Simplified aeroelastic modeling of horizontal-axis wind turbines

Technical Report · Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:5658097

Wendell, J H

This report examines certain aspects of the aeroelastic modeling and behavior of the horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT). Two simple three degree of freedom models are described in this report, and tools are developed which allow other simple models to be derived. The first simple model developed is an equivalent hinge model to study the flap-lag-torsion aeroelastic stability of an isolated rotor blade. The model includes nonlinear effects, preconing, and noncoincident elastic axis, center of gravity, and aerodynamic center. A stability study is presented which examines the influence of key parameters on aeroelastic stability. Next, two general tools are developed to study the aeroelastic stability and response of a teetering rotor coupled to a flexible tower. The first of these tools is an aeroelastic model of a two-bladed rotor on a general flexible support. The second general tool is a harmonic balance solution method for the resulting second order system with periodic coefficients. The second simple model developed is a rotor-tower model which serves to demonstrate the general tools. This model includes nacelle yawing, nacelle pitching, and rotor teetering. Transient response time histories are calculated and compared to a similar model in the literature. Agreement between the two is very good, especially considering how few harmonics are used. Finally, a stability study is presented which examines the effects of support stiffness and damping, inflow angle, and preconing.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA). Aeroelastic and Structures Research Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: AI01-76ET20320
• OSTI ID: 5658097
• Report Number(s): DOE/NASA/3303-3; NASA-CR-168109; ON: DE84002746
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Thesis
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

17 WIND ENERGY
WIND TURBINES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
AERODYNAMICS
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
STABILITY
WIND LOADS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DYNAMIC LOADS
EQUATIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
MACHINERY
MECHANICS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
170602* - Wind Energy Engineering- Turbine Design & Operation