The prediction of the hydrodynamic performance of marine current turbines

The development of a blade element momentum (BEM) model for the hydrodynamic design of marine current turbines is presented. The model includes routines for interpolation of 2D section data and extrapolation for stall delay. The numerical model is compared with experimental data obtained from tests of an 800 mm diameter model rotor carried out in a cavitation tunnel. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with the experiments. Using this validated model, a typical 3D rotor is used to demonstrate parametric variations of the design parameters. The effect of tip immersion on possible cavitation is assessed for this rotor. The model is then used to solve the dynamic effects of a tidal profile. The effect of an increase in blade roughness is presented, indicating a relatively small reduction in power. This work demonstrates that the numerical model developed can provide a useful tool for the investigation of the hydrodynamic design and operation of marine current turbines.     

Development of a hydraulic control mechanism for cyclic pitch marine current turbines

Tidal power generation by means of marine current farms is potentially a large renewable energy resource which could be harnessed in many coastal waters. Its availability is highly predictable in time, and the technology promises high energy conversion efficiency along with a relatively low impact on sea life due to its relatively small disturbance of natural tidal flows.A series of devices have so far been proposed and developed for the extraction and conversion of kinetic energy present in tidal flows into useful electrical power [1]. Designs include horizontal axis turbines, vertical axis turbines, and devices with oscillating lift surfaces. Up to date no technology has firmly established itself.This paper describes a novel hydraulic control mechanism designed for vertical-axis marine current turbines of the straight-bladed Darrieus type. It has been found to significantly improve turbine efficiency over conventional Darrieus turbines when operated at low blade tip-speed to tidal-flow-velocity ratios (TSR) and to give the turbine the ability to self-start reliably. The control mechanism enforces a cyclic pivoting motion on the turbine blades as they move around their circular flight-path. The movement of the pitch control is of sinusoidal shape and is continuously variable in amplitude. The blade actuation is powered by the turbine's own rotation and is implemented using a swash-plate mechanism in conjunction with a hydraulic circuit for every blade. For surface piercing turbines, this control mechanism may be remotely positioned in a dry nacelle above sea level. If the appropriate design is applied, this can offer access to the cyclic pitch control mechanism, gearbox and generator, even when the turbine is operational, promising lower maintenance and operating costs compared with submerged systems.     

Design of bare and ducted axial marine current turbines

To convert the kinetic energy of marine current into electricity, the most sensible generator is a horizontal axis turbine. The know-how and the tools used for marine propulsion devices find a new range of applications in this field. An academic panel method code developed for the design of bare and ducted marine propellers was applied to design a marine current turbine. The turbine dimension and the tidal current velocity have been taken to fit the conditions in the Race of Alderney. The wing section theory and the optimum rotor theory based on the blade element momentum were used to obtain the design condition and a first geometry approaching the Betz limit for a bare rotor. The panel method was then used to verify the power coefficient obtained in the presence of the 3D effects and if the cavitation constraints are respected. Subsequently, the same panel code was used to verify if the addition of a duct could improve the power output per unit surface.     

Development of an aeroelastic code based on three‐dimensional viscous–inviscid method for wind turbine computations

Aerodynamic and structural dynamic performance analysis of modern wind turbines are routinely estimated in the wind energy field using computational tools known as aeroelastic codes. Most aeroelastic codes use the blade element momentum (BEM) technique to model the rotor aerodynamics and a modal, multi‐body or the finite‐element approach to model the turbine structural dynamics. The present work describes the development of a novel aeroelastic code that combines a three‐dimensional viscous–inviscid interactive method, method for interactive rotor aerodynamic simulations (MIRAS), with the structural dynamics model used in the aeroelastic code FLEX5. The new code, called MIRAS‐FLEX, is an improvement on standard aeroelastic codes because it uses a more advanced aerodynamic model than BEM. With the new aeroelastic code, more physical aerodynamic predictions than BEM can be obtained as BEM uses empirical relations, such as tip loss corrections, to determine the flow around a rotor. Although more costly than BEM, a small cluster is sufficient to run MIRAS‐FLEX in a fast and easy way. MIRAS‐FLEX is compared against the widely used FLEX5 and FAST, as well as the participant codes from the Offshore Code Comparison Collaboration Project. Simulation tests consist of steady wind inflow conditions with different combinations of yaw error, wind shear, tower shadow and turbine‐elastic modeling. Turbulent inflow created by using a Mann box is also considered. MIRAS‐FLEX results, such as blade tip deflections and root‐bending moments, are generally in good agreement with the other codes. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large eddy simulation of dynamically controlled wind turbines in an offshore environment

Accurate modelling of transient wind turbine wakes is an important component in the siting of turbines within wind farms because of wake structures that affect downwind turbine performance and loading. Many current industry tools for modelling these effects are limited to empirically derived predictions. A technique is described for coupling transient wind modelling with an aero‐elastic simulation to dynamically model both turbine operation and wake structures. The important feature of this approach is a turbine model in a flow simulation, which actively responds to transient wind events through the inclusion of controller actions such as blade pitching and regulation of generator torque. The coupled nature of the aero‐elastic/flow simulation also allows recording of load and control data, which permits the analysis of turbine interaction in multiple turbine systems. An aero‐elastic turbine simulation code and a large eddy simulation (LES) solver using an actuator disc model were adapted for this work. Coupling of the codes was implemented with the use of a software framework to transfer data between simulations in a synchronous manner. A computationally efficient simulation was developed with the ability to model turbines exhibiting standard baseline control operating in an offshore environment. Single and multiple wind turbine instances were modelled in a transient flow domain to investigate wake structures and wake interaction effects. Blade loading data were analysed to quantify the increased fluctuating loads on downwind turbines. The results demonstrate the successful implementation of the coupled simulation and quantify the effect of the dynamic‐turbine model. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Power and thrust measurements of marine current turbines under various hydrodynamic flow conditions in a cavitation tunnel and a towing tank

The results of cavitation tunnel and tank tests on an 800 mm diameter model of a marine current turbine (MCT) are presented. The tests were carried out in a 2.4 m×1.2 m cavitation tunnel and the 60 m towing tank. Results for power and thrust coefficients are presented for a range of tip speed ratio and pitch settings for various conditions. The results of this investigation provided an insight into the operation of a singe turbine in straight or yawed flow, the effect on performance of changes in the tip immersion of the rotor, the interference between twin rotors and the likely areas of cavitation inception. In addition, the analysed results presented provide useful information for the hydrodynamic design of MCTs and detailed data for the validation of numerical models.     

Near and far field flow disturbances induced by model hydrokinetic turbine: ADV and ADP comparison

Wake flows downstream of hydrokinetic turbines are characterized by hub and tip vortices, a velocity deficit and an increase in turbulence intensity. Velocity and turbulence recovery in the wakes of individual turbines constrains the density of turbines in an array and limits the amount of energy that can be produced by a turbine farm. However, few hydrokinetic turbine flow recovery studies have been conducted, especially on the far-field flow characteristics. Nor have studies evaluated the accuracy of acoustic Doppler profiler measurements in the wakes of turbines. The present study examines vertical profiles of mean velocity and turbulence, as well as longitudinal profiles of velocity deficit and turbulence levels measured at the symmetry plane of a model three-blade axial flow turbine in a large open channel flow. Mean velocity and turbulence statistics are measured using an acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) and a pulse coherent acoustic Doppler profiler (ADP). ADV and corrected-ADP derived values of mean velocity, turbulence intensity and root-mean-square velocity constitute a well-documented data set that can be used to validate numerical models simulating the effects of hydrokinetic turbine arrays. We found that 80% of the flow recovery occurred about ten diameters downstream from the rotor plane, which suggests that practical values for longitudinal spacing of turbines should be between ten and fifteen diameters. Significant errors observed in mean velocity and turbulence statistics derived from ADP measurements in the near wake region raise concerns on the use of these instruments for such measurements in lab and field studies. Although the cause of some of the errors requires further investigation, we show that errors in turbulence intensity can be successfully corrected with supplemental ADV measurements.     

The Use of a Code‐generating System for the Derivation of the Equations for Wind Turbine Dynamics

For many reasons the size of wind turbines on the rapidly growing wind energy market is increasing. Relations between aeroelastic properties of these new large turbines change. Modifications of turbine designs and control concepts are also influenced by growing size. All these trends require development of computer codes for design and certification. Moreover, there is a strong desire for design optimization procedures, which require fast codes. General codes, e.g. finite element codes, normally allow such modifications and improvements of existing wind turbine models. This is done relatively easy. However, the calculation times of such codes are unfavourably long, certainly for optimization use. The use of an automatic code generating system is an alternative for relevance of the two key issues, the code and the design optimization. This technique can be used for rapid generation of codes of particular wind turbine simulation models. These ideas have been followed in the development of new versions of the wind turbine simulation code VIDYN. The equations of the simulation model were derived according to the Lagrange equation and using Mathematica^®, which was directed to output the results in Fortran code format. In this way the simulation code is automatically adapted to an actual turbine model, in terms of subroutines containing the equations of motion, definitions of parameters and degrees of freedom. Since the start in 1997, these methods, constituting a systematic way of working, have been used to develop specific efficient calculation codes. The experience with this technique has been very encouraging, inspiring the continued development of new versions of the simulation code as the need has arisen, and the interest for design optimization is growing. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimating the angle of attack from blade pressure measurements on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory phase VI rotor using a free wake vortex model: yawed conditions

Wind turbine design codes for calculating blade loads are usually based on a blade element momentum (BEM) approach. Since wind turbine rotors often operate in off‐design conditions, such as yawed flow, several engineering methods have been developed to take into account such conditions. An essential feature of a BEM code is the coupling of local blade element loads with an external (induced) velocity field determined with momentum theory through the angle of attack. Local blade loads follow directly from blade pressure measurements as performed in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) phase IV campaign, but corresponding angles of attack cannot (on principle) be measured. By developing a free wake vortex method using measured local blade loads, time‐dependent angle of attack and induced velocity distributions are reconstructed. In a previous paper, a method was described for deriving such distributions in conjunction with blade pressure measurements for the NREL phase VI wind turbine in axial (non‐yawed) conditions. In this paper, the same method is applied to investigate yawed conditions on the same turbine. The study considered different operating conditions in yaw in both attached and separated flows over the blades. The derived free wake geometry solutions are used to determine induced velocity distributions at the rotor blade. These are then used to determine the local (azimuth time dependent) angle of attack, as well as the corresponding lift and drag for each blade section. The derived results are helpful to develop better engineering models for wind turbine design codes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of wake dynamics on the performance and aeroelasticity of wind turbines

Wind turbines are currently a rapidly expanding form of renewable energy. However, there are numerous technological challenges that must be overcome before wind energy provides a significant amount of power in the United States. One of the primary challenges in wind turbine design and analysis is accurately accounting for the aerodynamic environment. This study is focused on a comprehensive verification and validation of the NREL FAST code, which is enhanced to include a free vortex wake model. The verification and validation is carried out through a comparison of blade lift distribution, wind turbine power and force and moment coefficients using a combination of CFD and experimental data. The results are also compared against Blade Element Momentum theory, and results from a 2001 double-blind NREL study on the prediction capabilities of wind turbine modeling tools. Results indicate that the enhanced aeroelastic code generally provides improved predictions. However, in several notable cases the predictions are only marginally improved, or even worse, than those generated using Blade Element Momentum theory aerodynamics. It is concluded that modeling of the aerodynamic environment remains incomplete, even after inclusion of wake effects. One important aspect identified is modeling of the unsteady aerodynamic lift characteristics of the rotor. Finally, the aeroelastic response in the combined presence of wake effects and inflow turbulence is examined. Significant differences are observed in loads, power, and structural response between results computed using the free wake model or simpler models, such as Blade Element Momentum theory.     

A computational hydrodynamics method for horizontal axis turbine – Panel method modeling migration from propulsion to turbine energy

A computational hydrodynamics method was formulated and implemented for horizontal axis tidal turbines. This paper presents a comparative analysis between screw propellers and horizontal axis turbines, in terms of geometry and motion parameters, inflow velocity analysis and the implementation methodologies. Comparison and analysis are given for a marine propeller model and a horizontal axis turbine model that have experimental measurements available in literature. Analysis and comparison are presented in terms of thrust coefficients, shaft torque/power coefficients, blade surface pressure distributions, and downstream velocity profiles. The effect of number of blades from 2 to 5, of a tidal turbine on hydrodynamic efficiency is also obtained and presented. The key implementation techniques and methodologies are provided in detail for the propeller based panel method tool to migrate as a prediction tool for tidal turbine. While the method has been proven to be accurate and robust for many propellers tested in the past, this numerical tool could be validated further for turbines. To further refine and validate the panel method for various turbines, it requires substantial additional experimental measurements. These measurements include downstream velocity profile by using LDV and/or SPIV, which are essential for numerical wake vortices descritization.     

Fluid structure interaction of a morphed wind turbine blade

One serious challenge of energy systems design, wind turbines in particular, is the need to match the system operation to the variable load. This is so because system efficiency drops at off‐design load. One strategy to address this challenge for wind turbine blades and obtain a more consistent efficiency over a wide load range, is varying the blade geometry. Predictable morphing of wind turbine blade in reaction to wind load conditions has been introduced recently. The concept, derived from fish locomotion, also has similarities to spoilers and ailerons, known to reduce flow separation and improve performance using passive changes in blade geometry. In this work, we employ a fully coupled technique on CFD and FEM models to introduce continuous morphing to desired and predetermined blade design geometry, the NACA 4412 profile, which is commonly used in wind turbine applications. Then, we assess the aerodynamic behavior of a morphing wind turbine airfoil using a two‐dimensional computation. The work is focused on assessing aerodynamic forces based on trailing edge deflection, wind speed, and material elasticity, that is, Young's modulus. The computational results suggest that the morphing blade has superior part‐load efficiency over the rigid NACA blade. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Site‐specific Design Optimization of Wind Turbines

This article reports results from a European project, where site characteristics were incorporated into the design process of wind turbines, to enable site‐specific design. Two wind turbines of different concept were investigated at six different sites comprising normal flat terrain, offshore and complex terrain wind farms. Design tools based on numerical optimization and aeroelastic calculations were combined with a cost model to allow optimization for minimum cost of energy. Different scenarios were optimized ranging from modifications of selected individual components to the complete design of a new wind turbine. Both annual energy yield and design‐determining loads depended on site characteristics, and this represented a potential for site‐specific design. The maximum variation in annual energy yield was 37% and the maximum variation in blade root fatigue loads was 62%. Optimized site‐specific designs showed reductions in cost of energy by up to 15% achieved from an increase in annual energy yield and a reduction in manufacturing costs. The greatest benefits were found at sites with low mean wind speed and low turbulence. Site‐specific design was not able to offset the intrinsic economic advantage of high‐wind‐speed sites. It was not possible to design a single wind turbine for all wind climates investigated, since the differences in the design loads were too large. Multiple‐site wind turbines should be designed for generic wind conditions, which cover wind parameters encountered at flat terrain sites with a high mean wind speed. Site‐specific wind turbines should be designed for low‐mean‐wind‐speed sites and complex terrain. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design and performance of a double-pitch wind turbine with non-twisted blades

A new design has been proposed for inexpensive wind turbine blades with high power coefficients.The new wind turbine blade has been subdivided into two, each with a different pitch angle, to optimise aerodynamic flow, absence of twist, and carries a variable chord along the blade itself.The new blade reveals some energy loss due to the tip vortices of each blade part (which can be minimised by winglets), yet proves that it is possible to create a wind turbine with high power coefficients.To design and evaluate the performance of the new wind turbine a numerical code, developed by the authors and based on blade element momentum theory, was implemented after validation by experimental measurement found in scientific literature. The code led to better choices of layout to maximise turbine performance.     

Aeroelastic analysis of a floating offshore wind turbine in platform‐induced surge motion using a fully coupled CFD‐MBD method

Modern offshore wind turbines are susceptible to blade deformation because of their increased size and the recent trend of installing these turbines on floating platforms in deep sea. In this paper, an aeroelastic analysis tool for floating offshore wind turbines is presented by coupling a high‐fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver with a general purpose multibody dynamics code, which is capable of modelling flexible bodies based on the nonlinear beam theory. With the tool developed, we demonstrated its applications to the NREL 5 MW offshore wind turbine with aeroelastic blades. The impacts of blade flexibility and platform‐induced surge motion on wind turbine aerodynamics and structural responses are studied and illustrated by the CFD results of the flow field, force, and wake structure. Results are compared with data obtained from the engineering tool FAST v8.     

Predictions of ice formations on wind turbine blades and power production losses due to icing

Prediction of ice shapes on a wind turbine blade makes it possible to estimate the power production losses due to icing. Ice accretion on wind turbine blades is responsible for a significant increase in aerodynamic drag and decrease in aerodynamic lift and may even cause premature flow separation. All these events create power losses and the amount of power loss depends on the severity of icing and the turbine blade profile. The role of critical parameters such as wind speed, temperature, liquid water content on the ice shape, and size is analyzed using an ice accretion prediction methodology coupled with a blade element momentum tool. The predicted ice shapes on various airfoil profiles are validated against the available experimental and numerical data in the literature. The error in predicted rime and glime ice volumes and the maximum ice thicknesses varies between 3% and 25% in comparison with the experimental data depending on the ice type. The current study presents an efficient and accurate numerical methodology to perform an investigation for ice‐induced power losses under various icing conditions on horizontal axis wind turbines. The novelty of the present work resides in a unified and coupled approach that deals with the ice accretion prediction and performance analysis of iced wind turbines. Sectional ice profiles are first predicted along the blade span, where the concurrence of both rime and glaze ice formations may be observed. The power loss is then evaluated under the varying ice profiles along the blade. It is shown that the tool developed may effectively be used in the prediction of power production losses of wind turbines at representative atmospheric icing conditions.     

On the role of surface roughness in the aerodynamic performance and energy conversion of horizontal wind turbine blades: a review

Renewable energy is one of the main pillars of sustainable development, especially in developing economies. Increasing energy demand and the limitation of fossil fuel reserves make the use of renewable energy essential for sustainable development. Wind energy is considered to be one of the most important resources of renewable energy. In North African countries, such as Egypt, wind energy has an enormous potential; however, it faces quite a number of technical challenges related to the performance of wind turbines in the Saharan environment. Seasonal sand storms affect the performance of wind turbines in many ways, one of which is increasing the wind turbine aerodynamic resistance through the increase of blade surface roughness. The power loss because of blade surface deterioration is significant in wind turbines. The surface roughness of wind turbine blades deteriorates because of several environmental conditions such as ice or sand. This paper is the first review on the topic of surface roughness effects on the performance of horizontal‐axis wind turbines. The review covers the numerical simulation and experimental studies as well as discussing the present research trends to develop a roadmap for better understanding and improvement of wind turbine performance in deleterious environments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamic analysis tool development for swept wind turbine blades

Because of their aeroelastic behavior, swept wind turbine blades offer the potential to increase energy capture and lower fatigue loads. This article describes work to develop a dynamic analysis code for swept wind turbine blades. This work was an outgrowth of a U.S. Department of Energy contract on swept blades, where the authors used the Adams? dynamic software (MSC Software Corporation, Santa Ana, CA, USA). The new code is based on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's FAST code and allows for lower cost analysis and faster computation times for swept blades. The additions to the FAST code include the geometry and mode shapes required for the bending and twisting motion of the swept blade. In addition, a finite element program to determine mode shapes for the swept blade was developed. Comparisons of results obtained with the new code and analytical solutions for a curved cantilever beam show good agreement in local torsional deflections. Comparisons with field data obtained for a 750 kW wind turbine with swept blades were complicated by uncertainties in the test wind speed and turbine controller settings.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一种水平轴风轮叶片的气动设计方法

发展了两种先进的水平轴风轮叶片气动计算和设计方法－PROPGA和PROPID,PROPGA是基于最优化方法的遗传算法,用于最初的叶片选择和几何设计;PROPID是一种基于反问题的叶片气动设计方法,用于最后的叶片造型和性能预估。给出了两个实例,一个是以基础科学研究为目的实验探索用全新风轮,另一个则是用于商业生产的小型风轮。在实际风轮设计中的成功使用证明,PROPID和PROPGA是一种强有力的设计工具,两者的结合使用可以得到最佳的风力涡轮气动性能。