of the university, and helpful for thorough research of loads reduction on large scale wind turbines. (author)

Torsional Stiffness Effects on the Dynamic Stability of a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Blade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min-Soo Jeong

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Aeroelastic instability problems have become an increasingly important issue due to the increased use of larger horizontal axis wind turbines. To maintain these large structures in a stable manner, the blade design process should include studies on the dynamic stability of the wind turbine blade. Therefore, fluid-structure interaction analyses of the large-scaled wind turbine blade were performed with a focus on dynamic stability in this study. A finite element method based on the large deflection beam theory is used for structural analysis considering the geometric nonlinearities. For the stability analysis, a proposed aerodynamic approach based on Greenberg’s extension of Theodorsen’s strip theory and blade element momentum method were employed in conjunction with a structural model. The present methods proved to be valid for estimations of the aerodynamic responses and blade behavior compared with numerical results obtained in the previous studies. Additionally, torsional stiffness effects on the dynamic stability of the wind turbine blade were investigated. It is demonstrated that the damping is considerably influenced by variations of the torsional stiffness. Also, in normal operating conditions, the destabilizing phenomena were observed to occur with low torsional stiffness.

Prediction of rotor blade-vortex interaction using Volterra integrals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wong, A.; Nitzsche, F. [Carleton Univ., Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)]. E-mail: Fred_Nitzsche@carleton.ca; Khalid, M. [National Research Council Canada, Inst. for Aerospace Research, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)

2004-07-01

The theory of Volterra integral equations for nonlinear system is applied to the prediction of the nonlinear aerodynamic response of an NACA 0012 airfoil experiencing blade-vortex interaction. The phenomenon is first modeled in two-dimensions using an Euler/Navier-Stoke code, and the resulting unsteady aerodynamic flow field sequences are appropriately combined to form a training dataset. The Volterra kernels are identified in the time-domain characteristics of the selected data, which is in turn used to predict the nonlinear aerodynamic response of the airfoil. The Volterra kernel based data is then compared against a standard airfoil response. The predicted lift time histories of the airfoil are shown to be in good agreement with the aerodynamic data. (author)

Prediction of rotor blade-vortex interaction using Volterra integrals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, A.; Nitzsche, F.; Khalid, M.

2004-01-01

The theory of Volterra integral equations for nonlinear system is applied to the prediction of the nonlinear aerodynamic response of an NACA 0012 airfoil experiencing blade-vortex interaction. The phenomenon is first modeled in two-dimensions using an Euler/Navier-Stoke code, and the resulting unsteady aerodynamic flow field sequences are appropriately combined to form a training dataset. The Volterra kernels are identified in the time-domain characteristics of the selected data, which is in turn used to predict the nonlinear aerodynamic response of the airfoil. The Volterra kernel based data is then compared against a standard airfoil response. The predicted lift time histories of the airfoil are shown to be in good agreement with the aerodynamic data. (author)

Aerodynamic optimization of wind turbine rotor using CFD/AD method

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Jiufa; Zhu, Weijun; Wang, Tongguang; Ke, Shitang

2018-05-01

The current work describes a novel technique for wind turbine rotor optimization. The aerodynamic design and optimization of wind turbine rotor can be achieved with different methods, such as the semi-empirical engineering methods and more accurate computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method. The CFD method often provides more detailed aerodynamics features during the design process. However, high computational cost limits the application, especially for rotor optimization purpose. In this paper, a CFD-based actuator disc (AD) model is used to represent turbulent flow over a wind turbine rotor. The rotor is modeled as a permeable disc of equivalent area where the forces from the blades are distributed on the circular disc. The AD model is coupled with a Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solver such that the thrust and power are simulated. The design variables are the shape parameters comprising the chord, the twist and the relative thickness of the wind turbine rotor blade. The comparative aerodynamic performance is analyzed between the original and optimized reference wind turbine rotor. The results showed that the optimization framework can be effectively and accurately utilized in enhancing the aerodynamic performance of the wind turbine rotor.

Cooperative control for Ⅱdistrict power of wind turbine and aerodynamic load of blades%风电机组Ⅱ区功率与叶片气动载荷协同控制

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

王湘明; 任树平

2017-01-01

为了研究风力发电机组在低于额定功率时的最大风能捕获以及叶片的气动载荷，使得风力发电机组在整个生命周期内高效稳定地运行，提出了一种功率与载荷的协同控制方法，通过过渡区预变桨的方式控制风力发电机组功率与叶片气动载荷。采用所提出的功率与载荷协同控制策略在Matlab软件上搭建风力发电机组的仿真模型，计算得出了风力发电机组的功率和叶片气动载荷的数据，结果显示，协同控制策略能够在低于额定风速区域保持功率基本不变的情况下有效减小叶片的气动载荷，由此证明了所提出的协同控制策略的可行性。%In order to study the maximum wind power capture of wind turbine and the aerodynamic load of blades below the rated power and make the wind turbine run efficiently and stably in whole life cycle,a cooperative control method for both power and load was proposed.Through adopting the pre-pitch strategy in the transition zone,the aerodynamic load of blades and the power of wind turbine were controlled. Through adopting the proposed power and load cooperative strategy,a simulation model for the wind turbine was established with Matlab software,and the data for the power of wind turbine and the aerodynamic load of blades were calculated.The results show that the cooperative control strategy can effectively reduce the aerodynamic load of blades under the condition of keeping the power basically unchanged in the districts below the rated power.Therefore,the feasibility of the proposed cooperative control strategy is proved.

Study on Design of High Efficiency and Light Weight Composite Propeller Blade for a Regional Turboprop Aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Changduk; Lee, Kyungsun

2013-03-01

In this study, aerodynamic and structural design of the composite propeller blade for a regional turboprop aircraft is performed. The thin and wide chord propeller blade of high speed turboprop aircraft should have proper strength and stiffness to carry various kinds of loads such as high aerodynamic bending and twisting moments and centrifugal forces. Therefore the skin-spar-foam sandwich structure using high strength and stiffness carbon/epoxy composite materials is used to improve the lightness. A specific design procedure is proposed in this work as follows; firstly the aerodynamic configuration design, which is acceptable for the design requirements, is carried out using the in-house code developed by authors, secondly the structure design loads are determined through the aerodynamic load case analysis, thirdly the spar flange and the skin are preliminarily sized by consideration of major bending moments and shear forces using both the netting rule and the rule of mixture, and finally, the stress analysis is performed to confirm the structural safety and stability using finite element analysis commercial code, MSC. NASTRAN/PATRAN. Furthermore the additional analysis is performed to confirm the structural safety due to bird strike impact on the blade during flight operation using a commercial code, ANSYS. To realize the proposed propeller design, the prototype blades are manufactured by the following procedure; the carbon/epoxy composite fabric prepregs are laid up for skin and spar on a mold using the hand lay-up method and consolidated with a proper temperature and vacuum in the oven. To finalize the structural design, the full-scale static structural test is performed under the simulated aerodynamic loads using 3 point loading method. From the experimental results, it is found that the designed blade has a good structural integrity, and the measured results agree well with the analytical results as well.

Modeling dynamic stall on wind turbine blades under rotationally augmented flow fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guntur, S. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Schreck, S. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Sorensen, N. N. [Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark); Bergami, L. [Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark)

2015-04-22

It is well known that airfoils under unsteady flow conditions with a periodically varying angle of attack exhibit aerodynamic characteristics different from those under steady flow conditions, a phenomenon commonly known as dynamic stall. It is also well known that the steady aerodynamic characteristics of airfoils in the inboard region of a rotating blade differ from those under steady two-dimensional (2D) flow conditions, a phenomenon commonly known as rotational augmentation. This paper presents an investigation of these two phenomena together in the inboard parts of wind turbine blades. This analysis is carried out using data from three sources: (1) the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment Phase VI experimental data, including constant as well as continuously pitching blade conditions during axial operation, (2) data from unsteady Delayed Detached Eddy Simulations (DDES) carried out using the Technical University of Denmark’s in-house flow solver Ellipsys3D, and (3) data from a simplified model based on the blade element momentum method with a dynamic stall subroutine that uses rotationally augmented steady-state polars obtained from steady Phase VI experimental sequences, instead of the traditional 2D nonrotating data. The aim of this work is twofold. First, the blade loads estimated by the DDES simulations are compared to three select cases of the N sequence experimental data, which serves as a validation of the DDES method. Results show reasonable agreement between the two data in two out of three cases studied. Second, the dynamic time series of the lift and the moment polars obtained from the experiments are compared to those from the dynamic stall subroutine that uses the rotationally augmented steady polars. This allowed the differences between the stall phenomenon on the inboard parts of harmonically pitching blades on a rotating wind turbine and the classic dynamic stall representation in 2D flow to be

Performance characteristics of aerodynamically optimum turbines for wind energy generators

Science.gov (United States)

Rohrbach, C.; Worobel, R.

1975-01-01

This paper presents a brief discussion of the aerodynamic methodology for wind energy generator turbines, an approach to the design of aerodynamically optimum wind turbines covering a broad range of design parameters, some insight on the effect on performance of nonoptimum blade shapes which may represent lower fabrication costs, the annual wind turbine energy for a family of optimum wind turbines, and areas of needed research. On the basis of the investigation, it is concluded that optimum wind turbines show high performance over a wide range of design velocity ratios; that structural requirements impose constraints on blade geometry; that variable pitch wind turbines provide excellent power regulation and that annual energy output is insensitive to design rpm and solidity of optimum wind turbines.

Optimization design of spar cap layup for wind turbine blade

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2012-01-01

Based on the aerodynamic shape and structural form of the blade are fixed,a mathematical model of optimization design for wind turbine blade is established.The model is pursued with respect to minimum the blade mass to reduce the cost of wind turbine production.The material layup numbers of the spar cap are chosen as the design variables;while the demands of strength,stiffness and stability of the blade are employed as the constraint conditions.The optimization design for a 1.5 MW wind turbine blade is carried out by combing above objective and constraint conditions at the action of ultimate flapwise loads with the finite element software ANSYS.Compared with the original design,the optimization design result achieves a reduction of 7.2% of the blade mass,the stress and strain distribution of the blade is more reasonable,and there is no occurrence of resonance,therefore its effectiveness is verified.

A Two-Bladed Teetering Hub configuration for the DTU 10 MW RWT: loads considerations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergami, Leonardo; Aagaard Madsen, Helge; Rasmussen, Flemming

2014-01-01

study on an alternative downwind two-bladed rotor configuration. The study is based on a model representative of next generation multi-MW wind turbines: the DTU 10-MW Reference Wind Turbine (RWT). As a first design iteration, the aerodynamic characteristics of the original rotor are maintained......As the size of wind turbine rotors continuously grows, the need for innovative solutions that would yield to lighter rotor configurations becomes more urgent. Traditional wind turbine designs have favored the classic three-bladed upwind rotor configuration. This work presents instead a concept...... in load variations, and hence in fatigue damage, affects the turbine blades, shaft and tower, and originates from the aerodynamic unbalance on the rotor, as well as from aeroelastic interaction with the tower frequency. To mitigate the load amplification caused by the interaction between the tower...

The Evolution of Rotor and Blade Design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tangler, J.

2000-08-01

The objective of this paper is to provide a historical perspective of the evolution of rotor and blade design during the last 20 years. This evolution is a balanced integration of economic, aerodynamic, structural dynamic, noise, and aesthetic considerations, which are known to be machine type and size dependent.

Preliminary structural design of composite main rotor blades for minimum weight

Science.gov (United States)

Nixon, Mark W.

1987-01-01

A methodology is developed to perform minimum weight structural design for composite or metallic main rotor blades subject to aerodynamic performance, material strength, autorotation, and frequency constraints. The constraints and load cases are developed such that the final preliminary rotor design will satisfy U.S. Army military specifications, as well as take advantage of the versatility of composite materials. A minimum weight design is first developed subject to satisfying the aerodynamic performance, strength, and autorotation constraints for all static load cases. The minimum weight design is then dynamically tuned to avoid resonant frequencies occurring at the design rotor speed. With this methodology, three rotor blade designs were developed based on the geometry of the UH-60A Black Hawk titanium-spar rotor blade. The first design is of a single titanium-spar cross section, which is compared with the UH-60A Black Hawk rotor blade. The second and third designs use single and multiple graphite/epoxy-spar cross sections. These are compared with the titanium-spar design to demonstrate weight savings from use of this design methodology in conjunction with advanced composite materials.

The Effects of Inlet Box Aerodynamics on the Mechanical Performance of a Variable Pitch in Motion Fan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. G. Sheard

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes research involving an in-service failure of a “variable pitch in motion” fan’s blade bearing. Variable pitch in motion fans rotate at a constant speed, with the changing blade angle varying the load. A pitch-change mechanism facilitates the change in blade angle. A blade bearing supports each blade enabling it to rotate. The author observed that as the fan aerodynamic stage loading progressively increased, so did the rate of blade-bearing wear. The reported research addressed two separate, but linked, needs. First, the ongoing need to increase fan pressure development capability required an increase in fan loading. This increase was within the context of an erosive operating regime which systematically reduced fan pressure development capability. The second need was to identify the root cause of blade-bearing failures. The author addressed the linked needs using a computational analysis, improving the rotor inflow aerodynamic characteristics through an analysis of the inlet box and design of inlet guide vanes to control flow nonuniformities at the fan inlet. The results of the improvement facilitated both an increase in fan-pressure-developing capability and identification of the root cause of the blade-bearing failures.

Panel method for the wake effects on the aerodynamics of vertical-axis wind turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Goyal, Udit; Rempfer, Dietmar

2011-11-01

A formulation based on the panel method is implemented for studying the unsteady aerodynamics of straight-bladed vertical-axis wind turbines. A combination of source and vortex distributions is used to represent an airfoil in Darrieus type motion. Our approach represents a low-cost computational technique that takes into account the dynamic changes in angle of attack of the blade during a cycle. A time-stepping mechanism is introduced for the wake convection, and its effects on the aerodynamic forces on the blade are discussed. The focus of the study is to describe the effect of the trailing wakes on the upstream flow conditions and coefficient of performance of the turbines. Results show a decrease in Cp until the wake structure develops and assumes a quasi-steady behavior. A comparison with other models such as single and multiple streamtubes is discussed, and optimization of the blade pitch angle is performed to increase the instantaneous torque and hence the power output from the turbine.

Blade tip, finite aspect ratio, and dynamic stall effects on the Darrieus rotor

Science.gov (United States)

Paraschivoiu, I.; Desy, P.; Masson, C.

1988-02-01

The objective of the work described in this paper was to apply the Boeing-Vertol dynamic stall model in an asymmetric manner to account for the asymmetry of the flow between the left and right sides of the rotor. This phenomenon has been observed by the flow visualization of a two-straight-bladed Darrieus rotor in the IMST water tunnel. Also introduced into the aerodynamic model are the effects of the blade tip and finite aspect ratio on the aerodynamic performance of the Darrieus wind turbine. These improvements are compatible with the double-multiple-streamtube model and have been included in the CARDAAV computer code for predicting the aerodynamic performance. Very good agreement has been observed between the test data (Sandia 17 m) and theoretical predictions; a significant improvement over the previous dynamic stall model was obtained for the rotor power at low tip speed ratios, while the inclusion of the finite aspect ratio effects enhances the prediction of the rotor power for high tip speed ratios. The tip losses and finite aspect ratio effects were also calculated for a small-scale vertical-axis wind turbine, with a two-straight-bladed (NACA 0015) rotor.

Insight into Rotational Effects on a Wind Turbine Blade Using Navier–Stokes Computations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iván Herráez

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Rotational effects are known to influence severely the aerodynamic performance of the inboard region of rotor blades. The underlying physical mechanisms are however far from being well understood. The present work addresses this problem using Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes computations and experimental results of the MEXICO (Model Experiments in Controlled Conditions rotor. Four axisymmetric inflow cases with wind speeds ranging from pre-stall to post-stall conditions are computed and compared with pressure and particle image velocimetry (PIV experimental data, obtaining, in general, consistent results. At low angles of attack, the aerodynamic behavior of all of the studied blade sections resembles the one from the corresponding 2D airfoils. However, at high angles of attack, rotational effects lead to stall delay and/or lift enhancement at inboard positions. Such effects are shown to occur only in the presence of significant radial flows. Interestingly, the way in which rotational effects influence the aerodynamics of the MEXICO blades differs qualitatively in certain aspects from the descriptions found in the literature about this topic. The presented results provide new insights that are useful for the development of advanced and physically-sound correction models.

The root flow of horizontal axis wind turbine blades : Experimental analysis and numerical validation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akay, B.

2016-01-01

Despite a long research history in the field of wind turbine aerodynamics, horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) blade's root flow aerodynamics is among the least understood topics. In this thesis work, a detailed investigation of the root flow is performed to gain a better insight into the features

Active Robust Control of Elastic Blade Element Containing Magnetorheological Fluid

Science.gov (United States)

Sivrioglu, Selim; Cakmak Bolat, Fevzi

2018-03-01

This research study proposes a new active control structure to suppress vibrations of a small-scale wind turbine blade filled with magnetorheological (MR) fluid and actuated by an electromagnet. The aluminum blade structure is manufactured using the airfoil with SH3055 code number which is designed for use on small wind turbines. An interaction model between MR fluid and the electromagnetic actuator is derived. A norm based multi-objective H2/H∞ controller is designed using the model of the elastic blade element. The H2/H∞ controller is experimentally realized under the impact and steady state aerodynamic load conditions. The results of experiments show that the MR fluid is effective for suppressing vibrations of the blade structure.

Application of bamboo laminates in large-scale wind turbine blade design?

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Long WANG; Hui LI; Tongguang WANG

2016-01-01

From the viewpoint of material and structure in the design of bamboo blades of large-scale wind turbine, a series of mechanical property tests of bamboo laminates as the major enhancement materials for blades are presented. The basic mechanical characteristics needed in the design of bamboo blades are brie?y introduced. Based on these data, the aerodynamic-structural integrated design of a 1.5 MW wind turbine bamboo blade relying on a conventional platform of upwind, variable speed, variable pitch, and doubly-fed generator is carried out. The process of the structural layer design of bamboo blades is documented in detail. The structural strength and fatigue life of the designed wind turbine blades are certified. The technical issues raised from the design are discussed. Key problems and direction of the future study are also summarized.

The Effects of Inlet Box Aerodynamics on the Mechanical Performance of a Variable Pitch in Motion Fan

OpenAIRE

Sheard, A. G.

2012-01-01

This paper describes research involving an in-service failure of a “variable pitch in motion” fan’s blade bearing. Variable pitch in motion fans rotate at a constant speed, with the changing blade angle varying the load. A pitch-change mechanism facilitates the change in blade angle. A blade bearing supports each blade enabling it to rotate. The author observed that as the fan aerodynamic stage loading progressively increased, so did the rate of blade-bearing wear. The reported research addre...

Blade-element/momentum theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Jens Nørkær

2016-01-01

Although there exists a large variety of methods for predicting performance and loadings of wind turbines, the only approach used today by wind turbine manufacturers is based on the blade-element/momentum (BEM) theory by Glauert (Aerodynamic theory. Springer, Berlin, pp. 169-360, 1935). A basic...... assumption in the BEM theory is that the flow takes place in independent stream tubes and that the loading is determined from two-dimensional sectional airfoil characteristics....

Evolving aerodynamic airfoils for wind turbines through a genetic algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández, J. J.; Gómez, E.; Grageda, J. I.; Couder, C.; Solís, A.; Hanotel, C. L.; Ledesma, JI

2017-01-01

Nowadays, genetic algorithms stand out for airfoil optimisation, due to the virtues of mutation and crossing-over techniques. In this work we propose a genetic algorithm with arithmetic crossover rules. The optimisation criteria are taken to be the maximisation of both aerodynamic efficiency and lift coefficient, while minimising drag coefficient. Such algorithm shows greatly improvements in computational costs, as well as a high performance by obtaining optimised airfoils for Mexico City's specific wind conditions from generic wind turbines designed for higher Reynolds numbers, in few iterations.

Fiberglass Composite Blades for the 4 MW - WTS-4 Wind Turbine

Science.gov (United States)

Bussolari, R. J.

1982-01-01

The design and fabrication of composite blades for the WTS-4, a four-megawatt horizontal-axis wind turbine, is discussed. The blade consists of a two-cell, monolithic structure of filament-wound, fiberglass/epoxy composite. Filament winding is a low-cost process which can produce a blade with an aerodynamically efficient airfoil and planform with nonlinear twist to achieve high performance in terms of energy capture. Its retention provides a redundant attachment for long, durable life and safety. Advanced tooling concepts and as sophisticated computer control is used to achieve the unique filament-wound shape.

Unsteady aerodynamic analysis for offshore floating wind turbines under different wind conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, B F; Wang, T G; Yuan, Y; Cao, J F

2015-02-28

A free-vortex wake (FVW) model is developed in this paper to analyse the unsteady aerodynamic performance of offshore floating wind turbines. A time-marching algorithm of third-order accuracy is applied in the FVW model. Owing to the complex floating platform motions, the blade inflow conditions and the positions of initial points of vortex filaments, which are different from the fixed wind turbine, are modified in the implemented model. A three-dimensional rotational effect model and a dynamic stall model are coupled into the FVW model to improve the aerodynamic performance prediction in the unsteady conditions. The effects of floating platform motions in the simulation model are validated by comparison between calculation and experiment for a small-scale rigid test wind turbine coupled with a floating tension leg platform (TLP). The dynamic inflow effect carried by the FVW method itself is confirmed and the results agree well with the experimental data of a pitching transient on another test turbine. Also, the flapping moment at the blade root in yaw on the same test turbine is calculated and compares well with the experimental data. Then, the aerodynamic performance is simulated in a yawed condition of steady wind and in an unyawed condition of turbulent wind, respectively, for a large-scale wind turbine coupled with the floating TLP motions, demonstrating obvious differences in rotor performance and blade loading from the fixed wind turbine. The non-dimensional magnitudes of loading changes due to the floating platform motions decrease from the blade root to the blade tip. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Numerical simulation of the tip aerodynamics and acoustics test

Science.gov (United States)

Tejero E, F.; Doerffer, P.; Szulc, O.; Cross, J. L.

2016-04-01

The application of an efficient flow control system on helicopter rotor blades may lead to improved aerodynamic performance. Recently, our invention of Rod Vortex Generators (RVGs) has been analyzed for helicopter rotor blades in hover with success. As a step forward, the study has been extended to forward flight conditions. For this reason, a validation of the numerical modelling for a reference helicopter rotor (without flow control) is needed. The article presents a study of the flow-field of the AH-1G helicopter rotor in low-, medium- and high-speed forward flight. The CFD code FLOWer from DLR has proven to be a suitable tool for the aerodynamic analysis of the two-bladed rotor without any artificial wake modelling. It solves the URANS equations with LEA (Linear Explicit Algebraic stress) k-ω model using the chimera overlapping grids technique. Validation of the numerical model uses comparison with the detailed flight test data gathered by Cross J. L. and Watts M. E. during the Tip Aerodynamics and Acoustics Test (TAAT) conducted at NASA in 1981. Satisfactory agreements for all speed regimes and a presence of significant flow separation in high-speed forward flight suggest a possible benefit from the future implementation of RVGs. The numerical results based on the URANS approach are presented not only for a popular, low-speed case commonly used in rotorcraft community for CFD codes validation but preferably for medium- and high-speed test conditions that have not been published to date.

Compressor blade setting angle accuracy study, volume 1

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, F. F.; Kidwell, J. R.

1976-01-01

The aerodynamic test of a small, single stage, highly loaded, axial flow transonic compressor is covered. The stage was modified by fabricating a 24 blade rotor with mis-set blades in a repeating pattern - two degrees closed from nominal, two degrees open from nominal and nominal. The unit was instrumented to determine overall performance and average blade element data. High-response, dynamic pressure probes were installed to record pressure patterns at selected points in the flowpath. Testing was conducted at speeds from 70 to 94% of design equivalent speed with a conventional casing and also with circumferential grooves over the rotor tip. Testing indicated severe performance penalties were incurred as a result of the mis-set blading. Lower flow, pressure ratio, and efficiency were observed for the stage with or without casing treatment. Periodic pressure variations were detected at every location where high response pressure sensors were located and were directly related to blading geometry.

The SNL100-03 Blade: Design Studies with Flatback Airfoils for the Sandia 100-meter Blade.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Griffith, Daniel; Richards, Phillip William

2014-09-01

A series of design studies were performed to inv estigate the effects of flatback airfoils on blade performance and weight for large blades using the Sandi a 100-meter blade designs as a starting point. As part of the study, the effects of varying the blade slenderness on blade structural performance was investigated. The advantages and disadvantages of blad e slenderness with respect to tip deflection, flap- wise & edge-wise fatigue resistance, panel buckling capacity, flutter speed, manufacturing labor content, blade total weight, and aerodynamic design load magn itude are quantified. Following these design studies, a final blade design (SNL100-03) was prod uced, which was based on a highly slender design using flatback airfoils. The SNL100-03 design with flatback airfoils has weight of 49 tons, which is about 16% decrease from its SNL100-02 predecessor that used conventional sharp trailing edge airfoils. Although not systematically optimized, the SNL100 -03 design study provides an assessment of and insight into the benefits of flatback airfoils for la rge blades as well as insights into the limits or negative consequences of high blade slenderness resulting from a highly slender SNL100-03 planform as was chosen in the final design definition. This docum ent also provides a description of the final SNL100-03 design definition and is intended to be a companion document to the distribution of the NuMAD blade model files for SNL100-03, which are made publicly available. A summary of the major findings of the Sandia 100-meter blade development program, from the initial SNL100-00 baseline blade through the fourth SNL100-03 blade study, is provided. This summary includes the major findings and outcomes of blade d esign studies, pathways to mitigate the identified large blade design drivers, and tool development that were produced over the course of this five-year research program. A summary of large blade tec hnology needs and research opportunities is also presented.

Multi-dimensional optimization of small wind turbine blades

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sessarego, Matias; Wood, David

2015-01-01

used to reduce the rotor inertia to help minimize starting time. Two airfoils are considered: the 10% thick SG6043 which has excellent lift:drag performance at low Reynolds number and the SD7062 whose extra thickness (14%) has some structural advantages, particularly for the weaker material (c). All......This paper describes a computer method to allow the design of small wind turbine blades for the multiple objectives of rapid starting, efficient power extraction, low noise, and minimal mass. For the sake of brevity, only the first two and the last objectives are considered in this paper....... The optimization aimed to study a range of blade materials, from traditional fibreglass through sustainable alternatives to rapid prototyping plastic. Because starting performance depends on blade inertia, there is a complex interaction between the material properties and the aerodynamics. Example blades of 1.1 m...

Piezoelectric actuation of helicopter rotor blades

Science.gov (United States)

Lieven, Nicholas A. J.

2001-07-01

The work presented in this paper is concerned with the application of embedded piezo-electric actuators in model helicopter rotor blades. The paper outlines techniques to define the optimal location of actuators to excite particular modes of vibration whilst the blade is rotating. Using composite blades the distribution of strain energy is defined using a Finite Element model with imposed rotor-dynamic and aerodynamics loads. The loads are specified through strip theory to determine the position of maximum bending moment and thus the optimal location of the embedded actuators. The effectiveness of the technique is demonstrated on a 1/4 scale fixed cyclic pitch rotor head. Measurement of the blade displacement is achieved by using strain gauges. In addition a redundant piezo-electric actuator is used to measure the blades' response characteristics. The addition of piezo-electric devices in this application has been shown to exhibit adverse aeroelastic effects, such as counter mass balancing and increased drag. Methods to minimise these effects are suggested. The outcome of the paper is a method for defining the location and orientation of piezo-electric devices in rotor-dynamic applications.

Piezoelectric Vibration Damping Study for Rotating Composite Fan Blades

Science.gov (United States)

Min, James B.; Duffy, Kirsten P.; Choi, Benjamin B.; Provenza, Andrew J.; Kray, Nicholas

2012-01-01

Resonant vibrations of aircraft engine blades cause blade fatigue problems in engines, which can lead to thicker and aerodynamically lower performing blade designs, increasing engine weight, fuel burn, and maintenance costs. In order to mitigate undesirable blade vibration levels, active piezoelectric vibration control has been investigated, potentially enabling thinner blade designs for higher performing blades and minimizing blade fatigue problems. While the piezoelectric damping idea has been investigated by other researchers over the years, very little study has been done including rotational effects. The present study attempts to fill this void. The particular objectives of this study were: (a) to develop and analyze a multiphysics piezoelectric finite element composite blade model for harmonic forced vibration response analysis coupled with a tuned RLC circuit for rotating engine blade conditions, (b) to validate a numerical model with experimental test data, and (c) to achieve a cost-effective numerical modeling capability which enables simulation of rotating blades within the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) Dynamic Spin Rig Facility. A numerical and experimental study for rotating piezoelectric composite subscale fan blades was performed. It was also proved that the proposed numerical method is feasible and effective when applied to the rotating blade base excitation model. The experimental test and multiphysics finite element modeling technique described in this paper show that piezoelectric vibration damping can significantly reduce vibrations of aircraft engine composite fan blades.

The effect of forward skewed rotor blades on aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance of axial-flow fan

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Jun; Zhong, Fangyuan

Based on comparative experiment, this paper deals with using tangentially skewed rotor blades in axial-flow fan. It is seen from the comparison of the overall performance of the fan with skewed bladed rotor and radial bladed rotor that the skewed blades operate more efficiently than the radial blades, especially at low volume flows. Meanwhile, decrease in pressure rise and flow rate of axial-flow fan with skewed rotor blades is found. The rotor-stator interaction noise and broadband noise of axial-flow fan are reduced with skewed rotor blades. Forward skewed blades tend to reduce the accumulation of the blade boundary layer in the tip region resulting from the effect of centrifugal forces. The turning of streamlines from the outer radius region into inner radius region in blade passages due to the radial component of blade forces of skewed blades is the main reason for the decrease in pressure rise and flow rate.

Resonant vibration control of wind turbine blades

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svendsen, Martin Nymann; Krenk, Steen; Høgsberg, Jan Becker

2010-01-01

. The efficiency of the resonant controller is demonstrated for a representative turbine blade exposed to turbulent wind loading. It is found that the present explicit tuning procedure yields close to optimal tuning, with very limited modal spill-over and effective reduction of the vibration amplitudes.......The paper deals with introduction of damping to specific vibration modes of wind turbine blades, using a resonant controller with acceleration feedback. The wind turbine blade is represented by three-dimensional, two-node finite elements in a local, rotating frame of reference. The element...... formulation accounts for arbitrary mass density distributions, general elastic crosssection properties and geometric stiffness effects due to internal stresses. A compact, linear formulation for aerodynamic forces with associated stiffness and damping terms is established and added to the structural model...

Swept blade influence on aerodynamic performance of steam ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

ZI-MING FENG

2018-04-12

Apr 12, 2018 ... iments with air and water for fundamental turbulent shear flows, including homogeneous shear ... wide range of wall-bounded and free shear flows. 2.3 Geometric model 3 of blade .... Computation grid: (a) grid of leading edge part; (b) grid of trailing edge part; (c) 3D grids. SЕdhanЕ (2018) 43:56. Page 3 of ...

Optimization model for rotor blades of horizontal axis wind turbines

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LIU Xiong; CHEN Yan; YE Zhiquan

2007-01-01

This paper presents an optimization model for rotor blades of horizontal axis wind turbines. The model refers to the wind speed distribution function on the specific wind site, with an objective to satisfy the maximum annual energy output. To speed up the search process and guarantee a global optimal result, the extended compact genetic algorithm (ECGA) is used to carry out the search process.Compared with the simple genetic algorithm, ECGA runs much faster and can get more accurate results with a much smaller population size and fewer function evaluations. Using the developed optimization program, blades of a 1.3 MW stall-regulated wind turbine are designed. Compared with the existing blades, the designed blades have obviously better aerodynamic performance.

An aerodynamic noise propagation model for wind turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Wei Jun; Sørensen, Jens Nørkær; Shen, Wen Zhong

2005-01-01

A model based on 2-D sound ray theory for aerodynamic noise propagation from wind turbine rotating blades is introduced. The model includes attenuation factors from geometric spreading, sound directivity of source, air absorption, ground deflection and reflection, as well as effects from temperat......A model based on 2-D sound ray theory for aerodynamic noise propagation from wind turbine rotating blades is introduced. The model includes attenuation factors from geometric spreading, sound directivity of source, air absorption, ground deflection and reflection, as well as effects from...... temperature and airflow. At a given receiver point, the sound pressure is corrected by taking into account these propagation effects. As an overall assumption, the noise field generated by the wind turbine is simplified as a point source placed at the hub height of the wind turbine. This assumtion...... is reasonable, for the receiver is located in the far field, at distances from the wind turbine that are much longer than the diameter of the rotor....

Impact of Leading-Edge Orientation and Shape on Performance of Compressor Blades

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Powell, Jonathan D

2005-01-01

This thesis presents a Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of the aerodynamic performance of circular and elliptical leading edges of compressor blades, with a range of leading edge droop angles...

Validation of DYSTOOL for unsteady aerodynamic modeling of 2D airfoils

Science.gov (United States)

González, A.; Gomez-Iradi, S.; Munduate, X.

2014-06-01

From the point of view of wind turbine modeling, an important group of tools is based on blade element momentum (BEM) theory using 2D aerodynamic calculations on the blade elements. Due to the importance of this sectional computation of the blades, the National Renewable Wind Energy Center of Spain (CENER) developed DYSTOOL, an aerodynamic code for 2D airfoil modeling based on the Beddoes-Leishman model. The main focus here is related to the model parameters, whose values depend on the airfoil or the operating conditions. In this work, the values of the parameters are adjusted using available experimental or CFD data. The present document is mainly related to the validation of the results of DYSTOOL for 2D airfoils. The results of the computations have been compared with unsteady experimental data of the S809 and NACA0015 profiles. Some of the cases have also been modeled using the CFD code WMB (Wind Multi Block), within the framework of a collaboration with ACCIONA Windpower. The validation has been performed using pitch oscillations with different reduced frequencies, Reynolds numbers, amplitudes and mean angles of attack. The results have shown a good agreement using the methodology of adjustment for the value of the parameters. DYSTOOL have demonstrated to be a promising tool for 2D airfoil unsteady aerodynamic modeling.

Validation of DYSTOOL for unsteady aerodynamic modeling of 2D airfoils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González, A; Gomez-Iradi, S; Munduate, X

2014-01-01

From the point of view of wind turbine modeling, an important group of tools is based on blade element momentum (BEM) theory using 2D aerodynamic calculations on the blade elements. Due to the importance of this sectional computation of the blades, the National Renewable Wind Energy Center of Spain (CENER) developed DYSTOOL, an aerodynamic code for 2D airfoil modeling based on the Beddoes-Leishman model. The main focus here is related to the model parameters, whose values depend on the airfoil or the operating conditions. In this work, the values of the parameters are adjusted using available experimental or CFD data. The present document is mainly related to the validation of the results of DYSTOOL for 2D airfoils. The results of the computations have been compared with unsteady experimental data of the S809 and NACA0015 profiles. Some of the cases have also been modeled using the CFD code WMB (Wind Multi Block), within the framework of a collaboration with ACCIONA Windpower. The validation has been performed using pitch oscillations with different reduced frequencies, Reynolds numbers, amplitudes and mean angles of attack. The results have shown a good agreement using the methodology of adjustment for the value of the parameters. DYSTOOL have demonstrated to be a promising tool for 2D airfoil unsteady aerodynamic modeling

Prediction of the aerodynamic performance of the Mexico rotor by using airfoil data extracted from CFD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Hua; Shen, Wen Zhong; Xu, Haoran

2013-01-01

Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory is a widely used technique for prediction of wind turbine aerodynamics performance, but the reliability of airfoil data is an important factor to improve the prediction accuracy of aerodynamic loads and power using a BEM code. The airfoil characteristics used...

Development of advanced blade pitching kinematics for cycloturbines and cyclorotors

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Zachary Howard

Cycloturbines and cyclorotors are established concepts for extracting freesteam fluid energy and producing thrust which promise to exceed the performance of traditional horizontal axis turbines and rotors while maintaining unique operational advantages. However, their potential is not yet realized in widespread applications. A central barrier to their proliferation is the lack of fundamental understanding of the aerodynamic interaction between the turbine and the freestream flow. In particular, blade pitch must be precisely actuated throughout the revolution to achieve the proper blade angle of attack and maximize performance. So far, there is no adequate method for determining or implementing the optimal blade pitching kinematics for cyclorotors or cycloturbines. This dissertation bridges the pitching deficiency by introducing a novel low order model to predict improved pitch kinematics, experimentally demonstrating improved performance, and evaluating flow physics with a high order Navier-Stokes computational code. The foundation for developing advanced blade pitch motions is a low order model named Fluxline Theory. Fluid calculations are performed in a coordinate system fixed to streamlines whose spatial locations are not pre-described in order to capture the flow expansion/contraction and bending through the turbine. A transformation then determines the spatial location of streamlines through the rotor disk and finally blade element method integrations determine the power and forces produced. Validation against three sets of extant cycloturbine experimental data demonstrates improvement over other existing streamtube models. Fluxline Theory was extended by removing dependence on a blade element model to better understand how turbine-fluid interaction impacts thrust and power production. This pure momentum variation establishes a cycloturbine performance limit similar to the Betz Limit for horizontal axis wind turbines, as well as the fluid deceleration required

Assessment Report on Innovative Rotor Blades (MAREWINT WP1,D1.3)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McGugan, Malcolm; Leble, Vladimir; Pereira, Gilmar Ferreira

The offshore wind energy industry faces many challenges in the short to medium term if it is to meet the ambitions of the global community for sustainable energy supply in the future. Not least among these challenges is the issue of rotor blades. Innovative design for “smart” rotor blades...... the innovative concept development for wind turbine blades. This covers models and experiments with damage measurement systems embedded within the composite material/structure and numerical methods investigating the effects of leading and trailing edge flaps on modifying the aerodynamic loads on the operating...... rotor....

Optimization design of blade shapes for wind turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Jin; Wang, Xudong; Shen, Wen Zhong

2010-01-01

For the optimization design of wind turbines, the new normal and tangential induced factors of wind turbines are given considering the tip loss of the normal and tangential forces based on the blade element momentum theory and traditional aerodynamic model. The cost model of the wind turbines...... and the optimization design model are developed. In the optimization model, the objective is the minimum cost of energy and the design variables are the chord length, twist angle and the relative thickness. Finally, the optimization is carried out for a 2 MW blade by using this optimization design model....... The performance of blades is validated through the comparison and analysis of the results. The reduced cost shows that the optimization model is good enough for the design of wind turbines. The results give a proof for the design and research on the blades of large scale wind turbines and also establish...

Impact of Higher Fidelity Models on Simulation of Active Aerodynamic Load Control For Fatigue Damage Reduction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Resor, B.; Wilson, D.; Berg, D.; Berg, J.; Barlas, T.; Van Wingerden, J.W.; Van Kuik, G.A.M.

2010-01-01

Active aerodynamic load control of wind turbine blades is being investigated by the wind energy research community and shows great promise, especially for reduction of turbine fatigue damage in blades and nearby components. For much of this work, full system aeroelastic codes have been used to

Structural investigation of composite wind turbine blade considering various load cases and fatigue life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong, C.; Bang, J.; Sugiyama, Y.

2005-01-01

This study proposes a structural design for developing a medium scale composite wind turbine blade made of E-glass/epoxy for a 750 kW class horizontal axis wind turbine system. The design loads were determined from various load cases specified at the IEC61400-1 international specification and GL regulations for the wind energy conversion system. A specific composite structure configuration, which can effectively endure various loads such as aerodynamic loads and loads due to accumulation of ice, hygro-thermal and mechanical loads, was proposed. To evaluate the proposed composite wind turbine blade, structural analysis was performed by using the finite element method. Parametric studies were carried out to determine an acceptable blade structural design, and the most dominant design parameters were confirmed. In this study, the proposed blade structure was confirmed to be safe and stable under various load conditions, including the extreme load conditions. Moreover, the blade adapted a new blade root joint with insert bolts, and its safety was verified at design loads including fatigue loads. The fatigue life of a blade that has to endure for more than 20 years was estimated by using the well-known S-N linear damage theory, the service load spectrum, and the Spera's empirical equations. With the results obtained from all the structural design and analysis, prototype composite blades were manufactured. A specific construction process including the lay-up molding method was applied to manufacturing blades. Full-scale static structural test was performed with the simulated aerodynamic loads. From the experimental results, it was found that the designed blade had structural integrity. In addition, the measured results of deflections, strains, mass, and radial center of gravity agreed well with the analytical results. The prototype blade was successfully certified by an international certification institute, GL (Germanisher Lloyd) in Germany

Bionic Design of Wind Turbine Blade Based on Long-Eared Owl's Airfoil.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Weijun; Yang, Zhen; Zhang, Qi; Wang, Jiyue; Li, Ming; Ma, Yi; Cong, Qian

2017-01-01

The main purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a bionic design for the airfoil of wind turbines inspired by the morphology of Long-eared Owl's wings. Glauert Model was adopted to design the standard blade and the bionic blade, respectively. Numerical analysis method was utilized to study the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoils as well as the blades. Results show that the bionic airfoil inspired by the airfoil at the 50% aspect ratio of the Long-eared Owl's wing gives rise to a superior lift coefficient and stalling performance and thus can be beneficial to improving the performance of the wind turbine blade. Also, the efficiency of the bionic blade in wind turbine blades tests increases by 12% or above (up to 44%) compared to that of the standard blade. The reason lies in the bigger pressure difference between the upper and lower surface which can provide stronger lift.

Structural Analysis and Optimization of a Composite Fan Blade for Future Aircraft Engine

Science.gov (United States)

Coroneos, Rula M.

2012-01-01

This report addresses the structural analysis and optimization of a composite fan blade sized for a large aircraft engine. An existing baseline solid metallic fan blade was used as a starting point to develop a hybrid honeycomb sandwich construction with a polymer matrix composite face sheet and honeycomb aluminum core replacing the original baseline solid metallic fan model made of titanium. The focus of this work is to design the sandwich composite blade with the optimum number of plies for the face sheet that will withstand the combined pressure and centrifugal loads while the constraints are satisfied and the baseline aerodynamic and geometric parameters are maintained. To satisfy the requirements, a sandwich construction for the blade is proposed with composite face sheets and a weak core made of honeycomb aluminum material. For aerodynamic considerations, the thickness of the core is optimized whereas the overall blade thickness is held fixed so as to not alter the original airfoil geometry. Weight is taken as the objective function to be minimized by varying the core thickness of the blade within specified upper and lower bounds. Constraints are imposed on radial displacement limitations and ply failure strength. From the optimum design, the minimum number of plies, which will not fail, is back-calculated. The ply lay-up of the blade is adjusted from the calculated number of plies and final structural analysis is performed. Analyses were carried out by utilizing the OpenMDAO Framework, developed at NASA Glenn Research Center combining optimization with structural assessment.

Structural Analysis and Optimization of a Composite Fan Blade for Future Aircraft Engine

Science.gov (United States)

Coroneos, Rula M.; Gorla, Rama Subba Reddy

2012-09-01

This paper addresses the structural analysis and optimization of a composite sandwich ply lay-up of a NASA baseline solid metallic fan blade comparable to a future Boeing 737 MAX aircraft engine. Sandwich construction with a polymer matrix composite face sheet and honeycomb aluminum core replaces the original baseline solid metallic fan model made of Titanium. The focus of this work is to design the sandwich composite blade with the optimum number of plies for the face sheet that will withstand the combined pressure and centrifugal loads while the constraints are satisfied and the baseline aerodynamic and geometric parameters are maintained. To satisfy the requirements a sandwich construction for the blade is proposed with composite face sheets and a weak core made of honeycomb aluminum material. For aerodynamic considerations, the thickness of the core is optimized where as the overall blade thickness is held fixed in order not to alter the original airfoil geometry. Weight reduction is taken as the objective function by varying the core thickness of the blade within specified upper and lower bounds. Constraints are imposed on radial displacement limitations and ply failure strength. From the optimum design, the minimum number of plies, which will not fail, is back-calculated. The ply lay-up of the blade is adjusted from the calculated number of plies and final structural analysis is performed. Analyses were carried out by utilizing the OpenMDAO Framework, developed at NASA Glenn Research Center combining optimization with structural assessment.

Helicopter blades running elevation measurement using omnidirectional vision

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chengtao CAI

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Omnidirectional dynamic space parameters of high-speed rotating helicopter blades are precise 3D vector description of the blades. In particular, the elevation difference is directly related to the aerodynamic performance and maneuverability of the helicopter. The state of the art detection techniques based on optics and common vision have several drawbacks, such as high demands on devices but poor extensibility, limited measurement range and fixed measurement position. In this paper, a novel approach of helicopter blades running elevation measurement is proposed based on omnidirectional vision. With the advantages of panoramic visual imaging integration, 360° field of view and rotation in-variance, high-resolution images of all rotating blades positions are obtained at one time. By studying the non-linear calibration and calculation model of omnidirectional vision system, aiming at solving the problem of inaccurate visual space mapping model, the omnidirectional and full-scale measurement of the elevation difference are finalized. Experiments are carried out on our multifunctional simulation blades test system and the practical blades test tower, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method and show that the proposed method can considerably reduce the complexity of measurement. Keywords: Full-scale measurement, Helicopter blades elevation, Non-linear calibration, Omnidirectional vision, Unified sphere model

Numerical investigation of turbulent flow past a four-bladed helicopter rotor using k - ω SST model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, H.; Khalid, M.

2002-01-01

In a previous study of the laminar flow over a four-bladed helicopter rotor, abnormal Cp distributions were observed on the upper surfaces of the blades. To address this problem, the aerodynamic performance of the same rotor is investigated using the k - ω SST turbulence model, as contained in the WIND code. The rotor is configured as a Chimera moving grid in a quasi-steady flow field. The rotor rotation schedule and the blade twisting are implemented as specified in the wind tunnel testing of a RoBin generic helicopter. More realistic Cp distributions on the blade surfaces are thus obtained. The aerodynamic load distributions in the radial direction of the rotor plane are generated by integrating the pressure on each blade surfaces along the blade chordwise direction. The analyses of these load distributions in the azmuthal direction provide a critical insight into the rotor model, which is based on the actuator-disc assumption. Also, some preliminary results for the flow past a full helicopter configuration, including the rotor and the RoBin fuselage, are presented. The current paper demonstrates the Chimera grid topologies and the Chimera grid generation technique for both blade and fuselage configuration. This would provide a powerful tool to simulate flow past an entire helicopter and to study the rotor-fuselage flow interaction. (author)

Ultimate strength of a large wind turbine blade

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Find Mølholt

2009-01-01

reinforcements helping to prevent undesired structural elastic mechanisms are presented. The functionality of two of the suggested structural reinforcements was demonstrated in full-scale tests and the rest trough FE-studies. The blade design under investigation consisted of an aerodynamic airfoil and a load...... carrying box girder. In total, five full-scale tests have been performed involving one complete blade and two shortened box girders. The second box girder was submitted to three independent tests covering different structural reinforcement alternatives. The advantages and disadvantages of testing......The present PhD project contains a study of the structural static strength of wind turbine blades loaded in flap-wise direction. A combination of experimental and numerical work has been used to address the most critical failure mechanisms and to get an understanding of the complex structural...

CX-100 and TX-100 blade field tests.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holman, Adam (USDA-Agriculture Research Service, Bushland, TX); Jones, Perry L.; Zayas, Jose R.

2005-12-01

In support of the DOE Low Wind Speed Turbine (LWST) program two of the three Micon 65/13M wind turbines at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) center in Bushland, Texas will be used to test two sets of experimental blades, the CX-100 and TX-100. The blade aerodynamic and structural characterization, meteorological inflow and wind turbine structural response will be monitored with an array of 75 instruments: 33 to characterize the blades, 15 to characterize the inflow, and 27 to characterize the time-varying state of the turbine. For both tests, data will be sampled at a rate of 30 Hz using the ATLAS II (Accurate GPS Time-Linked Data Acquisition System) data acquisition system. The system features a time-synchronized continuous data stream and telemetered data from the turbine rotor. This paper documents the instruments and infrastructure that have been developed to monitor these blades, turbines and inflow.

Numerical Simulation of Wind Turbine Blade-Tower Interaction

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Qiang Wang; Hu Zhou; Decheng Wan

2012-01-01

Numerical simulations of wind turbine blade-tower interaction by using the open source OpenFOAM tools coupled with arbitrary mesh interface (AMI) method were presented.The governing equations were the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (PANS) which were solved by the pimpleDyMFoam solver,and the AMI method was employed to handle mesh movements.The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) phase Ⅵ wind turbine in upwind configuration was selected for numerical tests with different incoming wind speeds (5,10,15,and 25 m/s) at a fixed blade pitch and constant rotational speed.Detailed numerical results of vortex structure,time histories of thrust,and pressure distribution on the blade and tower were presented.The findings show that the wind turbine tower has little effect on the whole aerodynamic performance of an upwind wind turbine,while the rotating rotor will induce an obvious cyclic drop in the front pressure of the tower.Also,strong interaction of blade tip vortices with separation from the tower was observed.

Demonstration of partial pitch 2-bladed wind turbine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Taeseong; Zahle, Frederik; Troldborg, Niels

-sections on the blade as well as fully resolved rotor simulations, and finally simulations coupling HAWC2 with EllipSys3D, investigating the behaviors of the rotor at standstill, has been performed. For the WP3, the state-of-the art aeroelastic analysis tool, HAWC2, has been updated in order to consider the partial......This is the final report for the EUDP project performed from January 2012 to December 2015. The main objective for the project was to demonstrate the potential of the partial pitch two-bladed (PP-2B) technology. DTU Wind Energy took a responsibility for three workpackages (WPs) among 6 WPs which...... were aerodynamic evaluation of partial pitch technology (WP2), aeroelastic analysis of two-bladed turbine (WP3) and On-site testing (WP4). For the WP2, a comprehensive set of 3D CFD simulations including the gap between inner and outer part of the blade and vortex generators (VGs) of both cross...

Aerodynamics and Control of Quadrotors

Science.gov (United States)

Bangura, Moses

Quadrotors are aerial vehicles with a four motor-rotor assembly for generating lift and controllability. Their light weight, ease of design and simple dynamics have increased their use in aerial robotics research. There are many quadrotors that are commercially available or under development. Commercial off-the-shelf quadrotors usually lack the ability to be reprogrammed and are unsuitable for use as research platforms. The open-source code developed in this thesis differs from other open-source systems by focusing on the key performance road blocks in implementing high performance experimental quadrotor platforms for research: motor-rotor control for thrust regulation, velocity and attitude estimation, and control for position regulation and trajectory tracking. In all three of these fundamental subsystems, code sub modules for implementation on commonly available hardware are provided. In addition, the thesis provides guidance on scoping and commissioning open-source hardware components to build a custom quadrotor. A key contribution of the thesis is then a design methodology for the development of experimental quadrotor platforms from open-source or commercial off-the-shelf software and hardware components that have active community support. Quadrotors built following the methodology allows the user access to the operation of the subsystems and, in particular, the user can tune the gains of the observers and controllers in order to push the overall system to its performance limits. This enables the quadrotor framework to be used for a variety of applications such as heavy lifting and high performance aggressive manoeuvres by both the hobby and academic communities. To address the question of thrust control, momentum and blade element theories are used to develop aerodynamic models for rotor blades specific to quadrotors. With the aerodynamic models, a novel thrust estimation and control scheme that improves on existing RPM (revolutions per minute) control of

Shape Optimization of Impeller Blades for 15,000 HP Centrifugal Compressor Using Fluid Structural Interaction Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Hyun Su; Oh, Jeongsu; Han, Jeong Sam

2014-01-01

This paper discusses a one-way fluid structural interaction (FSI) analysis and shape optimization of the impeller blades for a 15,000 HP centrifugal compressor using the response surface method (RSM). Because both the aerodynamic performance and the structural safety of the impeller are affected by the shape of its blades, shape optimization is necessary using the FSI analysis, which includes a structural analysis for the induced fluid pressure and centrifugal force. The FSI analysis is performed in ANSYS Workbench: ANSYS CFX is used for the flow field and ANSYS Mechanical is used for the structural field. The response surfaces for the FSI results (efficiency, pressure ratio, maximum stress, etc.) generated based on the design of experiments (DOE) are used to find an optimal shape for the impeller blades, which provides the maximum aerodynamic performance subject to the structural safety constraints

Shape Optimization of Impeller Blades for 15,000 HP Centrifugal Compressor Using Fluid Structural Interaction Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Hyun Su [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Oh, Jeongsu [Daejoo Machinery Co., Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Han, Jeong Sam [Andong National University, Andong (Korea, Republic of)

2014-06-15

This paper discusses a one-way fluid structural interaction (FSI) analysis and shape optimization of the impeller blades for a 15,000 HP centrifugal compressor using the response surface method (RSM). Because both the aerodynamic performance and the structural safety of the impeller are affected by the shape of its blades, shape optimization is necessary using the FSI analysis, which includes a structural analysis for the induced fluid pressure and centrifugal force. The FSI analysis is performed in ANSYS Workbench: ANSYS CFX is used for the flow field and ANSYS Mechanical is used for the structural field. The response surfaces for the FSI results (efficiency, pressure ratio, maximum stress, etc.) generated based on the design of experiments (DOE) are used to find an optimal shape for the impeller blades, which provides the maximum aerodynamic performance subject to the structural safety constraints.

Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Martin Otto Laver

Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines is the established essential text for the fundamental solutions to efficient wind turbine design. Now in its second edition, it has been entirely updated and substantially extended to reflect advances in technology, research into rotor aerodynamics and the structural...... response of the wind turbine structure. Topics covered include increasing mass flow through the turbine, performance at low and high wind speeds, assessment of the extreme conditions under which the turbine will perform and the theory for calculating the lifetime of the turbine. The classical Blade Element...... Momentum method is also covered, as are eigenmodes and the dynamic behavior of a turbine. The new material includes a description of the effects of the dynamics and how this can be modeled in an aeroelastic code, which is widely used in the design and verification of modern wind turbines. Further...

The typhoon effect on the aerodynamic performance of a floating offshore wind turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhe Ma

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The wind energy resource is considerably rich in the deep water of China South Sea, where wind farms have to face the challenge of extreme typhoon events. In this work, the typhoon effect on the aerodynamic performance of the 5MW OC3-Hywind floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT system has been investigated, based on the Aero-Hydro-Servo-Elastic FAST code. First, considering the full field observation data of typhoon “Damrey” is a long duration process with significant turbulence and high wind speed, so one 3-h representative truncated typhoon wind speed time history has been selected. Second, the effects of both the (variable-speed and collective-pitch control system of NREL 5 MW wind turbine and the motion of the floating platform on the blade aerodynamic performance of the FOWT system during the representative typhoon time history has been investigated, based on blade element momentum (BEM theory (coupled with potential theory for the calculation of the hydrodynamic loads of the Spar platform. Finally, the effects of different wind turbine control strategies, control parameter (KP–KI combinations, wave heights and parked modes on the rotor aerodynamic responses of the FOWT system have been clarified. The extreme typhoon event can result in considerably large extreme responses of the rotor thrust and the generated power due to the possible blade pitch angle error phenomenon. One active-parked strategy has been proposed for reducing the maximum aerodynamic responses of the FOWT system during extreme typhoon events.

Rotorcraft On-Blade Pressure and Strain Measurements Using Wireless Optical Sensor System, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Experimental measurements of rotor blades are important for understanding the aerodynamics and dynamics of a rotorcraft. This understanding can help in solving...

Advanced LP turbine blade design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jansen, M.; Pfeiffer, R.; Termuehlen, H.

1990-01-01

In the 1960's and early 1970's, the development of steam turbines for the utility industry was mainly influenced by the demand for increasing unit sizes. Nuclear plants in particular, required the design of LP turbines with large annulus areas for substantial mass and volumetric steam flows. Since then the development of more efficient LP turbines became an ongoing challenge. Extensive R and D work was performed in order to build efficient and reliable LP turbines often exposed to severe corrosion, erosion and dynamic excitation conditions. This task led to the introduction of an advanced disk-type rotor design for 1800 rpm LP turbines and the application of a more efficient, reaction-type blading for all steam turbine sections including the first stages of LP turbines. The most recent developments have resulted in an advanced design of large LP turbine blading, typically used in the last three stages of each LP turbine flow section. Development of such blading required detailed knowledge of the three dimensional, largely transonic, flow conditions of saturated steam. Also the precise assessment of blade stressing from dynamic conditions, such as speed and torsional resonance, as well as stochastic and aerodynamic excitation is of extreme importance

CFD calculations on the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of a tilt-rotor in a conversion mode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Peng

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In order to calculate the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of a tilt-rotor in a conversion mode, a virtual blade model (VBM and an real blade model (RBM are established respectively. A new multi-layer moving-embedded grid technique is proposed to reduce the numerical dissipation of the tilt-rotor wake in a conversion mode. In this method, a grid system generated abound the rotor accounts for rigid blade motions, and a new searching scheme named adaptive inverse map (AIM is established to search corresponding donor elements in the present moving-embedded grid system to translate information among the different computational zones. A dual-time method is employed to fulfill unsteady calculations on the flowfield of the tilt-rotor, and a second-order centered difference scheme considering artificial viscosity is used to calculate the flux. In order to improve the computing efficiency, the single program multiple data (SPMD model parallel acceleration technology is adopted, according to the characteristic of the current grid system. The lift and drag coefficients of an NACA0012 airfoil, the dynamic pressure distributions below a typical rotor plane, and the sectional pressure distributions on a three-bladed Branum–Tung tilt-rotor in hover flight are calculated respectively, and the present VBM and RBM are validated by comparing the calculated results with available experimental data. Then, unsteady aerodynamic forces and flowfields of an XV-15 tilt-rotor in different modes, such as a fixed conversion mode at different tilt angles (15°, 30°, 60° and a whole conversion mode which converses from 0° to 90°, are numerically simulated by the VBM and RBM respectively. By analyses and comparisons on the simulated results of unsteady aerodynamic forces of the tilt-rotor in different modes, some meaningful conclusions about distorted blade-tip vortex distribution and unsteady aerodynamic force variation in a conversion mode are obtained, and these

Analysis of Aerodynamic Load of LSU-03 (LAPAN Surveillance UAV-03) Propeller

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmadi Nuranto, Awang; Jamaludin Fitroh, Ahmad; Syamsudin, Hendri

2018-04-01

The existing propeller of the LSU-03 aircraft is made of wood. To improve structural strength and obtain better mechanical properties, the propeller will be redesigned usingcomposite materials. It is necessary to simulate and analyze the design load. This research paper explainsthe simulation and analysis of aerodynamic load prior to structural design phase of composite propeller. Aerodynamic load calculations are performed using both the Blade Element Theory(BET) and the Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD)simulation. The result of both methods show a close agreement, the different thrust forces is only 1.2 and 4.1% for two type mesh. Thus the distribution of aerodynamic loads along the surface of the propeller blades of the 3-D CFD simulation results are considered valid and ready to design the composite structure. TheCFD results is directly imported to the structure model using the Direct Import CFD / One-Way Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) method. Design load of propeller is chosen at the flight condition at speed of 20 km/h at 7000 rpm.

Optimal Design and Acoustic Assessment of Low-Vibration Rotor Blades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Bernardini

2016-01-01

Full Text Available An optimal procedure for the design of rotor blade that generates low vibratory hub loads in nonaxial flow conditions is presented and applied to a helicopter rotor in forward flight, a condition where vibrations and noise become severe. Blade shape and structural properties are the design parameters to be identified within a binary genetic optimization algorithm under aeroelastic stability constraint. The process exploits an aeroelastic solver that is based on a nonlinear, beam-like model, suited for the analysis of arbitrary curved-elastic-axis blades, with the introduction of a surrogate wake inflow model for the analysis of sectional aerodynamic loads. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the capability of the proposed approach to identify low vibratory hub loads rotor blades as well as to assess the robustness of solution at off-design operating conditions. Further, the aeroacoustic assessment of the rotor configurations determined is carried out in order to examine the impact of low-vibration blade design on the emitted noise field.

Development of 52 inch last stage blade for steam turbine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kadoya, Yoshiki; Harada, Masakatsu; Watanabe, Eiichiro

1985-01-01

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. has developed the last stage blades with 1320 mm length for a 1800 rpm LP turbine, and the verification by rotating vibration test using actual blades was finished, thus the blades were completed. In a nuclear power plant with an A-PWR of 3800 MW thermal output, the 1350 MW steam turbine has one HP turbine and three LP turbines coupled in tandem, and the optimum last stage blades for the LP turbines became the 1320 mm blades. The completion of these blades largely contributes to the improvement of thermal efficiency and the increase of generator output in large nuclear power plants, and has the possibility to decrease three LP turbines to two in 900 MW plants, which reduces the construction cost. The velocity energy of steam coming out of last stage blades is abandoned as exhaust loss in a condenser, which is the largest loss in a turbine. The increase of exhaust area using long blades reduces this loss. The economy of the 1320 mm blades, the features of the 1320 mm blades, the aerodynamic design and its verification, the prevention of the erosion of the 1320 mm blades due to wet steam, the strength design, the anti-vibration design and its verification, and the CAD/CAM system are reported. (Kako, I.)

Enhanced efficiency steam turbine blading - for cleaner coal plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fowler, A.; Bell, D.; Cao, C.; Fowler, R.; Oliver, P.; Greenough, C.; Timmis, P. [ALSTOM Power, Rugby (United Kingdom)

2005-03-01

The aim of this project was to increase the efficiency of the short height stages typically found in high pressure steam turbine cylinders. For coal fired power plant, this will directly lead to a reduction in the amount of fuel required to produce electrical power, resulting in lower power station emissions. The continual drive towards higher cycle efficiencies demands increased inlet steam temperatures and pressures, which necessarily leads to shorter blade heights. Further advances in blading for short height stages are required in order to maximise the benefit. To achieve this, an optimisation of existing 3 dimensional designs was carried out and a new 3 dimensional fixed blade for use in the early stages of the high pressure turbine was developed. 28 figs., 5 tabs.

Unsteady modelling of the oscillating S809 aerofoil and NREL phase VI parked blade using the Beddoes-Leishman dynamic stall model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, Alvaro; Munduate, Xabier

2007-01-01

An implementation of the Beddoes-Leishman dynamic stall model has been developed at CENER, for modelling the unsteady aerodynamics on oscillating blade sections. The parameters of the model were adjusted for the S809 aerofoil, using an optimization based on genetic algorithms, and taking into account the values found in the literature and the physics of the aerodynamic process. Once the parameters were fixed to a unique set, oscillating cases of the 2D S809 aerofoil were computed, and compared with experimental data. Thus, the accuracy of the model was evaluated. On the other hand, oscillating cases of different span stations of the NREL phase VI parked blade were computed and compared with experimental data, to analyze the three-dimensionality of the dynamic stall on the blade sections. For the unsteady computations on the blade, the model was fed with the steady data of the blade section, to directly consider the geometry influence. In general, the results of the computations for the 2D aerofoil and 3D blade sections were very encouraging

Anisotropic piezoelectric twist actuation of helicopter rotor blades: Aeroelastic analysis and design optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkie, William Keats

1997-12-01

An aeroelastic model suitable for control law and preliminary structural design of composite helicopter rotor blades incorporating embedded anisotropic piezoelectric actuator laminae is developed. The aeroelasticity model consists of a linear, nonuniform beam representation of the blade structure, including linear piezoelectric actuation terms, coupled with a nonlinear, finite-state unsteady aerodynamics model. A Galerkin procedure and numerical integration in the time domain are used to obtain a soluti An aeroelastic model suitable for control law and preliminary structural design of composite helicopter rotor blades incorporating embedded anisotropic piezoelectric actuator laminae is developed. The aeroelasticity model consists of a linear, nonuniform beam representation of the blade structure, including linear piezoelectric actuation terms, coupled with a nonlinear, finite-state unsteady aerodynamics model. A Galerkin procedure and numerical integration in the time domain are used to obtain amited additional piezoelectric material mass, it is shown that blade twist actuation approaches which exploit in-plane piezoelectric free-stain anisotropies are capable of producing amplitudes of oscillatory blade twisting sufficient for rotor vibration reduction applications. The second study examines the effectiveness of using embedded piezoelectric actuator laminae to alleviate vibratory loads due to retreating blade stall. A 10 to 15 percent improvement in dynamic stall limited forward flight speed, and a 5 percent improvement in stall limited rotor thrust were numerically demonstrated for the active twist rotor blade relative to a conventional blade design. The active twist blades are also demonstrated to be more susceptible than the conventional blades to dynamic stall induced vibratory loads when not operating with twist actuation. This is the result of designing the active twist blades with low torsional stiffness in order to maximize piezoelectric twist authority

Aeroelastic Analysis of Helicopter Rotor Blades Incorporating Anisotropic Piezoelectric Twist Actuation

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkie, W. Keats; Belvin, W. Keith; Park, K. C.

1996-01-01

A simple aeroelastic analysis of a helicopter rotor blade incorporating embedded piezoelectric fiber composite, interdigitated electrode blade twist actuators is described. The analysis consists of a linear torsion and flapwise bending model coupled with a nonlinear ONERA based unsteady aerodynamics model. A modified Galerkin procedure is performed upon the rotor blade partial differential equations of motion to develop a system of ordinary differential equations suitable for dynamics simulation using numerical integration. The twist actuation responses for three conceptual fullscale blade designs with realistic constraints on blade mass are numerically evaluated using the analysis. Numerical results indicate that useful amplitudes of nonresonant elastic twist, on the order of one to two degrees, are achievable under one-g hovering flight conditions for interdigitated electrode poling configurations. Twist actuation for the interdigitated electrode blades is also compared with the twist actuation of a conventionally poled piezoelectric fiber composite blade. Elastic twist produced using the interdigitated electrode actuators was found to be four to five times larger than that obtained with the conventionally poled actuators.

Helium compressor aerodynamic design considerations for MHTGR circulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, C.F.

1988-01-01

Compressor aerodynamic design considerations for both the main and shutdown cooling circulators in the Modular High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (MHTGR) plant are addressed in this paper. A major selection topic relates to the impeller type (i.e., axial or radial flow), and the aerothermal studies leading to the selection of optimum parameters are discussed. For the conceptual designs of the main and shutdown cooling circulators, compressor blading geometries were established and helium gas flow paths defined. Both circulators are conservative by industrial standards in terms of aerodynamic and structural loading, and the blade tip speeds are particularly modest. Performance characteristics are presented, and the designs embody margin to ensure that pressure-rise growth potential can be accomodated should the circuit resistance possibly increase as the plant design advances. The axial flow impeller for the main circulator is very similar to the Fort St. Vrain (FSV) helium compressor which performs well. A significant technology base exists for the MHTGR plant circulators, and this is highlighted in the paper. (author). 15 refs, 16 figs, 12 tabs

Active Tuned Mass Dampers for Control of In-Plane Vibrations of Wind Turbine Blades

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fitzgerald, B.; Basu, Biswajit; Nielsen, Søren R.K.

2013-01-01

matrices. The aim of this paper is to determine whether ATMDs could be used to reduce in-plane blade vibrations in wind turbines with better performance than compared with their passive counterparts. A Euler–Lagrangian wind turbine mathematical model based on energy formulation was developed......, centrifugal, and turbulent aerodynamic loadings. Investigations show promising results for the use of ATMDs in the vibration control of wind turbine blades.......This paper investigates the use of active tuned mass dampers (ATMDs) for the mitigation of in-plane vibrations in rotating wind turbine blades. The rotating wind turbine blades with tower interaction represent time-varying dynamical systems with periodically varying mass, stiffness, and damping...

Shaft flexibility effects on aeroelastic stability of a rotating bladed disk

Science.gov (United States)

Khader, Naim; Loewy, Robert

1989-01-01

A comprehensive study of Coriolis forces and shaft flexibility effects on the structural dynamics and aeroelastic stability of a rotating bladed-disk assembly attached to a cantilever, massless, flexible shaft is presented. Analyses were performed for an actual bladed-disk assembly, used as the first stage in the fan of the 'E3' engine. In the structural model, both in-plane and out-of-plane elastic deformation of the bladed-disk assembly were considered relative to their hub, in addition to rigid disk translations and rotations introduced by shaft flexibility. Besides structural coupling between blades (through the flexible disk), additional coupling is introduced through quasisteady aerodynamic loads. Rotational effects are accounted for throughout the work, and some mode shapes for the whole structure are presented at a selected rpm.

Design optimization and analysis of vertical axis wind turbine blade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarral, A.; Ali, M.; Sahir, M.H.

2013-01-01

Wind energy is clean and renwable source of energy and is also the world's fastest growing energy resource. Keeping in view power shortages and growing cost of energy, the low cost wind energy has become a primary solution. It is imperative that economies and individuals begin to conserve energy and focus on the production of energy from renewable sources. Present study describes a wind turbine blade designed with enhanced aerodynamic properties. Vertical axis turbine is chosen because of its easy installment, less noisy and having environmental friendly characteristics. Vertical axis wind turbines are thought to be ideal for installations where wind conditions are not consistent. The presented turbine blade is best suitable for roadsides where the rated speed due to vehicles is most /sup -1/ often 8 ms .To get an optimal shape design symmetrical profile NACA0025 has been considered which is then analyzed for stability and aerodynamic characteristics at optimal conditions using analysis tools ANSYS and CFD tools. (author)

Vibrational analysis of vertical axis wind turbine blades

Science.gov (United States)

Kapucu, Onur

The goal of this research is to derive a vibration model for a vertical axis wind turbine blade. This model accommodates the affects of varying relative flow angle caused by rotating the blade in the flow field, uses a simple aerodynamic model that assumes constant wind speed and constant rotation rate, and neglects the disturbance of wind due to upstream blade or post. The blade is modeled as elastic Euler-Bernoulli beam under transverse bending and twist deflections. Kinetic and potential energy equations for a rotating blade under deflections are obtained, expressed in terms of assumed modal coordinates and then plugged into Lagrangian equations where the non-conservative forces are the lift and drag forces and moments. An aeroelastic model for lift and drag forces, approximated with third degree polynomials, on the blade are obtained assuming an airfoil under variable angle of attack and airflow magnitudes. A simplified quasi-static airfoil theory is used, in which the lift and drag coefficients are not dependent on the history of the changing angle of attack. Linear terms on the resulting equations of motion will be used to conduct a numerical analysis and simulation, where numeric specifications are modified from the Sandia-17m Darrieus wind turbine by Sandia Laboratories.

Shape optimisation and performance analysis of flapping wings

KAUST Repository

Ghommem, Mehdi

2012-09-04

In this paper, shape optimisation of flapping wings in forward flight is considered. This analysis is performed by combining a local gradient-based optimizer with the unsteady vortex lattice method (UVLM). Although the UVLM applies only to incompressible, inviscid flows where the separation lines are known a priori, Persson et al. [1] showed through a detailed comparison between UVLM and higher-fidelity computational fluid dynamics methods for flapping flight that the UVLM schemes produce accurate results for attached flow cases and even remain trend-relevant in the presence of flow separation. As such, they recommended the use of an aerodynamic model based on UVLM to perform preliminary design studies of flapping wing vehicles Unlike standard computational fluid dynamics schemes, this method requires meshing of the wing surface only and not of the whole flow domain [2]. From the design or optimisation perspective taken in our work, it is fairly common (and sometimes entirely necessary, as a result of the excessive computational cost of the highest fidelity tools such as Navier-Stokes solvers) to rely upon such a moderate level of modelling fidelity to traverse the design space in an economical manner. The objective of the work, described in this paper, is to identify a set of optimised shapes that maximise the propulsive efficiency, defined as the ratio of the propulsive power over the aerodynamic power, under lift, thrust, and area constraints. The shape of the wings is modelled using B-splines, a technology used in the computer-aided design (CAD) field for decades. This basis can be used to smoothly discretize wing shapes with few degrees of freedom, referred to as control points. The locations of the control points constitute the design variables. The results suggest that changing the shape yields significant improvement in the performance of the flapping wings. The optimisation pushes the design to "bird-like" shapes with substantial increase in the time

Methodology for wind turbine blade geometry optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perfiliev, D.

2013-11-01

Nowadays, the upwind three bladed horizontal axis wind turbine is the leading player on the market. It has been found to be the best industrial compromise in the range of different turbine constructions. The current wind industry innovation is conducted in the development of individual turbine components. The blade constitutes 20-25% of the overall turbine budget. Its optimal operation in particular local economic and wind conditions is worth investigating. The blade geometry, namely the chord, twist and airfoil type distributions along the span, responds to the output measures of the blade performance. Therefore, the optimal wind blade geometry can improve the overall turbine performance. The objectives of the dissertation are focused on the development of a methodology and specific tool for the investigation of possible existing wind blade geometry adjustments. The novelty of the methodology presented in the thesis is the multiobjective perspective on wind blade geometry optimization, particularly taking simultaneously into account the local wind conditions and the issue of aerodynamic noise emissions. The presented optimization objective approach has not been investigated previously for the implementation in wind blade design. The possibilities to use different theories for the analysis and search procedures are investigated and sufficient arguments derived for the usage of proposed theories. The tool is used for the test optimization of a particular wind turbine blade. The sensitivity analysis shows the dependence of the outputs on the provided inputs, as well as its relative and absolute divergences and instabilities. The pros and cons of the proposed technique are seen from the practical implementation, which is documented in the results, analysis and conclusion sections. (orig.)

Icing Problems of Wind Turbine Blades in Cold Climates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hudecz, Adriána

Climatic Wind Tunnel located at FORCE Technology. The aerodynamic forces acting on the blade during ice accretion for different angles of attack at various air temperatures were measured along with the mass of ice and the final ice shape. For all three types of ice accretion, glaze, mixed and rime ice...... and on the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoil. The trend of the reduction of lift coefficients agrees quite well with the wind tunnel test results, although based on the measured and the numerical lift coefficients of the clean airfoil, the presence of the wind tunnel walls had significant influence...

Bionic Design of Wind Turbine Blade Based on Long-Eared Owl’s Airfoil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weijun Tian

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a bionic design for the airfoil of wind turbines inspired by the morphology of Long-eared Owl’s wings. Glauert Model was adopted to design the standard blade and the bionic blade, respectively. Numerical analysis method was utilized to study the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoils as well as the blades. Results show that the bionic airfoil inspired by the airfoil at the 50% aspect ratio of the Long-eared Owl’s wing gives rise to a superior lift coefficient and stalling performance and thus can be beneficial to improving the performance of the wind turbine blade. Also, the efficiency of the bionic blade in wind turbine blades tests increases by 12% or above (up to 44% compared to that of the standard blade. The reason lies in the bigger pressure difference between the upper and lower surface which can provide stronger lift.

Detailed Aerodynamic Analysis of a Shrouded Tail Rotor Using an Unstructured Mesh Flow Solver

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hee Dong; Kwon, Oh Joon

The detailed aerodynamics of a shrouded tail rotor in hover has been numerically studied using a parallel inviscid flow solver on unstructured meshes. The numerical method is based on a cell-centered finite-volume discretization and an implicit Gauss-Seidel time integration. The calculation was made for a single blade by imposing a periodic boundary condition between adjacent rotor blades. The grid periodicity was also imposed at the periodic boundary planes to avoid numerical inaccuracy resulting from solution interpolation. The results were compared with available experimental data and those from a disk vortex theory for validation. It was found that realistic three-dimensional modeling is important for the prediction of detailed aerodynamics of shrouded rotors including the tip clearance gap flow.

Design of a wind turbine rotor for maximum aerodynamic efficiency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Jeppe; Aagaard Madsen, Helge; Gaunaa, Mac

2009-01-01

The design of a three-bladed wind turbine rotor is described, where the main focus has been highest possible mechanical power coefficient, CP, at a single operational condition. Structural, as well as off-design, issues are not considered, leading to a purely theoretical design for investigating...... maximum aerodynamic efficiency. The rotor is designed assuming constant induction for most of the blade span, but near the tip region, a constant load is assumed instead. The rotor design is obtained using an actuator disc model, and is subsequently verified using both a free-wake lifting line method...

Is blade element momentum theory (BEM) enough for smart rotor design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yu, W.; Simao Ferreira, C.J.; van Kuik, G.A.M.

2014-01-01

Smart rotor emerges as an innovation technique to reduce the impact of dynamic loading on wind turbines. Local movements of distributed aerodynamic devices will enhance the non-uniformity and dynamic effects of loading, which will challenge the applicability of the blade element momentum theory

Investigation of the structural behavior of the blades of a darrieus wind turbine†

Science.gov (United States)

Rosen, A.; Abramovich, H.

1985-06-01

A theoretical model in which account is taken of the non-linear, non-planar structural behavior of the curved blades of a Darrieus wind turbine is described. This model is simpler and needs less computational effort than some other models, but is still accurate enough for most engineering purposes. By using the present method, it is possible to treat any blade geometry, any structural, mass and aerodynamic blade properties distribution and any combination of boundary conditions. The model is used in order to calculate the blade behavior under the influence of concentrated loads, gravity loads and centrifugal loads. In order to verify the theoretical model, predictions are compared with experimental results which are obtained from tests with small models of curved blades. Usually the agreement between the theoretical and experimental results is very good. The influence of different parameters on blade behavior is presented and discussed.

CFD ANALYSIS OF THE AIR FLOW AROUND THE BLADES OF THE VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammed Musab Gavgali

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of calculations of flow around the vertical axis wind turbine. Three-dimensional calculations were performed using ANSYS Fluent. They were made at steady-state conditions for a wind speed of 3 m/s for 4 angular settings of the three-bladed rotor. The purpose of the calculations was to determine the values of the aerodynamic forces acting on the individual blades and to present the pressure contours on the surface of turbine rotor blades. The calculations were made for 4 rotor angular settings.

Aerodynamic analysis of the Darrieus rotor including secondary effects

Science.gov (United States)

Paraschivoiu, I.; Delclaux, F.; Fraunie, P.; Beguier, C.

1983-10-01

An aerodynamic analysis is made of two variants of the two-actuator-disk theory for modeling the Darrieus wind turbine. The double-multiple-streamtube model with constant and variable interference factors, including secondary effects, is examined for a Darrieus rotor. The influence of the secondary effects, namely, the blade geometry and profile type, the rotating tower, and the presence of struts and aerodynamic spoilers, is relatively significant, especially at high tip-speed ratios. Variation of the induced velocity as a function of the azimuthal angle allows a more accurate calculation of the aerodynamic loads on the downwind zone of the rotor with respect to the assumed constant interference factors. The theoretical results were compared with available experimental data for the Magdalen Islands wind turbine and Sandia-type machines (straight-line/circular-arc shape).

Investigation of the Hydrodynamics of Sweep Blade in Hi-Speed Axial Fuel Pump Impeller

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ran Tao

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Fuel pump is a crucial component in aircraft engine ignition system. For the hi-speed axial fuel pumps, rotating stall triggers vortex and affects the operation stability and security. Sweep blade is widely used to solve the stability problems in aerodynamics field. Investigation on the hydrodynamics was conducted in this study. Based on the typical straight blade pump, positive and negative sweep blade pumps were modeled. With the large eddy simulation method, CFD simulations were conducted to calculate and analyze the flow characteristics in the pump models. To verify the simulation, experiments were also launched on the hydraulic test rig. Results show that the vortex occurs at the suction surface of blade and gathers near the blade tip region. Positive sweep blade is effective to reduce the hydraulic losses by driving the stalled fluid into the mid-part of blade. By applying the positive sweep blade on the axial fuel pump, the instability operating region will be diminished. Adopting sweep blade provides an effective means for stability and security of axial fuel pumps.

3D pressure imaging of an aircraft propeller blade-tip flow by phase-locked stereoscopic PIV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ragni, D.; Oudheusden, B.W. van; Scarano, F. [Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft (Netherlands)

2012-02-15

The flow field at the tip region of a scaled DHC Beaver aircraft propeller, running at transonic speed, has been investigated by means of a multi-plane stereoscopic particle image velocimetry setup. Velocity fields, phase-locked with the blade rotational motion, are acquired across several planes perpendicular to the blade axis and merged to form a 3D measurement volume. Transonic conditions have been reached at the tip region, with a revolution frequency of 19,800 rpm and a relative free-stream Mach number of 0.73 at the tip. The pressure field and the surface pressure distribution are inferred from the 3D velocity data through integration of the momentum Navier-Stokes equation in differential form, allowing for the simultaneous flow visualization and the aerodynamic loads computation, with respect to a reference frame moving with the blade. The momentum and pressure data are further integrated by means of a contour-approach to yield the aerodynamic sectional force components as well as the blade torsional moment. A steady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes numerical simulation of the entire propeller model has been used for comparison to the measurement data. (orig.)

3D pressure imaging of an aircraft propeller blade-tip flow by phase-locked stereoscopic PIV

Science.gov (United States)

Ragni, D.; van Oudheusden, B. W.; Scarano, F.

2012-02-01

The flow field at the tip region of a scaled DHC Beaver aircraft propeller, running at transonic speed, has been investigated by means of a multi-plane stereoscopic particle image velocimetry setup. Velocity fields, phase-locked with the blade rotational motion, are acquired across several planes perpendicular to the blade axis and merged to form a 3D measurement volume. Transonic conditions have been reached at the tip region, with a revolution frequency of 19,800 rpm and a relative free-stream Mach number of 0.73 at the tip. The pressure field and the surface pressure distribution are inferred from the 3D velocity data through integration of the momentum Navier-Stokes equation in differential form, allowing for the simultaneous flow visualization and the aerodynamic loads computation, with respect to a reference frame moving with the blade. The momentum and pressure data are further integrated by means of a contour-approach to yield the aerodynamic sectional force components as well as the blade torsional moment. A steady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes numerical simulation of the entire propeller model has been used for comparison to the measurement data.

A zero torsional stiffness twist morphing blade as a wind turbine load alleviation device

Science.gov (United States)

Lachenal, X.; Daynes, S.; Weaver, P. M.

2013-06-01

This paper presents the design, analysis and realization of a zero stiffness twist morphing wind turbine blade. The morphing blade is designed to actively twist as a means of alleviating the gust loads which reduce the fatigue life of wind turbine blades. The morphing structure exploits an elastic strain energy balance within the blade to enable large twisting deformations with modest actuation requirements. While twist is introduced using the warping of the blade skin, internal pre-stressed members ensure that a constant strain energy balance is achieved throughout the deformation, resulting in a zero torsional stiffness structure. The torsional stability of the morphing blade is characterized by analysing the elastic strain energy in the device. Analytical models of the skin, the pre-stressed components and the complete blade are compared to their respective finite element models as well as experimental results. The load alleviation potential of the adaptive structure is quantified using a two-dimensional steady flow aerodynamic model which is experimentally validated with wind tunnel measurements.

Numerical investigations on axial and radial blade rubs in turbo-machinery

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelrhman, Ahmed M.; Tang, Eric Sang Sung; Salman Leong, M.; Al-Qrimli, Haidar F.; Rajamohan, G.

2017-07-01

In the recent years, the clearance between the rotor blades and stator/casing had been getting smaller and smaller prior improving the aerodynamic efficiency of the turbomachines as demand in the engineering field. Due to the clearance reduction between the blade tip and the rotor casing and between rotor blades and stator blades, axial and radial blade rubbing could be occurred, especially at high speed resulting into complex nonlinear vibrations. The primary aim of this study is to address the blade axial rubbing phenomenon using numerical analysis of rotor system. A comparison between rubbing caused impacts of axial and radial blade rubbing and rubbing forces are also aims of this study. Tow rotor models (rotor-stator and rotor casing models) has been designed and sketched using SOILDSWORKS software. ANSYS software has been used for the simulation and the numerical analysis. The rubbing conditions were simulated at speed range of 1000rpm, 1500rpm and 2000rpm. Analysis results for axial blade rubbing showed the appearance of blade passing frequency and its multiple frequencies (lx, 2x 3x etc.) and these frequencies will more excited with increasing the rotational speed. Also, it has been observed that when the rotating speed increased, the rubbing force and the harmonics frequencies in x, y and z-direction become higher and severe. The comparison study showed that axial blade rub is more dangerous and would generate a higher vibration impacts and higher blade rubbing force than radial blade rub.

Wind turbine blade vibration at standstill conditions — the effect of imposing lag on the aerodynamic response of an elastically mounted airfoil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skrzypinski, Witold Robert; Gaunaa, Mac

2015-01-01

The present study investigated physical phenomena related to stall-induced vibrations potentially existing on wind turbine blades at standstill conditions. The study considered two-dimensional airfoil sections while it omitted three-dimensional effects. In the study, a new engineering-type...... computational model for the aeroelastic response of an elastically mounted airfoil was used to investigate the influence of temporal lag in the aerodynamic response on the aeroelastic stability in deep stall. The study indicated that even a relatively low lag significantly increases the damping of the model....... A comparison between the results from a model with lag imposed on all force components with the results from a model with lag imposed exclusively on the lift showed only marginal difference between the damping in the two cases. A parameter study involving positions of the elastic hinge point and the center...

A simulation study of active feedback supression of dynamic response in helicopter rotor blades

Science.gov (United States)

Kana, D. D.; Bessey, R. L.; Dodge, F. T.

1975-01-01

A parameter study is presented for active feedback control applied to a helicopter rotor blade during forward flight. The study was performed on an electromechanical apparatus which included a mechanical model rotor blade and electronic analog simulation of interaction between blade deflections and aerodynamic loading. Blade response parameters were obtained for simulated vortex impinging at the blade tip at one pulse per revolution, and for a pulse which traveled from the blade tip toward its root. Results show that the response in a 1 - 10-per-rev frequency band is diminished by the feedback action, but at the same time responses at frequencies above 10-per-rev become increasingly more prominent with increased feedback amplitude, and can even lead to instability at certain levels. It appears that the latter behavior results from limitations of the laboratory simulation apparatus, rather than genuine potential behavior for a prototype helicopter.

Numerical Investigation of Aerodynamic Performance and Loads of a Novel Dual Rotor Wind Turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Behnam Moghadassian

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to numerically investigate the effects of the atmospheric boundary layer on the aerodynamic performance and loads of a novel dual-rotor wind turbine (DRWT. Large eddy simulations are carried out with the turbines operating in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL and in a uniform inflow. Two stability conditions corresponding to neutral and slightly stable atmospheres are investigated. The turbines are modeled using the actuator line method where the rotor blades are modeled as body forces. Comparisons are drawn between the DRWT and a comparable conventional single-rotor wind turbine (SRWT to assess changes in aerodynamic efficiency and loads, as well as wake mixing and momentum and kinetic energy entrainment into the turbine wake layer. The results show that the DRWT improves isolated turbine aerodynamic performance by about 5%–6%. The DRWT also enhances turbulent axial momentum entrainment by about 3.3 %. The highest entrainment is observed in the neutral stability case when the turbulence in the ABL is moderately high. Aerodynamic loads for the DRWT, measured as out-of-plane blade root bending moment, are marginally reduced. Spectral analyses of ABL cases show peaks in unsteady loads at the rotor passing frequency and its harmonics for both rotors of the DRWT.

Active twist of model rotor blades with D-spar design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Kovalovs

2007-03-01

Full Text Available The design methodology based on the planning of experiments and response surface technique has been developed for an optimum placement of Macro Fiber Composite (MFC actuators in the helicopter rotor blades. The baseline helicopter rotor blade consists of D-spar made of UD GFRP, skin made of +45o/–45o GFRP, foam core, MFC actuators placement on the skin and balance weight. 3D finite element model of the rotor blade has been built by ANSYS, where the rotor blade skin and spar “moustaches” are modeled by the linear layered structural shell elements SHELL99, and the spar and foam - by 3D 20-node structural solid elements SOLID186. The thermal analyses of 3D finite element model have been developed to investigate an active twist of the helicopter rotor blade. Strain analogy between piezoelectric strains and thermally induced strains is used to model piezoelectric effects. The optimisation results have been obtained for design solutions, connected with the application of active materials, and checked by the finite element calculations.

Free wake analysis of wind turbine aerodynamics. Wind energy conversion. ASRL-TR-184-14

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gohard, J.C.

1978-09-01

The underlying theory is presented for determining blade and rotor/tower vibration and dynamic stability characteristics as well as the basic dynamic (as opposed to aerodynamic) operating loads. Starting with a simple concept of equivalent hinged rotors, the equations of motion for the blade including pitch, flap and lag motions are developed. The nonlinear equations are derived first and linearized about a finite displacement of the blade out of the plane of rotation. This is important since wind turbines tend to operate at relatively high coning angles. The effect of distributed flexibility, as opposed to the equivalent hinge concept, is then discussed.

Design and aerodynamic performance evaluation of a high-work mixed flow turbine stage

Science.gov (United States)

Neri, Remo N.; Elliott, Thomas J.; Marsh, David N.; Civinskas, Kestutis C.

1994-01-01

As axial and radial turbine designs have been pushed to their aerothermodynamic and mechanical limits, the mixed-flow turbine (MFT) concept has been projected to offer performance and durability improvements, especially when ceramic materials are considered. The objective of this NASA/U.S. Army sponsored mixed-flow turbine (AMFT) program was to determine the level of performance attainable with MFT technology within the mechanical constraints of 1997 projected ceramic material properties. The MFT geometry is similar to a radial turbine, exhibiting a large radius change from inlet to exit, but differing in that the inlet flowpath is not purely radial, nor axial, but mixed; it is the inlet geometry that gives rise to the name 'mixed-flow'. The 'mixed' orientation of the turbine inlet offers several advantages over radial designs by allowing a nonzero inlet blade angle yet maintaining radial-element blades. The oblique inlet not only improves the particle-impact survivability of the design, but improves the aerodynamic performance by reducing the incidence at the blade inlet. The difficulty, however, of using mixed-flow geometry lies in the scarcity of detailed data and documented design experience. This paper reports the design of a MFT stage designed with the intent to maximize aerodynamic performance by optimizing design parameters such as stage reaction, rotor incidence, flowpath shape, blade shape, vane geometry, and airfoil counts using 2-D, 3-D inviscid, and 3-D viscous computational fluid dynamics code. The aerodynamic optimization was accomplished while maintaining mechanical integrity with respect to vibration and stress levels in the rotor. A full-scale cold-flow rig test was performed with metallic hardware fabricated to the specifications of the hot ceramic geometry to evaluate the stage performance.

Design and simulation of Macro-Fiber composite based serrated microflap for wind turbine blade fatigue load reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiao; Dai, Qingli; Bilgen, Onur

2018-05-01

A Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC) based active serrated microflap is designed in this research for wind turbine blades. Its fatigue load reduction potential is evaluated in normal operating conditions. The force and displacement output of the MFC-based actuator are simulated using a bimorph beam model. The work done by the aerodynamic, centripetal and gravitational forces acting on the microflap were calculated to determine the required capacity of the MFC-based actuator. MFC-based actuators with a lever mechanical linkage are designed to achieve the required force and displacement to activate the microflap. A feedback control scheme is designed to control the microflap during operation. Through an aerodynamic-aeroelastic time marching simulation with the designed control scheme, the time responses of the wind turbine blades are obtained. The fatigue analysis shows that the serrated microflap can reduce the standard deviation of the blade root flapwise bending moment and the fatigue damage equivalent loads.

Application of high efficiency and reliable 3D-designed integral shrouded blades to nuclear turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Eiichiro; Ohyama, Hiroharu; Tashiro, Hikaru; Sugitani, Toshiro; Kurosawa, Masaru

1998-01-01

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. has recently developed new blades for nuclear turbines, in order to achieve higher efficiency and higher reliability. The 3D aerodynamic design for 41 inch and 46 inch blades, their one piece structural design (integral-shrouded blades: ISB), and the verification test results using a model steam turbine are described in this paper. The predicted efficiency and lower vibratory stress have been verified. Based on these 60Hz ISB, 50Hz ISB series are under development using 'the law of similarity' without changing their thermodynamic performance and mechanical stress levels. Our 3D-designed reaction blades which are used for the high pressure and low pressure upstream stages, are also briefly mentioned. (author)

An aeroelastic analysis of helicopter rotor blades incorporating piezoelectric fiber composite twist actuation

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkie, W. Keats; Park, K. C.

1996-01-01

A simple aeroelastic analysis of a helicopter rotor blade incorporating embedded piezoelectric fiber composite, interdigitated electrode blade twist actuators is described. The analysis consist of a linear torsion and flapwise bending model coupled with a nonlinear ONERA based unsteady aerodynamics model. A modified Galerkin procedure is performed upon the rotor blade partial differential equations of motion to develop a system of ordinary differential equations suitable for numerical integration. The twist actuation responses for three conceptual full-scale blade designs with realistic constraints on blade mass are numerically evaluated using the analysis. Numerical results indicate that useful amplitudes of nonresonant elastic twist, on the order of one to two degrees, are achievable under one-g hovering flight conditions for interdigitated electrode poling configurations. Twist actuation for the interdigitated electrode blades is also compared with the twist actuation of a conventionally poled piezoelectric fiber composite blade. Elastic twist produced using the interdigitated electrode actuators was found to be four to five times larger than that obtained with the conventionally poled actuators.

Acoustic performance of low pressure axial fan rotors with different blade chord length and radial load distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Carolus, Thomas

The paper examines the acoustic and aerodynamic performance of low-pressure axial fan rotors with a hub/tip ratio of 0.45. Six rotors were designed for the same working point by means of the well-known airfoil theory. The condition of an equilibrium between the static pressure gradient and the centrifugal forces is maintained. All rotors have unequally spaced blades to diminish tonal noise. The rotors are tested in a short cylindrical housing without guide vanes. All rotors show very similar flux-pressure difference characteristics. The peak efficiency and the noise performance is considerably influenced by the chosen blade design. The aerodynamically and acoustically optimal rotor is the one with the reduced load at the hub and increased load in the tip region under satisfied equilibrium conditions. It runs at the highest aerodynamic efficiency, and its noise spectrum is fairly smooth. The overall sound pressure level of this rotor is up to 8 dB (A) lower compared to the other rotors under consideration.

Active Piezoelectric Vibration Control of Subscale Composite Fan Blades

Science.gov (United States)

Duffy, Kirsten P.; Choi, Benjamin B.; Provenza, Andrew J.; Min, James B.; Kray, Nicholas

2012-01-01

As part of the Fundamental Aeronautics program, researchers at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) are investigating new technologies supporting the development of lighter, quieter, and more efficient fans for turbomachinery applications. High performance fan blades designed to achieve such goals will be subjected to higher levels of aerodynamic excitations which could lead to more serious and complex vibration problems. Piezoelectric materials have been proposed as a means of decreasing engine blade vibration either through a passive damping scheme, or as part of an active vibration control system. For polymer matrix fiber composite blades, the piezoelectric elements could be embedded within the blade material, protecting the brittle piezoceramic material from the airflow and from debris. To investigate this idea, spin testing was performed on two General Electric Aviation (GE) subscale composite fan blades in the NASA GRC Dynamic Spin Rig Facility. The first bending mode (1B) was targeted for vibration control. Because these subscale blades are very thin, the piezoelectric material was surface-mounted on the blades. Three thin piezoelectric patches were applied to each blade two actuator patches and one small sensor patch. These flexible macro-fiber-composite patches were placed in a location of high resonant strain for the 1B mode. The blades were tested up to 5000 rpm, with patches used as sensors, as excitation for the blade, and as part of open- and closed-loop vibration control. Results show that with a single actuator patch, active vibration control causes the damping ratio to increase from a baseline of 0.3% critical damping to about 1.0% damping at 0 RPM. As the rotor speed approaches 5000 RPM, the actively controlled blade damping ratio decreases to about 0.5% damping. This occurs primarily because of centrifugal blade stiffening, and can be observed by the decrease in the generalized electromechanical coupling with rotor speed.

Finding optimum airfoil shape to get maximum aerodynamic efficiency for a wind turbine

Science.gov (United States)

Sogukpinar, Haci; Bozkurt, Ismail

2017-02-01

In this study, aerodynamic performances of S-series wind turbine airfoil of S 825 are investigated to find optimum angle of attack. Aerodynamic performances calculations are carried out by utilization of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method withstand finite capacity approximation by using Reynolds-Averaged-Navier Stokes (RANS) theorem. The lift and pressure coefficients, lift to drag ratio of airfoil S 825 are analyzed with SST turbulence model then obtained results crosscheck with wind tunnel data to verify the precision of computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approximation. The comparison indicates that SST turbulence model used in this study can predict aerodynamics properties of wind blade.

Experimental investigation of turbine disk cavity aerodynamics and heat transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Daniels, W. A.; Johnson, B. V.

1993-01-01

An experimental investigation of turbine disk cavity aerodynamics and heat transfer was conducted to provide an experimental data base that can guide the aerodynamic and thermal design of turbine disks and blade attachments for flow conditions and geometries simulating those of the space shuttle main engine (SSME) turbopump drive turbines. Experiments were conducted to define the nature of the aerodynamics and heat transfer of the flow within the disk cavities and blade attachments of a large scale model simulating the SSME turbopump drive turbines. These experiments include flow between the main gas path and the disk cavities, flow within the disk cavities, and leakage flows through the blade attachments and labyrinth seals. Air was used to simulate the combustion products in the gas path. Air and carbon dioxide were used to simulate the coolants injected at three locations in the disk cavities. Trace amounts of carbon dioxide were used to determine the source of the gas at selected locations on the rotors, the cavity walls, and the interstage seal. The measurements on the rotor and stationary walls in the forward and aft cavities showed that the coolant effectiveness was 90 percent or greater when the coolant flow rate was greater than the local free disk entrainment flow rate and when room temperature air was used as both coolant and gas path fluid. When a coolant-to-gas-path density ratio of 1.51 was used in the aft cavity, the coolant effectiveness on the rotor was also 90 percent or greater at the aforementioned condition. However, the coolant concentration on the stationary wall was 60 to 80 percent at the aforementioned condition indicating a more rapid mixing of the coolant and flow through the rotor shank passages. This increased mixing rate was attributed to the destabilizing effects of the adverse density gradients.

Global optimization methods for the aerodynamic shape design of transonic cascades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mengistu, T.; Ghaly, W.

2003-01-01

Two global optimization algorithms, namely Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Simulated Annealing (SA), have been applied to the aerodynamic shape optimization of transonic cascades; the objective being the redesign of an existing turbomachine airfoil to improve its performance by minimizing the total pressure loss while satisfying a number of constraints. This is accomplished by modifying the blade camber line; keeping the same blade thickness distribution, mass flow rate and the same flow turning. The objective is calculated based on an Euler solver and the blade camber line is represented with non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS). The SA and GA methods were first assessed for known test functions and their performance in optimizing the blade shape for minimum loss is then demonstrated on a transonic turbine cascade where it is shown to produce a significant reduction in total pressure loss by eliminating the passage shock. (author)

Aerodynamic behavior of an airfoil with morphing trailing edge for wind turbine applications

Science.gov (United States)

Wolff, T.; Ernst, B.; Seume, J. R.

2014-06-01

The length of wind turbine rotor blades has been increased during the last decades. Higher stresses arise especially at the blade root because of the longer lever arm. One way to reduce unsteady blade-root stresses caused by turbulence, gusts, or wind shear is to actively control the lift in the blade tip region. One promising method involves airfoils with morphing trailing edges to control the lift and consequently the loads acting on the blade. In the present study, the steady and unsteady behavior of an airfoil with a morphing trailing edge is investigated. Two-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations are performed for a typical thin wind turbine airfoil with a morphing trailing edge. Steady-state simulations are used to design optimal geometry, size, and deflection angles of the morphing trailing edge. The resulting steady aerodynamic coefficients are then analyzed at different angles of attack in order to determine the effectiveness of the morphing trailing edge. In order to investigate the unsteady aerodynamic behavior of the optimal morphing trailing edge, time- resolved RANS-simulations are performed using a deformable grid. In order to analyze the phase shift between the variable trailing edge deflection and the dynamic lift coefficient, the trailing edge is deflected at four different reduced frequencies for each different angle of attack. As expected, a phase shift between the deflection and the lift occurs. While deflecting the trailing edge at angles of attack near stall, additionally an overshoot above and beyond the steady lift coefficient is observed and evaluated.

Aerodynamic behavior of an airfoil with morphing trailing edge for wind turbine applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolff, T; Ernst, B; Seume, J R

2014-01-01

The length of wind turbine rotor blades has been increased during the last decades. Higher stresses arise especially at the blade root because of the longer lever arm. One way to reduce unsteady blade-root stresses caused by turbulence, gusts, or wind shear is to actively control the lift in the blade tip region. One promising method involves airfoils with morphing trailing edges to control the lift and consequently the loads acting on the blade. In the present study, the steady and unsteady behavior of an airfoil with a morphing trailing edge is investigated. Two-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations are performed for a typical thin wind turbine airfoil with a morphing trailing edge. Steady-state simulations are used to design optimal geometry, size, and deflection angles of the morphing trailing edge. The resulting steady aerodynamic coefficients are then analyzed at different angles of attack in order to determine the effectiveness of the morphing trailing edge. In order to investigate the unsteady aerodynamic behavior of the optimal morphing trailing edge, time- resolved RANS-simulations are performed using a deformable grid. In order to analyze the phase shift between the variable trailing edge deflection and the dynamic lift coefficient, the trailing edge is deflected at four different reduced frequencies for each different angle of attack. As expected, a phase shift between the deflection and the lift occurs. While deflecting the trailing edge at angles of attack near stall, additionally an overshoot above and beyond the steady lift coefficient is observed and evaluated

Study of design and technology factors influencing gas turbine blade cooling

Science.gov (United States)

Shevchenko, I. V.; Garanin, I. V.; Rogalev, A. N.; Kindra, V. O.; Khudyakova, V. P.

2017-11-01

The knowledge of aerodynamic and thermal parameters of turbulators used in order to design an efficient blade cooling system. However, all experimental tests of the hydraulic and thermal characteristics of the turbulators were conducted on the rectangular shape channels with a strongly defined air flow direction. The actual blades have geometry of the channels that essentially differs from the rectangular shape. Specifically, the air flow in the back cavity of a blade with one and half-pass cooling channel changes its direction throughout the feather height. In most cases the ribs and pins are made with a tilt to the channel walls, which is determined by the moving element design of a mould for the ceramic rod element fabrication. All of the factors described above may result in the blade thermohydraulic model being developed failing to fully simulate the air flow and the heat exchange processes in some sections of the cooling path. Hence, the design temperature field will differ from the temperature field of an actual blade. This article studied the numerical data of design and technology factors influencing heat transfer in the cooling channels. The results obtained showed their substantial impact on the blade cooling efficiency.

Development of design tools for reduced aerodynamic noise wind turbines (draw)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wagner, S.; Guidati, G.; Ostertag, J.; Bareiss, R.; Wittum, G.; Huurdeman, B.; Braun, K.; Hirsch, C.; Kang, S.; Khodak, A.; Overmeire, M. van; Bladt, G.; Nienhaus, A.; Dassen, A.G.M.; Parchen, R.R.; Looijmans, K.

1997-01-01

The major aim of the present project was the development of new predictïon models for the aerodynamic noise generation at wind turbine blades. These models should be transferred to computer codes and should be sensitive enough to consider even small changes in the airfoil geometry. This accuracy is

Optimization of wind turbine rotors - using advanced aerodynamic and aeroelastic models and numerical optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Døssing, Mads

of very large machines introduces new problems in the practical design, and optimization tools are necessary. These must combine the dynamic eects of both aerodynamics and structure in an integrated optimization environment. This is referred to as aeroelastic optimization. The Ris DTU optimization...... software HAWTOPT has been used in this project. The quasi-steady aerodynamic module have been improved with a corrected blade element momentum method. A structure module has also been developed which lays out the blade structural properties. This is done in a simplied way allowing fast conceptual design...... studies and with focus on the overall properties relevant for the aeroelastic properties. Aeroelastic simulations in the time domain were carried out using the aeroelastic code HAWC2. With these modules coupled to HAWTOPT, optimizations have been made. In parallel with the developments of the mentioned...

Design of a Tapered and Twisted Blade for the NREL Combined Experiment Rotor; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giguere, P.; Selig, M. S.

1999-01-01

A tapered/twisted blade was designed to operate on the Combined Experiment Rotor (CER) of the National Renewable Energy Lab., which is a stall-regulated downwind wind turbine having a rated power of 20 kilowatt. The geometry of the new blade set was optimized based on annual energy production subject to the constraints imposed on the design. These constraints were mainly related to scientific needs for fundamental research in rotor aerodynamics. A trade-off study was conducted to determine the effect of the different design constraints. Based on the results of this study, which considered nonlinear twist and taper distributions as well as the NREL S809, S814, S822 and S823 airfoils, a blade having a linear taper and a nonlinear twist distribution that uses the S809 airfoil from root to tip was selected. This blade configuration is the logical continuation of the previous constant-chord twisted and untwisted blade sets and will facilitate comparison with those earlier blades. Despite th e design constraints based on scientific needs, the new blade is more representative of commercial blades than the previous blade sets

Structural dynamic analysis of turbine blade

Science.gov (United States)

Antony, A. Daniel; Gopalsamy, M.; Viswanadh, Chaparala B. V.; Krishnaraj, R.

2017-10-01

In any gas turbine design cycle, blade design is a crucial element which needs maximum attention to meet the aerodynamic performance, structural safety margins, manufacturing feasibility, material availability etc. In present day gas turbine engines, most of the failures occur during engine development test and in-service, in rotor and stator blades due to fatigue and resonance failures. To address this issue, an extensive structural dynamic analysis is carried out to predict the natural frequencies and mode shapes using FE methods. Using the dynamics characteristics, the Campbell diagram is constructed to study the possibility of resonance at various operating speeds. In this work, the feasibility of using composite material in place of titanium alloy from the structural dynamics point of view. This is being attempted in a Low-pressure compressor where the temperatures are relatively low and fixed with the casings. The analysis will be carried out using FE method for different composite material with different lamina orientations chosen through the survey. This study will focus on the sensitivity of blade mode shapes to different laminae orientations, which will be used to alter the natural frequency and tailor the mode shapes. Campbell diagrams of existing titanium alloy are compared with the composite materials with different laminae at all critical operating conditions. The existing manufacturing methods and the proven techniques for blade profiles will also be discussed in this report.

LDV measurement of boundary layer on rotating blade surface in wind tunnel

Science.gov (United States)

Maeda, Takao; Kamada, Yasunari; Murata, Junsuke; Suzuki, Daiki; Kaga, Norimitsu; Kagisaki, Yosuke

2014-12-01

Wind turbines generate electricity due to extracting energy from the wind. The rotor aerodynamics strongly depends on the flow around blade. The surface flow on the rotating blade affects the sectional performance. The wind turbine surface flow has span-wise component due to span-wise change of airfoil section, chord length, twisted angle of blade and centrifugal force on the flow. These span-wise flow changes the boundary layer on the rotating blade and the sectional performance. Hence, the thorough understanding of blade surface flow is important to improve the rotor performance. For the purpose of clarification of the flow behaviour around the rotor blade, the velocity in the boundary layer on rotating blade surface of an experimental HAWT was measured in a wind tunnel. The velocity measurement on the blade surface was carried out by a laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV). As the results of the measurement, characteristics of surface flow are clarified. In optimum tip speed operation, the surface flow on leading edge and r/R=0.3 have large span-wise velocity which reaches 20% of sectional inflow velocity. The surface flow inboard have three dimensional flow patterns. On the other hand, the flow outboard is almost two dimensional in cross sectional plane.

Design of horizontal-axis wind turbine using blade element momentum method

Science.gov (United States)

Bobonea, Andreea; Pricop, Mihai Victor

2013-10-01

The study of mathematical models applied to wind turbine design in recent years, principally in electrical energy generation, has become significant due to the increasing use of renewable energy sources with low environmental impact. Thus, this paper shows an alternative mathematical scheme for the wind turbine design, based on the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) Theory. The results from the BEM method are greatly dependent on the precision of the lift and drag coefficients. The basic of BEM method assumes the blade can be analyzed as a number of independent element in spanwise direction. The induced velocity at each element is determined by performing the momentum balance for a control volume containing the blade element. The aerodynamic forces on the element are calculated using the lift and drag coefficient from the empirical two-dimensional wind tunnel test data at the geometric angle of attack (AOA) of the blade element relative to the local flow velocity.

Structural and mechanism design of an active trailing-edge flap blade

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lee, Jae Hwan; Natarajan, Balakumaran; Eun, Won Jong

2013-01-01

, as the blade is able to withstand increased centrifugal force. The cross-section of the active blade is designed first. A stress/strain recovery analysis is then conducted to verify its structural integrity. A one-dimensional beam analysis is also carried out to assist with the construction of the fan diagram...... of the rotor through modification of unsteady aerodynamic loads. Piezoelectric actuators installed inside the blade manipulate the motion of the trailing edge flap. The proposed blade rotates at higher speed and additional structures are included to support the actuators and the flap. This improves the design....... To select the actuator and design the flap actuation region, the flap hinge moment is estimated via a CFD analysis. To obtain the desired flap deflection of ±4°, three actuators are required. The design of the flap actuation region is validated using a test bed with a skin hinge. However, because the skin...

A zero torsional stiffness twist morphing blade as a wind turbine load alleviation device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lachenal, X; Daynes, S; Weaver, P M

2013-01-01

This paper presents the design, analysis and realization of a zero stiffness twist morphing wind turbine blade. The morphing blade is designed to actively twist as a means of alleviating the gust loads which reduce the fatigue life of wind turbine blades. The morphing structure exploits an elastic strain energy balance within the blade to enable large twisting deformations with modest actuation requirements. While twist is introduced using the warping of the blade skin, internal pre-stressed members ensure that a constant strain energy balance is achieved throughout the deformation, resulting in a zero torsional stiffness structure. The torsional stability of the morphing blade is characterized by analysing the elastic strain energy in the device. Analytical models of the skin, the pre-stressed components and the complete blade are compared to their respective finite element models as well as experimental results. The load alleviation potential of the adaptive structure is quantified using a two-dimensional steady flow aerodynamic model which is experimentally validated with wind tunnel measurements. (paper)

LP compressor blade vibration characteristics at starting conditions of a 100 MW heavy-duty gas turbine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, An Sung; Vedichtchev, Alexandre F.

2004-01-01

In this paper are presented the blade vibration characteristics at the starting conditions of the low pressure multistage axial compressor of heavy-duty 100 MW gas turbine. Vibration data have been collected through strain gauges during aerodynamic tests of the model compressor. The influences of operating modes at the starting conditions are investigated upon the compressor blade vibrations. The exciting mechanisms and features of blade vibrations are investigated at the surge, rotating stall, and buffeting flutter. The influences of operating modes upon blade dynamic stresses are investigated for the first and second stages. It is shown that a high dynamic stress peak of 120 MPa can occur in the first stage blades due to resonances with stall cell excitations or with inlet strut wake excitations at the stalled conditions

Application to nuclear turbines of high-efficiency and reliable 3D-designed integral shrouded blades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Eiichiro; Ohyama, Hiroharu; Tashiro, Hikaru; Sugitani, Toshio; Kurosawa, Masaru

1999-01-01

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has recently developed new blades for nuclear turbines, in order to achieve higher efficiency and higher reliability. The three-dimensional aerodynamic design for 41-inch and 46-inch blades, their one piece structural design (integral shrouded blades: ISB), and the verification test results using a model steam turbine are described in this paper. The predicted efficiency and lower vibratory stress have been verified. On the basis of these 60 Hz ISB, 50 Hz ISB series are under development using 'the law of similarity' without changing their thermodynamic performance and mechanical stress levels. Our 3D-designed reaction blades which are used for the high pressure and low pressure upstream stages, are also briefly mentioned. (author)

Numerical modeling of wind turbine aerodynamic noise in the time domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seunghoon; Lee, Seungmin; Lee, Soogab

2013-02-01

Aerodynamic noise from a wind turbine is numerically modeled in the time domain. An analytic trailing edge noise model is used to determine the unsteady pressure on the blade surface. The far-field noise due to the unsteady pressure is calculated using the acoustic analogy theory. By using a strip theory approach, the two-dimensional noise model is applied to rotating wind turbine blades. The numerical results indicate that, although the operating and atmospheric conditions are identical, the acoustical characteristics of wind turbine noise can be quite different with respect to the distance and direction from the wind turbine.

Aerodynamic Modelling and Optimization of Axial Fans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Dan Nørtoft

A numerically efficient mathematical model for the aerodynamics oflow speed axial fans of the arbitrary vortex flow type has been developed.The model is based on a blade-element principle, whereby therotor is divided into a number of annular streamtubes.For each of these streamtubes relations......-Raphson method, andsolutions converged to machine accuracy are found at small computing costs.The model has been validated against published measurementson various fan configurations,comprising two rotor-only fan stages, a counter-rotatingfan unit and a stator-rotor-stator stage.Comparisons of local...... and integrated propertiesshow that the computed results agree well with the measurements.Integrating a rotor-only version of the aerodynamic modelwith an algorithm for numerical designoptimization, enables the finding of an optimum fan rotor.The angular velocity of the rotor, the hub radius and the spanwise...

Numerical simulations of unsteady flows past two-bladed rotors in forward-flight conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, H.; Mamou, M.; Khalid, M. [National Research Council, Inst. for Aerospace Research, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)]. E-mail: Hongyi.Xu@nrc.ca

2004-07-01

The current paper presents time-accurate numerical simulations of compressible flows past two-bladed rotor configurations using a Chimera moving grid approach. The simulations are performed for a variety of flow conditions and various blade aspect ratios. The rotor blades are rectangular, untapered and untwisted planforms. Their cross-sections are built using the NACA 0012 airfoil profile. The aerodynamic performance of the rotor is investigated using the Euler equations. The CFD-FASTRAN code was used for the computations. The pressure distributions are benchmarked against the experimental data from Caradonna and Tung and a number of previous Euler calculations by Agarwal and Deese and Chen et al. The comparisons indicate that the current simulations for the forward flight conditions can reproduce the pressure distributions on the blade surfaces and the prediction of shockwave locations with reasonably good accuracy. (author)

Numerical simulations of unsteady flows past two-bladed rotors in forward-flight conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, H.; Mamou, M.; Khalid, M.

2004-01-01

The current paper presents time-accurate numerical simulations of compressible flows past two-bladed rotor configurations using a Chimera moving grid approach. The simulations are performed for a variety of flow conditions and various blade aspect ratios. The rotor blades are rectangular, untapered and untwisted planforms. Their cross-sections are built using the NACA 0012 airfoil profile. The aerodynamic performance of the rotor is investigated using the Euler equations. The CFD-FASTRAN code was used for the computations. The pressure distributions are benchmarked against the experimental data from Caradonna and Tung and a number of previous Euler calculations by Agarwal and Deese and Chen et al. The comparisons indicate that the current simulations for the forward flight conditions can reproduce the pressure distributions on the blade surfaces and the prediction of shockwave locations with reasonably good accuracy. (author)

Investigation of an Axial Fan—Blade Stress and Vibration Due to Aerodynamic Pressure Field and Centrifugal Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Cheng; Amano, Ryoichi Samuel; Lee, Eng Kwong

A 1.829m (6ft) diameter industrial large flow-rate axial fan operated at 1770rpm was studied experimentally in laboratory conditions. The flow characteristics on the fan blade surfaces were investigated by measuring the pressure distributions on the blade suction and pressure surfaces and the results were discussed by comparing with analytical formulations and CFD. Flow visualizations were also performed to validate the flow characteristics near the blade surface and it was demonstrated that the flow characteristics near the fan blade surface were dominated by the centrifugal force of the fan rotation which resulted in strong three-dimensional flows. The time-dependent pressure measurement showed that the pressure oscillations on the fan blade were significantly dominated by vortex shedding from the fan blades. It was further demonstrated that the pressure distributions during the fan start-up were highly unsteady, and the main frequency variation of the static pressure was much smaller than the fan rotational frequency. The time-dependent pressure measurement when the fan operated at a constant speed showed that the magnitude of the blade pressure variation with time and the main variation frequency was much smaller than the fan rotational frequency. The pressure variations that were related to the vortex shedding were slightly smaller than the fan rotational frequency. The strain gages were used to measure the blade stress and the results were compared with FEA results.

Summary of Full-Scale Blade Displacement Measurements of the UH- 60A Airloads Rotor

Science.gov (United States)

Abrego, Anita I.; Meyn, Larry; Burner, Alpheus W.; Barrows, Danny A.

2016-01-01

Blade displacement measurements using multi-camera photogrammetry techniques were acquired for a full-scale UH-60A rotor, tested in the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex 40-Foot by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel. The measurements, acquired over the full rotor azimuth, encompass a range of test conditions that include advance ratios from 0.15 to 1.0, thrust coefficient to rotor solidity ratios from 0.01 to 0.13, and rotor shaft angles from -10.0 to 8.0 degrees. The objective was to measure the blade displacements and deformations of the four rotor blades and provide a benchmark blade displacement database to be utilized in the development and validation of rotorcraft prediction techniques. An overview of the blade displacement measurement methodology, system development, and data analysis techniques are presented. Sample results based on the final set of camera calibrations, data reduction procedures and estimated corrections that account for registration errors due to blade elasticity are shown. Differences in blade root pitch, flap and lag between the previously reported results and the current results are small. However, even small changes in estimated root flap and pitch can lead to significant differences in the blade elasticity values.

A stochastic model for the simulation of wind turbine blades in static stall

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bertagnolio, Franck; Rasmussen, Flemming; Sørensen, Niels N.

2010-01-01

The aim of this work is to improve aeroelastic simulation codes by accounting for the unsteady aerodynamic forces that a blade experiences in static stall. A model based on a spectral representation of the aerodynamic lift force is defined. The drag and pitching moment are derived using...... a conditional simulation technique for stochastic processes. The input data for the model can be collected either from measurements or from numerical results from a Computational Fluid Dynamics code for airfoil sections at constant angles of attack. An analysis of such data is provided, which helps to determine...

Design optimization and uncertainty quantification for aeromechanics forced response of a turbomachinery blade

Science.gov (United States)

Modgil, Girish A.

Gas turbine engines for aerospace applications have evolved dramatically over the last 50 years through the constant pursuit for better specific fuel consumption, higher thrust-to-weight ratio, lower noise and emissions all while maintaining reliability and affordability. An important step in enabling these improvements is a forced response aeromechanics analysis involving structural dynamics and aerodynamics of the turbine. It is well documented that forced response vibration is a very critical problem in aircraft engine design, causing High Cycle Fatigue (HCF). Pushing the envelope on engine design has led to increased forced response problems and subsequently an increased risk of HCF failure. Forced response analysis is used to assess design feasibility of turbine blades for HCF using a material limit boundary set by the Goodman Diagram envelope that combines the effects of steady and vibratory stresses. Forced response analysis is computationally expensive, time consuming and requires multi-domain experts to finalize a result. As a consequence, high-fidelity aeromechanics analysis is performed deterministically and is usually done at the end of the blade design process when it is very costly to make significant changes to geometry or aerodynamic design. To address uncertainties in the system (engine operating point, temperature distribution, mistuning, etc.) and variability in material properties, designers apply conservative safety factors in the traditional deterministic approach, which leads to bulky designs. Moreover, using a deterministic approach does not provide a calculated risk of HCF failure. This thesis describes a process that begins with the optimal aerodynamic design of a turbomachinery blade developed using surrogate models of high-fidelity analyses. The resulting optimal blade undergoes probabilistic evaluation to generate aeromechanics results that provide a calculated likelihood of failure from HCF. An existing Rolls-Royce High Work Single

A numerical and theoretical study on the aerodynamics of a rhinoceros beetle (Trypoxlyus dichotomus) and optimization of its wing kinematics in hover

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Sehyeong; Lee, Boogeon; Park, Hyungmin; Choi, Haecheon

2017-11-01

We investigate a hovering rhinoceros beetle using numerical simulation and blade element theory. Numerical simulations are performed using an immersed boundary method. In the simulation, the hindwings are modeled as a rigid flat plate, and three-dimensionally scanned elytra and body are used. The results of simulation indicate that the lift force generated by the hindwings alone is sufficient to support the weight, and the elytra generate negligible lift force. Considering the hindwings only, we present a blade element model based on quasi-steady assumptions to identify the mechanisms of aerodynamic force generation and power expenditure in the hovering flight of a rhinoceros beetle. We show that the results from the present blade element model are in excellent agreement with numerical ones. Based on the current blade element model, we find the optimal wing kinematics minimizing the aerodynamic power requirement using a hybrid optimization algorithm combining a clustering genetic algorithm with a gradient-based optimizer. We show that the optimal wing kinematics reduce the aerodynamic power consumption, generating enough lift force to support the weight. This research was supported by a Grant to Bio-Mimetic Robot Research Center Funded by Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and by Agency for Defense Development (UD130070ID) and NRF-2016R1E1A1A02921549 of the MSIP of Korea.

Aerodynamic performance of a small vertical axis wind turbine using an overset grid method

Science.gov (United States)

Bangga, Galih; Solichin, Mochammad; Daman, Aida; Sa'adiyah, Devy; Dessoky, Amgad; Lutz, Thorsten

2017-08-01

The present paper aims to asses the aerodynamic performance of a small vertical axis wind turbine operating at a small wind speed of 5 m/s for 6 different tip speed ratios (λ=2-7). The turbine consists of two blades constructed using the NACA 0015 airfoil. The study is carried out using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods employing an overset grid approach. The (URANS) SST k - ω is used as the turbulence model. For the preliminary study, simulations of the NACA 0015 under static conditions for a broad range of angle of attack and a rotating two-bladed VAWT are carried out. The results are compared with available measurement data and a good agreement is obtained. The simulations demonstrate that the maximum power coefficient attained is 0.45 for λ=4. The aerodynamic loads hysteresis are presented showing that the dynamic stall effect decreases with λ.

Design of low noise airfoil with high aerodynamic performance for use on small wind turbines

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Taehyung; KIM; Seungmin; LEE; Hogeon; KIM; Soogab; LEE

2010-01-01

Wind power is one of the most reliable renewable energy sources and internationally installed capacity is increasing radically every year.Although wind power has been favored by the public in general,the problem with the impact of wind turbine noise on people living in the vicinity of the turbines has been increased.Low noise wind turbine design is becoming more and more important as noise is spreading more adverse effect of wind turbine to public.This paper demonstrates the design of 10 kW class wind turbines,each of three blades,a rotor diameter 6.4 m,a rated rotating speed 200 r/min and a rated wind speed 10 m/s.The optimized airfoil is dedicated for the 75% spanwise position because the dominant source of a wind turbine blade is trailing edge noise from the outer 25% of the blade.Numerical computations are performed for incompressible flow and for Mach number at 0.145 and for Reynolds numbers at 1.02×106 with a lift performance,which is resistant to surface contamination and turbulence intensity.The objectives in the design process are to reduce noise emission,while sustaining high aerodynamic efficiency.Dominant broadband noise sources are predicted by semi-empirical formulas composed of the groundwork by Brooks et al.and Lowson associated with typical wind turbine operation conditions.During the airfoil redesign process,the aerodynamic performance is analyzed to reduce the wind turbine power loss.The results obtained from the design process show that the design method is capable of designing airfoils with reduced noise using a commercial 10 kW class wind turbine blade airfoil as a basis.Therefore,the new optimized airfoil showing 2.9 dB reductions of total sound pressure level(SPL) and higher aerodynamic performance are achieved.

BOUNDARY LAYER AND AMPLIFIED GRID EFFECTS ON AERODYNAMIC PERFORMANCES OF S809 AIRFOIL FOR HORIZONTAL AXIS WIND TURBINE (HAWT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YOUNES EL KHCHINE

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The design of rotor blades has a great effect on the aerodynamics performances of horizontal axis wind turbine and its efficiency. This work presents the effects of mesh refinement and boundary layer on aerodynamic performances of wind turbine S809 rotor. Furthermore, the simulation of fluid flow is taken for S809 airfoil wind turbine blade using ANSYS/FLUENT software. The problem is solved by the conservation of mass and momentum equations for unsteady and incompressible flow using advanced SST k-ω turbulence model, in order to predict the effects of mesh refinement and boundary layer on aerodynamics performances. Lift and drag coefficients are the most important parameters in studying the wind turbine performance, these coefficients are calculated for four meshes refinement and different angles of attacks with Reynolds number is 106. The study is applied to S809 airfoil which has 21% thickness, specially designed by NREL for horizontal axis wind turbines.

Investigation of Dynamic Aerodynamics and Control of Wind Turbine Sections Under Relevant Inflow/Blade Attitude Conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naughton, Jonathan W. [University of Wyoming

2014-08-05

The growth of wind turbines has led to highly variable loading on the blades. Coupled with the relative reduced stiffness of longer blades, the need to control loading on the blades has become important. One method of controlling loads and maximizing energy extraction is local control of the flow on the wind turbine blades. The goal of the present work was to better understand the sources of the unsteady loading and then to control them. This is accomplished through an experimental effort to characterize the unsteadiness and the effect of a Gurney flap on the flow, as well as an analytical effort to develop control approaches. It was planned to combine these two efforts to demonstrate control of a wind tunnel test model, but that final piece still remains to be accomplished.

Aerodynamic loads and rotor performance for the Darrieus wind turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Paraschivoiu, I.

1981-12-01

Aerodynamic blade loads and rotor performance are studied for the Darrieus windmill by using a double-multiple streamtube model. The Darrieus is represented as a pair of actuator disks in tandem at each level of the rotor, with upstream and downstream half-cycles. An equilibrium velocity exists in the center plane, and the upwind velocity is higher than the downwind velocity; lift and drag coefficients are calculated from the Reynolds number and the local angle of attack. Half-rotor torque and power are found by averaging the contributions from each streamtube at each position of the rotor in the upwind cycle. An example is provided for a 17 m Darrieus employing NACA blades. While the method is found to be suitable for predicting blade and rotor performance, the need to incorporate the effects of dynamic stall in the model is stressed as a means to improve accuracy.

Integration of Airfoil Design during the design of new blades

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sartori, L.; Bottasso, L.; Croce, A. [Politecnico di Milano, Milan (Italy); Grasso, F. [ECN Wind Power, Petten (Netherlands)

2013-09-15

Despite the fact that the design of a new blade is a multidisciplinary task, often the different disciplines are combined together at later stage. Looking at the aerodynamic design, it is common practice design/select the airfoils first and then design the blade in terms of chord and twist based on the initial selection of the airfoils. Although this approach is quite diffused, it limits the potentialities of obtaining optimal performance. The present work is focused on investigating the benefits of designing the external shape of the blade including the airfoil shapes together with chord and twist. To accomplish this, a design approach has been developed, where an advanced gradient based optimization algorithm is able to control the shape of the blade. The airfoils described in the work are the NACA 4 digits, while the chord distribution and the twist distribution are described through Bezier curves. In this way, the complexity of the problem is limited while a versatile geometrical description is kept. After the details of the optimization scheme are illustrated, several numerical examples are shown, demonstrating the advantages in terms of performance and development time of integrating the design of the airfoils during the optimization of the blade.

Active load reduction by means of trailing edge flaps on a wind turbine blade

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Couchman, Ian; Castaignet, Damien; Poulsen, Niels Kjølstad

2014-01-01

This paper presents the blade fatigue load reduction achieved with a trailing edge flap during a full scale test on a Vestas V27 wind turbine. A frequency-weighted linear model predictive control (MPC) is tuned to decrease flapwise blade root fatigue loads at the frequencies where most of the blade...... damage occurs, i.e. the 1P and 2P frequencies (respectively 1 and 2 events per revolution). Frequency-weighted MPC is chosen for its ability to handle constraints on the trailing edge flap deflection and to optimise its actuation in order to decrease wear and tear of the actuator. The controller...... was first tested in aero-servo-elastic simulations, before being implemented on a Vestas V27 wind turbine. Consistent load reduction is achieved during the full-scale test. An average of 14% flapwise blade root fatigue load reduction is measured....

RekonFit - fit by reconstruction. Retrofitting of stall-controlled wind power systems; RekonFit - Fit durch Rekonstruktion. Verbesserungen fuer ihre stallgeregelte Windenergieanlage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosebrock, B. [RWE Piller GmbH, Osterode (Germany); Pfeiffer, K. [Erwin Peters GmbH, Hamburg (Germany)

2004-07-01

The improvements gained by retrofitting are summarized as follows: Reduction of servicing cost by abandoning terminal switching; reduction of loads on the powertrain and rotor blades; reduction of loads on electric components (main contactors and compensation); higher productivity as RekonFit MAF improves the overall productivity of stall-controlled wind power systems with terminal-switched asynchronous generators in low-wind operation; excellent function in low wind conditions with optimisation only in the lower stage (Paerodynamic and generator optimisation. (orig./AKF)

A New Higher-Order Composite Theory for Analysis and Design of High Speed Tilt-Rotor Blades

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Thomas Robert

1996-01-01

A higher-order theory is developed to model composite box beams with arbitrary wall thicknesses. The theory, based on a refined displacement field, represents a three-dimensional model which approximates the elasticity solution. Therefore, the cross-sectional properties are not reduced to one-dimensional beam parameters. Both inplane and out-of-plane warping are automatically included in the formulation. The model accurately captures the transverse shear stresses through the thickness of each wall while satisfying all stress-free boundary conditions. Several numerical results are presented to validate the present theory. The developed theory is then used to model the load carrying member of a tilt-rotor blade which has thick-walled sections. The composite structural analysis is coupled with an aerodynamic analysis to compute the aeroelastic stability of the blade. Finally, a multidisciplinary optimization procedure is developed to improve the aerodynamic, structural and aeroelastic performance of the tilt-rotor aircraft. The Kreisselmeier-Steinhauser function is used to formulate the multiobjective function problem and a hybrid approximate analysis is used to reduce the computational effort. The optimum results are compared with the baseline values and show significant improvements in the overall performance of the tilt-rotor blade.

Numerical Study on the Effect of Swept Blade on the Aerodynamic Performance of Wind Turbine at High Tip Speed Ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuo, H M; Liu, C; Yang, H; Wang, F

2016-01-01

The current situation is that the development of high speed wind energy saturates gradually, therefore, it is highly necessary to develop low speed wind energy. This paper, based on a specific straight blade and by using Isight, a kind of multidiscipline optimization software, which integrates ICEM (Integrated Computer Engineering and Manufacturing) and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software, optimizes the blade stacking line (the centers of airfoil from blade root to tip) and acquires the optimization swept blade shape. It is found that power coefficient C p of swept blade is 3.2% higher than that of straight blade at the tip speed ratio of 9.82, that the thrust of swept blade receives is obviously less than that of straight blade. Inflow angle of attack and steam line on the suction of the swept and straight blade are also made a comparison. (paper)

Examples of using CFD for wind turbine aerodynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, M.O.L.; Soerensen, J.N. [Technical Univ. of Denmark, Dept. of Energy Engineering (Denmark); Soerensen, N.N. [Risoe National Lab., Test Station for Wind Turbines (Denmark)

1997-12-31

Overall it is concluded that in order to improve the results from CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) for wind turbine aerodynamics characterized by: high angles of attack; thick airfoils; 3-D effects; instationary effects. Extreme care must be put on turbulence and transition models, and fine grids are necessary especially at the suction peak. If these precautions are taken CFD can be used as a tool for obtaining lift and drag coefficients for the BEM (Blade Element Momentum) model. (au)

Inverse Design of Single- and Multi-Rotor Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Blades using Computational Fluid Dynamics

OpenAIRE

Moghadassian, Behnam; Sharma, Anupam

2017-01-01

A method for inverse design of horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) is presented in this paper. The direct solver for aerodynamic analysis solves the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) equations, where the effect of the turbine rotor is modeled as momentum sources using the actuator disk model (ADM); this approach is referred to as RANS/ADM. The inverse problem is posed as follows: for a given selection of airfoils, the objective is to find the blade geometry (described as blade twist an...

Free flow wind speed from a blade-mounted flow sensor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Mads Mølgaard; Larsen, Torben Juul; Aagaard Madsen, Helge

2018-01-01

This paper presents a method for obtaining the free-inflow velocities from a 3-D flow sensor mounted on the blade of a wind turbine. From its position on the rotating blade, e.g. one-third from the tip, a blade-mounted flow sensor (BMFS) is able to provide valuable information about the turbulent...... sheared inflow in different regions of the rotor. At the rotor, however, the inflow is affected by the wind turbine, and in most cases the wind of interest is the inflow that the wind turbine is exposed to, i.e. the free-inflow velocities. The current method applies a combination of aerodynamic models...... and procedures to estimate the induced velocities, i.e. the disturbance of the flow field caused by the wind turbine. These velocities are subtracted from the flow velocities measured by the BMFS to obtain the free-inflow velocities. Aeroelastic codes, like HAWC2, typically use a similar approach to calculate...

Analysis and modeling of unsteady aerodynamics with application to wind turbine blade vibration at standstill conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skrzypinski, Witold Robert

analyzes based on engineering models and Computational Fluid Dynamics. Twodimensional, three-degree-of-freedom, elastically-mounted-airfoil engineering models were created. These models aimed at investigating the effect of temporal lag in the aerodynamic response of an airfoil on the aeroelastic stability...... was that even a relatively low amount of temporal lag in the aerodynamic response may significantly increase the aerodynamic damping and therefore influence the aeroelastic stability limits, relative to quasisteady aerodynamic response. Two- and three-dimensional CFD computations included non-moving, prescribed...... and drag resulting from 2D and 3D CFD computations carried out around 25 degrees angle of attack showed loops with the slopes of opposite signs indicating that further investigations are needed and that simple models in connection with aeroelastic simulations might not be sufficient to accurately predict...

Aeroelastic analysis of an offshore wind turbine: Design and Fatigue Performance of Large Utility-Scale Wind Turbine Blades

OpenAIRE

Fossum, Peter Kalsaas

2012-01-01

Aeroelastic design and fatigue analysis of large utility-scale wind turbine blades are performed. The applied fatigue model is based on established methods and is incorporated in an iterative numerical design tool for realistic wind turbine blades. All aerodynamic and structural design properties are available in literature. The software tool FAST is used for advanced aero-servo-elastic load calculations and stress-histories are calculated with elementary beam theory.According to wind energy ...

Wireless Inductive Power Device Suppresses Blade Vibrations

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Carlos R.; Provenza, Andrew J.; Choi, Benjamin B.; Bakhle, Milind A.; Min, James B.; Stefko, George L.; Duffy, Kirsten P.; Fougers, Alan J.

2011-01-01

Vibration in turbomachinery can cause blade failures and leads to the use of heavier, thicker blades that result in lower aerodynamic efficiency and increased noise. Metal and/or composite fatigue in the blades of jet engines has resulted in blade destruction and loss of lives. Techniques for suppressing low-frequency blade vibration, such as gtuned circuit resistive dissipation of vibratory energy, h or simply "passive damping," can require electronics incorporating coils of unwieldy dimensions and adding unwanted weight to the rotor. Other approaches, using vibration-dampening devices or damping material, could add undesirable weight to the blades or hub, making them less efficient. A wireless inductive power device (WIPD) was designed, fabricated, and developed for use in the NASA Glenn's "Dynamic Spin Rig" (DSR) facility. The DSR is used to simulate the functionality of turbomachinery. The relatively small and lightweight device [10 lb (approx.=4.5 kg)] replaces the existing venerable and bulky slip-ring. The goal is the eventual integration of this technology into actual turbomachinery such as jet engines or electric power generators, wherein the device will facilitate the suppression of potentially destructive vibrations in fan blades. This technology obviates slip rings, which require cooling and can prove unreliable or be problematic over time. The WIPD consists of two parts: a remote element, which is positioned on the rotor and provides up to 100 W of electrical power to thin, lightweight piezoelectric patches strategically placed on/in fan blades; and a stationary base unit that wirelessly communicates with the remote unit. The base unit supplies inductive power, and also acts as an input and output corridor for wireless measurement, and active control command to the remote unit. Efficient engine operation necessitates minimal disturbance to the gas flow across the turbine blades in any effort to moderate blade vibration. This innovation makes it

A supportive architecture for CFD-based design optimisation

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ni; Su, Zeya; Bi, Zhuming; Tian, Chao; Ren, Zhiming; Gong, Guanghong

2014-03-01

Multi-disciplinary design optimisation (MDO) is one of critical methodologies to the implementation of enterprise systems (ES). MDO requiring the analysis of fluid dynamics raises a special challenge due to its extremely intensive computation. The rapid development of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) technique has caused a rise of its applications in various fields. Especially for the exterior designs of vehicles, CFD has become one of the three main design tools comparable to analytical approaches and wind tunnel experiments. CFD-based design optimisation is an effective way to achieve the desired performance under the given constraints. However, due to the complexity of CFD, integrating with CFD analysis in an intelligent optimisation algorithm is not straightforward. It is a challenge to solve a CFD-based design problem, which is usually with high dimensions, and multiple objectives and constraints. It is desirable to have an integrated architecture for CFD-based design optimisation. However, our review on existing works has found that very few researchers have studied on the assistive tools to facilitate CFD-based design optimisation. In the paper, a multi-layer architecture and a general procedure are proposed to integrate different CFD toolsets with intelligent optimisation algorithms, parallel computing technique and other techniques for efficient computation. In the proposed architecture, the integration is performed either at the code level or data level to fully utilise the capabilities of different assistive tools. Two intelligent algorithms are developed and embedded with parallel computing. These algorithms, together with the supportive architecture, lay a solid foundation for various applications of CFD-based design optimisation. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed architecture and algorithms, the case studies on aerodynamic shape design of a hypersonic cruising vehicle are provided, and the result has shown that the proposed architecture

A Hybrid Metaheuristic-Based Approach for the Aerodynamic Optimization of Small Hybrid Wind Turbine Rotors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herbert-Acero, José F.; Martínez-Lauranchet, Jaime; Probst, Oliver

2014-01-01

of the sectional blade aerodynamics. The framework considers an innovative nested-hybrid solution procedure based on two metaheuristics, the virtual gene genetic algorithm and the simulated annealing algorithm, to provide a near-optimal solution to the problem. The objective of the study is to maximize...

PyFly: A fast, portable aerodynamics simulator

KAUST Repository

Garcia, D.; Ghommem, M.; Collier, N.; Varga, B.O.N.; Calo, V.M.

2018-01-01

We present a fast, user-friendly implementation of a potential flow solver based on the unsteady vortex lattice method (UVLM), namely PyFly. UVLM computes the aerodynamic loads applied on lifting surfaces while capturing the unsteady effects such as the added mass forces, the growth of bound circulation, and the wake while assuming that the flow separation location is known a priori. This method is based on discretizing the body surface into a lattice of vortex rings and relies on the Biot–Savart law to construct the velocity field at every point in the simulated domain. We introduce the pointwise approximation approach to simulate the interactions of the far-field vortices to overcome the computational burden associated with the classical implementation of UVLM. The computational framework uses the Python programming language to provide an easy to handle user interface while the computational kernels are written in Fortran. The mixed language approach enables high performance regarding solution time and great flexibility concerning easiness of code adaptation to different system configurations and applications. The computational tool predicts the unsteady aerodynamic behavior of multiple moving bodies (e.g., flapping wings, rotating blades, suspension bridges) subject to incoming air. The aerodynamic simulator can also deal with enclosure effects, multi-body interactions, and B-spline representation of body shapes. We simulate different aerodynamic problems to illustrate the usefulness and effectiveness of PyFly.

PyFly: A fast, portable aerodynamics simulator

KAUST Repository

Garcia, D.

2018-03-18

We present a fast, user-friendly implementation of a potential flow solver based on the unsteady vortex lattice method (UVLM), namely PyFly. UVLM computes the aerodynamic loads applied on lifting surfaces while capturing the unsteady effects such as the added mass forces, the growth of bound circulation, and the wake while assuming that the flow separation location is known a priori. This method is based on discretizing the body surface into a lattice of vortex rings and relies on the Biot–Savart law to construct the velocity field at every point in the simulated domain. We introduce the pointwise approximation approach to simulate the interactions of the far-field vortices to overcome the computational burden associated with the classical implementation of UVLM. The computational framework uses the Python programming language to provide an easy to handle user interface while the computational kernels are written in Fortran. The mixed language approach enables high performance regarding solution time and great flexibility concerning easiness of code adaptation to different system configurations and applications. The computational tool predicts the unsteady aerodynamic behavior of multiple moving bodies (e.g., flapping wings, rotating blades, suspension bridges) subject to incoming air. The aerodynamic simulator can also deal with enclosure effects, multi-body interactions, and B-spline representation of body shapes. We simulate different aerodynamic problems to illustrate the usefulness and effectiveness of PyFly.

Design Optimization of a Centrifugal Fan with Splitter Blades

Science.gov (United States)

Heo, Man-Woong; Kim, Jin-Hyuk; Kim, Kwang-Yong

2015-05-01

Multi-objective optimization of a centrifugal fan with additionally installed splitter blades was performed to simultaneously maximize the efficiency and pressure rise using three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations and hybrid multi-objective evolutionary algorithm. Two design variables defining the location of splitter, and the height ratio between inlet and outlet of impeller were selected for the optimization. In addition, the aerodynamic characteristics of the centrifugal fan were investigated with the variation of design variables in the design space. Latin hypercube sampling was used to select the training points, and response surface approximation models were constructed as surrogate models of the objective functions. With the optimization, both the efficiency and pressure rise of the centrifugal fan with splitter blades were improved considerably compared to the reference model.

Aeroelastic Analysis of Olsen Wings 14.3m Blade-Blatigue Project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Galinos, Christos

HAWC2 model description and basic analysis of a 15 m rotor radius horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) based on 14.3m blade from Olsen Wings and the V27 wind turbine (WT) tower and nacelle properties. The subcomponents of the aero-elastic HAWC2 model have been created in previous projects. The aim...... of this analysis is to give an overview of the whole model properties and response through simulations. The blade structural and aerodynamic properties in HAWC2 format have been provided by Frederik Zahle and the HAWC2 model of the V27 structure by Morten H. Hansen of DTU Wind Energy Department. The current...... analysis is part of the Bladigue project ( Blatigue, 2020)....

Nonlinear Characteristics of Helicopter Rotor Blade Airfoils: An Analytical Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constantin Rotaru

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Some results are presented about the study of airloads of the helicopter rotor blades, the aerodynamic characteristics of airfoil sections, the physical features, and the techniques for modeling the unsteady effects found on airfoil operating under nominally attached flow conditions away from stall. The unsteady problem was approached on the basis of Theodorsen's theory, where the aerodynamic response (lift and pitching moment is considered as a sum of noncirculatory and circulatory parts. The noncirculatory or apparent mass accounts for the pressure forces required to accelerate the fluid in the vicinity of the airfoil. The apparent mass contributions to the forces and pitching moments, which are proportional to the instantaneous motion, are included as part of the quasi-steady result.

Extension-twist coupling of composite circular tubes with application to tilt rotor blade design

Science.gov (United States)

Nixon, Mark W.

1987-01-01

This investigation was conducted to determine if twist deformation required for the design of full-scale extension-twist-coupled tilt-rotor blades can be achieved within material design limit loads, and to demonstrate the accuracy of a coupled-beam analysis in predicting twist deformations. Two extension-twist-coupled tilt-rotor blade designs were developed based on theoretically optimum aerodynamic twist distributions. The designs indicated a twist rate requirement of between .216 and .333 deg/in. Agreement between axial tests and analytical predictions was within 10 percent at design limit loads. Agreement between the torsion tests and predictions was within 11 percent.

Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment Phases II-IV Test Configurations and Available Data Campaigns

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simms, D. A.; Hand, M. M.; Fingersh, L. J.; Jager, D. W.

1999-08-19

The main objective of the Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment is to provide information needed to quantify the full-scale three-dimensional aerodynamic behavior of horizontal axis wind turbines. To accomplish this, an experimental wind turbine configured to meet specific research objectives was assembled and operated at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The turbine was instrumented to characterize rotating blade aerodynamic performance, machine structural responses, and atmospheric inflow conditions. Comprehensive tests were conducted with the turbine operating in an outdoor field environment under diverse conditions. Resulting data are used to validate aerodynamic and structural dynamics models which are an important part of wind turbine design and engineering codes. Improvements in these models are needed to better characterize aerodynamic response in both the steady-state post-stall and dynamic stall regimes. Much of the effort in the earlier phase of the Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment focused on developing required data acquisition systems. Complex instrumentation and equipment was needed to meet stringent data requirements while operating under the harsh environmental conditions of a wind turbine rotor. Once the data systems were developed, subsequent phases of experiments were then conducted to collect data for use in answering specific research questions. A description of the experiment configuration used during Phases II-IV of the experiment is contained in this report.

Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment Phase V: Test Configuration and Available Data Campaigns; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hand, M. M.; Simms, D. A.; Fingersh, L. J.; Jager, D. W.; Cotrell, J. R.

2001-01-01

The main objective of the Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment is to provide information needed to quantify the full-scale, three-dimensional, unsteady aerodynamic behavior of horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs). To accomplish this, an experimental wind turbine configured to meet specific research objectives was assembled and operated at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The turbine was instrumented to characterize rotating-blade aerodynamic performance, machine structural responses, and atmospheric inflow conditions. Comprehensive tests were conducted with the turbine operating in an outdoor field environment under diverse conditions. Resulting data are used to validate aerodynamic and structural dynamics models, which are an important part of wind turbine design and engineering codes. Improvements in these models are needed to better characterize aerodynamic response in both the steady-state post-stall and dynamic-stall regimes. Much of the effort in the first phase of the Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment focused on developing required data acquisition systems. Complex instrumentation and equipment was needed to meet stringent data requirements while operating under the harsh environmental conditions of a wind turbine rotor. Once the data systems were developed, subsequent phases of experiments were then conducted to collect data for use in answering specific research questions. A description of the experiment configuration used during Phase V of the experiment is contained in this report

Design and construction of a simple blade pitch measurement system for small wind turbines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whale, Jonathan [Research Institute of Sustainable Energy, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150 (Australia)

2009-02-15

For small wind turbines to be reliable they must have in place good mechanisms to protect themselves against very high winds or sudden removal of load. One common protection method in small wind turbines is that of blade feathering. It is important that the blade feathering mechanism of a small wind turbine is tested before the turbine is installed in the field. This paper presents a simple system for monitoring the blade feathering of a turbine with an overall component cost that small wind turbine manufacturers can afford. The Blade Pitch Measurement System (BPMS) has been designed and constructed by the Research Institute of Sustainable Energy (RISE) and aids small wind turbine manufacturers in testing and optimising the settings of the blade feathering mechanisms on their machines. The results show that the BPMS was successful in recording the behaviour of the blade feathering mechanism in field trials with a 20 kW and a 30 kW wind turbine. The BPMS displays significant potential as an effective, inexpensive system for small wind turbine manufacturers to ensure the reliability of their pitch regulating over-speed protection mechanisms. (author)

Blade bowing effects on radial equilibrium of inlet flow in axial compressor cascades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han XU

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The circumferentially averaged equation of the inlet flow radial equilibrium in axial compressor was deduced. It indicates that the blade inlet radial pressure gradient is closely related to the radial component of the circumferential fluctuation (CF source item. Several simplified cascades with/without aerodynamic loading were numerically studied to investigate the effects of blade bowing on the inlet flow radial equilibrium. A data reduction program was conducted to obtain the CF source from three-dimensional (3D simulation results. Flow parameters at the passage inlet were focused on and each term in the radial equilibrium equation was discussed quantitatively. Results indicate that the inviscid blade force is the inducement of the inlet CF due to geometrical asymmetry. Blade bowing induces variation of the inlet CF, thus changes the radial pressure gradient and leads to flow migration before leading edge (LE in the cascades. Positive bowing drives the inlet flow to migrate from end walls to mid-span and negative bowing turns it to the reverse direction to build a new equilibrium. In addition, comparative studies indicate that the inlet Mach number and blade loading can efficiently impact the effectiveness of blade bowing on radial equilibrium in compressor design.

Effect on Torque and Thrust of the Pointed Tip Shape of a Wind Turbine Blade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyoungsoo Lee

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the effect of the tip shape of a wind turbine blade on aerodynamic forces, including the effects of separation, transition and stall. A National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL Phase-VI wind turbine blade was used, in which the shape of the tip was modified to a pointed tip. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD simulations were employed for the analysis and the results were compared with the original NREL blade CFD and experimental data using ANSYS CFX (Ansys Inc., Delaware, PA, USA. To predict the separation and separation-induced transition on both near wall and far away, the shear-stress-transport (SST Gamma-Theta turbulent model was used. The stall onset of a 20° angle of attack and its effects were also analyzed and presented. The value of torque with the pointed tip blade was found to be 3%–8% higher than the original NREL blade showing the benefit of the pointed tip. Normal force coefficient is lower at the tip for the pointed tip blade, which results in lower deformation of the blade. It was found that the pointed-tip blade is more efficient in terms of generating torque than the original NREL Phase-VI blade in the dynamic stall region of 10–15 m/s wind speeds.

Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer Studies of Parameters Specific to the IGCC-Requirements: Endwall Contouring, Leading Edge and Blade Tip Ejection under Rotating Turbine Conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schobeiri, Meinhard; Han, Je-Chin

2014-09-30

This report deals with the specific aerodynamics and heat transfer problematic inherent to high pressure (HP) turbine sections of IGCC-gas turbines. Issues of primary relevance to a turbine stage operating in an IGCC-environment are: (1) decreasing the strength of the secondary flow vortices at the hub and tip regions to reduce (a), the secondary flow losses and (b), the potential for end wall deposition, erosion and corrosion due to secondary flow driven migration of gas flow particles to the hub and tip regions, (2) providing a robust film cooling technology at the hub and that sustains high cooling effectiveness less sensitive to deposition, (3) investigating the impact of blade tip geometry on film cooling effectiveness. The document includes numerical and experimental investigations of above issues. The experimental investigations were performed in the three-stage multi-purpose turbine research facility at the Turbomachinery Performance and Flow Research Laboratory (TPFL), Texas A&M University. For the numerical investigations a commercial Navier-Stokes solver was utilized.

Aero-thermal optimization of film cooling flow parameters on the suction surface of a high pressure turbine blade

Science.gov (United States)

El Ayoubi, Carole; Hassan, Ibrahim; Ghaly, Wahid

2012-11-01

This paper aims to optimize film coolant flow parameters on the suction surface of a high-pressure gas turbine blade in order to obtain an optimum compromise between a superior cooling performance and a minimum aerodynamic penalty. An optimization algorithm coupled with three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes analysis is used to determine the optimum film cooling configuration. The VKI blade with two staggered rows of axially oriented, conically flared, film cooling holes on its suction surface is considered. Two design variables are selected; the coolant to mainstream temperature ratio and total pressure ratio. The optimization objective consists of maximizing the spatially averaged film cooling effectiveness and minimizing the aerodynamic penalty produced by film cooling. The effect of varying the coolant flow parameters on the film cooling effectiveness and the aerodynamic loss is analyzed using an optimization method and three dimensional steady CFD simulations. The optimization process consists of a genetic algorithm and a response surface approximation of the artificial neural network type to provide low-fidelity predictions of the objective function. The CFD simulations are performed using the commercial software CFX. The numerical predictions of the aero-thermal performance is validated against a well-established experimental database.

Overview of Current Turbine Aerodynamic Analysis and Testing at MSFC

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, Lisa W.; Hudson, Susan T.; Zoladz, Thomas F.

1999-01-01

An overview of the current turbine aerodynamic analysis and testing activities at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is presented. The presentation is divided into three areas. The first area is the three-dimensional (3D), unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of the Fastrac turbine. Results from a coupled nozzle, blade, and exit guide vane analysis and from an uncoupled nozzle and coupled blade and exit guide vane will be presented. Unsteady pressure distributions, frequencies, and exit profiles from each analysis will be compared and contrasted. The second area is the testing and analysis of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) High Pressure Fuel Turbopump (HPFTP) turbine with instrumented first stage blades. The SSME HPFTP turbine was tested in air at the MSFC Turbine Test Equipment (TTE). Pressure transducers were mounted on the first stage blades. Unsteady, 3D CFD analysis was performed for this geometry and flow conditions. A sampling of the results will be shown. The third area is a status of the Turbine Performance Optimization task. The objective of this task is to improve the efficiency of a turbine for potential use on a next generation launch vehicle. This task includes global optimization for the preliminary design, detailed optimization for blade shapes and spacing, and application of advanced CFD analysis. The final design will be tested in the MSFC TTE.

Computational Aerodynamic Simulations of a 1215 ft/sec Tip Speed Transonic Fan System Model for Acoustic Methods Assessment and Development

Science.gov (United States)

Tweedt, Daniel L.

2014-01-01

Computational Aerodynamic simulations of a 1215 ft/sec tip speed transonic fan system were performed at five different operating points on the fan operating line, in order to provide detailed internal flow field information for use with fan acoustic prediction methods presently being developed, assessed and validated. The fan system is a sub-scale, low-noise research fan/nacelle model that has undergone extensive experimental testing in the 9- by 15-foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Details of the fan geometry, the computational fluid dynamics methods, the computational grids, and various computational parameters relevant to the numerical simulations are discussed. Flow field results for three of the five operating points simulated are presented in order to provide a representative look at the computed solutions. Each of the five fan aerodynamic simulations involved the entire fan system, which for this model did not include a split flow path with core and bypass ducts. As a result, it was only necessary to adjust fan rotational speed in order to set the fan operating point, leading to operating points that lie on a fan operating line and making mass flow rate a fully dependent parameter. The resulting mass flow rates are in good agreement with measurement values. Computed blade row flow fields at all fan operating points are, in general, aerodynamically healthy. Rotor blade and fan exit guide vane flow characteristics are good, including incidence and deviation angles, chordwise static pressure distributions, blade surface boundary layers, secondary flow structures, and blade wakes. Examination of the flow fields at all operating conditions reveals no excessive boundary layer separations or related secondary-flow problems.

EFFECTS OF SLOTTED BLADING ON SECONDARY FLOW IN HIGHLY LOADED COMPRESSOR CASCADE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RAMZI MDOUKI

2013-10-01

Full Text Available With the aim to increase allowable blade loadings and enlarge stable operating range in highly loaded compressor, this work is carried out in order to explore the potential of passive control via slotted bladings in linear cascade configurations under both design and stall conditions. Through an extensive 2D-numerical study, the effects of location, width and slope of slots were analysed and the best configuration was identified. Based on the optimal slot, the 3D aerodynamic performances of cascade were studied and the influence of slotted blading to control endwall flow was investigated. Both 2D and 3D calculations are performed on steady RANS solver with standard k-epsilon turbulence model and low Mach number regime. The total loss coefficient, turning angle and flow visualizations on the blade and end-wall surfaces are adopted to describe the different configurations. The obtained results show, for 2D situation, that a maximum of 28.3% reduction in loss coefficient had been reached and the flow turning was increased with approximately 5°. Concerning 3D flow fields the slots marked their benefit at large incoming flow angles which delays the separation on both end wall and blade suction surface at mid span. However, at design conditions, the slotted blades are not able to control secondary flows near the wall and so, lose their potential.

System for manufacturing wooden rotor blades for small wind mills

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moeller, B

1991-05-01

Acknowledging the need (also in developing countries) for small windmill wings with various patterns and aerodynamic characteristics a simple, low-cost hand-controlled copying milling machine was built (with standard parts) to reduce production time for one wing to 1-2 hours. A sensor-roll transfers the airfoil pattern to a set of two saw blades, driven by an electric motor, which carves the airfoil out of a wooden beam. It is thus possible to cut out each cross section of the wing and manufacture a constantly reproducible rotor blade. The hard-foam airfoil models - their shapes, material and production, the laminated beam - the preparation of the wood and the lamination, and the copying milling machine itself - its design and how to build, operate and maintain it, are described in detail. (AB)

The Influence of Geometric Coupling on the Whirl Flutter Stability in Tiltrotor Aircraft with Unsteady Aerodynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Taeseong; Shin, SangJoon; Kim, Do-Hyung

2012-01-01

A further improvement is attempted of an existing analytical model for an accurate prediction of the aeroelastic stability of a tiltrotor aircraft. A rigid-bladed rotor structural model with the natural frequencies selected appropriately in both the flapping and lagging motions is used. The geome......A further improvement is attempted of an existing analytical model for an accurate prediction of the aeroelastic stability of a tiltrotor aircraft. A rigid-bladed rotor structural model with the natural frequencies selected appropriately in both the flapping and lagging motions is used....... The geometric coupling between the wing vertical bending and torsion is also included. The pitch-flap and pitch-lag couplings are also added. Three different aerodynamic models are combined with the structural model: two quasi-steady and one full unsteady aerodynamics models. Frequency domain analysis...... structural modes, especially between the lower frequency rotor modes and the wing modes, are observed from the frequency and damping prediction....

Verification of a novel innovative blade root design for wind turbines using a hybrid numerical method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Wei Jun; Shen, Wen Zhong; Sørensen, Jens Nørkær

2017-01-01

captured at the outer part of the blades, where the relative wind speed is high. To assess the impact of this novel design idea, a hybrid numerical technique, based on solving the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, is utilized to determine the aerodynamic performance. The in-house developed Ellip...

Development of multidisciplinary design optimization procedures for smart composite wings and turbomachinery blades

Science.gov (United States)

Jha, Ratneshwar

Multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) procedures have been developed for smart composite wings and turbomachinery blades. The analysis and optimization methods used are computationally efficient and sufficiently rigorous. Therefore, the developed MDO procedures are well suited for actual design applications. The optimization procedure for the conceptual design of composite aircraft wings with surface bonded piezoelectric actuators involves the coupling of structural mechanics, aeroelasticity, aerodynamics and controls. The load carrying member of the wing is represented as a single-celled composite box beam. Each wall of the box beam is analyzed as a composite laminate using a refined higher-order displacement field to account for the variations in transverse shear stresses through the thickness. Therefore, the model is applicable for the analysis of composite wings of arbitrary thickness. Detailed structural modeling issues associated with piezoelectric actuation of composite structures are considered. The governing equations of motion are solved using the finite element method to analyze practical wing geometries. Three-dimensional aerodynamic computations are performed using a panel code based on the constant-pressure lifting surface method to obtain steady and unsteady forces. The Laplace domain method of aeroelastic analysis produces root-loci of the system which gives an insight into the physical phenomena leading to flutter/divergence and can be efficiently integrated within an optimization procedure. The significance of the refined higher-order displacement field on the aeroelastic stability of composite wings has been established. The effect of composite ply orientations on flutter and divergence speeds has been studied. The Kreisselmeier-Steinhauser (K-S) function approach is used to efficiently integrate the objective functions and constraints into a single envelope function. The resulting unconstrained optimization problem is solved using the

Design considerations for a Space Shuttle Main Engine turbine blade made of single crystal material

Science.gov (United States)

Abdul-Aziz, A.; August, R.; Nagpal, V.

1993-01-01

Nonlinear finite-element structural analyses were performed on the first stage high-pressure fuel turbopump blade of the Space Shuttle Main Engine. The analyses examined the structural response and the dynamic characteristics at typical operating conditions. Single crystal material PWA-1480 was considered for the analyses. Structural response and the blade natural frequencies with respect to the crystal orientation were investigated. The analyses were conducted based on typical test stand engine cycle. Influence of combined thermal, aerodynamic, and centrifugal loadings was considered. Results obtained showed that the single crystal secondary orientation effects on the maximum principal stresses are not highly significant.

Aerodynamic analysis of potential use of flow control devices on helicopter rotor blades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tejero, F; Doerffer, P; Szulc, O

2014-01-01

The interest in the application of flow control devices has been rising in the last years. Recently, several passive streamwise vortex generators have been analysed in a configuration of a curved wall nozzle within the framework of the UFAST project (Unsteady Effects of Shock Wave Induced Separation, 2005 – 2009). Experimental and numerical results proved that the technology is effective in delaying flow separation. The numerical investigation has been extended to helicopter rotor blades in hover and forward flight applying the FLOWer solver (RANS approach) implementing the chimera overlapping grids technique and high performance computing. CFD results for hover conditions confirm that the proposed passive control method reduces the flow separation increasing the thrust over power consumption. The paper presents the numerical validation for both states of flight and the possible implementation of RVGs on helicopter rotor blades.

Selection of a high performance alloy for gas turbine blade using finite element methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khawaja, H.A.; Khan, A.M.; Ali, S.T.

2007-01-01

With the extensive increase in the utilization of energy resources in the modern era, the need of energy extraction from various resources has pronounced in recent years. Thus comprehensive efforts have been made around the globe in the technological development of turbo machines where means of energy extraction is energized fluids. This development led the eviation industry to power boost due to better performing engines. Meanwhile, the structural conformability requirements relative to the functional requirements have also increased with the advent of newer, better performing materials. Thus there is a need to study the material behavior and its usage with the idea of selecting the best possible material for its application. In this work a gas turbine blade of a small turbofan engine, where geometry and aerodynamic data was available, was analyzed for its structural behavior in the proposed mission envelope, where the engine turbine is subjected to high thermal, inertial and aerodynamic loads. FE linear stress analysis was carried out on the turbine blade. The results revealed the upper limit of UTS for the blade. Based on the limiting factor, high performance alloys were selected from the literature. The two most recommended alloy categories for gas turbine blades are NIMONIC and INCONEL from where total of 21 types of INCONEL alloys and 12 of NIMONIC alloys, available on on commercial bases, were analyzed individually to meet the INCONEL alloys for further analysis. On the basis of stress-strain behavior of finalized alloys, the FE restriction of UFOS of 1.33 and yield strength. Final selection is made keeping in view other factors like manufacturability and workability in due consideration. (author)

Cooling of gas turbines IX : cooling effects from use of ceramic coatings on water-cooled turbine blades

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, W Byron; Livingood, John N B

1948-01-01

The hottest part of a turbine blade is likely to be the trailing portion. When the blades are cooled and when water is used as the coolant, the cooling passages are placed as close as possible to the trailing edge in order to cool this portion. In some cases, however, the trailing portion of the blade is so narrow, for aerodynamic reasons, that water passages cannot be located very near the trailing edge. Because ceramic coatings offer the possibility of protection for the trailing part of such narrow blades, a theoretical study has been made of the cooling effect of a ceramic coating on: (1) the blade-metal temperature when the gas temperature is unchanged, and (2) the gas temperature when the metal temperature is unchanged. Comparison is also made between the changes in the blade or gas temperatures produced by ceramic coatings and the changes produced by moving the cooling passages nearer the trailing edge. This comparison was made to provide a standard for evaluating the gains obtainable with ceramic coatings as compared to those obtainable by constructing the turbine blade in such a manner that water passages could be located very near the trailing edge.

On the aerodynamics of variable-geometry oval-trajectory Darrieus wind turbines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ponta, F.L.; Seminara, J.J.; Otero, A.D. [College of Engineering, University of Buenos Aires, Paseo Colon 850, Buenos Aires C1063ACV (Argentina)

2007-01-15

A new computational model for the aerodynamics of vertical-axis wind turbines is introduced. It is based on the double-multiple streamtube concept and it incorporates the capacity of dealing with rotors whose blades follow oval-trajectories at variable setting-angles. We applied this model to the study of the aerodynamics of an innovative concept in extra-large wind-power plants: the VGOT (variable-geometry oval-trajectory) Darrieus wind turbine. Due to the especial geometric characteristics of the VGOT Darrieus, it was necessary to propose three new non-dimensional parameters to quantify its performance under different wind-conditions: the equivalent power coefficient, the equivalent solidity coefficient and the trajectory efficiency. We show some numerical results testing several rotor configurations working under different wind scenarios. (author)

The Effect of Aerodynamic Evaluators on the Multi-Objective Optimization of Flatback Airfoils

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, M.; Slew, K. Lee; Matida, E.

2016-09-01

With the long lengths of today's wind turbine rotor blades, there is a need to reduce the mass, thereby requiring stiffer airfoils, while maintaining the aerodynamic efficiency of the airfoils, particularly in the inboard region of the blade where structural demands are highest. Using a genetic algorithm, the multi-objective aero-structural optimization of 30% thick flatback airfoils was systematically performed for a variety of aerodynamic evaluators such as lift-to-drag ratio (Cl/Cd), torque (Ct), and torque-to-thrust ratio (Ct/Cn) to determine their influence on airfoil shape and performance. The airfoil optimized for Ct possessed a 4.8% thick trailing-edge, and a rather blunt leading-edge region which creates high levels of lift and correspondingly, drag. It's ability to maintain similar levels of lift and drag under forced transition conditions proved it's insensitivity to roughness. The airfoil optimized for Cl/Cd displayed relatively poor insensitivity to roughness due to the rather aft-located free transition points. The Ct/Cn optimized airfoil was found to have a very similar shape to that of the Cl/Cd airfoil, with a slightly more blunt leading-edge which aided in providing higher levels of lift and moderate insensitivity to roughness. The influence of the chosen aerodynamic evaluator under the specified conditions and constraints in the optimization of wind turbine airfoils is shown to have a direct impact on the airfoil shape and performance.

KNOW-BLADE task-4 report: Navier-Stokes aeroelasticity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Politis, E.S.; Nikolaou, I.G.; Chaviaropoulos, P.K.

2004-01-01

wind turbine blade have been combined with 2D and 3D unsteady Navier-Stokes solvers. The relative disadvantage of the quasi-3D approach (where the elastic solver is coupled with a 2D Navier-Stokes solver) isits inability to model induced flow. The lack of a validation test case did not allow...... the computations for the full blade, 2D computations for the so-called “typical section” have been carried out. The 2D aeroelastic tools resulted in similar aerodynamic damping values. Qualitative agreement was better for the lead-lagmode. The presence of roughness tapes has a small, rather negligible impact...... on aeroelastic stability as depicted by the results of both aeroelastic tools. On the other hand, in conformity to the inability of the adopted computational model to successfullypredict the corresponding test cases under work package 2 of the project, the aeroelastic tools are not capable to predict the correct...

Numerical Simulation of the Aerodynamic Performance of the Blades of a Wind Turbine Based on the Blade-tip Losses%基于叶尖损失的风力机叶片气动性能数值模拟

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

王旭东; 王立存; 蒋仁科; 陈彬

2012-01-01

In the light of the influence of the blade tip losses on the load and output power of a wind turbine, contrasted and analyzed were Glarent and Shen blade tip loss correction model. With the traditional momentum blade element theory serving as the basis and based on the improved Shen blade tip loss correction model, the authors presented an aerodynamic correction calculation model for wind wheels. With the help of the model in question,a numerical simulation were performed of the axial and circumferential induction factors and output power of a small power test wind turbine. Through processing and analyzing the test data of the test wind wheel,the calculation results and test data of the model under discussion were compared at the wind speed of 10 m/s and 15 m/s respectively, verifying the reliability of the model. The research results can offer guidance for an in-depth study of the load and fatigue characteristics of the blades of a wind turbine and in the meantime, can lay a theoretical basis for enhancing the output power of a wind turbine and lower the cost of the wind power.%针对叶尖损失对风力机载荷和输出功率的影响,对比分析了Glarent叶尖损失修正模型及Shen叶尖损失修正模型.以传统动量叶素理论为基础,基于改进的Shen叶尖损失修正模型提出了风轮空气动力学修正计算模型.借助此模型,对某小功率实验风轮的轴向和周向诱导因子以及输出功率进行了数值模拟,通过对实验风轮的测试数据进行整理分析,分别将风速10与15 m/s条件下提出模型的计算结果和实验数据进行了比较,验证了提出模型的可靠性.研究结果对风力机叶片载荷及疲劳特性的深入研究具有指导意义,同时为提高风力机输出功率,降低风电成本奠定了理论基础.

Research on flow characteristics of supercritical CO2 axial compressor blades by CFD analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takagi, Kazuhisa; Muto, Yasushi; Ishizuka, Takao; Kikura, Hiroshige; Aritomi, Masanori

2010-01-01

A supercritical CO 2 gas turbine of 20MPa is suitable to couple with the Na-cooled fast reactor since Na - CO 2 reaction is mild at the outlet temperature of 800K, the cycle thermal efficiency is relatively high and the size of CO 2 gas turbine is very compact. In this gas turbine cycle, a compressor operates near the critical point. The property of CO 2 and then the behavior of compressible flow near the critical point changes very sharply. So far, such a behavior is not examined sufficiently. Then, it is important to clarify compressible flow near the critical point. In this paper, an aerodynamic design of the axial supercritical CO 2 compressor for this system has been carried out based on the existing aerodynamic design method of Cohen. The cycle design point was selected to achieve the maximum cycle thermal efficiency of 43.8%. For this point, the compressor design conditions were determined. They are a mass flow rate of 2035kg/s, an inlet temperature of 308K, an inlet static pressure of 8.26MPa, an outlet static pressure of 20.6MPa and a rotational speed of 3600rpm. The mean radius was constant through axial direction. The design point was determined so as to keep the diffusion factor and blade stress within the allowable limits. Number of stages and an expected adiabatic efficiency was 14 and 87%, respectively. CFD analyses by FLUENT have been done for this compressor blade. The blade model consists of one set of a guide vane, a rotor blade and a stator blade. The analyses were conducted under the assumption both of the real gas properties and also of the modified ideal gas properties. Using the real gas properties, analysis was conducted for the 14th blade, whose condition is remote from the critical point and the possibility of divergence is very small. Then, the analyses were conducted for the blade whose conditions are nearer to the critical point. Gradually, divergence of calculation was encountered. Convergence was relatively easy for the modified

Computational Aerodynamic Simulations of an 840 ft/sec Tip Speed Advanced Ducted Propulsor Fan System Model for Acoustic Methods Assessment and Development

Science.gov (United States)

Tweedt, Daniel L.

2014-01-01

Computational Aerodynamic simulations of an 840 ft/sec tip speed, Advanced Ducted Propulsor fan system were performed at five different operating points on the fan operating line, in order to provide detailed internal flow field information for use with fan acoustic prediction methods presently being developed, assessed and validated. The fan system is a sub-scale, lownoise research fan/nacelle model that has undergone extensive experimental testing in the 9- by 15- foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center, resulting in quality, detailed aerodynamic and acoustic measurement data. Details of the fan geometry, the computational fluid dynamics methods, the computational grids, and various computational parameters relevant to the numerical simulations are discussed. Flow field results for three of the five operating conditions simulated are presented in order to provide a representative look at the computed solutions. Each of the five fan aerodynamic simulations involved the entire fan system, excluding a long core duct section downstream of the core inlet guide vane. As a result, only fan rotational speed and system bypass ratio, set by specifying static pressure downstream of the core inlet guide vane row, were adjusted in order to set the fan operating point, leading to operating points that lie on a fan operating line and making mass flow rate a fully dependent parameter. The resulting mass flow rates are in good agreement with measurement values. The computed blade row flow fields for all five fan operating points are, in general, aerodynamically healthy. Rotor blade and fan exit guide vane flow characteristics are good, including incidence and deviation angles, chordwise static pressure distributions, blade surface boundary layers, secondary flow structures, and blade wakes. Examination of the computed flow fields reveals no excessive boundary layer separations or related secondary-flow problems. A few spanwise comparisons between

Numerical Validation of a Vortex Model against ExperimentalData on a Straight-Bladed Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduard Dyachuk

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Cyclic blade motion during operation of vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs imposes challenges on the simulations models of the aerodynamics of VAWTs. A two-dimensional vortex model is validated against the new experimental data on a 12-kW straight-bladed VAWT, which is operated at an open site. The results on the normal force on one blade are analyzed. The model is assessed against the measured data in the wide range of tip speed ratios: from 1.8 to 4.6. The predicted results within one revolution have a similar shape and magnitude as the measured data, though the model does not reproduce every detail of the experimental data. The present model can be used when dimensioning the turbine for maximum loads.

Aeroelastic equations of motion of a Darrieus vertical-axis wind-turbine blade

Science.gov (United States)

Kaza, K. R. V.; Kvaternik, R. G.

1979-01-01

The second-degree nonlinear aeroelastic equations of motion for a slender, flexible, nonuniform, Darrieus vertical-axis wind turbine blade which is undergoing combined flatwise bending, edgewise bending, torsion, and extension are developed using Hamilton's principle. The blade aerodynamic loading is obtained from strip theory based on a quasi-steady approximation of two-dimensional incompressible unsteady airfoil theory. The derivation of the equations has its basis in the geometric nonlinear theory of elasticity and the resulting equations are consistent with the small deformation approximation in which the elongations and shears are negligible compared to unity. These equations are suitable for studying vibrations, static and dynamic aeroelastic instabilities, and dynamic response. Several possible methods of solution of the equations, which have periodic coefficients, are discussed.

Aerodynamic structures and processes in rotationally augmented flow fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schreck, S.J.; Sørensen, Niels N.; Robinson, M.C.

2007-01-01

. Experimental measurements consisted of surface pressure data statistics used to infer sectional boundary layer state and to quantify normal force levels. Computed predictions included high-resolution boundary layer topologies and detailed above-surface flow field structures. This synergy was exploited...... to reliably identify and track pertinent features in the rotating blade boundary layer topology as they evolved in response to varying wind speed. Subsequently, boundary layer state was linked to above-surface flow field structure and used to deduce mechanisms; underlying augmented aerodynamic force...

Aerodynamic performance prediction of Darrieus-type wind turbines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ion NILĂ

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The prediction of Darrieus wind turbine aerodynamic performances provides the necessarydesign and operational data base related to the wind potential. In this sense it provides the type ofturbine suitable to the area where it is to be installed. Two calculation methods are analyzed for arotor with straight blades. The first one is a global method that allows an assessment of the turbinenominal power by a brief calculation. This method leads to an overestimation of performances. Thesecond is the calculation method of the gust factor and momentum which deals with the pale as beingcomposed of different elements that don’t influence each other. This method, developed based on thetheory of the turbine blades, leads to values close to the statistical data obtained experimentally. Thevalues obtained by the calculation method of gust factor - momentum led to the concept of a Darrieusturbine, which will be tested for different wind values in the INCAS subsonic wind tunnel.

Repair welding of cracked steam turbine blades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhaduri, A.K.; Gill, T.P.S.; Albert, S.K.; Shanmugam, K.; Iyer, D.R.

1999-01-01

The procedure for repair welding of cracked steam turbine blades made of martensitic stainless steels has been developed using the gas tungsten arc welding process. Weld repair procedures were developed using both ER316L austenitic stainless steel filler wire and ER410 martensitic stainless steel filler wire. The repair welding procedure with austenitic filler wire was developed to avoid preheating of the blade as also hydrogen induced cold cracking, and involved evaluation of three different austenitic filler wires, viz. ER309L, ER316L and ERNiCr-3. The overall development of the repair welding procedure included selection of welding consumables (for austenitic filler metal), optimisation of post weld heat treatment parameters, selection of suitable method for local pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) of the blades, determination of mechanical properties of weldments in as-welded and PWHT conditions, and microstructural examination. After various trials using different procedures, the procedure of local PWHT using electrical resistance heating on the top surface of the weldment and monitoring the temperature by placing a thermocouple at the bottom of the weld, was found to give the most satisfactory results. A similar procedure was used for preheating while using ER410 filler metal. Mechanical testing of weldments before and after PWHT involved tensile tests at room temperature, face and root bend tests, and microhardness measurements across the fusion line and heat affected zone. During procedure qualification, mock-ups and actual repair welding, dye penetrant testing was used at different stages and where ever possible radiography was carried out. These procedures were developed for repair welding of cracked blades in the low-pressure (LP) steam turbines of Indian nuclear power plants. The procedure with ER316 L filler wire has so far been applied for repair welding of 2 cracked blades (made of AISI 410 SS) of LP steam turbines, while the procedure

Multi-life-stage monitoring system based on fibre bragg grating sensors for more reliable wind turbine rotor blades: Experimental and numerical analysis of deformation and failure in composite materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pereira, Gilmar Ferreira

, design and optimisation of offshore wind turbines. The MareWint main scientific objective is to optimise the design of offshore wind turbines, maximise reliability, and minimise maintenance costs. Integrated within the innovative rotor blades work-package, this PhD project is focused on damage analysis...... are used to improve the design process, and the implemented sensor are used to control the manufacturing and operation stage of a wind turbine rotor blade. The FBG sensors measurement principle is analysed from a multi-life-stage (design, material testing, manufacturing, and operation) perspective......, and supported/validated by numerical models, software tools, signal post-processing, and experimental validation. The damage in the wind turbine rotor blade is analysed from a material perspective (fibre reinforced polymers) and used as a design property, meaning that damage is accepted in an operational wind...

blades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shashishekara S. Talya

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Design optimization of a gas turbine blade geometry for effective film cooling toreduce the blade temperature has been done using a multiobjective optimization formulation. Three optimization formulations have been used. In the first, the average blade temperature is chosen as the objective function to be minimized. An upper bound constraint has been imposed on the maximum blade temperature. In the second, the maximum blade temperature is chosen as the objective function to be minimized with an upper bound constraint on the average blade temperature. In the third formulation, the blade average and maximum temperatures are chosen as objective functions. Shape optimization is performed using geometric parameters associated with film cooling and blade external shape. A quasi-three-dimensional Navier–Stokes solver for turbomachinery flows is used to solve for the flow field external to the blade with appropriate modifications to incorporate the effect of film cooling. The heat transfer analysis for temperature distribution within the blade is performed by solving the heat diffusion equation using the finite element method. The multiobjective Kreisselmeier–Steinhauser function approach has been used in conjunction with an approximate analysis technique for optimization. The results obtained using both formulations are compared with reference geometry. All three formulations yield significant reductions in blade temperature with the multiobjective formulation yielding largest reduction in blade temperature.

Load alleviation on wind turbine blades using variable geometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Basualdo, Santiago

2005-01-01

blade. The aerodynamic problem was solved numerically by a panel method using the potential theory, suitale for modelleing attached flows. It is therefore mostly using the potential theory, suitable for modelling attahed flows. It is therefore mostly applicable for Pitch Regualted Variabel Speed (PRVS......A two-dimensional theoretical study of the aeroelastic behaviour of an airfoil has been performed, whose geometry can be altered using a rear-mounted flap. This device is governed by a controller, whose objective is to reduce the airfoil displacements and therefore, the stresses present in a real...

Numerical investigation on the flow and power of small-sized multi-bladed straight Darrieus wind turbine

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

Straight Darrieus wind turbine has attractive characteristics such as the ability to accept wind from random direction and easy installation and maintenance. But its aerodynamic performance is very complicated, especially for the existence of dynamic stall. How to get better aerodynamic performance arouses lots of interests in the design procedure of a straight Darrieus wind turbine. In this paper, mainly the effects of number of blades and tip speed ratio are discussed. Based on the numerical investigation, an assumed asymmetric straight Darrieus wind turbine is proposed to improve the averaged power coefficient. As to the numerical method, the flow around the turbine is simulated by solving the 2D unsteady Navier-Stokes equation combined with continuous equation. The time marching method on a body-fitted coordinate system based on MAC (Marker-and-Cell) method is used. O-type grid is generated for the whole calculation domain. The characteristics of tangential and normal force are discussed related with dynamic stall of the blade. Averaged power coefficient per period of rotating is calculated to evaluate the eligibility of the turbine.

On damage diagnosis for a wind turbine blade using pattern recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Dervilis, N.; Choi, M.; Taylor, S. G.; Barthorpe, R. J.; Park, G.; Farrar, C. R.; Worden, K.

2014-03-01

With the increased interest in implementation of wind turbine power plants in remote areas, structural health monitoring (SHM) will be one of the key cards in the efficient establishment of wind turbines in the energy arena. Detection of blade damage at an early stage is a critical problem, as blade failure can lead to a catastrophic outcome for the entire wind turbine system. Experimental measurements from vibration analysis were extracted from a 9 m CX-100 blade by researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) throughout a full-scale fatigue test conducted at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and National Wind Technology Center (NWTC). The blade was harmonically excited at its first natural frequency using a Universal Resonant EXcitation (UREX) system. In the current study, machine learning algorithms based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), including an Auto-Associative Neural Network (AANN) based on a standard ANN form and a novel approach to auto-association with Radial Basis Functions (RBFs) networks are used, which are optimised for fast and efficient runs. This paper introduces such pattern recognition methods into the wind energy field and attempts to address the effectiveness of such methods by combining vibration response data with novelty detection techniques.

Unsteady aerodynamics and aeroelasticity of turbomachines and propellers; Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium, Beijing, People's Republic of China, Sept. 18-21, 1989

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, Tianmin; Lu, Yingjie; Yan, Wenxuan; We, Xiaolu

1990-01-01

The present conference discusses a novel method for high speed propeller flutter prediction, blade loads due to unsteady flow in turbomachine cascades, the flow field around an oscillating cascade, axial flow compressor response to inlet periodic dynamic distortion, dynamic breaking in the compressor stall/surge limit, a numerical solution of the two-dimensional transonic flow through an axial turbine stage, the interaction between vibrating cascade blades and shear flow, and the rotating stall of centrifugal compressors. Also discussed are the effects of blade mistuning and coupled disk-blade on cascade flutter boundaries, cavity resonance in an aircraft engine casing during rig testing, noise generation by swept cascades, an advanced Pelton steam turbine rotor design with waste heat recovery, and aerodynamic losses in conventional high bypass ratio turbofan blades.

Application of a modal-driven damage assessment framework for ice localization and quantification on wind turbine blades

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, J. B.; Brincker, Rune; Glavind, L.

2017-01-01

Analysis algorithm. The vibrational data are extracted in the original state of the blade as well as various ice build-up scenario states. In the perturbation tests sand bags are used to simulate the presence of ice. The output of the detection algorithm is an estimate of location, within 4 discrete areas......Operating wind turbines in northern and/or mountainous regions create the demand for effective ice detection and ice removal systems. Ice accretion on the rotor blades of a wind turbine leads, among other things, to added loads, safety issues and diminished aerodynamic performance of the airfoil...

Aerodynamic Optimization of Airfoil Profiles for Small Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Cemal Benim

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is the development of an automated two-dimensional airfoil shape optimization procedure for small horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT, with an emphasis on high thrust and aerodynamically stable performance. The procedure combines the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD analysis with the Response Surface Methodology (RSM, the Biobjective Mesh Adaptive Direct Search (BiMADS optimization algorithm and an automatic geometry and mesh generation tool. In CFD analysis, a Reynolds Averaged Numerical Simulation (RANS is applied in combination with a two-equation turbulence model. For describing the system behaviour under alternating wind conditions, a number of CFD 2D-RANS-Simulations with varying Reynolds numbers and wind angles are performed. The number of cases is reduced by the use of RSM. In the analysis, an emphasis is placed upon the role of the blade-to-blade interaction. The average and the standard deviation of the thrust are optimized by a derivative-free optimization algorithm to define a Pareto optimal set, using the BiMADS algorithm. The results show that improvements in the performance can be achieved by modifications of the blade shape and the present procedure can be used as an effective tool for blade shape optimization.

Parametric dependence of a morphing wind turbine blade on material elasticity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puterbaugh, Martin; Beyene, Asfaw

2011-01-01

A few recent works have suggested a morphing blade for wind turbine energy conversion. The concept is derived from fin and wing motions that better adapt to varying load conditions. Previous research has provided the fluid mechanic justification of this new concept. This paper establishes a parametric relationship between an asymmetric wind turbine blade and constituent material modulus to predict the geometric response of the morphing blade for a given material characteristic. The airfoil's trailing edge deflection is associated to a prescribed fluid exit angle via the Moment Area (MA) method. Subsequently, a mathematical model is derived to predict material deformation with respect to imparted aerodynamic forces. Results show that an airfoil, much like a tapered beam, can be modeled as a non-prismatic cantilevered beam using this well established method. -- Research highlights: →A mathematical model relating morphing airfoil thickness and elastic modulus was established. →For non-prismatic beam under a uniform distributive load, the slope and deflection of the airfoil's trailing edge were related to the fluid exit angle. →The main driver of blade deformation was the angular drag force. The Moment Area method was used, verified by Finite Element method. →Displacement to the exit angle is predicated upon the elastic modulus value given that other parameters are constant. →Optimum power output is obtained in part load conditions when the blade deforms to the applicable exit angle.

Parametric study of turbine NGV blade lean and vortex design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Shaowen

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The effects of blade lean and vortex design on the aerodynamics of a turbine entry nozzle guide vane (NGV are considered using computational fluid dynamics. The aim of the work is to address some of the uncertainties which have arisen from previous studies where conflicting results have been reported for the effect on the NGV. The configuration was initially based on the energy efficient engine turbine which also served as the validation case for the computational method. A total of 17 NGV configurations were evaluated to study the effects of lean and vortex design on row efficiency and secondary kinetic energy. The distribution of mass flow ratio is introduced as an additional factor in the assessment of blade lean effects. The results show that in the turbine entry NGV, the secondary flow strength is not a dominant factor that determines NGV losses and therefore the changes of loading distribution due to blade lean and the associated loss mechanisms should be regarded as a key factor. Radial mass flow redistribution under different NGV lean and twist is demonstrated as an addition key factor influencing row efficiency.

Design of an Advanced Wood Composite Rotor and Development of Wood Composite Blade Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Stroebel, Thomas; Dechow, Curtis; Zuteck, Michael

1984-01-01

In support of a program to advance wood composite wind turbine blade technology, a design was completed for a prototype, 90-foot diameter, two-bladed, one-piece rotor, with all wood/epoxy composite structure. The rotor was sized for compatibility with a generator having a maximum power rating of 4000 kilowatts. Innovative features of the rotor include: a teetering hub to minimize the effects of gust loads, untwisted blades to promote rotor power control through stall, joining of blades to the hub structure via an adhesive bonded structural joint, and a blade structural design which was simplified relative to earlier efforts. The prototype rotor was designed to allow flexibility for configuring the rotor upwind or downwind of the tower, for evaluating various types of teeter dampers and/or elastomeric stops, and with variable delta-three angle settings of the teeter shaft axis. The prototype rotor was also designed with provisions for installing pressure tap and angle of attack instrumentation in one blade. A production version rotor cost analysis was conducted. Included in the program were efforts directed at developing advanced load take-off stud designs for subsequent evaluation testing by NASA, development of aerodynamic tip brake concepts, exploratory testing of a wood/epoxy/graphite concept, and compression testing of wood/epoxy laminate, with scarf-jointed plies.

Numerical study on a single bladed vertical axis wind turbine under dynamic stall

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bangga, Galih [Institute of Aerodynamics and Gas Dynamics, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart (Germany); Hutomo, Go; Sasongko, Herman [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya (Indonesia); Wiranegara, Raditya [School of Mechanical Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom)

2017-01-15

The aim of this study is to investigate the flow development of a single bladed vertical axis wind turbine using Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods. The blade is constructed using the NACA 0012 profile and is operating under stalled conditions at tip speed ratio of 2. Two dimensional simulations are performed using a commercial CFD package, ANSYS Fluent 15.0, employing the Menter-SST turbulence model. For the preliminary study, simulations of the NACA 0012 airfoil under static conditions are carried out and compared with available measurement data and calculations using the boundary layer code XFOIL. The CFD results under the dynamic case are presented and the resulting aerodynamic forces are evaluated. The turbine is observed to generate negative power at certain azimuth angles which can be divided into three main zones. The blade vortex interaction is observed to strongly influence the flow behavior near the blade and contributes to the power production loss. However, the impact is considered small since it covers only 6.4 % of the azimuth angle range where the power is negative compared to the dynamic stall impact which covers almost 22 % of the azimuth angle range.

Study on measurement of leading and trailing edges of blades based on optical scanning system

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Bi; Liu, Hongguang; Bao, Longxiang; Li, Di

2017-10-01

In the field of aeronautics, the geometry and dimensional accuracy of the blade edges has a large influence on the aerodynamic performance of aero engine. Therefore, a non-contact optical scanning system is established to realize the measurement of leading and trailing edges of blades in a rapid, precise and efficient manner in the paper. Based on the mechanical framework of a traditional CMM, the system is equipped with a specified sensing device as the scanning probe, which is made up by two new-style laser scanning sensors installed at a certain angle to each other by a holder. In the measuring procedure, the geometric dimensions of the measured blade edges on every contour plane are determined by the contour information on five transversals at the leading or trailing edges, which can be used to determine the machining allowance of the blades. In order to verify the effectiveness and practicality of the system set up, a precision forging blade after grinded is adopted as the measured object and its leading and trailing edges are measured by the system respectively. In the experiment, the thickness of blade edges on three contour planes is measured by the optical scanning system several times. As the experiment results show, the repeatability accuracy of the system can meet its design requirements and the inspecting demands of the blade edges. As a result, the optical scanning system could serve as a component of the intelligent manufacturing system of blades to improve the machining quality of the blade edges.

Selection of High Performance Alloy for Gas Turbine Blade Using Multiphysics Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H Khawaja

2016-09-01

Full Text Available With the extensive increase in the utilization of energy resources in the modern era, the need of energy extraction from various resources has pronounced in recent years. Thus comprehensive efforts have been made around the globe in the technological development of turbo machines where means of energy extraction is energized fluids. This development led the aviation industry to power boost due to better performing engines. Meanwhile, the structural conformability requirements relative to the functional requirements have also increased with the advent of newer, better performing materials. Thus there is a need to study the material behavior and its usage with the idea of selecting the best possible material for its application. In this work a gas turbine blade of a small turbofan engine, where geometry and aerodynamic data was available, was analyzed for its structural behavior in the proposed mission envelope, where the engine turbine is subjected to high thermal, inertial and aerodynamic loads. Multiphysics Finite Element (FE linear stress analysis was carried out on the turbine blade. The results revealed the upper limit of Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS for the blade. Based on the limiting factor, high performance alloys were selected from the literature. The two most recommended alloy categories for gas turbine blades are NIMONIC and INCONEL from where total of 21 types of INCONEL alloys and 12 of NIMONIC alloys, available on commercial bases, were analyzed individually to meet the structural requirements. After applying selection criteria, four alloys were finalized from NIMONIC and INCONEL alloys for further analysis. On the basis of stress-strain behavior of finalized alloys, the Multiphysics FE nonlinear stress analysis was then carried out for the selection of the individual alloy by imposing a restriction of Ultimate Factor of Safety (UFOS of 1.33 and yield strength. Final selection is made keeping in view other factors

Leading-Edge Flow Sensing for Aerodynamic Parameter Estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Saini, Aditya

The identification of inflow air data quantities such as airspeed, angle of attack, and local lift coefficient on various sections of a wing or rotor blade provides the capability for load monitoring, aerodynamic diagnostics, and control on devices ranging from air vehicles to wind turbines. Real-time measurement of aerodynamic parameters during flight provides the ability to enhance aircraft operating capabilities while preventing dangerous stall situations. This thesis presents a novel Leading-Edge Flow Sensing (LEFS) algorithm for the determination of the air -data parameters using discrete surface pressures measured at a few ports in the vicinity of the leading edge of a wing or blade section. The approach approximates the leading-edge region of the airfoil as a parabola and uses pressure distribution from the exact potential-ow solution for the parabola to _t the pressures measured from the ports. Pressures sensed at five discrete locations near the leading edge of an airfoil are given as input to the algorithm to solve the model using a simple nonlinear regression. The algorithm directly computes the inflow velocity, the stagnation-point location, section angle of attack and lift coefficient. The performance of the algorithm is assessed using computational and experimental data in the literature for airfoils under different ow conditions. The results show good correlation between the actual and predicted aerodynamic quantities within the pre-stall regime, even for a rotating blade section. Sensing the deviation of the aerodynamic behavior from the linear regime requires additional information on the location of ow separation on the airfoil surface. Bio-inspired artificial hair sensors were explored as a part of the current research for stall detection. The response of such artificial micro-structures can identify critical ow characteristics, which relate directly to the stall behavior. The response of the microfences was recorded via an optical microscope for

Comparison of the lifting-line free vortex wake method and the blade-element-momentum theory regarding the simulated loads of multi-MW wind turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hauptmann, S; Bülk, M; Cheng, P W; Schön, L; Erbslöh, S; Boorsma, K; Grasso, F; Kühn, M

2014-01-01

Design load simulations for wind turbines are traditionally based on the blade- element-momentum theory (BEM). The BEM approach is derived from a simplified representation of the rotor aerodynamics and several semi-empirical correction models. A more sophisticated approach to account for the complex flow phenomena on wind turbine rotors can be found in the lifting-line free vortex wake method. This approach is based on a more physics based representation, especially for global flow effects. This theory relies on empirical correction models only for the local flow effects, which are associated with the boundary layer of the rotor blades. In this paper the lifting-line free vortex wake method is compared to a state- of-the-art BEM formulation with regard to aerodynamic and aeroelastic load simulations of the 5MW UpWind reference wind turbine. Different aerodynamic load situations as well as standardised design load cases that are sensitive to the aeroelastic modelling are evaluated in detail. This benchmark makes use of the AeroModule developed by ECN, which has been coupled to the multibody simulation code SIMPACK

Comparison of the lifting-line free vortex wake method and the blade-element-momentum theory regarding the simulated loads of multi-MW wind turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Hauptmann, S.; Bülk, M.; Schön, L.; Erbslöh, S.; Boorsma, K.; Grasso, F.; Kühn, M.; Cheng, P. W.

2014-12-01

Design load simulations for wind turbines are traditionally based on the blade- element-momentum theory (BEM). The BEM approach is derived from a simplified representation of the rotor aerodynamics and several semi-empirical correction models. A more sophisticated approach to account for the complex flow phenomena on wind turbine rotors can be found in the lifting-line free vortex wake method. This approach is based on a more physics based representation, especially for global flow effects. This theory relies on empirical correction models only for the local flow effects, which are associated with the boundary layer of the rotor blades. In this paper the lifting-line free vortex wake method is compared to a state- of-the-art BEM formulation with regard to aerodynamic and aeroelastic load simulations of the 5MW UpWind reference wind turbine. Different aerodynamic load situations as well as standardised design load cases that are sensitive to the aeroelastic modelling are evaluated in detail. This benchmark makes use of the AeroModule developed by ECN, which has been coupled to the multibody simulation code SIMPACK.

Numerical Investigations on the Aerodynamic Performance of Wind Turbine：Downwind Versus Upwind Configuration

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Hu Zhou; Decheng Wan

2015-01-01

Although the upwind configuration is more popular in the field of wind energy, the downwind one is a promising type for the offshore wind energy due to its special advantages. Different configurations have different aerodynamic performance and it is important to predict the performance of both downwind and upwind configurations accurately for designing and developing more reliable wind turbines. In this paper, a numerical investigation on the aerodynamic performance of National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) phase VI wind turbine in downwind and upwind configurations is presented. The open source toolbox OpenFOAM coupled with arbitrary mesh interface (AMI) method is applied to tackle rotating problems of wind turbines. Two 3D numerical models of NREL phase VI wind turbine with downwind and upwind configurations under four typical working conditions of incoming wind velocities are set up for the study of different unsteady characteristics of the downwind and upwind configurations, respectively. Numerical results of wake vortex structure, time histories of thrust, pressure distribution on the blade and limiting streamlines which can be used to identify points of separation in a 3D flow are presented. It can be concluded that thrust reduction due to blade-tower interaction is small for upwind wind turbines but relatively large for downwind wind turbines and attention should be paid to the vibration at a certain frequency induced by the cyclic reduction for both configurations. The results and conclusions are helpful to analyze the different aerodynamic performance of wind turbines between downwind and upwind configurations, providing useful references for practical design of wind turbine.

The impact of inertial forces on morphing wind turbine blade in vertical axis configuration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butbul, Jonathan; MacPhee, David; Beyene, Asfaw

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A novel flexible VAWT has been experimentally tested alongside numerically simulations. • Using FEA and CFD, direction of blade bending was predicted from inertial and aerodynamic forces. • High-speed camera footage has been used to validate the model. • The flexible VAWT was found to self-start in the majority of tests, while the rigid one did not. • It is suggested that flexible VAWTs can have improved performance in part-load applications. - Abstract: A novel flexible blade concept with the ability to morph and geometrically adapt to changing flow conditions has been proposed to improve part-load performance of horizontal-axis wind turbines. The extension of these benefits to a vertical axis wind turbine would make wind technology a more competitive player in the energy market. Both flexible and rigid wind turbine rotor blades for vertical axis application were modeled, designed, manufactured and tested. Their performances were tested in a low speed wind tunnel. The predicted magnitude and direction of blade morph was validated using a high speed camera as well as finite element analysis. The comparative results of straight rigid and straight morphing blades show that the coefficient of performance greatly depends on the tip speed ratio. Overall, the morphing blade has better performance at low RPMs, but the rigid blade performed better at high RPMs. It was observed that the flexible blade self-started in the majority of the experiments. At high RPM, the centrifugal force overwhelmed the lift force, bending the flexible blade out of phase in an undesired direction increasing drag and therefore reducing the coefficient of performance

Recent developments in rotary-wing aerodynamic theory

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, W.

1986-01-01

Current progress in the computational analysis of rotary-wing flowfields is surveyed, and some typical results are presented in graphs. Topics examined include potential theory, rotating coordinate systems, lifting-surface theory (moving singularity, fixed wing, and rotary wing), panel methods (surface singularity representations, integral equations, and compressible flows), transonic theory (the small-disturbance equation), wake analysis (hovering rotor-wake models and transonic blade-vortex interaction), limitations on computational aerodynamics, and viscous-flow methods (dynamic-stall theories and lifting-line theory). It is suggested that the present algorithms and advanced computers make it possible to begin working toward the ultimate goal of turbulent Navier-Stokes calculations for an entire rotorcraft.

Integrated airfoil and blade design method for large wind turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Wei Jun; Shen, Wen Zhong

2013-01-01

This paper presents an integrated method for designing airfoil families of large wind turbine blades. For a given rotor diameter and tip speed ratio, the optimal airfoils are designed based on the local speed ratios. To achieve high power performance at low cost, the airfoils are designed...... with an objective of high Cp and small chord length. When the airfoils are obtained, the optimum flow angle and rotor solidity are calculated which forms the basic input to the blade design. The new airfoils are designed based on the previous in-house airfoil family which were optimized at a Reynolds number of 3...... million. A novel shape perturbation function is introduced to optimize the geometry on the existing airfoils and thus simplify the design procedure. The viscos/inviscid code Xfoil is used as the aerodynamic tool for airfoil optimization where the Reynolds number is set at 16 million with a free...

Integrated airfoil and blade design method for large wind turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Wei Jun; Shen, Wen Zhong; Sørensen, Jens Nørkær

2014-01-01

This paper presents an integrated method for designing airfoil families of large wind turbine blades. For a given rotor diameter and a tip speed ratio, optimal airfoils are designed based on the local speed ratios. To achieve a high power performance at low cost, the airfoils are designed...... with the objectives of high Cp and small chord length. When the airfoils are obtained, the optimum flow angle and rotor solidity are calculated which forms the basic input to the blade design. The new airfoils are designed based on a previous in-house designed airfoil family which was optimized at a Reynolds number...... of 3 million. A novel shape perturbation function is introduced to optimize the geometry based on the existing airfoils which simplifies the design procedure. The viscous/inviscid interactive code XFOIL is used as the aerodynamic tool for airfoil optimization at a Reynolds number of 16 million...

RANS study of unsteady flow around a profile blade : application to stall of horizontal axis wind turbine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belkheir, N. [Khemis Miliana Univ., Ain Defla (Algeria); Dizene, R. [Univ. des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Algiers (Algeria). Laboratoire de Mecanique Avancee; Khelladi, S.; Massouh, F.; Dobrev, I. [Arts et Metiers Paris Tech., Paris (France)

2010-07-01

The shape of an airfoil is designed to achieve the best aerodynamic performance. An aerofoil section undergoes dynamic stall when subjected to any form of unsteady angle of pitch. The study of a horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) under wind operating conditions is complex because it is subject to instantaneous speed and wind direction variation. When turbine blades are driven into a dynamic stall, the lift coefficient drops suddenly resulting in a degradation in aerodynamic performance. This study presented steady and unsteady wind load predictions over an oscillating S809 airfoil tested in a subsonic wind tunnel. A model of sinusoidal pitch oscillations was used. The values for the angles of attack in steady state ranged from -20 to +40 degrees. The model considered 3 frequencies and 2 amplitudes. The two-dimensional numerical model simulated the instantaneous change of wind direction with respect to the turbine blade. Results were compared with data measurements of S809 aerofoil. Reasonable deviations were obtained between the predicted and experimental results for pitch oscillations. The URANS approach was used to predict the stall while the software FLUENT was used for the numerical solution. It was concluded that the behaviour of the unsteady flow in the wind farm must be considered in order to obtain an accurate estimate of the wind turbine aerodynamic load. 12 refs., 5 figs.

Development and Validation of a New Blade Element Momentum Skewed-Wake Model within AeroDyn: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ning, S. A.; Hayman, G.; Damiani, R.; Jonkman, J.

2014-12-01

Blade element momentum methods, though conceptually simple, are highly useful for analyzing wind turbines aerodynamics and are widely used in many design and analysis applications. A new version of AeroDyn is being developed to take advantage of new robust solution methodologies, conform to a new modularization framework for National Renewable Energy Laboratory's FAST, utilize advanced skewed-wake analysis methods, fix limitations with previous implementations, and to enable modeling of highly flexible and nonstraight blades. This paper reviews blade element momentum theory and several of the options available for analyzing skewed inflow. AeroDyn implementation details are described for the benefit of users and developers. These new options are compared to solutions from the previous version of AeroDyn and to experimental data. Finally, recommendations are given on how one might select from the various available solution approaches.

Aerodynamic Simulation of the MEXICO Rotor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herraez, I; Medjroubi, W; Peinke, J; Stoevesandt, B

2014-01-01

CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations are a very promising method for predicting the aerodynamic behavior of wind turbines in an inexpensive and accurate way. One of the major drawbacks of this method is the lack of validated models. As a consequence, the reliability of numerical results is often difficult to assess. The MEXICO project aimed at solving this problem by providing the project partners with high quality measurements of a 4.5 meters rotor diameter wind turbine operating under controlled conditions. The large measurement data-set allows the validation of all kind of aerodynamic models. This work summarizes our efforts for validating a CFD model based on the open source software OpenFoam. Both steady- state and time-accurate simulations have been performed with the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model for several operating conditions. In this paper we will concentrate on axisymmetric inflow for 3 different wind speeds. The numerical results are compared with pressure distributions from several blade sections and PIV-flow data from the near wake region. In general, a reasonable agreement between measurements the and our simulations exists. Some discrepancies, which require further research, are also discussed

Aerodynamics of wind turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Martin Otto Laver

Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines is the established essential text for the fundamental solutions to efficient wind turbine design. Now in its third edition, it has been substantially updated with respect to structural dynamics and control. The new control chapter now includes details on how to design...... Turbines (VAWT). Topics covered include increasing mass flow through the turbine, performance at low and high wind speeds, assessment of the extreme conditions under which the turbine will perform and the theory for calculating the lifetime of the turbine. The classical Blade Element Momentum method...... is also covered, as are eigenmodes and the dynamic behaviour of a turbine. The book describes the effects of the dynamics and how this can be modelled in an aeroelastic code, which is widely used in the design and verification of modern wind turbines. Furthermore, it examines how to calculate...

Innovative approach to computer-aided design of horizontal axis wind turbine blades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Farhad Hosseini

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The design of horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT blades involves several geometric complexities. As a result, the modeling of these blades by commercial computer-aided design (CAD software is not easily accomplished. In the present paper, the HAWT blade is divided into structural and aerodynamic surfaces with a G1 continuity imposed on their connecting region. The widely used method of skinning is employed throughout the current work for surface approximation. In addition, to ensure the compatibility of section curves, a novel approach is developed based on the redistribution of input airfoil points. In order to evaluate deviation errors, the Hausdorff metric is used. The fairness of surfaces is quantitatively assessed using the standard strain energy method. The above-mentioned algorithms are successfully integrated into a MATLAB program so as to enhance further optimization applications. The final surfaces created by the procedure developed during the present study can be exported using the IGES standard file format and directly interpreted by commercial CAD and FE software.

Application of the adjoint optimisation of shock control bump for ONERA-M6 wing

Science.gov (United States)

Nejati, A.; Mazaheri, K.

2017-11-01

This article is devoted to the numerical investigation of the shock wave/boundary layer interaction (SWBLI) as the main factor influencing the aerodynamic performance of transonic bumped airfoils and wings. The numerical analysis is conducted for the ONERA-M6 wing through a shock control bump (SCB) shape optimisation process using the adjoint optimisation method. SWBLI is analyzed for both clean and bumped airfoils and wings, and it is shown how the modified wave structure originating from upstream of the SCB reduces the wave drag, by improving the boundary layer velocity profile downstream of the shock wave. The numerical simulation of the turbulent viscous flow and a gradient-based adjoint algorithm are used to find the optimum location and shape of the SCB for the ONERA-M6 airfoil and wing. Two different geometrical models are introduced for the 3D SCB, one with linear variations, and another with periodic variations. Both configurations result in drag reduction and improvement in the aerodynamic efficiency, but the periodic model is more effective. Although the three-dimensional flow structure involves much more complexities, the overall results are shown to be similar to the two-dimensional case.

Structural and mechanism design of an active trailing-edge flap blade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jae Hwan [Samsung Techwin R and D Center, Seongnam (Korea, Republic of); Natarajan, Balakumaran; Eun, Won Jong; Shin, Sang Joon [Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); R, Viswamurthy S. [National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore (India); Park, Jae Sang [Agency for Defense Development, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Tae Song [Technical University of Denmark, Risoe Campus, Roskilde (Denmark)

2013-09-15

A conventional rotor control system restricted at 1/rev frequency component is unable to vary the hub vibratory loads and the aero acoustic noise, which exist in high frequency components. Various active rotor control methodologies have been examined in the literature to alleviate the problem of excessive hub vibratory loads and noise. The active control device manipulates the blade pitch angle with arbitrary higher harmonic frequencies individually. In this paper, an active trailing-edge flap blade, which is one of the active control methods, is developed to reduce vibratory loads and noise of the rotor through modification of unsteady aerodynamic loads. Piezoelectric actuators installed inside the blade manipulate the motion of the trailing edge flap. The proposed blade rotates at higher speed and additional structures are included to support the actuators and the flap. This improves the design, as the blade is able to withstand increased centrifugal force. The cross-section of the active blade is designed first. A stress/strain recovery analysis is then conducted to verify its structural integrity. A one-dimensional beam analysis is also carried out to assist with the construction of the fan diagram. To select the actuator and design the flap actuation region, the flap hinge moment is estimated via a CFD analysis. To obtain the desired flap deflection of ±4 .deg. , three actuators are required. The design of the flap actuation region is validated using a test bed with a skin hinge. However, because the skin hinge induces additional flap hinge moment, it does not provide sufficient deflection angle. Therefore, the flap hinge is replaced by a pin-type hinge, and the results are evaluated.

Study of controlled diffusion stator blading. 1. Aerodynamic and mechanical design report

Science.gov (United States)

Canal, E.; Chisholm, B. C.; Lee, D.; Spear, D. A.

1981-01-01

Pratt & Whitney Aircraft is conducting a test program for NASA in order to demonstrate that a controlled-diffusion stator provides low losses at high loadings and Mach numbers. The technology has shown great promise in wind tunnel tests. Details of the design of the controlled diffusion stator vanes and the multiple-circular-arc rotor blades are presented. The stage, including stator and rotor, was designed to be suitable for the first-stage of an advanced multistage, high-pressure compressor.

Improved fixed point iterative method for blade element momentum computations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sun, Zhenye; Shen, Wen Zhong; Chen, Jin

2017-01-01

The blade element momentum (BEM) theory is widely used in aerodynamic performance calculations and optimization applications for wind turbines. The fixed point iterative method is the most commonly utilized technique to solve the BEM equations. However, this method sometimes does not converge...... are addressed through both theoretical analysis and numerical tests. A term from the BEM equations equals to zero at a critical inflow angle is the source of the convergence problems. When the initial inflow angle is set larger than the critical inflow angle and the relaxation methodology is adopted...

Aerodynamic design of horizontal axis wind turbine with innovative local linearization of chord and twist distributions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tahani, Mojtaba; Kavari, Ghazale; Masdari, Mehran

2017-01-01

This study is aimed to aerodynamically design a 1 mega-Watt horizontal axis wind turbine in order to obtain the maximum power coefficient by linearizing the chord and twist distributions. A new linearization method has been used for chord and twist distributions by crossing tangent line through...... the geometry of the blades determines the power generated by rotor, designing the blade is a very important issue. Herein, calculations are done for different types of airfoil families namely Risø-A1-21, Risø-A1-18, S809, S814 and Du 93-W-210. Hence, the effect of selecting different airfoil families is also...

Some practical issues in the computational design of airfoils for the helicopter main rotor blades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kostić Ivan

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Very important requirement for the helicopter rotor airfoils is zero, or nearly zero moment coefficient about the aerodynamic center. Unlike the old technologies used for metal blades, modern production involving application of plastic composites has imposed the necessity of adding a flat tab extension to the blade trailing edge, thus changing the original airfoil shape. Using computer program TRANPRO, the author has developed and verified an algorithm for numerical analysis in this design stage, applied it on asymmetrical reflex camber airfoils, determined the influence of angular tab positioning on the moment coefficient value and redesigned some existing airfoils to include properly positioned tabs that satisfy very low moment coefficient requirement. .

Airfoil family design for large offshore wind turbine blades

Science.gov (United States)

Méndez, B.; Munduate, X.; San Miguel, U.

2014-06-01

Wind turbine blades size has scaled-up during last years due to wind turbine platform increase especially for offshore applications. The EOLIA project 2007-2010 (Spanish Goverment funded project) was focused on the design of large offshore wind turbines for deep waters. The project was managed by ACCIONA Energia and the wind turbine technology was designed by ACCIONA Windpower. The project included the design of a wind turbine airfoil family especially conceived for large offshore wind turbine blades, in the order of 5MW machine. Large offshore wind turbines suffer high extreme loads due to their size, in addition the lack of noise restrictions allow higher tip speeds. Consequently, the airfoils presented in this work are designed for high Reynolds numbers with the main goal of reducing blade loads and mantainig power production. The new airfoil family was designed in collaboration with CENER (Spanish National Renewable Energy Centre). The airfoil family was designed using a evolutionary algorithm based optimization tool with different objectives, both aerodynamic and structural, coupled with an airfoil geometry generation tool. Force coefficients of the designed airfoil were obtained using the panel code XFOIL in which the boundary layer/inviscid flow coupling is ineracted via surface transpiration model. The desing methodology includes a novel technique to define the objective functions based on normalizing the functions using weight parameters created from data of airfoils used as reference. Four airfoils have been designed, here three of them will be presented, with relative thickness of 18%, 21%, 25%, which have been verified with the in-house CFD code, Wind Multi Block WMB, and later validated with wind tunnel experiments. Some of the objectives for the designed airfoils concern the aerodynamic behavior (high efficiency and lift, high tangential coefficient, insensitivity to rough conditions, etc.), others concern the geometry (good for structural design

Airfoil family design for large offshore wind turbine blades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Méndez, B; Munduate, X; Miguel, U San

2014-01-01

Wind turbine blades size has scaled-up during last years due to wind turbine platform increase especially for offshore applications. The EOLIA project 2007-2010 (Spanish Goverment funded project) was focused on the design of large offshore wind turbines for deep waters. The project was managed by ACCIONA Energia and the wind turbine technology was designed by ACCIONA Windpower. The project included the design of a wind turbine airfoil family especially conceived for large offshore wind turbine blades, in the order of 5MW machine. Large offshore wind turbines suffer high extreme loads due to their size, in addition the lack of noise restrictions allow higher tip speeds. Consequently, the airfoils presented in this work are designed for high Reynolds numbers with the main goal of reducing blade loads and mantainig power production. The new airfoil family was designed in collaboration with CENER (Spanish National Renewable Energy Centre). The airfoil family was designed using a evolutionary algorithm based optimization tool with different objectives, both aerodynamic and structural, coupled with an airfoil geometry generation tool. Force coefficients of the designed airfoil were obtained using the panel code XFOIL in which the boundary layer/inviscid flow coupling is ineracted via surface transpiration model. The desing methodology includes a novel technique to define the objective functions based on normalizing the functions using weight parameters created from data of airfoils used as reference. Four airfoils have been designed, here three of them will be presented, with relative thickness of 18%, 21%, 25%, which have been verified with the in-house CFD code, Wind Multi Block WMB, and later validated with wind tunnel experiments. Some of the objectives for the designed airfoils concern the aerodynamic behavior (high efficiency and lift, high tangential coefficient, insensitivity to rough conditions, etc.), others concern the geometry (good for structural design

An interactive version of PropID for the aerodynamic design of horizontal axis wind turbines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ninham, C.P.; Selig, M.S. [Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)

1997-12-31

The original PROP code developed by AeroVironment, Inc. and its various versions have been in use for wind turbine performance predictions for over ten years. Due to its simplicity, rapid execution times and relatively accurate predictions, it has become an industry standard in the US. The Europeans have similar blade-element/momentum methods in use for design. Over the years, PROP has continued to be improved (in its accuracy and capability), e.g., PROPSH, PROPPC, PROP93, and PropID. The latter version incorporates a unique inverse design capability that allows the user to specify the desired aerodynamic characteristics from which the corresponding blade geometry is determined. Through this approach, tedious efforts related to manually adjusting the chord, twist, pitch and rpm to achieve desired aerodynamic/performance characteristics can be avoided, thereby making it possible to perform more extensive trade studies in an effort to optimize performance. Past versions of PropID did not have supporting graphics software. The more current version to be discussed includes a Matlab-based graphical user interface (GUI) and additional features that will be discussed in this paper.

Vortex lattice modelling of winglets on wind turbine blades. 3. ed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doessing, M.

2007-08-15

The power production of wind turbines can be increased by the use of winglets without increasing the swept area. This makes them suitable for sites with restrictions in rotor diameter and in wind farms. The present project aims at understanding how winglets influences the flow and the aerodynamic forces on wind turbine blades. A free wake vortex lattice code and a fast design algorithm for a horizontal axis wind turbine under steady conditions has been developed. 2 winglet designs are treated in detail. (au)

Aerodynamic modelling and optimization of axial fans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noertoft Soerensen, Dan

1998-01-01

A numerically efficient mathematical model for the aerodynamics of low speed axial fans of the arbitrary vortex flow type has been developed. The model is based on a blade-element principle, whereby the rotor is divided into a number of annular stream tubes. For each of these stream tubes relations for velocity, pressure and radial position are derived from the conservation laws for mass, tangential momentum and energy. The equations are solved using the Newton-Raphson methods, and solutions converged to machine accuracy are found at small computing costs. The model has been validated against published measurements on various fan configurations, comprising two rotor-only fan stages, a counter-rotating fan unit and a stator-rotor stator stage. Comparisons of local and integrated properties show that the computed results agree well with the measurements. Optimizations have been performed to maximize the mean value of fan efficiency in a design interval of flow rates, thus designing a fan which operates well over a range of different flow conditions. The optimization scheme was used to investigate the dependence of maximum efficiency on 1: the number of blades, 2: the width of the design interval and 3: the hub radius. The degree of freedom in the choice of design variable and constraints, combined with the design interval concept, provides a valuable design-tool for axial fans. To further investigate the use of design optimization, a model for the vortex shedding noise from the trailing edge of the blades has been incorporated into the optimization scheme. The noise emission from the blades was minimized in a flow rate design point. Optimizations were performed to investigate the dependence of the noise on 1: the number of blades, 2: a constraint imposed on efficiency and 3: the hub radius. The investigations showed, that a significant reduction of noise could be achieved, at the expense of a small reduction in fan efficiency. (EG) 66 refs.

The Forming of AISI 409 sheets for fan blade manufacturing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foroni, F. D.; Menezes, M. A.; Moreira Filho, L. A.

2007-01-01

The necessity of adapting the standardized fan models to conditions of higher temperature has emerged due to the growth of concern referring to the consequences of the gas expelling after the Mont Blanc tunnel accident in Italy and France, where even though, with 100 fans in operation, 41 people died. The objective of this work is to present an alternative to the market standard fans considering a new technology in constructing blades. This new technology introduces the use of the stainless steel AISI 409 due to its good to temperatures of gas exhaust from tunnels in fire situation. The innovation is centered in the process of a deep drawing of metallic sheets in order to keep the ideal aerodynamic superficies for the fan ideal performance. Through the impression of circles on the sheet plane it is shown, experimentally, that, during the pressing process, the more deformed regions on the sheet plane of the blade can not reach the deformation limits of the utilized sheet material

A CFD analysis of blade row interactions within a high-speed axial compressor

Science.gov (United States)

Richman, Michael Scott

Aircraft engine design provides many technical and financial hurdles. In an effort to streamline the design process, save money, and improve reliability and performance, many manufacturers are relying on computational fluid dynamic simulations. An overarching goal of the design process for military aircraft engines is to reduce size and weight while maintaining (or improving) reliability. Designers often turn to the compression system to accomplish this goal. As pressure ratios increase and the number of compression stages decrease, many problems arise, for example stability and high cycle fatigue (HCF) become significant as individual stage loading is increased. CFD simulations have recently been employed to assist in the understanding of the aeroelastic problems. For accurate multistage blade row HCF prediction, it is imperative that advanced three-dimensional blade row unsteady aerodynamic interaction codes be validated with appropriate benchmark data. This research addresses this required validation process for TURBO, an advanced three-dimensional multi-blade row turbomachinery CFD code. The solution/prediction accuracy is characterized, identifying key flow field parameters driving the inlet guide vane (IGV) and stator response to the rotor generated forcing functions. The result is a quantified evaluation of the ability of TURBO to predict not only the fundamental flow field characteristics but the three dimensional blade loading.

Initial design of a stall-controlled wind turbine rotor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nygaard, T.A. [Inst. for Energiteknikk, Kjeller (Norway)

1997-08-01

A model intended for initial design of stall-controlled wind turbine rotors is described. The user specifies relative radial position of an arbitrary number of airfoil sections, referring to a data file containing lift-and drag curves. The data file is on the same format as used in the commercial blade-element code BLADES-/2/, where lift- and drag coefficients are interpolated from tables as function of Reynolds number, relative thickness and angle of attack. The user can set constraints on a selection of the following: Maximum power; Maximum thrust in operation; Maximum root bending moment in operation; Extreme root bending moment, parked rotor; Tip speed; Upper and lower bounds on optimisation variables. The optimisation variables can be selected from: Blade radius; Rotational speed; Chord and twist at an arbitrary number of radial positions. The user can chose linear chord distribution and a hyperbola-like twist distribution to ensure smooth planform and twist, or cubic spline interpolation for one or both. The aerodynamic model is based on classical strip theory with Prandtl tip loss correction, supplemented by empirical data for high induction factors. (EG)

Axial Turbine Aerodynamic Design of Small Heavy-Duty Gas Turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Joung Seok; Lee, Wu Sang; Ryu, Je Wook

2013-01-01

This study describes the aerodynamic design procedure for the axial turbines of a small heavy-duty gas turbine engine being developed by Docosan Heavy Industries. The design procedure mainly consists of three parts: namely, flow path design, airfoil design, and 3a performance calculation. To design the optimized flow path, through flow calculations as well as the loss estimation are widely used to evaluate the effect of geometric variables, for example, shape of meridional plane, mean radius, blades axial gap, and had angle. During the airfoil design procedure, the optimum number of blades is calculated by empirical correlations based on the in/outlet flow angles, and then 2a airfoil planar sections are designed carefully, followed by 2a B2 NS calculations. The designed planar sections are stacked along the span wise direction, leading to a 3a surfaced airfoil shape. To consider the 3a effect on turbine performance, 3a multistage Euler calculation, single row, and multistage NS calculations are performed

Design and Pitch Angle Optimisation of Horizontal Axis Hydrokinetic Turbine with Constant Tip Speed Ratio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nigam Suyash

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Booming population and associated energy demands, looming threat of exhaustion of conventional sources of energy and the severe environmental repercussions of the same call for alternate sources of clean energy. Hydrokinetic turbine is one such developing technology which harnesses zero-head free flow of water and affects hydrological ecology minimally. This paper discusses the optimisation of Horizontal Axis Hydrokinetic Turbine (HAHkT blade chord length and twist angle using blade element momentum (BEM theory to achieve a constant optimal angle of attack (AoA, thus maximising the power output. To achieve this while maintaining robustness at the hub end and eliminate cavitation, two different hydrofoils (S832 and E817 are selected. S832 is simulated using ANSYS 14.0 at low (00 and high (150 angles of attack and compared against more widely used NACA 4412 to study flow separation characteristics. This is followed by calculating angles of relative flow, ratios of chord length and subsequently twist angles for each blade element using MATLAB simulations. A blade model is thus developed for visualisation using computer aided designing after obtaining optimal chord lengths and pitch angles.

Aerodynamic Analysis and Three-Dimensional Redesign of a Multi-Stage Axial Flow Compressor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Ning

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the introduction of three-dimension (3-D blade designs into a 5-stage axial compressor with multi-stage computational fluid dynamic (CFD methods. Prior to a redesign, a validation study is conducted for the overall performance and flow details based on full-scale test data, proving that the multi-stage CFD applied is a relatively reliable tool for the analysis of the follow-up redesign. Furthermore, at the near stall point, the aerodynamic analysis demonstrates that significant separation exists in the last stator, leading to the aerodynamic redesign, which is the focus of the last stator. Multi-stage CFD methods are applied throughout the three-dimensional redesign process for the last stator to explore their aerodynamic improvement potential. An unconventional asymmetric bow configuration incorporated with leading edge re-camber and re-solidity is employed to reduce the high loss region dominated by the mainstream. The final redesigned version produces a 13% increase in the stall margin while maintaining the efficiency at the design point.

Optimization of wind turbine rotors - using advanced aerodynamic and aeroelastic models and numerical optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doessing, M.

2011-05-15

During the last decades the annual energy produced by wind turbines has increased dramatically and wind turbines are now available in the 5MW range. Turbines in this range are constantly being developed and it is also being investigated whether turbines as large as 10-20MW are feasible. The design of very large machines introduces new problems in the practical design, and optimization tools are necessary. These must combine the dynamic effects of both aerodynamics and structure in an integrated optimization environment. This is referred to as aeroelastic optimization. The Risoe DTU optimization software HAWTOPT has been used in this project. The quasi-steady aerodynamic module have been improved with a corrected blade element momentum method. A structure module has also been developed which lays out the blade structural properties. This is done in a simplified way allowing fast conceptual design studies and with focus on the overall properties relevant for the aeroelastic properties. Aeroelastic simulations in the time domain were carried out using the aeroelastic code HAWC2. With these modules coupled to HAWTOPT, optimizations have been made. In parallel with the developments of the mentioned numerical modules, focus has been on analysis and a fundamental understanding of the key parameters in wind turbine design. This has resulted in insight and an effective design methodology is presented. Using the optimization environment a 5MW wind turbine rotor has been optimized for reduced fatigue loads due to apwise bending moments. Among other things this has indicated that airfoils for wind turbine blades should have a high lift coefficient. The design methodology proved to be stable and a help in the otherwise challenging task of numerical aeroelastic optimization. (Author)

Design of a wind tunnel scale model of an adaptive wind turbine blade for active aerodynamic load control experiments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hulskamp, A.W.; Beukers, A.; Bersee, H.E.N.; Van Wingerden, J.W.; Barlas, T.

2007-01-01

Within wind energy research there is a drive towards the development of a “smart rotor”; a rotor of which the loading can be measured and controlled through the application of a sensor system, a control system and an aerodynamic device. Most promising solutions from an aerodynamic point of view are

Aeroelastic response and stability of tiltrotors with elastically-coupled composite rotor blades. Ph.D. Thesis

Science.gov (United States)

Nixon, Mark W.

1993-01-01

elastic extension-twist coupling of the rotor blade has the capability of significantly improving tiltrotor aerodynamic performance. This concept, however, is shown to have, in general, a negative impact on stability characteristics.

The Strength Analysis of CFM56 Engine Blade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Zhenzhen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Aero engine is a kind of thermodynamic machinery, which require have strict aerodynamic load, mechanical load and strong durability, its longevity depends largely on the life of its main components. In this paper, a series of studies are carried out on the strength of fan blades of CFM56 engine, which provide a reference value for improving the reliability of the engine. The finite element model of the engine fan is established by using CATIA’s finite element software.The centrifugal stress distribution of the fan at different speeds and the influence of torque on fans under different speeds are calculated respectively, and the static strength of the fan is checked.

Aerodynamic study of a blade with sine variation of chord length along the height for Darrieus wind turbine

Science.gov (United States)

Crunteanu, D. E.; Constantinescu, S. G.; Niculescu, M. L.

2013-10-01

The wind energy is deemed as one of the most durable energetic variants of the future because the wind resources are immense. Furthermore, one predicts that the small wind turbines will play a vital role in the urban environment. Unfortunately, the complexity and the price of pitch regulated small horizontal-axis wind turbines represent ones of the main obstacles to widespread the use in populated zones. In contrast to these wind turbines, the Darrieus wind turbines are simpler and their price is lower. Unfortunately, their blades run at high variations of angles of attack, in stall and post-stall regimes, which can induce significant vibrations, fatigue and even the wind turbine failure. For this reason, the present paper deals with a blade with sine variation of chord length along the height because it has better behavior in stall and post-stall regimes than the classic blade with constant chord length.

Ultra high tip speed (670.6 m/sec) fan stage with composite rotor: Aerodynamic and mechanical design

Science.gov (United States)

Halle, J. E.; Burger, G. D.; Dundas, R. E.

1977-01-01

A highly loaded, single-stage compressor having a tip speed of 670.6 m/sec was designed for the purpose of investigating very high tip speeds and high aerodynamic loadings to obtain high stage pressure ratios at acceptable levels of efficiency. The design pressure ratio is 2.8 at an adiabatic efficiency of 84.4%. Corrected design flow is 83.4 kg/sec; corrected design speed is 15,200 rpm; and rotor inlet tip diameter is 0.853 m. The rotor uses multiple-circular-arc airfoils from 0 to 15% span, precompression airfoils assuming single, strong oblique shocks from 21 to 43% span, and precompression airfoils assuming multiple oblique shocks from 52% span to the tip. Because of the high tip speeds, the rotor blades are designed to be fabricated of composite materials. Two composite materials were investigated: Courtaulds HTS graphite fiber in a Kerimid 601 polyimide matrix and the same fibers in a PMR polyimide matrix. In addition to providing a description of the aerodynamic and mechanical design of the 670.0 m/sec fan, discussion is presented of the results of structural tests of blades fabricated with both types of matrices.

Experimental determination of unsteady flow forces on turbine blades by hydraulic analogy; Determination experimentale, par analogie hydraulique, des efforts instationnaires sur les aubages d`une turbine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verdonk, G. [GEC Alsthom Rateau, 93 - La Courneuve (France); Naudin, M. [Framatome Thermodyn, 71 - Le Creusot (France); Pluviose, M. [CNAM, 75 - Paris (France); Sankale, H. [CETIM, 44 - Nantes (France)

1998-06-01

The blades of turbomachinery undergo unsteady flow forces, created principally by the presence of a series of stator or diffuser blades prior to a series of rotor blades. The stage geometry is the main factor which defines the magnitude of these forces. The influence of both geometric and thermodynamic parameters is currently being analysed using a model representing the turbine blades and by applying the hydraulic analogy technique. The study is being conducted at CETIM in Nantes amongst a working group including manufacturers, research organisms, and technical center. Work is in progress and initial results have proved sufficiently encouraging for presentation at the forthcoming Symposium on multidisciplinary turbomachinery issues organised by the Societe Francaise des Mecaniciens. The study should eventually facilitate the optimisation of rotor blade dimensioning for total and partial injection turbine applications and furthermore to reduce the risk of blade failure. Following quantitative study, results obtained for a given geometry of total injection turbine are presented in this paper. (authors) 16 refs.

Repair welding of cracked steam turbine blades using austenitic and martensitic stainless-steel consumables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhaduri, A.K.; Gill, T.P.S.; Albert, S.K.; Shanmugam, K.; Iyer, D.R.

2001-01-01

The procedure for repair welding of cracked steam turbine blades made of martensitic stainless steels has been developed using the gas tungsten arc welding process. Weld repair procedures were developed using both ER 316L austenitic and ER 410 martensitic stainless-steel filler wire. The overall development of the repair welding procedure included selection of welding consumables (for austenitic filler metal), optimisation of post-weld heat treatment parameters, selection of suitable method for local pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) of the blades, determination of mechanical properties of weldments in as-welded and PWHT conditions, and microsturctural examination. After various trials using different procedures, the procedure of local PWHT (and preheating when using martensitic stainless-steel filler wire) using electrical resistance heating on the top surface of the weldment and monitoring the temperature by placing a thermocouple at the bottom of the weld was found to give the most satisfactory results. These procedures have been developed and/or applied for repair welding of cracked blades in steam turbines

Comparison of two optimization algorithms for fuzzy finite element model updating for damage detection in a wind turbine blade

Science.gov (United States)

Turnbull, Heather; Omenzetter, Piotr

2018-03-01

vDifficulties associated with current health monitoring and inspection practices combined with harsh, often remote, operational environments of wind turbines highlight the requirement for a non-destructive evaluation system capable of remotely monitoring the current structural state of turbine blades. This research adopted a physics based structural health monitoring methodology through calibration of a finite element model using inverse techniques. A 2.36m blade from a 5kW turbine was used as an experimental specimen, with operational modal analysis techniques utilised to realize the modal properties of the system. Modelling the experimental responses as fuzzy numbers using the sub-level technique, uncertainty in the response parameters was propagated back through the model and into the updating parameters. Initially, experimental responses of the blade were obtained, with a numerical model of the blade created and updated. Deterministic updating was carried out through formulation and minimisation of a deterministic objective function using both firefly algorithm and virus optimisation algorithm. Uncertainty in experimental responses were modelled using triangular membership functions, allowing membership functions of updating parameters (Young's modulus and shear modulus) to be obtained. Firefly algorithm and virus optimisation algorithm were again utilised, however, this time in the solution of fuzzy objective functions. This enabled uncertainty associated with updating parameters to be quantified. Varying damage location and severity was simulated experimentally through addition of small masses to the structure intended to cause a structural alteration. A damaged model was created, modelling four variable magnitude nonstructural masses at predefined points and updated to provide a deterministic damage prediction and information in relation to the parameters uncertainty via fuzzy updating.

Loading Analysis of Composite Wind Turbine Blade for Fatigue Life Prediction of Adhesively Bonded Root Joint

Science.gov (United States)

Salimi-Majd, Davood; Azimzadeh, Vahid; Mohammadi, Bijan

2015-06-01

Nowadays wind energy is widely used as a non-polluting cost-effective renewable energy resource. During the lifetime of a composite wind turbine which is about 20 years, the rotor blades are subjected to different cyclic loads such as aerodynamics, centrifugal and gravitational forces. These loading conditions, cause to fatigue failure of the blade at the adhesively bonded root joint, where the highest bending moments will occur and consequently, is the most critical zone of the blade. So it is important to estimate the fatigue life of the root joint. The cohesive zone model is one of the best methods for prediction of initiation and propagation of debonding at the root joint. The advantage of this method is the possibility of modeling the debonding without any requirement to the remeshing. However in order to use this approach, it is necessary to analyze the cyclic loading condition at the root joint. For this purpose after implementing a cohesive interface element in the Ansys finite element software, one blade of a horizontal axis wind turbine with 46 m rotor diameter was modelled in full scale. Then after applying loads on the blade under different condition of the blade in a full rotation, the critical condition of the blade is obtained based on the delamination index and also the load ratio on the root joint in fatigue cycles is calculated. These data are the inputs for fatigue damage growth analysis of the root joint by using CZM approach that will be investigated in future work.

Development of Self-Powered Wireless Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) for Wind Turbine Blades

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Dong-Won

Wind turbine blade failure can lead to unexpected power interruptions. Monitoring wind turbine blades is important to ensure seamless electricity delivery from power generation to consumers. Structural health monitoring (SHM) enables early recognition of structural problems so that the safety and reliability of operation can be enhanced. This dissertation focuses on the development of a wireless SHM system for wind turbine blades. The sensor is comprised of a piezoelectric energy harvester (EH) and a telemetry unit. The sensor node is mounted on the blade surface. As the blade rotates, the blade flexes, and the energy harvester captures the strain energy on the blade surface. Once sufficient electricity is captured, a pulse is sent from the sensing node to a gateway. Then, a central monitoring algorithm processes a series of pulses received from all three blades. This wireless SHM, which uses commercially available components, can be retrofitted to existing turbines. The harvested energy for sensing can be estimated in terms of two factors: the available strain energy and conversion efficiency. The available strain energy was evaluated using the FAST (Fatigue, Aerodynamics, Structures, and Turbulence) simulator. The conversion efficiency was studied analytically and experimentally. An experimental set-up was designed to mimic the expected strain frequency and amplitude for rotor blades. From a series of experiments, the efficiency of a piezoelectric EH at a typical rotor speed (0.2 Hz) was approximately 0.5%. The power requirement for sending one measurement (280 muJ) can be achieved in 10 minutes. Designing a detection algorithm is challenging due to this low sampling rate. A new sensing approach-the timing of pulses from the transmitter-was introduced. This pulse timing, which is tied to the charging time, is indicative of the structural health. The SHM system exploits the inherent triple redundancy of the three blades. The timing data of the three blades are

Modelo matemático para el diseño aerodinámico de los álabes de una turbina eólica de eje horizontal (TEEH; Mathematical Model for Blades Aerodynamic Design of a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julio José Chirinos García

2015-12-01

Full Text Available El objetivo de esta investigación es elaborar un modelo matemático para el diseño aerodinámico de las palas de una turbina eólica de eje horizontal en forma rápida y confiable que facilite a construcción y comportamiento bajo diferentes condiciones. Este resultado se obtuvo por el método inductivo y deductivo partiendo de las teorías aerodinámicas de Glauert y otros introduciéndole modificaciones. Igualmente el desarrollo del modelo fue programado en una hoja de cálculo que permitió calcular el radio R del rotor, la distribución de la cuerda c(r y la variación del ángulo de torsiónӨ(r de forma automática. El desarrollo del modelo está estructurado de acuerdo a las siguientes etapas: identificación y definición, conceptualización, formulación e implementación y finalmente la validación del modelo. La validación del modelo fue hecha comparando la geometría de la pala y la potencia generada por el rotor con una familia de palas defabricantes europeos.The research purpose is elaborate a mathematical model for blade aerodynamic designing of horizontal axis wind turbine in fast and reliable way to facilitate the construction and performance evaluation under different operational conditions. To reach the theoretical and empirical approach it was used induction and deduction method starting from aerodynamic theories of Glauert and other researchers, in which necessary modifications were introduced. Also, the development of the model was programmed in aspreadsheet which allows to calcula table de radio R, the distribution of chord c (r, and the variation of twist angle or pitch Ө (r in automatic way. The development of the model was structured according to the following stages: identification and definition, conceptualization, formulationandimplementation and finally the validation of the model. The model validation was made comparing the blade geometry and generated power by the rotor with a blade family of European

RESEARCH OF THE HIGH HARMONICS INDIVIDUAL BLADE CONTROL EFFECT ON VIBRATIONS CAUSED BY THE HELICOPTER MAIN ROTOR THRUST

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents numerical results analysis of main rotor vibration due to helicopter main rotor thrust pulsation.The calculation method, the object of research and numerical research results with the aim to reduce the amplitude of the vibrations transmitted to the hub from the helicopters main rotor by the individual blade control in azimuth by the installation angle of blades cyclic changes are set out in the article. The individual blades control law for a five-blade main rotor based on the blade frequencies is made. It allows reducing the vibration from thrust. Research takes into account the main rotor including and excluding the blade flapping motion. The minimal vibrations regime is identified.Numerical study of variable loads caused by unsteady flow around the main rotor blades at high relative speeds of flight, which transmitted to the rotor hub, is made. The scheme of a thin lifting surface and the rotor vortex theory are used for simulation of the aerodynamic loads on blades. Non - uniform loads caused by the thrust, decomposed on the blade harmonic and its overtones. The largest values of deviation from the mean amplitude thrust are received. The analysis of variable loads with a traditional control system is made. Algorithms of higher harmonics individual blade control capable of reducing the thrust pulsation under the average value of thrust are developed.Numerical research shows that individual blade control of high harmonics reduces variable loads. The necessary change in the blade installation is about ± 0,2 degree that corresponds to the maximum displacement of the additional con- trol stick is about 1 mm.To receive the overall picture is necessary to consider all six components of forces and moments. Control law with own constants will obtained for each of them. It is supposed, that each of six individual blade control laws have an impact on other components. Thus, the problem reduces to the optimization issue. The

Numerical flow simulation over clean and iced wind turbine blades

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Villalpando, F.; Reggio, M. [Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, PQ (Canada); Ilinca, A. [Quebec Univ., Rimouski, PQ (Canada). Wind Energy Group

2009-07-01

The impact of ice accretion on the drag and lift coefficients of a wind turbine blade was studied. Computerized simulations were conducted for both clean and ice-accreted 2-D airfoils at various angles of attack. The finite volume-based commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program FLUENT was used to simulate the 2-D geometries of turbulent, unsteady and incompressible flow around the airfoils. Pressure coefficients and the contribution of pressure and friction forces to the lift and drag coefficients were analyzed. The study showed that traditional calculations over-predict the lift and drag of ice-accreted airfoil profiles. Ice accreted over the profile's pressure side provoked a bigger lift reduction and drag increase than that caused by ice accreted on the suction side. The poor performance of the aerodynamic coefficients was attributed to the contribution of pressure forces. Further experimentation is required to determine if de-icing systems for turbine blades should be developed to prevent or melt ice over the profile pressure side. 11 refs., 7 tabs., 15 figs.

Load alleviation on wind turbine blades using variable airfoil geometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basualdo, S.

2005-03-01

A two-dimensional theoretical study of the aeroelastic behaviour of an airfoil has been performed, whose geometry can be altered using a rear-mounted flap. This device is governed by a controller, whose objective is to reduce the airfoil displacements and, therefore, the stresses present in a real blade. The aerodynamic problem was solved numerically by a panel method using the potential theory, suitable for modelling attached flows. It is therefore mostly applicable for Pitch Regulated Variable Speed (PRVS) wind turbines, which mainly operate under this flow condition. The results show evident reductions in the airfoil displacements by using simple control strategies having the airfoil position and its first and second derivatives as input, especially at the system's eigenfrequency. The use of variable airfoil geometry is an effective means of reducing the vibration magnitudes of an airfoil that represents a section of a wind turbine blade, when subject to stochastic wind signals. The results of this investigation encourage further investigations with 3D aeroelastic models to predict the reduction in loads in real wind turbines. (author)

Effects of Blade Boundary Layer Transition and Daytime Atmospheric Turbulence on Wind Turbine Performance Analyzed with Blade-Resolved Simulation and Field Data

Science.gov (United States)

Nandi, Tarak Nath

Relevant to utility scale wind turbine functioning and reliability, the present work focuses on enhancing our understanding of wind turbine responses from interactions between energy-dominant daytime atmospheric turbulence eddies and rotating blades of a GE 1.5 MW wind turbine using a unique data set from a GE field experiment and computer simulations at two levels of fidelity. Previous studies have shown that the stability state of the lower troposphere has a major impact on the coherent structure of the turbulence eddies, with corresponding differences in wind turbine loading response. In this study, time-resolved aerodynamic data measured locally at the leading edge and trailing edge of three outer blade sections on a GE 1.5 MW wind turbine blade and high-frequency SCADA generator power data from a daytime field campaign are combined with computer simulations that mimic the GE wind turbine within a numerically generated atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flow field which is a close approximation of the atmospheric turbulence experienced by the wind turbine in the field campaign. By combining the experimental and numerical data sets, this study describes the time-response characteristics of the local loadings on the blade sections in response to nonsteady nonuniform energetic atmospheric turbulence eddies within a daytime ABL which have spatial scale commensurate with that of the turbine blade length. This study is the first of its kind where actuator line and blade boundary layer resolved CFD studies of a wind turbine field campaign are performed with the motivation to validate the numerical predictions with the experimental data set, and emphasis is given on understanding the influence of the laminar to turbulent transition process on the blade loadings. The experimental and actuator line method data sets identify three important response time scales quantified at the blade location: advective passage of energy-dominant eddies (≈25 - 50 s), blade rotation (1P

Integral Twist Actuation of Helicopter Rotor Blades for Vibration Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, SangJoon; Cesnik, Carlos E. S.

2001-01-01

Active integral twist control for vibration reduction of helicopter rotors during forward flight is investigated. The twist deformation is obtained using embedded anisotropic piezocomposite actuators. An analytical framework is developed to examine integrally-twisted blades and their aeroelastic response during different flight conditions: frequency domain analysis for hover, and time domain analysis for forward flight. Both stem from the same three-dimensional electroelastic beam formulation with geometrical-exactness, and axe coupled with a finite-state dynamic inflow aerodynamics model. A prototype Active Twist Rotor blade was designed with this framework using Active Fiber Composites as the actuator. The ATR prototype blade was successfully tested under non-rotating conditions. Hover testing was conducted to evaluate structural integrity and dynamic response. In both conditions, a very good correlation was obtained against the analysis. Finally, a four-bladed ATR system is built and tested to demonstrate its concept in forward flight. This experiment was conducted at NASA Langley Tansonic Dynamics Tunnel and represents the first-of-a-kind Mach-scaled fully-active-twist rotor system to undergo forward flight test. In parallel, the impact upon the fixed- and rotating-system loads is estimated by the analysis. While discrepancies are found in the amplitude of the loads under actuation, the predicted trend of load variation with respect to its control phase correlates well. It was also shown, both experimentally and numerically, that the ATR blade design has the potential for hub vibratory load reduction of up to 90% using individual blade control actuation. Using the numerical framework, system identification is performed to estimate the harmonic transfer functions. The linear time-periodic system can be represented by a linear time-invariant system under the three modes of blade actuation: collective, longitudinal cyclic, and lateral cyclic. A vibration

Inflow measurements from blade-mounted flow sensors: Flow analysis, application and aeroelastic response

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Mads Mølgaard

-mounted flow sensor, BMFS, e.g. a five-hole pitot tube, which has been used in several research experiments over the last 30 years. The BMFS measured flow velocity is, however, located inside the induction zone and thereby influenced by the aerodynamic properties, the control strategy and the operational......The power and load performance of wind turbines are both crucial for the development and expansion of wind energy. The power and loads are highly dependent on the inflow conditions, which can be measured using different types of sensors mounted on nearby met masts, on the nacelle, at the spinner...... or at the blade. Each combination of sensor type and mounting position has advantages and shortcomings. To characterise the inflow that results in high and low fatigue loads, information about the temporal and spatial variations within the rotor area is required. This information can be obtained from a blade...

The Aerodynamic Performance of an Over-the-Rotor Liner With Circumferential Grooves on a High Bypass Ratio Turbofan Rotor

Science.gov (United States)

Bozak, Richard F.; Hughes, Christopher E.; Buckley, James

2013-01-01

While liners have been utilized throughout turbofan ducts to attenuate fan noise, additional attenuation is obtainable by placing an acoustic liner over-the-rotor. Previous experiments have shown significant fan performance losses when acoustic liners are installed over-the-rotor. The fan blades induce an oscillating flow in the acoustic liners which results in a performance loss near the blade tip. An over-the-rotor liner was designed with circumferential grooves between the fan blade tips and the acoustic liner to reduce the oscillating flow in the acoustic liner. An experiment was conducted in the W-8 Single-Stage Axial Compressor Facility at NASA Glenn Research Center on a 1.5 pressure ratio fan to evaluate the impact of this over-the-rotor treatment design on fan aerodynamic performance. The addition of a circumferentially grooved over-the-rotor design between the fan blades and the acoustic liner reduced the performance loss, in terms of fan adiabatic efficiency, to less than 1 percent which is within the repeatability of this experiment.

Ultimate strength of a large wind turbine blade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moelholt Jensen, Find

2008-05-15

The present PhD project contains a study of the structural static strength of wind turbine blades loaded in flap-wise direction. A combination of experimental and numerical work has been used to address the most critical failure mechanisms and to get an understanding of the complex structural behaviour of wind turbine blades. Four failure mechanisms observed during the fullscale tests and the corresponding FE-analysis are presented. Elastic mechanisms associated with failure, such as buckling, localized bending and the Brazier effect, are studied. Six different types of structural reinforcements helping to prevent undesired structural elastic mechanisms are presented. The functionality of two of the suggested structural reinforcements was demonstrated in full-scale tests and the rest trough FE-studies. The blade design under investigation consisted of an aerodynamic airfoil and a load carrying box girder. In total, five full-scale tests have been performed involving one complete blade and two shortened box girders. The second box girder was submitted to three independent tests covering different structural reinforcement alternatives. The advantages and disadvantages of testing a shortened load carrying box girder vs. an entire blade are discussed. Changes in the boundary conditions, loads and additional reinforcements, which were introduced in the box girder tests in order to avoid undesired structural elastic mechanisms, are presented. New and advanced measuring equipment was used in the fullscale tests to detect the critical failure mechanisms and to get an understanding of the complex structural behaviour. Traditionally, displacement sensors and strain gauges in blade tests are arranged based on an assumption of a Bernoulli-Euler beam structural response. In the present study it is shown that when following this procedure important information about distortions of the cross sections is lost. In the tests presented here, one of the aims was to measure distortion

Losses and blade tip clearance for a centrifugal compressor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oana DUMITRESCU

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The present paper presents the numerical analysis for a transonic centrifugal compressor using steady state CFD. The blade tip clearance effect over the position of shock waves, tip losses and the performances of the impeller are studied. Numerical simulations have been performed using RANS modelling, with the k-omega SST turbulence model (Shear Stress Transport. Eight cases were taken into consideration for the impeller with the following blade tip clearances values: 0 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5mm, 0.7 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, at the same operating conditions. For the entire stage only seven cases were studied, without the value for 0.1 mm because of its abnormal behaviour, as can be seen in the case of the impeller simulations. Results showed that the position of the shock wave does not change with the increase of the tip clearance. Aerodynamic losses due to shock wave, secondary flow and turbulence can be seen in the polytropic efficiency of the centrifugal impeller and the difference between the two extreme cases is about 3.2 %.

Experimental and numerical investigations of aerodynamic loads and 3D flow over non-rotating MEXICO blades

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhang, Y.; Gillebaart, T.; van Zuijlen, A.H.; van Bussel, G.J.W.; Bijl, H.

2017-01-01

This paper presents the experimental and numerical study on MEXICO wind turbine blades. Previous work by other researchers shows that large deviations exist in the loads comparison between numerical predictions and experimental data for the rotating MEXICO wind turbine. To reduce complexities and

Estimation of exhaust gas aerodynamic force on the variable geometry turbocharger actuator: 1D flow model approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, Fayez Shakil; Laghrouche, Salah; Mehmood, Adeel; El Bagdouri, Mohammed

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Estimation of aerodynamic force on variable turbine geometry vanes and actuator. • Method based on exhaust gas flow modeling. • Simulation tool for integration of aerodynamic force in automotive simulation software. - Abstract: This paper provides a reliable tool for simulating the effects of exhaust gas flow through the variable turbine geometry section of a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT), on flow control mechanism. The main objective is to estimate the resistive aerodynamic force exerted by the flow upon the variable geometry vanes and the controlling actuator, in order to improve the control of vane angles. To achieve this, a 1D model of the exhaust flow is developed using Navier–Stokes equations. As the flow characteristics depend upon the volute geometry, impeller blade force and the existing viscous friction, the related source terms (losses) are also included in the model. In order to guarantee stability, an implicit numerical solver has been developed for the resolution of the Navier–Stokes problem. The resulting simulation tool has been validated through comparison with experimentally obtained values of turbine inlet pressure and the aerodynamic force as measured at the actuator shaft. The simulator shows good compliance with experimental results

Variable Pitch Approach for Performance Improving of Straight-Bladed VAWT at Rated Tip Speed Ratio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenzhou Zhao

2018-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a new variable pitch (VP approach to increase the peak power coefficient of the straight-bladed vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT, by widening the azimuthal angle band of the blade with the highest aerodynamic torque, instead of increasing the highest torque. The new VP-approach provides a curve of pitch angle designed for the blade operating at the rated tip speed ratio (TSR corresponding to the peak power coefficient of the fixed pitch (FP-VAWT. The effects of the new approach are exploited by using the double multiple stream tubes (DMST model and Prandtl’s mathematics to evaluate the blade tip loss. The research describes the effects from six aspects, including the lift, drag, angle of attack (AoA, resultant velocity, torque, and power output, through a comparison between VP-VAWTs and FP-VAWTs working at four TSRs: 4, 4.5, 5, and 5.5. Compared with the FP-blade, the VP-blade has a wider azimuthal zone with the maximum AoA, lift, drag, and torque in the upwind half-cycle, and yields the two new larger maximum values in the downwind half-cycle. The power distribution in the swept area of the turbine changes from an arched shape of the FP-VAWT into the rectangular shape of the VP-VAWT. The new VP-approach markedly widens the highest-performance zone of the blade in a revolution, and ultimately achieves an 18.9% growth of the peak power coefficient of the VAWT at the optimum TSR. Besides achieving this growth, the new pitching method will enhance the performance at TSRs that are higher than current optimal values, and an increase of torque is also generated.

Flow separation on wind turbines blades

Science.gov (United States)

Corten, G. P.

2001-01-01

the angle of attack. The art of designing stall rotors is to make the separated area on the blades extend in such a way, that the extracted power remains precisely constant, independent of the wind speed, while the power in the wind at cut-out exceeds the maximum power of the turbine by a factor of 8. Since the stall behaviour is influenced by many parameters, this demand cannot be easily met. However, if it can be met, the advantage of stall control is its passive operation, which is reliable and cheap. Problem Definition In practical application, stall control is not very accurate and many stall-controlled turbines do not meet their specifications. Deviations of the design-power in the order of tens of percent are regular. In the nineties, the aerodynamic research on these deviations focussed on: profile aerodynamics, computational fluid dynamics, rotational effects on separation and pressure measurements on test turbines. However, this did not adequately solve the actual problems with stall turbines. In this thesis, we therefore formulated the following as the essential question: "Does the separated blade area really extend with the wind speed, as we predict?" To find the answer a measurement technique was required, which 1) was applicable on large commercial wind turbines, 2) could follow the dynamic changes of the stall pattern, 3) was not influenced by the centrifugal force and 4) did not disturb the flow. Such a technique was not available, therefore we decided to develop it. Stall Flag Method For this method, a few hundred indicators are fixed to the rotor blades in a special pattern. These indicators, called "stall flags" are patented by the Netherlands Energy Research Foundation (ECN). They have a retro-reflective area which, depending on the flow direction, is or is not covered. A powerful light source in the field up to 500m behind the turbine illuminates the swept rotor area. The uncovered reflectors reflect the light to the source, where a digital video

Aerodynamic Response of a Pitching Airfoil with Pulsed Circulation Control for Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Panther, Chad C.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) have experienced a renewed interest in development for urban, remote, and offshore applications. Past research has shown that VAWTs cannot compete with Horizontals Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs) in terms of energy capture efficiency. VAWT performance is plagued by dynamic stall (DS) effects at low tip-speed ratios (lambda), where each blade pitches beyond static stall multiple times per revolution. Furthermore, for lambdaoperate outside of stall during over 70% of rotation. However, VAWTs offer many advantages such as omnidirectional operation, ground proximity of generator, lower sound emission, and non-cantilevered blades with longer life. Thus, mitigating dynamic stall and improving VAWT blade aerodynamics for competitive power efficiency has been a popular research topic in recent years and the directive of this study. Past research at WVU focused on the addition of circulation control (CC) technology to improve VAWT aerodynamics and expand the operational envelope. A novel blade design was generated from the augmentation of a NACA0018 airfoil to include CC capabilities. Static wind tunnel data was collected for a range of steady jet momentum coefficients (0.01≤ Cmu≤0.10) for analytical vortex model performance projections. Control strategies were developed to optimize CC jet conditions throughout rotation, resulting in improved power output for 2≤lambda≤5. However, the pumping power required to produce steady CC jets reduced net power gains of the augmented turbine by approximately 15%. The goal of this work was to investigate pulsed CC jet actuation to match steady jet performance with reduced mass flow requirements. To date, no experimental studies have been completed to analyze pulsed CC performance on a pitching airfoil. The research described herein details the first study on the impact of steady and pulsed jet CC on pitching VAWT blade aerodynamics. Both numerical and experimental studies were implemented, varying

Simulation of thermal radiation, illustrated by the Bridgman casting process for directional solidification of turbine blades; Simulation von Waermestrahlung am Beispiel des Bridgman-Verfahrens zur gerichteten Erstarrung von Turbinenschaufeln

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hofmann, N

1996-12-31

Directionally solidified turbine blades for high-temperature applications today are commonly produced by the Bridgman casting process. The production of a newly constructed turbine blade requires a number of costly and time-consuming casting experiments. The author develops a numerical simulation model based on the finite element method and net radiation method for low-cost and short-term simulation and optimisation of the casting experiments. Several different numerical methods for calculating thermal radiation are compared (radiosity, ray tracing and the finite difference method), and the simulation results are presented for several exemplry turbine blades. Further, an optimisation strategy for improving the quality of the turbine blade casting process is presented. (orig.). 65 figs., 8 tabs. [Deutsch] Gerichtet erstarrte Turbinenschaufeln mit hoher Einsatztemperatur werden nach dem heutigen Stand der Technik nach dem Bridgman-Verfahren gegossen. Die Herstellung einer neu konstruierten Turbinenschaufel verlangt eine Reihe von kosten- und zeitaufwendigen Giessexperimenten. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird ein numerisches Simulationsmodell auf Basis der Finiten Elemente Methode und Net Radiation Methode entwickelt, mit dem sich kostenguenstig und in kurzen Zeitraeumen die Giessversuche simulieren und optimieren lassen. Die Arbeit vergleicht verschiedene numerische Loesungsverfahren fuer die Waermestrahlung (Radiosity, Ray Tracing und Finite Differenzen Verfahren) und stellt am Beispiel einiger Turbinenschaufeln die Simulationsergebnisse dar. Weiterhin wird eine Optimierungsstrategie fuer Verbesserung der Gussqualitaet von Turbinenschaufeln vorgestellt. (orig.)

Sensitivity of Key Parameters in Aerodynamic Wind Turbine Rotor Design on Power and Energy Performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bak, Christian

2007-01-01

In this paper the influence of different key parameters in aerodynamic wind turbine rotor design on the power efficiency, C p , and energy production has been investigated. The work was divided into an analysis of 2D airfoils/blade sections and of entire rotors. In the analysis of the 2D airfoils it was seen that there was a maximum of the local C p for airfoils with finite maximum C l /C d values. The local speed ratio should be between 2.4 and 3.8 for airfoils with maximum c l /c d between 50 and 200, respectively, to obtain maximum local C p . Also, the investigation showed that Re had a significant impact on CP and especially for Re p for rotors was made with three blades and showed that with the assumption of constant maximum c l /c d along the entire blade, the design tip speed ratio changed from X=6 to X=12 for c l /cd=50 and c l /c d =200, respectively, with corresponding values of maximum c p of 0.46 and 0.525. An analysis of existing rotors re-designed with new airfoils but maintaining the absolute thickness distribution to maintain the stiffness showed that big rotors are more aerodynamic efficient than small rotors caused by higher Re. It also showed that the design tip speed ratio was very dependent on the rotor size and on the assumptions of the airfoil flow being fully turbulent (contaminated airfoil) or free transitional (clean airfoil). The investigations showed that rotors with diameter D=1.75m, should be designed for X around 5.5, whereas rotors with diameter D=126m, should be designed for Xbetween 6.5 and 8.5, depending on the airfoil performance

Novel controller design demonstration for vibration alleviation of helicopter rotor blades

Science.gov (United States)

Ulker, Fatma Demet; Nitzsche, Fred

2012-04-01

This paper presents an advanced controller design methodology for vibration alleviation of helicopter rotor sys- tems. Particularly, vibration alleviation in a forward ight regime where the rotor blades experience periodically varying aerodynamic loading was investigated. Controller synthesis was carried out under the time-periodic H2 and H∞ framework and the synthesis problem was solved based on both periodic Riccati and Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) formulations. The closed-loop stability was analyzed using Floquet-Lyapunov theory, and the controller's performance was validated by closed-loop high-delity aeroelastic simulations. To validate the con- troller's performance an actively controlled trailing edge ap strategy was implemented. Computational cost was compared for both formulations.

Computational Aerodynamic Simulations of a 1484 ft/sec Tip Speed Quiet High-Speed Fan System Model for Acoustic Methods Assessment and Development

Science.gov (United States)

Tweedt, Daniel L.

2014-01-01

Computational Aerodynamic simulations of a 1484 ft/sec tip speed quiet high-speed fan system were performed at five different operating points on the fan operating line, in order to provide detailed internal flow field information for use with fan acoustic prediction methods presently being developed, assessed and validated. The fan system is a sub-scale, low-noise research fan/nacelle model that has undergone experimental testing in the 9- by 15-foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Details of the fan geometry, the computational fluid dynamics methods, the computational grids, and various computational parameters relevant to the numerical simulations are discussed. Flow field results for three of the five operating points simulated are presented in order to provide a representative look at the computed solutions. Each of the five fan aerodynamic simulations involved the entire fan system, which includes a core duct and a bypass duct that merge upstream of the fan system nozzle. As a result, only fan rotational speed and the system bypass ratio, set by means of a translating nozzle plug, were adjusted in order to set the fan operating point, leading to operating points that lie on a fan operating line and making mass flow rate a fully dependent parameter. The resulting mass flow rates are in good agreement with measurement values. Computed blade row flow fields at all fan operating points are, in general, aerodynamically healthy. Rotor blade and fan exit guide vane flow characteristics are good, including incidence and deviation angles, chordwise static pressure distributions, blade surface boundary layers, secondary flow structures, and blade wakes. Examination of the computed flow fields reveals no excessive or critical boundary layer separations or related secondary-flow problems, with the exception of the hub boundary layer at the core duct entrance. At that location a significant flow separation is present. The region of local flow

Experimental investigation of airfoil trailing edge heat transfer and aerodynamic losses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brundage, A.L. [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185 (United States); Plesniak, M.W.; Lawless, P.B. [School of Mechanical Engineering, Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States); Ramadhyani, S. [132 Cecil Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414 (United States)

2007-01-15

Modern gas turbine development is being driven by the often-incompatible goals of increased efficiency, better durability, and reduced emissions. High turbine inlet temperatures and ineffective cooling at the trailing edge of a first-stage stator vane lead to corrosion, oxidation, and thermal fatigue. Observations of this region in engines frequently reveal burn marks, cracks, and buckling. Fundamental studies of the importance of trailing edge heat transfer to the design of an optimal cooling scheme are scarce. An experimental study of an actively cooled trailing edge configuration, in which coolant is injected through a slot, is performed. Trailing edge heat transfer and aerodynamic measurements are reported. An optimum balance between maximizing blade row aerodynamic efficiency and improving thermal protection at the trailing edge is estimated to be achieved when blowing ratios are in the range between 2.1% and 2.8%. The thermal phenomena at the trailing edge are dominated by injection slot heat transfer and flow physics. These measured trends are generally applicable over a wide range of gas turbine applications. (author)

An optimization method for offshore wind turbine blades based on PSO%基于粒子群算法的海上风机叶片优化算法研究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

司景喆; 孙刚; 孟德虹

2013-01-01

An optimization method for offshore wind turbine blades based on particle swarm optimization PSO) is presented.The blades are the core component of the wind turbine,and the power of the blade varies significantly in different sea conditions which leads to the reduction in the efficiency of wind turbine blades.Improved particle swarm optimization is introduced in this paper,and the power of the blade calculated by the corrected blade element momentum theory (BEM) is defined as the fitness function.The chord length and the twist angle distribution along the span wise of the blade are optimized in specific wind conditions to improve aerodynamic efficiency.Finally,the 5MW offshore wind turbine blades provided by the United States Renewable Energy Laboratory is optimized according to the wind conditions in East China Sea,and the average power of the optimized blade is increased by 6.7 ％.The result shows that the method is efficient in aerodynamic design of wind turbine blades.%提出了一种针对不同风场条件提高海上风力发电机叶片气动效率的方法.风力发电机叶片是风机效率的核心部件,叶片在不同海上风场条件下功率差别很大,这导致了风机效率的降低.通过引入改进粒子群优化算法(PSO),基于修正动量叶素理论(BEM),对叶片沿展向的弦长分布和扭转角进行针对特定风场条件的气动优化.以美国再生能源实验室提供的5MW海上风机叶片作为算例,结合我国东海风场条件,叶片优化后平均功率提高了6.7％,取得了理想效果.结果表明,该优化方法具有较高的气动优化效率.

Temperature decline thermography for laminar-turbulent transition detection in aerodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

von Hoesslin, Stefan; Stadlbauer, Martin; Gruendmayer, Juergen; Kähler, Christian J.

2017-09-01

Detailed knowledge about laminar-turbulent transition and heat transfer distribution of flows around complex aerodynamic components are crucial to achieve highest efficiencies in modern aerodynamical systems. Several measurement techniques have been developed to determine those parameters either quantitatively or qualitatively. Most of them require extensive instrumentation or give unreliable results as the boundary conditions are often not known with the required precision. This work introduces the simple and robust temperature decline method to qualitatively detect the laminar-turbulent transition and the respective heat transfer coefficients on a surface exposed to an air flow, according to patent application Stadlbauer et al. (Patentnr. WO2014198251 A1, 2014). This method provides results which are less sensitive to control parameters such as the heat conduction into the blade material and temperature inhomogeneities in the flow or blade. This method was applied to measurements with NACA0018 airfoils exposed to the flow of a calibration-free jet at various Reynolds numbers and angles of attack. For data analysis, a post-processing method was developed and qualified to determine a quantity proportional to the heat transfer coefficient into the flow. By plotting this quantity for each pixel of the surface, a qualitative, two-dimensional heat transfer map was obtained. The results clearly depicted the areas of onset and end of transition over the full span of the model and agreed with the expected behavior based on the respective flow condition. To validate the approach, surface hotfilm measurements were conducted simultaneously on the same NACA profile. Both techniques showed excellent agreement. The temperature decline method allows to visualize laminar-turbulent transitions on static or moving parts and can be applied on a very broad range of scales—from tiny airfoils up to large airplane wings.

Numerical optimisation of an axial turbine; Numerische Optimierung einer Axialturbine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Welzel, B.

1998-12-31

The author presents a method for automatic shape optimisation of components with internal or external flow. The method combines a program for numerical calculation of frictional turbulent flow with an optimisation algorithm. Algorithms are a simplex search strategy and an evolution strategy. The shape of the component to be optimized is variable due to shape parameters modified by the algorithm. For each shape, a flow calculation is carried out on whose basis a functional value like performance, loss, lift or resistivity is calculated. For validation, the optimisation method is used in simple examples with known solutions. It is applied. It is applied to the components of a slow-running axial turbine. Components with accelerated and delayed rotationally symmetric flow and 2D blade profiles are optimized. [Deutsch] Es wird eine Methode zur automatischen Formoptimierung durchstroemter oder umstroemter Bauteile vorgestellt. Diese koppelt ein Programm zur numerischen Berechnung reibungsbehafteter turbulenter Stroemungen mit einem Optimierungsalgorithmus. Dabei kommen als Algorithmen eine Simplex-Suchstrategie und eine Evolutionsstrategie zum Einsatz. Die Form des zu optimierenden Koerpers ist durch Formparameter, die vom Algorithmus veraendert werden, variabel. Fuer jede Form wird eine Stroemungsberechnung durchgefuehrt und mit dieser ein Funktionswert wie Wirkungsgrad, Verlust, Auftrieb oder Widerstandskraft berechnet. Die Optimierungsmethode wird zur Validierung in einfachen Beispielen mit bekannter Loesung eingesetzt. Zur Anwendung kommt sie in den einzelnen Komponenten einer langsamlaeufigen Axialturbine. Es werden Bauteile mit beschleunigter und verzoegerter rotationssymmetrischer Stroemung und 2D-Schaufelprofile optimiert. (orig.)

Examination of forced unsteady separated flow fields on a rotating wind turbine blade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huyer, S [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (US)

1993-04-01

The wind turbine industry faces many problems regarding the construction of efficient and predictable wind turbine machines. Steady state, two-dimensional wind tunnel data are generally used to predict aerodynamic loads on wind turbine blades. Preliminary experimental evidence indicates that some of the underlying fluid dynamic phenomena could be attributed to dynamic stall, or more specifically to generation of forced unsteady separated flow fields. A collaborative research effort between the University of Colorado and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory was conducted to systematically categorize the local and global effects of three- dimensional forced unsteady flow fields.

Review of design optimization methods for turbomachinery aerodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhihui; Zheng, Xinqian

2017-08-01

In today's competitive environment, new turbomachinery designs need to be not only more efficient, quieter, and ;greener; but also need to be developed at on much shorter time scales and at lower costs. A number of advanced optimization strategies have been developed to achieve these requirements. This paper reviews recent progress in turbomachinery design optimization to solve real-world aerodynamic problems, especially for compressors and turbines. This review covers the following topics that are important for optimizing turbomachinery designs. (1) optimization methods, (2) stochastic optimization combined with blade parameterization methods and the design of experiment methods, (3) gradient-based optimization methods for compressors and turbines and (4) data mining techniques for Pareto Fronts. We also present our own insights regarding the current research trends and the future optimization of turbomachinery designs.

Hybrid surrogate-model-based multi-fidelity efficient global optimization applied to helicopter blade design

Science.gov (United States)

Ariyarit, Atthaphon; Sugiura, Masahiko; Tanabe, Yasutada; Kanazaki, Masahiro

2018-06-01

A multi-fidelity optimization technique by an efficient global optimization process using a hybrid surrogate model is investigated for solving real-world design problems. The model constructs the local deviation using the kriging method and the global model using a radial basis function. The expected improvement is computed to decide additional samples that can improve the model. The approach was first investigated by solving mathematical test problems. The results were compared with optimization results from an ordinary kriging method and a co-kriging method, and the proposed method produced the best solution. The proposed method was also applied to aerodynamic design optimization of helicopter blades to obtain the maximum blade efficiency. The optimal shape obtained by the proposed method achieved performance almost equivalent to that obtained using the high-fidelity, evaluation-based single-fidelity optimization. Comparing all three methods, the proposed method required the lowest total number of high-fidelity evaluation runs to obtain a converged solution.

Aerodynamic flow simulation of wind turbine: Downwind versus upwind configuration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janajreh, Isam; Qudaih, Rana; Talab, Ilham; Ghenai, Chaouki

2010-01-01

Large scale wind turbines and wind farms continue to grow mounting 94.1 GW of the electrical grid capacity in 2007 and expected to reach 160.0 GW in 2010. Wind energy plays a vital role in the quest for renewable and sustainable energy as well as in reducing carbon emission. Early generation wind turbines (windmills) were used mainly for water pumping and seed grinding, whereas today they generate 1/5 of the current Denmark's electricity and will double its grid capacity reaching 12.5% in 2010. Wind energy is plentiful (72 TW estimated to be commercially viable) and clean while its intensive capital cost still impede widespread deployment. However, there are technological challenges, i.e. high fatigue load, noise emission, and meeting stringent reliability and safety standards. Newer inventions, e.g., downstream wind turbines and flapping rotor blades, are sought to enhance their performance, i.e. lower turning moments and cut-in speed and to absorb portion of the cost due to the absent of yaw mechanisms. In this work, numerical analysis of the downstream wind turbine blade is conducted. In particular, the interaction between the tower and the rotor passage is investigated. Circular cross sectional tower and aerofoil shapes are considered in a staggered configuration and under cross-stream motion. The resulting blade static pressure and aerodynamic forces are computed at different incident wind angles and wind speeds. The computed forces are compared to the conventional upstream wind turbine. Steady state and transient, incompressible, viscous Navier-Stokes and turbulent flow analysis are employed. The k-epsilon model is utilized as the turbulence closure. The passage of the rotor blade is governed by ALE and is represented numerically as a sliding mesh against the upstream fixed tower domain.

Performance of Savonius Blade Waterwheel with Variation of Blade Number

Science.gov (United States)

Sule, L.; Rompas, P. T. D.

2018-02-01

The utilization of water energy source is mainly used as a provider of electrical energy through hydroelectric power. The potential utilization of water flow energy is relatively small. The objective of this study is to know the best blade of Savonius waterwheel with various variables such as water discharge, blade number, and loading. The data used the efficiency of waterwheel, variation of blade number, variable water discharge, and loading in the shaft. The test results have shown that the performances of a top-water mill with the semicircular curve where the variation in the number of blades are 4, 6, and 8 at discharge and loading of 0.01587 m3/s and 1000 grams respectively were 9.945%, 13.929%, and 17.056% respectively. The blades number of 8 obtained the greatest performance. The more number of blades the greater the efficiency of the waterwheel Savonius.

Analysis of the aerodynamic performance of the multi-rotor concept

Science.gov (United States)

Chasapogiannis, Petros; Prospathopoulos, John M.; Voutsinas, Spyros G.; Chaviaropoulos, Takis K.

2014-06-01

The concept of a large (~20MW) multi-rotor wind turbine intended for offshore installations is analysed with respect to its aerodynamic performance. The effect of closely clustering rotors on a single actuator disk is estimated using two different modelling approaches: a CFD solver in which the rotors are simulated as distinct actuator disks and a vortex based solver in which the blade geometry is exactly considered. In the present work, a system of 7 rotors is simulated with a centre to centre spacing of 1.05D. At nominal conditions (tip speed ratio=9) both models predict an increase in power of ~3% alongside with an increase in thrust of ~1.5%. The analysis of the flow field indicates that in the 7 rotor system the individual wakes merge into one wake at ~2D and that flow recovery starts at approximately the same downstream distance as in the single rotor case. As regards the dynamic implications of the close spacing of the rotors it was found that there is an increase in the loading amplitude ranging from 0.30-2.13% at blade level in rated conditions.

Analysis of the aerodynamic performance of the multi-rotor concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chasapogiannis, Petros; Prospathopoulos, John M; Voutsinas, Spyros G; Chaviaropoulos, Takis K

2014-01-01

The concept of a large (∼20MW) multi-rotor wind turbine intended for offshore installations is analysed with respect to its aerodynamic performance. The effect of closely clustering rotors on a single actuator disk is estimated using two different modelling approaches: a CFD solver in which the rotors are simulated as distinct actuator disks and a vortex based solver in which the blade geometry is exactly considered. In the present work, a system of 7 rotors is simulated with a centre to centre spacing of 1.05D. At nominal conditions (tip speed ratio=9) both models predict an increase in power of ∼3% alongside with an increase in thrust of ∼1.5%. The analysis of the flow field indicates that in the 7 rotor system the individual wakes merge into one wake at ∼2D and that flow recovery starts at approximately the same downstream distance as in the single rotor case. As regards the dynamic implications of the close spacing of the rotors it was found that there is an increase in the loading amplitude ranging from 0.30-2.13% at blade level in rated conditions

Program for aerodynamic performance tests of helium gas compressor model of the gas turbine high temperature reactor (GTHTR300)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takada, Shoji; Takizuka, Takakazu; Kunimoto, Kazuhiko; Yan, Xing; Itaka, Hidehiko; Mori, Eiji

2003-01-01

Research and development program for helium gas compressor aerodynamics was planned for the power conversion system of the Gas Turbine High Temperature Reactor (GTHTR300). The axial compressor with polytropic efficiency of 90% and surge margin more than 30% was designed with 3-dimensional aerodynamic design. Performance and surge margin of the helium gas compressor tends to be lower due to the higher boss ratio which makes the tip clearance wide relative to the blade height, as well as due to a larger number of stages. The compressor was designed on the basis of methods and data for the aerodynamic design of industrial open-cycle gas-turbine. To validate the design of the helium gas compressor of the GTHTR300, aerodynamic performance tests were planned, and a 1/3-scale, 4-stage compressor model was designed. In the tests, the performance data of the helium gas compressor model will be acquired by using helium gas as a working fluid. The maximum design pressure at the model inlet is 0.88 MPa, which allows the Reynolds number to be sufficiently high. The present study is entrusted from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. (author)

Structural Testing of the Blade Reliability Collaborative Effect of Defect Wind Turbine Blades

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Desmond, M. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hughes, S. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Paquette, J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-06-08

Two 8.3-meter (m) wind turbine blades intentionally constructed with manufacturing flaws were tested to failure at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) south of Boulder, Colorado. Two blades were tested; one blade was manufactured with a fiberglass spar cap and the second blade was manufactured with a carbon fiber spar cap. Test loading primarily consisted of flap fatigue loading of the blades, with one quasi-static ultimate load case applied to the carbon fiber spar cap blade. Results of the test program were intended to provide the full-scale test data needed for validation of model and coupon test results of the effect of defects in wind turbine blade composite materials. Testing was part of the Blade Reliability Collaborative (BRC) led by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The BRC seeks to develop a deeper understanding of the causes of unexpected blade failures (Paquette 2012), and to develop methods to enable blades to survive to their expected operational lifetime. Recent work in the BRC includes examining and characterizing flaws and defects known to exist in wind turbine blades from manufacturing processes (Riddle et al. 2011). Recent results from reliability databases show that wind turbine rotor blades continue to be a leading contributor to turbine downtime (Paquette 2012).

Laser Displacement Measurements of Fan Blades in Resonance and Flutter During the Boundary Layer Ingesting Inlet and Distortion-Tolerant Fan Test

Science.gov (United States)

Duffy, Kirsten P.; Provenza, Andrew J.; Bakhle, Milind A.; Min, James B.; Abdul-Aziz, Ali

2018-01-01

NASA's Advanced Air Transport Technology Project is investigating boundary layer ingesting propulsors for future subsonic commercial aircraft to improve aircraft efficiency, thereby reducing fuel burn. To that end, a boundary layer ingesting inlet and distortion-tolerant fan stage was designed, fabricated, and tested within the 8' x 6' Supersonic Wind Tunnel at NASA Glenn Research Center. Because of the distortion in the air flow over the fan, the blades were designed to withstand a much higher aerodynamic forcing than for a typical clean flow. The blade response for several resonance modes were measured during start-up and shutdown, as well as at near 85% design speed. Flutter in the first bending mode was also observed in the fan at the design speed, at an off-design condition, although instabilities were difficult to instigate with this fan in general. Blade vibrations were monitored through twelve laser displacement probes that were placed around the inner circumference of the casing, at the blade leading and trailing edges. These probes captured the movement of all the blades during the entire test. Results are presented for various resonance mode amplitudes, frequencies and damping, as well as flutter amplitudes and frequency. Benefits and disadvantages of laser displacement probe measurements versus strain gage measurements are discussed.

Axial compressor gas path design for desensitization of aerodynamic performance and stability to tip clearance

Science.gov (United States)

Cevik, Mert

Tip clearance is the necessary small gap left between the moving rotor tip and stationary shroud of a turbomachine. In a compressor, the pressure driven flow through this gap, called tip clearance flow, has a major and generally detrimental impact on compressor performance (pressure ratio and efficiency) and aerodynamic stability (stall margin). The increase in tip clearance, either temporary during transient engine operations or permanent from wear, leads to a drop in compressor performance and aerodynamic stability which results in a fuel consumption increase and a reduced operating envelope for a gas turbine engine. While much research has looked into increasing compressor performance and stall margin at the design (minimum or nominal) tip clearance, very little attention has been paid for reducing the sensitivity of these parameters to tip clearance size increase. The development of technologies that address this issue will lead to aircraft engines whose performance and operating envelope are more robust to operational demands and wear. The current research is the second phase of a research programme to develop design strategies to reduce the sensitivity of axial compressor performance and aerodynamic stability to tip clearance. The first phase had focused on blade design strategies and had led to the discovery and explanation of two flow features that reduces tip sensitivity, namely increased incoming meridional momentum in the rotor tip region and reduction/elimination of double leakage. Double leakage is the flow that exits one tip clearance and enters the tip clearance of the adjacent blade instead of convecting downstream out of the rotor passage. This flow was shown to be very detrimental to compressor performance and stall margin. Two rotor design strategies involving sweep and tip stagger reduction were proposed and shown by CFD simulations to exploit these features to reduce sensitivity. As the second phase, the objectives of the current research

CFD-based shape optimization of steam turbine blade cascade in transonic two phase flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noori Rahim Abadi, S.M.A.; Ahmadpour, A.; Abadi, S.M.N.R.; Meyer, J.P.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • CFD-based shape optimization of a nozzle and a turbine blade regarding nucleating steam flow is performed. • Nucleation rate and droplet radius are the best suited objective functions for the optimization process. • Maximum 34% reduction in entropy generation rate is reported for turbine cascade. • A maximum 10% reduction in Baumann factor and a maximum 2.1% increase in efficiency is achieved for a turbine cascade. - Abstract: In this study CFD-based shape optimization of a 3D nozzle and a 2D turbine blade cascade is undertaken in the presence of non-equilibrium condensation within the considered flow channels. A two-fluid formulation is used for the simulation of unsteady, turbulent, supersonic and compressible flow of wet steam accounting for relevant phase interaction between nucleated liquid droplets and continuous vapor phase. An in-house CFD code is developed to solve the governing equations of the two phase flow and was validated against available experimental data. Optimization is carried out in respect to various objective functions. It is shown that nucleation rate and maximum droplet radius are the best suited target functions for reducing thermodynamic and aerodynamic losses caused by the spontaneous nucleation. The maximum increase of 2.1% in turbine blade efficiency is achieved through shape optimization process.

Characterization of blade throw from a 2.3MW horizontal axis wind turbine upon failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sarlak, Hamid; Sørensen, Jens Nørkær

2015-01-01

The present work concerns aerodynamics of thrown objects from a 2.3 MW Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT), as a consequence of blade failure. The governing set of ordinary differential equations for the flying objects are derived and numerically solved using a 4th order Runge-Kutta time advancing...... on their size. Thereafter, throw distance picks up exponentially with the tip speed. By comparing the throw distance calculations with and without dynamic stall model being active, it is concluded that dynamic stall does not play a major role in throw distances....

Development and Evaluation of an Aerodynamic Model for a Novel Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Concept

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Shires

2013-05-01

Full Text Available There has been a resurgence of interest in the development of vertical axis wind turbines which have several inherent attributes that offer some advantages for offshore operations, particularly their scalability and low over-turning moments with better accessibility to drivetrain components. This paper describes an aerodynamic performance model for vertical axis wind turbines specifically developed for the design of a novel offshore V-shaped rotor with multiple aerodynamic surfaces. The model is based on the Double-Multiple Streamtube method and includes a number of developments for alternative complex rotor shapes. The paper compares predicted results with measured field data for five different turbines with both curved and straight blades and rated powers in the range 100–500 kW. Based on these comparisons, the paper proposes modifications to the Gormont dynamic stall model that gives improved predictions of rotor power for the turbines considered.

Heat Transfer and Flow on the First Stage Blade Tip of a Power Generation Gas Turbine. Part 1; Experimental Results

Science.gov (United States)

Bunker, Ronald S.; Bailey, Jeremy C.; Ameri, Ali A.

1999-01-01

A combined computational and experimental study has been performed to investigate the detailed distribution of convective heat transfer coefficients on the first stage blade tip surface for a geometry typical of large power generation turbines(>100MW). This paper is concerned with the design and execution of the experimental portion of the study. A stationary blade cascade experiment has been run consisting of three airfoils, the center airfoil having a variable tip gap clearance. The airfoil models the aerodynamic tip section of a high pressure turbine blade with inlet Mach number of 0.30, exit Mach number of 0.75, pressure ratio of 1.45, exit Reynolds number based on axial chord of 2.57 x 10(exp 6), and total turning of about 110 degrees. A hue detection based liquid crystal method is used to obtain the detailed heat transfer coefficient distribution on the blade tip surface for flat, smooth tip surfaces with both sharp and rounded edges. The cascade inlet turbulence intensity level took on values of either 5% or 9%. The cascade also models the casing recess in the shroud surface ahead of the blade. Experimental results are shown for the pressure distribution measurements on the airfoil near the tip gap, on the blade tip surface, and on the opposite shroud surface. Tip surface heat transfer coefficient distributions are shown for sharp-edge and rounded-edge tip geometries at each of the inlet turbulence intensity levels.

Fast Trailed Vorticity Modeling for Wind Turbine Aerodynamics and its Influence on Aeroelastic Stability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pirrung, Georg

In this work, an aerodynamic model for the use in aeroelastic wind turbine codes is presented. It consists of a simplified lifting line model covering the induction due to the trailed vorticity in the near wake, a 2D shed vorticity model and a far wake model using the well known blade element...... to earlier implementations, the model has been improved in several ways: Among other things, the need for model-specific user input has been removed, the effect of downwind convection of the trailed vorticity is modeled, the near wake induction is iterated to stabilize the computations and the numerical......-of-plane vibrations agrees much better with high fidelity models. Further, the trailed vorticity effects on the aerodynamic work are found to be of the same order of magnitude as the shed vorticity effects. The trailed vorticity effects are, however, mainly important close to the tip in the investigated cases, which...

Aerodynamic and Performance Behavior of a Three-Stage High Efficiency Turbine at Design and Off-Design Operating Points

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. T. Schobeiri

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the aerodynamic and performance behavior of a three-stage high pressure research turbine with 3-D curved blades at its design and off-design operating points. The research turbine configuration incorporates six rows beginning with a stator row. Interstage aerodynamic measurements were performed at three stations, namely downstream of the first rotor row, the second stator row, and the second rotor row. Interstage radial and circumferential traversing presented a detailed flow picture of the middle stage. Performance measurements were carried out within a rotational speed range of 75% to 116% of the design speed. The experimental investigations have been carried out on the recently established multi-stage turbine research facility at the Turbomachinery Performance and Flow Research Laboratory, TPFL, of Texas A&M University.

Quiet Clean Short-haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE): The aerodynamic and mechanical design of the QCSEE under-the-wing fan

Science.gov (United States)

1977-01-01

The design, fabrication, and testing of two experimental high bypass geared turbofan engines and propulsion systems for short haul passenger aircraft are described. The aerodynamic and mechanical design of a variable pitch 1.34 pressure ratio fan for the under the wing (UTW) engine are included. The UTW fan was designed to permit rotation of the 18 composite fan blades into the reverse thrust mode of operation through both flat pitch and stall pitch directions.

Aerodynamics and thermal physics of helicopter ice accretion

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Yiqiang

Ice accretion on aircraft introduces significant loss in airfoil performance. Reduced lift-to- drag ratio reduces the vehicle capability to maintain altitude and also limits its maneuverability. Current ice accretion performance degradation modeling approaches are calibrated only to a limited envelope of liquid water content, impact velocity, temperature, and water droplet size; consequently inaccurate aerodynamic performance degradations are estimated. The reduced ice accretion prediction capabilities in the glaze ice regime are primarily due to a lack of knowledge of surface roughness induced by ice accretion. A comprehensive understanding of the ice roughness effects on airfoil heat transfer, ice accretion shapes, and ultimately aerodynamics performance is critical for the design of ice protection systems. Surface roughness effects on both heat transfer and aerodynamic performance degradation on airfoils have been experimentally evaluated. Novel techniques, such as ice molding and casting methods and transient heat transfer measurement using non-intrusive thermal imaging methods, were developed at the Adverse Environment Rotor Test Stand (AERTS) facility at Penn State. A novel heat transfer scaling method specifically for turbulent flow regime was also conceived. A heat transfer scaling parameter, labeled as Coefficient of Stanton and Reynolds Number (CSR = Stx/Rex --0.2), has been validated against reference data found in the literature for rough flat plates with Reynolds number (Re) up to 1x107, for rough cylinders with Re ranging from 3x104 to 4x106, and for turbine blades with Re from 7.5x105 to 7x106. This is the first time that the effect of Reynolds number is shown to be successfully eliminated on heat transfer magnitudes measured on rough surfaces. Analytical models for ice roughness distribution, heat transfer prediction, and aerodynamics performance degradation due to ice accretion have also been developed. The ice roughness prediction model was

Wind Turbine Blade

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2010-01-01

The invention relates to a blade for a wind turbine, particularly to a blade that may be produced by an advanced manufacturing process for producing a blade with high quality structural components. Particularly, the structural components, which are preferably manufactured from fibre reinforced...

Bladed disc crack diagnostics using blade passage signals

Science.gov (United States)

Hanachi, Houman; Liu, Jie; Banerjee, Avisekh; Koul, Ashok; Liang, Ming; Alavi, Elham

2012-12-01

One of the major potential faults in a turbo fan engine is the crack initiation and propagation in bladed discs under cyclic loads that could result in the breakdown of the engines if not detected at an early stage. Reliable fault detection techniques are therefore in demand to reduce maintenance cost and prevent catastrophic failures. Although a number of approaches have been reported in the literature, it remains very challenging to develop a reliable technique to accurately estimate the health condition of a rotating bladed disc. Correspondingly, this paper presents a novel technique for bladed disc crack detection through two sequential signal processing stages: (1) signal preprocessing that aims to eliminate the noises in the blade passage signals; (2) signal postprocessing that intends to identify the crack location. In the first stage, physics-based modeling and interpretation are established to help characterize the noises. The crack initiation can be determined based on the calculated health monitoring index derived from the sinusoidal effects. In the second stage, the crack is located through advanced detrended fluctuation analysis of the preprocessed data. The proposed technique is validated using a set of spin rig test data (i.e. tip clearance and time of arrival) that was acquired during a test conducted on a bladed military engine fan disc. The test results have demonstrated that the developed technique is an effective approach for identifying and locating the incipient crack that occurs at the root of a bladed disc.

Intubation of prehospital patients with curved laryngoscope blade is more successful than with straight blade.

Science.gov (United States)

Alter, Scott M; Haim, Eithan D; Sullivan, Alex H; Clayton, Lisa M

2018-02-17

Direct laryngoscopy can be performed using curved or straight blades, and providers usually choose the blade they are most comfortable with. However, curved blades are anecdotally thought of as easier to use than straight blades. We seek to compare intubation success rates of paramedics using curved versus straight blades. Design: retrospective chart review. hospital-based suburban ALS service with 20,000 annual calls. prehospital patients with any direct laryngoscopy intubation attempt over almost 9years. First attempt and overall success rates were calculated for attempts with curved and straight blades. Differences between the groups were calculated. 2299 patients were intubated by direct laryngoscopy. 1865 had attempts with a curved blade, 367 had attempts with a straight blade, and 67 had attempts with both. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. First attempt success was 86% with a curved blade and 73% with a straight blade: a difference of 13% (95% CI: 9-17). Overall success was 96% with a curved blade and 81% with a straight blade: a difference of 15% (95% CI: 12-18). There was an average of 1.11 intubation attempts per patient with a curved blade and 1.13 attempts per patient with a straight blade (2% difference, 95% CI: -3-7). Our study found a significant difference in intubation success rates between laryngoscope blade types. Curved blades had higher first attempt and overall success rates when compared to straight blades. Paramedics should consider selecting a curved blade as their tool of choice to potentially improve intubation success. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design guidelines for passive instability suppression - Task-11 report[Wind turbines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, M.H.; Buhl, T.

2006-12-15

In these guidelines for passive instability suppression, eight relevant topics within aeroelastic stability of turbines are considered for the parameter variations: 1. Effect of airfoil aerodynamics: The airfoil aerodynamics given by the profile coefficients for aerodynamic lift, drag, and moment are shown to have a direct effect on aerodynamic damping of blade vibrations. A redesign of the airfoils can improve the power performance of the rotor without loss of aerodynamic damping. 2. Effect of flap/edgewise frequency coincidence: The natural frequencies of the first flapwise and first edgewise blade bending modes become closer as the blades become more slender. This 1-1 resonance may lead to a coupling flap- and edgewise blade vibrations which increases the edgewise blade mode damping. 3. Effect of flap/edgewise whirling coupling: The aerodynamic damping of blade vibrations close to the rotor plane are generally lower than the aerodynamic damping of vibrations out of the rotor plane. A structural coupling between the flapwise and edgewise whirling modes can increase the overall aerodynamic damping by adding more out of plane blade motion to the edgewise whirling modes. 4. Effect of torsional blade stiffness: A low torsional blade stiffness may lead to flutter where the first torsional blade mode couples to a flapwise bending mode in a flutter instability through the aerodynamic forces. 5. Can whirl flutter happen on a wind turbine? Whirl flutter is an aeroelastic instability similar to blade flutter. Whirl flutter can occur on turbines with very low natural frequencies of the tilt and yaw modes (about 5 % of their original values). 6. Edgewise/torsion coupling for large flapwise deflections: The large flapwise deflection of modern slender blades lead to a geometric coupling of edgewise bending and torsion. The aeroelastic damping of the blade modes are affected by a flapwise prebend of the blade. 7. Effect of yaw error on damping from wake: The wake behind the

Turbomachine blade reinforcement

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia Crespo, Andres Jose

2016-09-06

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a system having a turbomachine blade segment including a blade and a mounting segment coupled to the blade, wherein the mounting segment has a plurality of reinforcement pins laterally extending at least partially through a neck of the mounting segment.

Optimisation in radiotherapy II: Programmed and inversion optimisation algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebert, M.

1997-01-01

This is the second article in a three part examination of optimisation in radiotherapy. The previous article established the bases of optimisation in radiotherapy, and the formulation of the optimisation problem. This paper outlines several algorithms that have been used in radiotherapy, for searching for the best irradiation strategy within the full set of possible strategies. Two principle classes of algorithm are considered - those associated with mathematical programming which employ specific search techniques, linear programming type searches or artificial intelligence - and those which seek to perform a numerical inversion of the optimisation problem, finishing with deterministic iterative inversion. (author)