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Title: HAWC2 and BeamDyn: Comparison Between Beam Structural Models for Aero-Servo-Elastic Frameworks: Preprint

Conference ·
OSTI ID:1304572

This work presents a comparison of two beam codes for aero-servo-elastic frameworks: a new structural model for the aeroelastic code HAWC2 and a new nonlinear beam model, BeamDyn, for the aeroelastic modularization framework FAST v8. The main goal is to establish the suitability of the two approaches to model the structural behaviour of modern wind turbine blades in operation. Through a series of benchmarking structural cases of increasing complexity, the capability of the two codes to simulate highly nonlinear effects is investigated and analyzed. Results show that even though the geometrically exact beam theory can better model effects such as very large deflections, rotations, and structural couplings, an approach based on a multi-body formulation assembled through linear elements is capable of computing accurate solutions for typical nonlinear beam theory benchmarking cases.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Wind and Water Technologies Office (EE-4W)
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1304572
Report Number(s):
NREL/CP-5000-65115
Resource Relation:
Conference: Presented at the European Wind Energy Association Annual Conference and Exhibition 2015 (EWEA 2015), 17-20 November 2015, Paris, France
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English