Aeroelastic analysis of a rotating wind turbine blade using a geometrically exact formulation

In this paper, an aeroelastic analysis of a rotating wind turbine blade is performed by considering the effects of geometrical nonlinearities associated with large deflection of the blade produced during wind turbine operation. This source of nonlinearity has become more important in the dynamic analysis of flexible blades used in more recent multi-megawatt wind turbines. The structural modeling, involving the coupled edgewise, flapwise and torsional DOFs, has been performed by using a nonlinear geometrically exact beam formulation. The aerodynamic model is presented based on the strip theory, by applying the principles of quasi-steady and unsteady airfoil aerodynamics. Compared to the conventional steady aerodynamic model, the presented model offers a more realistic consideration of fluid–structure interactions. The resulting governing equation, expanded up to the third-order terms, is analyzed by using the reduced-order model (ROM). The ROM is developed by employing the coupled mode shapes of a cantilever blade under free loading condition. The specifications of the 5MW-NREL wind turbine are used in the simulation study. After verifying the ROM results by comparing them with those of the full FEM model, the model is used in additional static, modal and transient dynamics analyses. The results indicate the important effect of geometrical nonlinearity, especially for larger structural deformations. Moreover, nonlinear analyses reveal the important effects of torsion induced by lateral deformations. It is also found that the governing equation is more efficient, and sufficiently accurate, when it is developed by using the second-order kinetic terms, third-order potential terms and the second-order aerodynamic terms together with third-order damping. Finally, the effects of nonlinearities on the flutter characteristics of wind turbine blades are evaluated through frequency and dynamic analyses.     

考虑几何非线性的复合材料机翼气动弹性分析

本文研究结构几何非线性与气动力非平面效应对大展弦比复合材料机翼的气动弹性行为的影响．将非线性有限元法与曲面涡格法结合，计算机翼静气动弹性变形；通过曲面偶极子格网法结合静气动弹性平衡位置处的结构切线刚度，建立气动弹性方程并求解得到机翼颤振速度．针对板模型机翼，分析了迎角对机翼几何非线性气动弹性特性的影响．结果表明：本文复合材料板模型机翼的颤振形式不受水平弯曲模态影响，属于经典弯扭颤振；在几何非线性的影响下，机翼扭转频率随结构变形增大而明显减小，颤振速度随迎角增大而减小．     

A nonlinear model for aerodynamic configuration of wake behind horizontal-axis wind turbine

Determination of the aerodynamic configuration of wake is the key to analysis and evaluation of the rotor aerodynamic characteristics of a horizontal-axis wind turbine.According to the aerodynamic configuration, the real magnitude and direction of the onflow velocity at the rotor blade can be determined, and subsequently, the aerodynamic force on the rotor can be determined. The commonly employed wake aerodynamic models are of the cylindrical form instead of the actual expanding one. This is because the influence of the radial component of the induced velocity on the wake configuration is neglected. Therefore, this model should be called a "linear model". Using this model means that the induced velocities at the rotor blades and aerodynamic loads on them would be inexact. An approximately accurate approach is proposed in this paper to determine the so-called "nonlinear" wake aerodynamic configuration by means of the potential theory,where the influence of all three coordinate components of the induced velocity on wake aerodynamic configuration is taken into account to obtain a kind of expanding wake that approximately looks like an actual one. First, the rotor aerodynamic model composed of axial(central), bound, and trailing vortexes is established with the help of the finite aspect wing theory. Then, the Biot-Savart formula for the potential flow theory is used to derive a set of integral equations to evaluate the three components of the induced velocity at any point within the wake. The numerical solution to the integral equations is found,and the loci of all elementary trailing vortex filaments behind the rotor are determined thereafter. Finally, to formulate an actual wind turbine rotor, using the nonlinear wake model, the induced velocity everywhere in the wake, especially that at the rotor blade,is obtained in the case of various tip speed ratios and compared with the wake boundary in a neutral atmospheric boundary layer. Hereby, some useful and referential conclusions are offered for the aerodynamic computation and design of the rotor of the horizontal-axis wind turbine.     

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。     

风剪切对风力机叶片气动性能及尾迹形状的影响

风力机通常运行在非定常工况中,其气动性能及尾迹会随着工况的变化而变化. 风剪切是风力机长期所处的环境,它会影响到叶片气动载荷、尾迹形状、总体性能等,分析风剪切作用下的叶片气动性能对风力机的设计有重要意义.本文采用一种时间步进自由涡尾迹(free vortex wake, FVW)方法,耦合FVW方法与风剪切模型,计算不同风剪切因子作用下叶片的气动力系数、推力以及风轮后的尾迹形状变化,研究尾迹形状变化对风轮旋转平面诱导速度及风力机叶片气动性能的影响. 结果表明:在风剪切入流条件下, 随着风剪切因子的增大,风力机的气动力系数随时间做周期性波动的幅度加剧, 推力的平均值逐渐减小,尾迹倾斜程度增大, 尾迹在轮毂下方的倾斜程度更明显;尾迹形状的变化使风轮平面轴向诱导速度因子分布不均匀,同时使风力机的总体性能降低且偏离较大;倾斜尾迹相比于对称尾迹对风轮平面处的诱导影响有明显差别, 波动幅值增大,气动力系数在波谷处的偏差比波峰处大. 尾迹越倾斜,风轮旋转平面处的载荷不对称性越明显.      

Nonlinear aeroelastic stability analysis of wind turbine blade with bending–bending–twist coupling

In this study, the nonlinear aeroelastic stability of wind turbine blade with bending–bending–twist coupling has been investigated for composite thin-walled structure with pretwist angle. The aerodynamic model used here is the differential dynamic stall nonlinear ONERA model. The nonlinear aeroelastic equations are reduced to ordinary equations by Galerkin method, with the aerodynamic force decomposition by strip theory. The nonlinear resulting equations are solved by a time-marching approach, and are linearized by small perturbation about the equilibrium point. The nonlinear aeroelastic stability characteristics are investigated through eigenvalue analysis, nonlinear time domain response, and linearized time domain response.     

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。     

Aeroelastic analysis of helicopter rotor blade in hover using an efficient reduced-order aerodynamic model

This paper presents a coupled flap–lag–torsion aeroelastic stability analysis and response of a hingeless helicopter blade in the hovering flight condition. The boundary element method based on the wake eigenvalues is used for the prediction of unsteady airloads of the rotor blade. The aeroelastic equations of motion of the rotor blade are derived by Galerkin's method. To obtain the aeroelastic stability and response, the governing nonlinear equations of motion are linearized about the nonlinear steady equilibrium positions using small perturbation theory. The equilibrium deflections are calculated through the iterative Newton–Raphson method. Numerical results comprising steady equilibrium state deflections, aeroelastic eigenvalues and time history response about these states for a two-bladed rotor are presented, and some of them are compared with those obtained from a two-dimensional quasi-steady strip aerodynamic theory. Also, the effect of the number of aerodynamic eigenmodes is investigated. The results show that the three-dimensional aerodynamic formulation has considerable impact on the determination of both the equilibrium condition and lead-lag instability.     

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.     

Nonlinear airship aeroelasticity

The aeroelastic derivatives for today's aircraft are calculated in the concept phase using a standard procedure. This scheme has to be extended for large airships, due to various nonlinearities in structural and aerodynamic behaviour. In general, the structural model of an airship is physically as well as geometrically nonlinear. The main sources of nonlinearity are large deformations and the nonlinear material behaviour of membranes. The aerodynamic solution is also included in the nonlinear problem, because the deformed airship influences the surrounding flow. Due to these nonlinearities, the aeroelastic problem for airships can only be solved by an iterative procedure. As one possibility, the coupled aerodynamic and structural dynamic problem was handled using linked standard solvers. On the structural side, the Finite-Element program package ABAQUS was extended with an interface to the aerodynamic solver VSAERO. VSAERO is based on the aerodynamic panel method using potential flow theory. The equilibrium of the internal structural and the external aerodynamic forces leads to the structural response and a trimmed flight state for the specified flight conditions (e.g. speed, altitude). The application of small perturbations around a trimmed state produces reaction forces and moments. These constraint forces are then transferred into translational and rotational acceleration fields by performing an inertia relief analysis of the disturbed structural model. The change between the trimmed flight state and the disturbed one yields the respective aeroelastic derivatives. By including the calculated derivatives in the linearised equation of motion system, it is possible to judge the stability and controllability of the investigated airship.     

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。     

Dynamic wind loads and wake characteristics of a wind turbine model in an atmospheric boundary layer wind

An experimental study was conducted to characterize the dynamic wind loads and evolution of the unsteady vortex and turbulent flow structures in the near wake of a horizontal axis wind turbine model placed in an atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel. In addition to measuring dynamic wind loads (i.e., aerodynamic forces and bending moments) acting on the wind turbine model by using a high-sensitive force-moment sensor unit, a high-resolution digital particle image velocimetry (PIV) system was used to achieve flow field measurements to quantify the characteristics of the turbulent vortex flow in the near wake of the wind turbine model. Besides conducting “free-run” PIV measurements to determine the ensemble-averaged statistics of the flow quantities such as mean velocity, Reynolds stress, and turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) distributions in the wake flow, “phase-locked” PIV measurements were also performed to elucidate further details about evolution of the unsteady vortex structures in the wake flow in relation to the position of the rotating turbine blades. The effects of the tip-speed-ratio of the wind turbine model on the dynamic wind loads and wake flow characteristics were quantified in the terms of the variations of the aerodynamic thrust and bending moment coefficients of the wind turbine model, the evolution of the helical tip vortices and the unsteady vortices shedding from the blade roots and turbine nacelle, the deceleration of the incoming airflows after passing the rotation disk of the turbine blades, the TKE and Reynolds stress distributions in the near wake of the wind turbine model. The detailed flow field measurements were correlated with the dynamic wind load measurements to elucidate underlying physics in order to gain further insight into the characteristics of the dynamic wind loads and turbulent vortex flows in the wakes of wind turbines for the optimal design of the wind turbines operating in atmospheric boundary layer winds.     

直升机旋翼/机体动稳定性研究进展

首先对直升机旋翼/机体动不稳定性问题的种类进行了简要概述,包括旋翼挥舞/变距、变距/摆振、挥舞/摆振和挥舞/摆振/变距耦合等孤立旋翼动不稳定性问题,以及直升机地面共振和空中共振等旋翼/机体耦合动不稳定性问题,然后分别从气动力与结构的高精度数值模型、动稳定性的计算分析方法和实验模型测试3 个方面详细介绍了直升机旋翼/机体动不稳定性问题的研究现状,并着重讨论了直升机旋翼/机体动稳定性分析技术最近的主要研究方向:耦合CFD(computational fluid dynamics)/CSD(computational structuraldynamics) 的直升机旋翼气弹动稳定性分析、复合材料旋翼动稳定性分析及其材料不确定性影响、带减摆器的旋翼/机体动稳定性分析和先进直升机构型的旋翼/机体动稳定性分析,最后对直升机旋翼/机体动稳定性研究的发展趋势进行了展望.     

EFFECTS OF STEADY ANGLE OF ATTACK ON NONLINEAR GUST RESPONSE OF A DELTA WING MODEL

The effects of a steady angle of attack on the nonlinear aeroelastic response of a delta wing model to a periodic gust have been studied. For the theoretical analysis, a three-dimensional time-domain vortex lattice aerodynamic model and a reduced order aerodynamic technique were used and the structure was modelled using von Karman plate theory that allows for geometric strain–displacement nonlinearities in the delta wing structure. Also, an experimental investigation has been carried out in the Duke wind tunnel using a rotating slotted cylinder gust generator and an Ometron VPI 4000 Scanning Laser Vibrometer measurement system to measure deflections (velocities) of a delta wing test model. The fair to good quantitative agreement between theory and experiment verifies that the present analytical approach has reasonable accuracy and good computational efficiency for nonlinear gust response analysis in the time-domain. The results also contribute to a better physical understanding of the nonlinear aeroelastic response of a delta wing model to gust loads when the steady angle of attack is varied.     

飞行器非线性气动伺服弹性力学

现代飞行器日益呈现结构轻质化、控制系统宽通带和高权限的发展趋势. 因此, 非定常气动力、柔性结构和主动控制系统三者间的耦合力学成为重要的研究领域. 自20世纪80年代起, 航空界开始关注受控飞行器的气动弹性稳定性以及主动控制问题, 但对气动/结构的非线性效应、控制回路时滞对受控飞行器动力学行为的影响规律研究尚不充分. 研究这些影响规律不仅涉及非线性、高维数、多变参数和时滞效应等难题, 而且必须面对空气动力、飞行器结构、驱动机构、控制系统之间的强耦合问题. 其中的前沿难题是: 发展非线性气动伺服弹性动力学建模理论, 揭示上述因素诱发受控气动弹性振动的动力学机理, 开展气动伺服弹性控制风洞实验. 本文针对非线性气动伺服弹性力学所涉及的非线性非定常气动力建模、非线性结构动力学、气动伺服弹性控制律设计、气动伺服弹性实验, 总结相关研究现状和最新进展, 特别是近年来作者学术团队的研究成果, 并对进一步研究给出若干建议.      

考虑几何与材料及静风荷载的非线性因素的大跨径桥梁静风稳定分析法

针对现有的桥梁静风稳定分析方法中存在的问题，提出了增量与内外两重迭代相结合的新方法，并且考虑了结构几何、材料和静风荷载非线性。在上述方法的基础上，编制了桥梁非线性空气静力稳定分析程序BNAP，并进行了相应的算例分析，所得结果表明该方法具有计算稳定和速度快的优点。最后，以一座主跨1000米的斜拉桥为例，分析了结构几何非线性、材料非线性和静风荷载非线性对大跨径桥梁空气静力稳定性的影响。     

Aeroelastic analysis of wind turbines using a tightly coupled CFD–CSD method

This paper presents aeroelastic analyses of wind turbines, using the compressible flow Helicopter Multi-Block (HMB2) solver of Liverpool University, coupled with a Computational Structural Dynamics method. For this study, the MEXICO and NREL Phase VI wind turbines were employed. A static aeroelastic method was first employed for the analysis of the MEXICO blade and the effect of the torsional stiffness was studied at 10, 15 and 24 m/s axial wind speeds. The torsional deformations showed strong dependency on this parameter and the blade region from mid-span to the tip was the most susceptible to aeroelastic effects. The work progressed by studying both the static and dynamic response on the NREL wind turbine, where the nacelle and the tower were considered. Mean deflections between the static and dynamic methods showed consistency and, due to the structural properties of this blade, flapping modes were dominant. The dynamic aeroelastic method enabled an assessment of the effect of flapping on the blade loads, in conjunction with the effect of tower. Aeroelastic effects were found to be secondary for the MEXICO blade, but had a stronger effect on the larger NREL Phase VI blade.     

An efficient method for nonlinear aeroelasticy of slender wings

This paper aims the nonlinear aeroelastic analysis of slender wings using a nonlinear structural model coupled with the linear unsteady aerodynamic model. High aspect ratio and flexibility are the specific characteristic of this type of wings. Wing flexibility, coupled with long wingspan can lead to large deflections during normal flight operation of an aircraft; therefore, a wing in vertical/forward-afterward/torsional motion using a third-order form of nonlinear general flexible Euler–Bernoulli beam equations is used for structural modeling. Unsteady linear aerodynamic strip theory based on the Wagner function is used for determination of aerodynamic loading on the wing. Combining these two types of formulation yields nonlinear integro-differentials aeroelastic equations. Using the Galerkin’s method and a mode summation technique, the governing equations will be solved by introducing a numerical method without the need to adding any aerodynamic state space variables and the corresponding equations related to these variables of the problem. The obtained equations are solved to predict the aeroelastic response of the problem. The obtained results for a test case are compared with those of some other works and show a good agreement between results.     

Frequency lock-in during nonlinear vibration of an airfoil coupled with van der Pol Oscillator

The frequency lock-in during the nonlinear vibration of a turbomachinery blade is modeled using a spring-mounted airfoil coupled with a van der Pol Oscillator (VDP) oscillator. The proposed reduced-order model uses the nonlinear VDP oscillator to represent the oscillatory nature of wake dynamics caused by the vortex shedding. The damping term in the VDP oscillator is assumed to be nonlinear. The coupled equations governing the pitch and plunge motion of an airfoil are used to approximate the vibration of a turbomachinery blade. Springs having cubic-order nonlinearity for their stiffnesses are used to mount the airfoil. The unsteady lift acting on the blade is modeled using a self-excited nonlinear wake oscillator. The model for wake dynamics takes into account the influence of blade inertia. The nonlinear coupled three degrees of freedom (dof) aeroelastic system is studied for instability resulting in the frequency lock-in phenomenon. The equations are transformed into non-dimensional form, and then the frequencies of the coupled system are plotted to demonstrate the frequency lock-in. Further, the method of multiple scales is used to derive modulation equations which represent the amplitude and phase of the oscillation. The results obtained using the method of multiple scales are compared with direct numerical solutions to verify the present modeling method. The steady-state amplitudes of the response are plotted against the detuning parameter, which represents the frequency response curve. Further, the sensitivity of non-dimensional parameters such as coupling coefficients, mass ratio, reduced velocity, static unbalance, structural damping coefficient and the ratio of uncoupled pitch and plunge natural frequencies on the frequency response is investigated. The study revealed that parameters such as mass ratio, reduced velocity, structural damping coefficient, and coupling coefficients have a stronger influence in suppressing the amplitude of vibration. Meanwhile, parameters such as the frequency ratio, static unbalance, reduced velocity, and mass ratio significantly affect the range of frequency in which the lock-in phenomenon happens. Further, linear perturbation analysis is done to understand the qualitative effect of the system parameters such as coupling coefficients, mass ratio, frequency ratio, and static unbalance on the range of lock-in.     

跨音速极限环型颤振的高效数值分析方法

事先建立一个低阶的非线性、非定常气动力模型是开展非线性流场中气动弹性问题研究的一个捷径. 基于CFD方法, 通过计算结构在流场中自激振动的响应来获得系统的训练数据. 采用带输出反馈的循环RBF神经网络, 建立时域非线性气动力降阶模型.耦合结构运动方程和非线性气动力降阶模型, 采用杂交的线性多步方法计算结构在不同速度(动压)下的响应历程, 从而获得模型极限环随速度(动压)变化的特性. 两个典型的跨音速极限环型颤振算例表明, 基于气动力降阶模型方法的计算结果与直接CFD仿真结果吻合很好, 与后者相比其将计算效率提高了1~2个数量级.