Status of large scale wind turbine technology development abroad

To facilitate the large scale (multi-megawatt) wind turbine development in China, the foreign efforts and achievements in the area are reviewed and summarized. Not only the popular horizontal axis wind turbines on-land but also the offshore wind turbines, vertical axis wind turbines, airborne wind turbines, and shroud wind turbines are discussed. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive comment and assessment about the basic work principle, economic aspects, and environmental impacts of turbines.     

Design and verification of airfoil families for large-size wind turbine blades

For the design of wind turbine blades, the use of a family of specially tailored airfoils is particularly important. The dedicated airfoils can dramatically improve the capability of capturing wind power, reduce the structural weight to save the cost of manufacturing and transportation, and lower the inertial loads as well as the loads due to gust. An overview of the world-wide wind turbine airfoil families developed since 1990's is presented, such as the S series, the DU series, the Risø series, and the FFA series. The design and wind-tunnel tests of the Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) airfoil family for megawatt-size wind turbines, called the NPU-WA series, are summarized. All tests for the NPU-WA series are carried out in the NF-3 low-speed wind-tunnel with a two-dimensional (2D) test section of 1.6m×0.8m and at the Reynolds number ranging from 1.6×10⁶ to 5×10⁶. The research activities for further improving the NPU-WA airfoils towards lower roughness sensitivity are also reviewed. The development of the new NPUWA series dedicated for multi-megawatt wind turbines is discussed.     

风力机叶片的三维非定常气动特性估算

结合动量-叶素理论、非定常空气动力和动态失速模型来计算风力机叶片的二维非定常气动特性,并在此基础上经过适当修正后考虑三维旋转效应的非定常气动特性。分析比较二维和三维两种计算结果,给出更为合理的计算叶片非定常气动特性的方法。计算结果表明,风力机叶片的三维非定常气动特性计算结果与二维时的计算结果相比有较大改善。     

A brief review on wind turbine aerodynamics

This article briefly reviews wind turbine aerodynamics, which follows an explanation of the aerodynamic complexity. The aerodynamic models including blade momentum theory, vortex wake model, dynamic stall and rotational effect, and their applications in wind turbine aerodynamic performance prediction are discussed and documented. Recent progress in computational fluid dynamics for wind turbine is addressed. Wind turbine aerodynamic experimental studies are also selectively introduced.     

Offshore floating wind turbine and its dynamic problems

Green energy sources and ocean wind power are plentiful in deep sea. More and more offshore wind power plants are constructed in the deep water over hundred meters below the surface. While offshore floating wind turbine system is working, wind turbine, floating foundation, and mooring system affect each other with wind, waves, and currents acting on them. Various offshore floating wind turbine systems and the encountered environmental loads are briefly reviewed and discussed. It is difficult and crucial to comprehensively analyze the aerodynamic-hydrodynamic-service system-structure under the coupling effect of offshore floating wind turbine system. The environmental flow field, structure scale, and rational applications of theories and approaches should be well considered in advance.     

Aeroelastic analysis of large horizontal wind turbine baldes

A nonlinear aeroelastic analysis method for large horizontal wind turbines is described. A vortex wake method and a nonlinear finite element method (FEM) are coupled in the approach. The vortex wake method is used to predict wind turbine aerodynamic loads of a wind turbine, and a three-dimensional (3D) shell model is built for the rotor. Average aerodynamic forces along the azimuth are applied to the structural model, and the nonlinear static aeroelastic behaviors are computed. The wind rotor modes are obtained at the static aeroelastic status by linearizing the coupled equations. The static aeroelastic performance and dynamic aeroelastic responses are calculated for the NH1500 wind turbine. The results show that structural geometrical nonlinearities significantly reduce displacements and vibration amplitudes of the wind turbine blades. Therefore, structural geometrical nonlinearities cannot be neglected both in the static aeroelastic analysis and dynamic aeroelastic analysis.     

Two-dimensional integral equation for a thin wind turbine blade rotating in the round tunnel

The paper presents a mathematical treatment of the aerodynamic problem about a thin wind turbine blade rotating in the round tunnel. The radius of the blade is almost the radius of the tunnel. This permits formulation of the boundary condition on the tip vortex line to the simple slip condition over the surface of the tunnel. By applying a standard technique from potential theory, the problem is reduced to a two-dimensional integral equation whose kernel is connected with a special Green's function satisfying the homogeneous Neumann boundary condition on the tunnel surface. This Green's function is constructed in an explicit analytical form.     

跨超声速风洞扩散段流动分离控制设计参数研究

为抑制跨超声速风洞扩散段的分离,提出了一种较为完备的设计方法。由于影响扩散段性能的参数较多,完全通过试验方法进行设计的成本过高,该方法通过数值模拟,结合适当的边界条件,详细描述了扩散段角度、分流锥角度与长度、孔板开孔率对扩散段性能的影响;从数值模拟的结果可以看出,孔板开孔率和扩开角对扩散段性能有显著影响,通过比较得出较为合理的参数匹配,提高了扩散段的防分离性能,并改善了出口气流质量。数值结果与试验结果结论一致,表明本文所用的方法用于扩散段气动设计是可行的,为数值模拟方法应用于风洞部段气动设计创造了一定的条件。     

一种风力机气动计算的全自由涡尾迹模型

采用全自由方式建立风力机尾流场的涡尾迹模型,引入“虚拟周期”的概念,并发展一种自适应松弛因子方法,从而改善了自由尾迹迭代的稳定性,提高了迭代收敛速度。利用建立的自由涡尾迹模型,计算了风力机叶片的尾流场结构、气动性能及叶片载荷,并与实验结果进行了对比分析。结果表明,尖速比越大,自适应松弛因子方法对缩小模型计算时间越有效;全自由涡尾迹模型能准确给出风力机尾流场的结构,包括尾迹的扩张以及叶尖涡和叶根涡的产生、发展和耗散的过程,风轮扭矩与实验数据吻合;叶片载荷分布的计算结果在低风速下与实验值基本一致,但是在大风速下差别较大,说明需要一个准确的失速模型。     

大型海上风力机尾迹区域风场分析

随着世界范围内海上风电场的不断兴起及海上风电场设计规模的日趋庞大,大型海上风力机尾迹区域风场特征的研究对于海上风电场的优化布局有着重要的指导意义。本文基于三维Navier-Stocks控制方程和适用于旋转流场分析的RNGk-ε湍流模型,采用滑移网格技术对美国可再生能源实验室(NREL)的5 MW海上风力机的性能及其尾迹区域的风场特征进行了较为系统的数值模拟。通过将不同风速下风力机输出功率的数值结果与NREL的设计参考数据进行对比,三维数值模型的有效性得到了很好地验证。此外,在此基础上进一步研究了大型海上风力机额定风速下及不同风轮转速下尾迹区域平均风速的分布特征,并得到了一系列具有参考价值的重要结论。     

复杂工况下的大型风力机气动性能和尾迹研究Investigation of aerodynamic performance and wake of the large scale wind turbine in complicated conditions

在复杂工况下,大型风力机非定常特性会更严重,导致风力机气动性能变化和尾迹预测更加复杂。本文主要针对稳态偏航、动态偏航、风剪切和随机风速场等复杂工况,基于自由涡尾迹方法,嵌入复杂工况的模块,加入了动态失速模型和三维旋转效应模型修正,实现了复杂工况数值模拟计算,比较了不同复杂工况的气动载荷和尾迹形状。最后,得出了风力机在复杂工况下的气动性能、载荷和尾迹叶尖涡线特性,并计算出风力机在复杂工况下的气动载荷超调量和迟滞时间。对推进自由涡尾迹方法应用于风力机工程的大批工况载荷计算,提高大型风力机的载荷计算精度和设计水平等具有重要意义。     

Gas dynamics of a low-pressure chamber in a high-enthalpy short-duration wind tunnel

Gas dynamics of a low-pressure chamber in a double-chamber hotshot wind tunnel is considered. The time needed to fill the second chamber is in good agreement with the value obtained by examining the quasi-steady process of emptying and filling of the high-pressure and low-pressure chambers. The transitional process is strongly affected by wave processes in the channel between the chambers. By changing the place of the throttling grid in this channel, one can change the time of filling of the second chamber (decrease it severalfold). The examined schemes of air input into the second chamber ensure its complete deceleration. The Mach number at the exit of the second chamber (in the wind-tunnel nozzle throat) is almost constant over the cross section and close to unity.Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 29–43, January–February, 2005.     

Application of bamboo laminates in large-scale wind turbine blade design

From the viewpoint of material and structure in the design of bamboo blades of large-scale wind turbine, a series of mechanical property tests of bamboo laminates as the major enhancement materials for blades are presented. The basic mechanical characteristics needed in the design of bamboo blades are briefly introduced. Based on these data, the aerodynamic-structural integrated design of a 1.5 MW wind turbine bamboo blade relying on a conventional platform of upwind, variable speed, variable pitch, and doubly-fed generator is carried out. The process of the structural layer design of bamboo blades is documented in detail. The structural strength and fatigue life of the designed wind turbine blades are certified. The technical issues raised from the design are discussed. Key problems and direction of the future study are also summarized.     

Analogy between a flapping wing and a wind turbine with a vertical axis of revolution

Based on an analysis of available experimental data, the hypothesis about an analogy between a flapping wing and a wind turbine of the Darrieus rotor type is justified. It is demonstrated that the torque on the shaft of the Darrieus rotor is generated by thrust forces acting on the blades in a pulsed flow. A conclusion is drawn that it is necessary to perform aerodynamic calculations of blades on the basis of the nonlinear theory of the wing in an unsteady flow with allowance for the airfoil thickness. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 152–155, March–April, 2009.     

Experimental investigation on the wake interference among wind turbines sited in atmospheric boundary layer winds

We examined experimentally the effects of incom-ing surface wind on the turbine wake and the wake interfer-ence among upstream and downstream wind turbines sited in atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) winds. The experi-ment was conducted in a large-scale ABL wind tunnel with scaled wind turbine models mounted in different incom-ing surface winds simulating the ABL winds over typical offshore/onshore wind farms. Power outputs and dynamic loadings acting on the turbine models and the wake flow char-acteristics behind the turbine models were quantified. The results revealed that the incoming surface winds significantly affect the turbine wake characteristics and wake interference between the upstream and downstream turbines. The velocity deficits in the turbine wakes recover faster in the incoming surface winds with relatively high turbulence levels. Varia-tions of the power outputs and dynamic wind loadings acting on the downstream turbines sited in the wakes of upstream turbines are correlated well with the turbine wakes charac-teristics. At the same downstream locations, the downstream turbines have higher power outputs and experience greater static and fatigue loadings in the inflow with relatively high turbulence level, suggesting a smaller effect of wake inter-ference for the turbines sited in onshore wind farms.     

Investigation of horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) blade threedimensional rotational effect based on field experiments

Field experiments are performed on a two-bladed 33 kW horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT). The pressures are measured with 191 pressure sensors positioned around the surfaces of seven spanwise section airfoils on one of the two blades. Three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) numerical simulations are performed, respectively, on the rotor and the seven airfoils of the blade. The results are compared with the experimental results of the pressure distribution on the seven airfoils and the lift coefficients. The 3D rotational effect on the blade aerodynamic characteristics is then studied with a numerical approach. Finally, some conclusions are drawn as follows. From the tip to the root of the blade, the experimental differential pressure of the blade section airfoil increases at first and then decreases gradually. The calculated 3D result of the pressure distribution on the blade surface is closer to that of the experiment than the 2D result. The 3D rotational effect has a significant impact on the blade surface flow and the aerodynamic load, leading to an increase of the differential pressure on the airfoils and their lift coefficient than that with the 2D one because of the stall delay. The influence of the 3D rotational effect on the wind turbine blade especially takes place on the sections with flow separation.     

Research status and trend of wind turbine aerodynamic noise

The main components of the wind turbine aerodynamic noise are introduced. A detailed review is given on the theoretical prediction, experimental measurement, and numerical simulation methods of wind turbine noise, with specific attention to applications. Furthermore, suppression techniques of wind turbine aerodynamic noise are discussed. The perspective of future research on the wind turbine aerodynamic noise is presented.     

基于涡尾迹方法的风力机气动性能分析

基于(势流)涡尾迹方法开发了水平轴风力机叶片气动性能分析程序,采用固定尾迹涡模型和自由尾迹模型分别对气动设计性能进行计算分析,得到风力机设计工况下的涡位置、诱导因子、功率系数及扭矩系数等气动性能参数,并与设计结果对比。结果表明,涡尾迹方法能够快速准确地计算风力机叶片气动性能参数,对风力机叶片气动分析,固定尾迹涡模型较自由尾迹模型计算时间短,具有较好的实用性。     

Videometric research on deformation measurement of large-scale wind turbine blades

Utilization of wind energy is a promising way to generate power, and wind turbine blades play a key role in collecting the wind energy effectively. This paper attempts to measure the deformation parameter of wind turbine blades in mechanics experiments using a videometric method. In view that the blades experience small buckling deformation and large integral deformation simultaneously, we proposed a parallel network measurement (PNM) method including the key techniques such as camera network construction, camera calibration, distortion correction, the semi-automatic high-precision extraction of targets, coordinate systems unification, and bundle adjustment, etc. The relatively convenient construction method of the measuring system can provide an abundant measuring content, a wide measuring range and post processing. The experimental results show that the accuracy of the integral deformation measurement is higher than 0.5 mm and that of the buckling deformation measurement higher than 0.1 mm.