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Gravo-Aeroelastic Scaling for Extreme-Scale Wind Turbines

Conference ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2017-4215· OSTI ID:1373669
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3]
  1. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  2. University of Virginia
  3. Sandia National Laboratories

A scaling methodology is described in the present paper for extreme-scale wind turbines (rated at 10 MW or more) that allow their sub-scale turbines to capture their key blade dynamics and aeroelastic deflections. For extreme-scale turbines, such deflections and dynamics can be substantial and are primarily driven by centrifugal, thrust and gravity forces as well as the net torque. Each of these are in turn a function of various wind conditions, including turbulence levels that cause shear, veer, and gust loads. The 13.2 MW rated SNL100-03 rotor design, having a blade length of 100-meters, is herein scaled to the CART3 wind turbine at NREL using 25% geometric scaling and blade mass and wind speed scaled by gravo-aeroelastic constraints. In order to mimic the ultralight structure on the advanced concept extreme-scale design the scaling results indicate that the gravo-aeroelastically scaled blades for the CART3 are be three times lighter and 25% longer than the current CART3 blades. A benefit of this scaling approach is that the scaled wind speeds needed for testing are reduced (in this case by a factor of two), allowing testing under extreme gust conditions to be much more easily achieved. Most importantly, this scaling approach can investigate extreme-scale concepts including dynamic behaviors and aeroelastic deflections (including flutter) at an extremely small fraction of the full-scale cost.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1373669
Report Number(s):
NREL/CP-5000-68978
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (3)

Field Testing LIDAR-Based Feed-Forward Controls on the NREL Controls Advanced Research Turbine
  • Scholbrock, Andrew; Fleming, Paul; Fingersh, Lee
  • 51st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2013-818
conference January 2013
A morphing downwind-aligned rotor concept based on a 13-MW wind turbine: A morphing downwind-aligned wind turbine rotor concept journal May 2015
Aerodynamic and Structural Design of MultiMW Wind Turbine Blades beyond 5MW journal June 2007

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