Articles | Volume 9, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-203-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-203-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
22 Jan 2024
Research article |
| 22 Jan 2024
| 22 Jan 2024
Influence of rotor blade flexibility on the near-wake behavior of the NREL 5 MW wind turbine
Leo Höning
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Küpkersweg 70, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
Aerodynamics and Numerical Wind Energy Meteorology, Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems – Fraunhofer IWES, Küpkersweg 70, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
Laura J. Lukassen
Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Küpkersweg 70, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
ForWind, Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Küpkersweg 70, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
Bernhard Stoevesandt
Aerodynamics and Numerical Wind Energy Meteorology, Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems – Fraunhofer IWES, Küpkersweg 70, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
Iván Herráez
Laboratory for Wind and Solar Energy, University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer, Constantiapl. 4, 26723 Emden, Germany
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Andreas Rott, Leo Höning, Paul Hulsman, Laura J. Lukassen, Christof Moldenhauer, and Martin Kühn
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1755–1770, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1755-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1755-2023, 2023
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This study examines wind vane measurements of commercial wind turbines and their impact on yaw control. The authors discovered that rotor interference can cause an overestimation of wind vane measurements, leading to overcorrection of the yaw controller. A correction function that improves the yaw behaviour is presented and validated in free-field experiments on a commercial wind turbine. This work provides new insights into wind direction measurements and suggests ways to optimize yaw control.
Khaled Yassin, Arne Helms, Daniela Moreno, Hassan Kassem, Leo Höning, and Laura J. Lukassen
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1133–1152, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1133-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1133-2023, 2023
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The current turbulent wind field models stated in the IEC 61400-1 standard underestimate the probability of extreme changes in wind velocity. This underestimation can lead to the false calculation of extreme and fatigue loads on the turbine. In this work, we are trying to apply a random time-mapping technique to one of the standard turbulence models to adapt to such extreme changes. The turbulent fields generated are compared with a standard wind field to show the effects of this new mapping.
Koen Boorsma, Gerard Schepers, Helge Aagard Madsen, Georg Pirrung, Niels Sørensen, Galih Bangga, Manfred Imiela, Christian Grinderslev, Alexander Meyer Forsting, Wen Zhong Shen, Alessandro Croce, Stefano Cacciola, Alois Peter Schaffarczyk, Brandon Lobo, Frederic Blondel, Philippe Gilbert, Ronan Boisard, Leo Höning, Luca Greco, Claudio Testa, Emmanuel Branlard, Jason Jonkman, and Ganesh Vijayakumar
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 211–230, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-211-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-211-2023, 2023
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Within the framework of the fourth phase of the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Wind Task 29, a large comparison exercise between measurements and aeroelastic simulations has been carried out. Results were obtained from more than 19 simulation tools of various fidelity, originating from 12 institutes and compared to state-of-the-art field measurements. The result is a unique insight into the current status and accuracy of rotor aerodynamic modeling.
Andreas Rott, Leo Höning, Paul Hulsman, Laura J. Lukassen, Christof Moldenhauer, and Martin Kühn
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1755–1770, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1755-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1755-2023, 2023
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This study examines wind vane measurements of commercial wind turbines and their impact on yaw control. The authors discovered that rotor interference can cause an overestimation of wind vane measurements, leading to overcorrection of the yaw controller. A correction function that improves the yaw behaviour is presented and validated in free-field experiments on a commercial wind turbine. This work provides new insights into wind direction measurements and suggests ways to optimize yaw control.
Khaled Yassin, Arne Helms, Daniela Moreno, Hassan Kassem, Leo Höning, and Laura J. Lukassen
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1133–1152, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1133-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1133-2023, 2023
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The current turbulent wind field models stated in the IEC 61400-1 standard underestimate the probability of extreme changes in wind velocity. This underestimation can lead to the false calculation of extreme and fatigue loads on the turbine. In this work, we are trying to apply a random time-mapping technique to one of the standard turbulence models to adapt to such extreme changes. The turbulent fields generated are compared with a standard wind field to show the effects of this new mapping.
Koen Boorsma, Gerard Schepers, Helge Aagard Madsen, Georg Pirrung, Niels Sørensen, Galih Bangga, Manfred Imiela, Christian Grinderslev, Alexander Meyer Forsting, Wen Zhong Shen, Alessandro Croce, Stefano Cacciola, Alois Peter Schaffarczyk, Brandon Lobo, Frederic Blondel, Philippe Gilbert, Ronan Boisard, Leo Höning, Luca Greco, Claudio Testa, Emmanuel Branlard, Jason Jonkman, and Ganesh Vijayakumar
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 211–230, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-211-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-211-2023, 2023
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Within the framework of the fourth phase of the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Wind Task 29, a large comparison exercise between measurements and aeroelastic simulations has been carried out. Results were obtained from more than 19 simulation tools of various fidelity, originating from 12 institutes and compared to state-of-the-art field measurements. The result is a unique insight into the current status and accuracy of rotor aerodynamic modeling.
Sonja Krüger, Gerald Steinfeld, Martin Kraft, and Laura J. Lukassen
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 323–344, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-323-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-323-2022, 2022
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Detailed numerical simulations of turbines in atmospheric conditions are challenging with regard to their computational demand. We coupled an atmospheric flow model and a turbine model in order to deliver extensive details about the flow and the turbine response within reasonable computational time. A comparison to measurement data was performed and showed a very good agreement. The efficiency of the tool enables applications such as load calculation in wind farms or during low-level-jet events.
Janna Kristina Seifert, Martin Kraft, Martin Kühn, and Laura J. Lukassen
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 997–1014, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-997-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-997-2021, 2021
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Fluctuations in the power output of wind turbines are one of the major challenges in the integration and utilisation of wind energy. By analysing the power output fluctuations of wind turbine pairs in an offshore wind farm, we show that their correlation depends on their location within the wind farm and their inflow. The main outcome is that these correlation dependencies can be characterised by statistics of the power output of the wind turbines and sorted by a clustering algorithm.
Khaled Yassin, Hassan Kassem, Bernhard Stoevesandt, Thomas Klemme, and Joachim Peinke
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2021-3, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2021-3, 2021
Revised manuscript not accepted
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When ice forms on wind turbine blades, the smooth surface of the blade becomes rough which changes its aerodynamic performance. So, it is very important to know how to simulate this rough surface since most CFD simulations depend on assuming a smooth surface. This article compares different mathematical models specialized in simulating rough surfaces with results of real ice profiles. The study presents the most accurate model and recommends using it in future airflow simulation of iced blades.
Maciej Karczewski, Piotr Domagalski, Arnoldus van Wingerde, Bernhard Stoevesandt, Peter Jamieson, and Lars Roar Saetran
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2020-23, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2020-23, 2020
Revised manuscript not accepted
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The paper presents a concept of a multi-rotor system as a floating off-shore wind turbine. The results show that it may be an alternative to conventional wind turbines and even be cheaper in a long run, thus lowering the cost of energy to consumers. It may also solve technological barriers. The motivation for research was the idea of providing a technology vision for regions, where certain local supply chain can be employed to revitalize the shipyard industry while using renewable energy.
Siamak Akbarzadeh, Hassan Kassem, Renko Buhr, Gerald Steinfeld, and Bernhard Stoevesandt
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 619–632, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-619-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-619-2019, 2019
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The numerical flow simulation solvers are extensively used for site assessment in the wind energy industry. However, due to the complexity of flow regimes, it is essential to calibrate the important parameters of such algorithms with measurement data. In this paper, we present a computationally cheap (adjoint) solver that can be coupled with any standard gradient-based optimizer to calibrate the inflow boundary of a CFD solver using the wind speed measurements from the interior of a domain.
Dominik Traphan, Iván Herráez, Peter Meinlschmidt, Friedrich Schlüter, Joachim Peinke, and Gerd Gülker
Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 639–650, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-639-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-639-2018, 2018
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Wind turbines are exposed to harsh weather, leading to surface defects on rotor blades emerging from the first day of operation. Defects
grow quickly and affect the performance of wind turbines. Thus, there is demand for an easily applicable remote-inspection method that is sensitive to small
surface defects. In this work we show that infrared thermography can meet these requirements by visualizing differences in the surface temperature
of the rotor blades downstream of surface defects.
Iván Herráez, Elia Daniele, and J. Gerard Schepers
Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 1–9, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-1-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-1-2018, 2018
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Several methods have been proposed in the past for extracting the blade performance of wind turbines from simulations. In this work, we present a new method that allows obtaining those data easily not only from simulation results but also from flow measurements. We apply the method to both experiments and simulations of a well-known wind turbine model. The results provide insight into the wind turbine aerodynamics and open up new possibilities for the validation of simulation models.
Iván Herráez, Buşra Akay, Gerard J. W. van Bussel, Joachim Peinke, and Bernhard Stoevesandt
Wind Energ. Sci., 1, 89–100, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-1-89-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-1-89-2016, 2016
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The flow in the blade root region of horizontal axis wind turbines is highly three-dimensional. Furthermore, it is influenced by the presence of strong trailing vortices. In this work we study the complex root flow by means of experiments and numerical simulations. The simulations are shown to be reliable at predicting the main flow features of the rotor blades. Additionally, new insight into the physical mechanisms governing the blade root aerodynamics is given.
Related subject area
Thematic area: Fluid mechanics | Topic: Wind turbine aerodynamics
Wind turbine rotors in surge motion: new insights into unsteady aerodynamics of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) from experiments and simulations
An insight into the capability of the actuator line method to resolve tip vortices
Aerodynamic model comparison for an X-shaped vertical-axis wind turbine
Development and application of a mesh generator intended for unsteady vortex-lattice method simulations of wind turbines and wind farms
An experimental study on the aerodynamic loads of a floating offshore wind turbine under imposed motions
Developing a digital twin framework for wind tunnel testing: validation of turbulent inflow and airfoil load applications
Field-data-based validation of an aero-servo-elastic solver for high-fidelity large-eddy simulations of industrial wind turbines
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OC6 project Phase III: validation of the aerodynamic loading on a wind turbine rotor undergoing large motion caused by a floating support structure
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Christian W. Schulz, Stefan Netzband, Umut Özinan, Po Wen Cheng, and Moustafa Abdel-Maksoud
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 665–695, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-665-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-665-2024, 2024
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Understanding the underlying physical phenomena of the aerodynamics of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) is crucial for successful simulations. No consensus has been reached in the research community on which unsteady aerodynamic phenomena are relevant and how much they can influence the loads acting on a FOWT. This work contributes to the understanding and characterisation of such unsteady phenomena using a novel experimental approach and comprehensive numerical investigations.
Pier Francesco Melani, Omar Sherif Mohamed, Stefano Cioni, Francesco Balduzzi, and Alessandro Bianchini
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 601–622, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-601-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-601-2024, 2024
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The actuator line method (ALM) is a powerful tool for wind turbine simulation but struggles to resolve tip effects. The reason is still unclear. To investigate this, we use advanced angle of attack sampling and vortex tracking techniques to analyze the flow around a NACA0018 finite wing, simulated with ALM and blade-resolved computational fluid dynamics. Results show that the ALM can account for tip effects if the correct angle of attack sampling and force projection strategies are adopted.
Adhyanth Giri Ajay, Laurence Morgan, Yan Wu, David Bretos, Aurelio Cascales, Oscar Pires, and Carlos Ferreira
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 453–470, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-453-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-453-2024, 2024
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This paper compares six different numerical models to predict the performance of an X-shaped vertical-axis wind turbine, offering insights into how it works in 3D when its blades are fixed at specific angles. The results showed the 3D models here reliably predict the performance while still taking this turbine's complex aerodynamics into account compared to 2D models. Further, these blade angles caused more complexity in predicting the turbine's behaviour, which is highlighted in this paper.
Bruno A. Roccia, Luis R. Ceballos, Marcos L. Verstraete, and Cristian G. Gebhardt
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 385–416, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-385-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-385-2024, 2024
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Federico Taruffi, Felipe Novais, and Axelle Viré
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 343–358, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-343-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-343-2024, 2024
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Floating wind turbines are subject to complex aerodynamics that are not yet fully understood. Lab-scale experiments are crucial for capturing these phenomena and validate numerical tools. This paper presents a new wind tunnel experimental setup able to study the response of a wind turbine rotor when subjected to prescribed motions in 6 degrees of freedom. The observed unsteady effects underscore the importance of pursuing research on the impact of floater motions on wind turbine performance.
Rishabh Mishra, Emmanuel Guilmineau, Ingrid Neunaber, and Caroline Braud
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 235–252, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-235-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-235-2024, 2024
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To investigate the impact of turbulence on aerodynamic forces, we first model turbulent kinetic energy decay theoretically using the Taylor length scale and employ this model to create a digital wind tunnel replica for simulating grid-generated turbulence. Experimental validation shows good alignment among theory, simulations, and experiments, paving the way for aerodynamic simulations. Finally, we successfully use the digital replica to obtain force coefficients for a 2D rotor blade section.
Etienne Muller, Simone Gremmo, Félix Houtin-Mongrolle, Bastien Duboc, and Pierre Bénard
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 25–48, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-25-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-25-2024, 2024
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This article presents an advanced tool designed for the high-fidelity and high-performance simulation of operating wind turbines, allowing for instance the computation of a blade deformation, as well as of the surrounding airflow. As this tool relies on coupling two existing codes, the coupling strategy is first described in depth. The article then compares the code results to field data for validation.
Helge Aagaard Madsen
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1853–1872, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1853-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1853-2023, 2023
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We present a linear analytical solution for a two-dimensional (2-D) actuator disc (AD) for a plane disc, a yawed disc and a coned disc. Comparisons of the 2-D model with three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) AD simulations for a circular yawed disc and with an axis-symmetric CFD simulation of a coned disc show good correlation for the normal velocity component of the disc. This indicates that the 2-D AD model could form the basis for a consistent, simple new rotor induction model.
Stefano Cioni, Francesco Papi, Leonardo Pagamonci, Alessandro Bianchini, Néstor Ramos-García, Georg Pirrung, Rémi Corniglion, Anaïs Lovera, Josean Galván, Ronan Boisard, Alessandro Fontanella, Paolo Schito, Alberto Zasso, Marco Belloli, Andrea Sanvito, Giacomo Persico, Lijun Zhang, Ye Li, Yarong Zhou, Simone Mancini, Koen Boorsma, Ricardo Amaral, Axelle Viré, Christian W. Schulz, Stefan Netzband, Rodrigo Soto-Valle, David Marten, Raquel Martín-San-Román, Pau Trubat, Climent Molins, Roger Bergua, Emmanuel Branlard, Jason Jonkman, and Amy Robertson
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1659–1691, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1659-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1659-2023, 2023
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Simulations of different fidelities made by the participants of the OC6 project Phase III are compared to wind tunnel wake measurements on a floating wind turbine. Results in the near wake confirm that simulations and experiments tend to diverge from the expected linearized quasi-steady behavior when the reduced frequency exceeds 0.5. In the far wake, the impact of platform motion is overestimated by simulations and even seems to be oriented to the generation of a wake less prone to dissipation.
Christian Grinderslev, Felix Houtin-Mongrolle, Niels Nørmark Sørensen, Georg Raimund Pirrung, Pim Jacobs, Aqeel Ahmed, and Bastien Duboc
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1625–1638, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1625-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1625-2023, 2023
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In standstill conditions wind turbines are at risk of vortex-induced vibrations (VIVs). VIVs can become large and lead to significant fatigue of the wind turbine structure over time. Thus it is important to have tools that can accurately compute this complex phenomenon. This paper studies the sensitivities to the chosen models of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations when modelling VIVs and finds that much care is needed when setting up simulations, especially for specific flow angles.
Mohammad Rasoul Tirandaz, Abdolrahim Rezaeiha, and Daniel Micallef
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1403–1424, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1403-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1403-2023, 2023
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Vertical axis wind turbines experience a variation of torque and power throughout their rotation. Traditional non-morphing blades are intrinsically not able to respond to this variation, resulting in a turbine which has suboptimal performance. In principle, it is possible to have a morphing blade that adapts to the blade's rotation and changes its geometry in such a way as to optimise the performance of the turbine. This paper addresses the question of how such blade should morph as it rotates.
Ferdinand Seel, Thorsten Lutz, and Ewald Krämer
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1369–1385, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1369-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1369-2023, 2023
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Vortex generators are evaluated on a 2 MW wind turbine rotor blade by computational fluid dynamic methods. Those devices delay flow separation on the airfoils and thus increase their efficiency. On the wind turbine blade, rotational phenomena (e.g. rotational augmentation) appear and interact with the vortices from the vortex generators. The understanding of those interactions is crucial in order to optimise the placement of the vortex generators and evaluate their real efficiency on the blade.
Francesco Papi, Giancarlo Troise, Robert Behrens de Luna, Joseph Saverin, Sebastian Perez-Becker, David Marten, Marie-Laure Ducasse, and Alessandro Bianchini
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2023-107, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2023-107, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for WES
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Wind turbines are simulated for thousands of hours to estimate structural design loads. Mid-fidelity numerical models are used for this task, to strike a balance between computational cost and accuracy. The considerable displacements of floating wind turbines may be a challenge for some of these models. This paper enhances comprehension of how modeling theories affect floating wind turbine simulations. It does so by assessing three codes across three turbines simulated in the real environment.
Francesco Papi, Jason Jonkman, Amy Robertson, and Alessandro Bianchini
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2023-109, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2023-109, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for WES
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Blade Element Momentum theory (BEM) is the backbone of many industry-standard aerodynamic models. However, the analysis of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs) introduces new challenges, which could put BEM models to the test. This study systematically compares four aerodynamic models, ranging from BEM to Computational Fluid Dynamics, in an attempt to shed light on the unsteady aerodynamic phenomena that are at stake in FOWTs and whether BEM is able to model them appropriately.
Jens N. Sørensen
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1017–1027, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1017-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1017-2023, 2023
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The paper presents a simple analytical model that, with surprisingly good accuracy, represents the loading for virtually any horizontal axis wind turbine, independent of size and operating regime. The aim of the model is to have a simple tool that may represent the loading of any wind turbine without having access to the details regarding the specific geometry and airfoil data, information that is normally kept confidential by the manufacturer of the turbine.
André F. P. Ribeiro, Damiano Casalino, and Carlos S. Ferreira
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 661–675, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-661-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-661-2023, 2023
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Floating offshore wind turbines move due to not having a rigid foundation. Hence, as the blades rotate they experience more complex aerodynamics than standard onshore wind turbines. In this paper, we show computational simulations of a wind turbine rotor moving in various ways and quantify the effects of the motion in the forces acting on the blades. We show that these forces behave in nonlinear ways in some cases.
Roger Bergua, Amy Robertson, Jason Jonkman, Emmanuel Branlard, Alessandro Fontanella, Marco Belloli, Paolo Schito, Alberto Zasso, Giacomo Persico, Andrea Sanvito, Ervin Amet, Cédric Brun, Guillén Campaña-Alonso, Raquel Martín-San-Román, Ruolin Cai, Jifeng Cai, Quan Qian, Wen Maoshi, Alec Beardsell, Georg Pirrung, Néstor Ramos-García, Wei Shi, Jie Fu, Rémi Corniglion, Anaïs Lovera, Josean Galván, Tor Anders Nygaard, Carlos Renan dos Santos, Philippe Gilbert, Pierre-Antoine Joulin, Frédéric Blondel, Eelco Frickel, Peng Chen, Zhiqiang Hu, Ronan Boisard, Kutay Yilmazlar, Alessandro Croce, Violette Harnois, Lijun Zhang, Ye Li, Ander Aristondo, Iñigo Mendikoa Alonso, Simone Mancini, Koen Boorsma, Feike Savenije, David Marten, Rodrigo Soto-Valle, Christian W. Schulz, Stefan Netzband, Alessandro Bianchini, Francesco Papi, Stefano Cioni, Pau Trubat, Daniel Alarcon, Climent Molins, Marion Cormier, Konstantin Brüker, Thorsten Lutz, Qing Xiao, Zhongsheng Deng, Florence Haudin, and Akhilesh Goveas
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 465–485, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-465-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-465-2023, 2023
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This work examines if the motion experienced by an offshore floating wind turbine can significantly affect the rotor performance. It was observed that the system motion results in variations in the load, but these variations are not critical, and the current simulation tools capture the physics properly. Interestingly, variations in the rotor speed or the blade pitch angle can have a larger impact than the system motion itself.
Mac Gaunaa, Niels Troldborg, and Emmanuel Branlard
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 503–513, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-503-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-503-2023, 2023
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We present an analytical vortex model. Despite its simplicity, the model is fully consistent with 1D momentum theory. It shows that the flow through a non-uniformly loaded rotor operating in non-uniform inflow behaves locally as predicted by 1D momentum theory. As a consequence, the local power coefficient (based on local inflow) of an ideal rotor is unaltered by the presence of shear. Finally, the model shows that there is no cross-shear deflection of the wake of a rotor in sheared inflow.
Kelsey Shaler, Benjamin Anderson, Luis A. Martínez-Tossas, Emmanuel Branlard, and Nick Johnson
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 383–399, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-383-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-383-2023, 2023
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Free-vortex wake (OLAF) and low-fidelity blade-element momentum (BEM) structural results are compared to high-fidelity simulation results for a flexible downwind turbine for varying inflow conditions. Overall, OLAF results were more consistent than BEM results when compared to SOWFA results under challenging inflow conditions. Differences between OLAF and BEM results were dominated by yaw misalignment angle, with varying shear exponent and turbulence intensity causing more subtle differences.
Francesco Caccia and Alberto Guardone
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 341–362, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-341-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-341-2023, 2023
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Ice roughness deteriorates wind turbine aerodynamics. We have shown numerically that this also occurs when complex ice shapes are present on the leading edge, as long as the blade's wet region extends beyond the ice shape itself and roughness elements are high enough. Such features are typical of icing events on wind turbines but are not captured by current icing simulation tools. Future research should focus on correctly computing both the wet region of the blade and the roughness height.
Koen Boorsma, Gerard Schepers, Helge Aagard Madsen, Georg Pirrung, Niels Sørensen, Galih Bangga, Manfred Imiela, Christian Grinderslev, Alexander Meyer Forsting, Wen Zhong Shen, Alessandro Croce, Stefano Cacciola, Alois Peter Schaffarczyk, Brandon Lobo, Frederic Blondel, Philippe Gilbert, Ronan Boisard, Leo Höning, Luca Greco, Claudio Testa, Emmanuel Branlard, Jason Jonkman, and Ganesh Vijayakumar
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 211–230, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-211-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-211-2023, 2023
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Within the framework of the fourth phase of the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Wind Task 29, a large comparison exercise between measurements and aeroelastic simulations has been carried out. Results were obtained from more than 19 simulation tools of various fidelity, originating from 12 institutes and compared to state-of-the-art field measurements. The result is a unique insight into the current status and accuracy of rotor aerodynamic modeling.
Simone Mancini, Koen Boorsma, Gerard Schepers, and Feike Savenije
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 193–210, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-193-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-193-2023, 2023
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Modern wind turbines are subject to complex wind conditions that are far from the hypothesis of steady uniform inflow at the core of blade element momentum methods (the current industry standard for wind turbine design). Various corrections have been proposed to model this complexity. The present work focuses on modelling the unsteady evolution of wind turbine wakes (dynamic inflow), comparing the different corrections available and highlighting their effects on design load predictions.
Christian Grinderslev, Niels Nørmark Sørensen, Georg Raimund Pirrung, and Sergio González Horcas
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 2201–2213, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-2201-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-2201-2022, 2022
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As wind turbines increase in size, the risk of flow-induced instabilities increases. This study investigates the phenomenon of vortex-induced vibrations (VIVs) on a large 10 MW wind turbine blade using two high-fidelity methods. It is found that VIVs can occur with multiple equilibrium states for the same flow case, showing an dependence on the initial conditions. This means that a blade which is stable in a flow can become unstable if, e.g., a turbine operation provokes an initial vibration.
Felipe Vittori, José Azcona, Irene Eguinoa, Oscar Pires, Alberto Rodríguez, Álex Morató, Carlos Garrido, and Cian Desmond
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 2149–2161, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-2149-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-2149-2022, 2022
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This paper describes the results of a wave tank test campaign of a scaled SATH 10 MW INNWIND floating platform. The software-in-the-loop (SiL) hybrid method was used to include the wind turbine thrust and the in-plane rotor moments. Experimental results are compared with a numerical model developed in OpenFAST of the floating wind turbine. The results are discussed, identifying limitations of the numerical models and obtaining conclusions on how to improve them.
Thanasis Barlas, Georg Raimund Pirrung, Néstor Ramos-García, Sergio González Horcas, Ang Li, and Helge Aagaard Madsen
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1957–1973, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1957-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1957-2022, 2022
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An aeroelastically optimized curved wind turbine blade tip is designed, manufactured, and tested on a novel outdoor rotating rig facility at the Risø campus of the Technical University of Denmark. Detailed aerodynamic measurements for various atmospheric conditions and results are compared to a series of in-house aeroelastic tools with a range of fidelities in aerodynamic modeling. The comparison highlights details in the ability of the codes to predict the performance of such a curved tip.
Jan-Philipp Küppers and Tamara Reinicke
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1889–1903, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1889-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1889-2022, 2022
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Airfoils play a major role in the technical harnessing of energy from currents such as wind and water. When the angle of attack of a wing changes dynamically, the forces on the wing often change more than would have been assumed from static measurements alone. Since these dynamic forces have a strong influence, e.g., on the performance of airplanes and wind turbines, a neural-network-based model was created that can predict these loads and their stochastic fluctuations.
Frederik Berger, Lars Neuhaus, David Onnen, Michael Hölling, Gerard Schepers, and Martin Kühn
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1827–1846, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1827-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1827-2022, 2022
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We proof the dynamic inflow effect due to gusts in wind tunnel experiments with MoWiTO 1.8 in the large wind tunnel of ForWind – University of Oldenburg, where we created coherent gusts with an active grid. The effect is isolated in loads and rotor flow by comparison of a quasi-steady and a dynamic case. The observed effect is not caught by common dynamic inflow engineering models. An improvement to the Øye dynamic inflow model is proposed, matching experiment and corresponding FVWM simulations.
Thomas Potentier, Emmanuel Guilmineau, Arthur Finez, Colin Le Bourdat, and Caroline Braud
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1771–1790, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1771-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1771-2022, 2022
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A wind turbine blade equipped with root spoilers is analysed using time domain aeroelastic simulations to assess the impact of passive devices on the turbine AEP and lifetime. A novel way to account for aerofoil-generated unsteadiness in the fatigue calculation is proposed and detailed. The outcome shows that spoilers, on average, can increase the AEP of the turbine. However, the structural impacts on the turbine can be severe if not accounted for initially in the turbine design.
Alessandro Fontanella, Alan Facchinetti, Simone Di Carlo, and Marco Belloli
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1711–1729, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1711-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1711-2022, 2022
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The aerodynamics of floating wind turbines is complicated by large motions permitted by the foundation. The interaction between turbine, wind, and wake is not yet fully understood. The wind tunnel experiments of this paper shed light on the aerodynamic force and wake response of the floating IEA 15 MW turbine subjected to platform motion as would occur during normal operation. This will help future research on turbine and wind farm control.
Emmanouil M. Nanos, Carlo L. Bottasso, Simone Tamaro, Dimitris I. Manolas, and Vasilis A. Riziotis
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1641–1660, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1641-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1641-2022, 2022
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A novel way of wind farm control is presented where the wake is deflected vertically to reduce interactions with downstream turbines. This is achieved by moving ballast in a floating offshore platform in order to pitch the support structure and thereby tilt the wind turbine rotor disk. The study considers the effects of this new form of wake control on the aerodynamics of the steering and wake-affected turbines, on the structure, and on the ballast motion system.
Giorgia Guma, Philipp Bucher, Patrick Letzgus, Thorsten Lutz, and Roland Wüchner
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1421–1439, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1421-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1421-2022, 2022
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Wind turbine aeroelasticity is becoming more and more important because turbine sizes are increasingly leading to more slender blades. On the other hand, complex terrains are of interest because they are far away from urban areas. These regions are characterized by low velocities and high turbulence and are mostly influenced by the presence of forest, and that is why it is necessary to develop high-fidelity tools to correctly simulate the wind turbine's response.
Sarah Barber, Julien Deparday, Yuriy Marykovskiy, Eleni Chatzi, Imad Abdallah, Gregory Duthé, Michele Magno, Tommaso Polonelli, Raphael Fischer, and Hanna Müller
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1383–1398, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1383-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1383-2022, 2022
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Aerodynamic and acoustic field measurements on operating large-scale wind turbines are key for the further reduction in the costs of wind energy. In this work, a novel cost-effective MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems)-based aerodynamic and acoustic wireless measurement system that is thin, non-intrusive, easy to install, low power and self-sustaining is designed and tested.
Ang Li, Mac Gaunaa, Georg Raimund Pirrung, Alexander Meyer Forsting, and Sergio González Horcas
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1341–1365, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1341-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1341-2022, 2022
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A consistent method of using two-dimensional airfoil data when using generalized lifting-line methods for the aerodynamic load calculation of non-planar horizontal-axis wind turbines is described. The important conclusions from the unsteady two-dimensional airfoil aerodynamics are highlighted. The impact of using a simplified approach instead of using the full model on the prediction of the aerodynamic performance of non-planar rotors is shown numerically for different aerodynamic models.
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Short summary
This study analyzes the impact of wind turbine rotor blade flexibility on the aerodynamic loading of the blades and the consequential wind characteristics in the near wake of the turbine. It is shown that gravitation leads to rotational periodic fluctuations of blade loading, which directly impacts the trajectory of the blade tip vortex at different rotor blade positions while also resulting in a non-uniform wind velocity deficit in the wake of the wind turbine.
This study analyzes the impact of wind turbine rotor blade flexibility on the aerodynamic...
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