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.     

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.     

漂浮运动对风力机气动特性的影响分析

海上浮式风机为蕴藏丰富的深海风能开发提供了有效的解决方案,浮式基础存在的大幅度纵荡、纵摇和艏摇运动可以改变风轮与流场间的相互作用,从而影响风力机的气动特性。基于叶素-动量理论及其修正方法,以NREL 5MW风力机为研究对象,考虑浮式基础运动对叶片不同径向位置处相对入流风速的影响,提出了风载荷的计算模型,通过编程计算获得了叶轮转矩和风力机功率,并比较了不同运动形式对风力机功率波动的影响。结果表明,纵摇对其功率特性影响最大,这为海上浮式风机的优化设计提供理论依据与数据基础。     

基于CFD技术的垂直轴风力机动态尾流特性研究

利用CFD软件对麦克马斯特大学垂直轴风力机进行不同叶尖速比下的数值模拟,计算结果与风洞试验数据吻合良好。近场尾流中,与单叶片的风力机模拟结果比较,上游叶片产生并向下游延伸的旋涡影响下游运行轨道上叶片的升阻力特性,不仅使叶片扭矩输出峰值降低,而且峰值产生的时间延迟。对垂直轴风力机叶片叶梢进行修改,模拟结果显示,叶片扭矩输出峰值不变,但是谷值有所降低,修改后风力机沿风向推力幅值降低明显;远场尾流中,采用风速轮廓线原理,以瑞典的法尔肯贝里市200kW垂直轴风力机为原型,按照真实的空间排布进行数值模拟。模拟结果显示,上游风力机上下两端处产生较为集中的远场尾流,影响下游风力机叶片下半段的气动性能,下游风力机功率输出降低明显。     

An experimental investigation on the characteristics of fluid–structure interactions of a wind turbine model sited in microburst-like winds

An experimental investigation is performed to assess the characteristics of the fluid–structure interactions and microburst-induced wind loads acting on a wind turbine model sited in microburst-liked winds. The experiment study was conducted with a scaled wind turbine model placed in microburst-like winds generated by using an impinging-jet-typed microburst simulator. In addition to quantifying complex flow features of microburst-like winds, the resultant wind loads acting on the turbine model were measured by using a high-sensitive force–moment sensor as the turbine model was mounted at different radial locations and with different orientation angles with respect to the oncoming microburst-like winds. The measurement results reveal clearly that, the microburst-induced wind loads acting on the turbine model were distinctly different from those in a conventional atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) wind. With the scales of the wind turbine model and the microburst-like wind used in the present study, the dynamic wind loadings acting on the turbine model were found to be significantly higher (i.e., up to 4 times higher for the mean loads, and up to 10 times higher for the fluctuation amplitudes) than those with the same turbine model sited in ABL winds. Both the mean values and fluctuation amplitudes of the microburst-induced wind loads were found to vary significantly with the changes of the mounted site of the turbine model, the operating status (i.e., with the turbine blades stationary or freely rotating), and the orientation angle of the turbine model with respect to the oncoming microburst-like wind. The dynamic wind load measurements were correlated to the flow characteristics of the microburst-like winds to elucidate underlying physics. The findings of the present study are helpful to gain further insight into the potential damage caused by the violent microbursts to wind turbines to ensure safer and more efficient operation of the wind turbines in thunderstorm-prone areas.     

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.     

新型升阻混合型垂直轴风力机气动特性研究

考虑S型与H型垂直轴风力机的特点,设计了一种新型升阻混合型垂直轴风力机,采用CFD法计算其启动与气动性能。结果表明,原始H型垂直轴风力机数值结果与试验值在各工况下吻合良好;新型升阻混合型垂直轴风力机不同方位角下的启动力矩均大于原始H型风力机,最小及最大值分别提升232%和83.3%;S型风轮输出功率随叶片重叠比增加而减小,完全重叠时输出功率基本为0;新型升阻混合型垂直轴风力机最大风能利用率为0.298,具有更复杂的流场特性。     

Recent improvements of actuator line-large-eddy simulation method for wind turbine wakes

In a large wind farm,the wakes of upstream and downstream wind turbines can interfere with each other,affecting the overall power output of the wind farm.To further improve the numerical accuracy of the turbine wake dynamics under atmosphere turbulence,this work proposes some improvements to the actuator line-large-eddy simulation(AL-LES)method.Based on the dynamic k-equation large-eddy simulation(LES),this method uses a precursor method to generate atmospheric inflow turbulence,models the tower and nacelle wakes,and improves the body force projection method based on an anisotropic Gaussian distribution function.For these three improvements,three wind tunnel experiments are used to validate the numerical accuracy of this method.The results show that the numerical results calculated in the far-wake region can reflect the characteristics of typical onshore and offshore wind conditions compared with the experimental results.After modeling the tower and nacelle wakes,the wake velocity distribution is consistent with the experimental result.The radial migration velocity of the tip vortex calculated by the improved blade body force distribution model is 0.32 m/s,which is about 6%different from the experimental value and improves the prediction accuracy of the tip vortex radial movement.The method proposed in this paper is very helpful for wind turbine wake dynamic analysis and wind farm power prediction.     

Particle image velocimetry （PIV） measurements of tip vortex wake structure of wind turbine

Large-view flow field measurements using the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique with high resolution CCD cameras on a rotating 1/8 scale blade model of the NREL UAE phase VI wind turbine are conducted in the engineering-oriented Φ3.2 m wind tunnel.The motivation is to establish the database of the initiation and development of the tip vortex to study the flow structure and mechanism of the wind turbine.The results show that the tip vortex first moves inward for a very short period and then moves out...     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Effects of the particle Stokes number on wind turbine airfoil erosion

Under natural conditions, wind turbines are inevitably eroded by the action of sand-wind flow. To further investigate the effects of dust drift on the erosion of the wind turbine blades in sand-wind environments, the effects of the wind velocity, particle diameter, and particle density on the erosion of wind turbine airfoils are studied, and the effects of the particle Stokes number on the airfoil erosion are discussed. The results show that, when the angle of attack(AOA) is 6.1°, there will be no erosion on the airfoil surface if the particle Stokes number is lower than 0.013 5, whereas erosion will occur if the particle Stokes number is higher than 0.015 1. Therefore, there exists a critical range for the particle Stokes number. When the particle Stokes number is higher than the maximum value in the critical range, airfoil erosion will occur. The result is further confirmed by changing the particle diameter, particle density, and inflow speed. It is shown that the erosion area on the airfoil and the maximum erosion rate are almost equal under the same particle Stokes number and AOA. The extent of airfoil erosion increases when the particle Stokes number increases, and the critical particle Stokes number increases when the AOA increases. Moreover, the geometric shape of the airfoil pressure surface greatly affects the airfoil erosion, especially at the curvature near the leading edge.     

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。     

Progresses in application of computational fluid dynamic methods to large scale wind turbine aerodynamics

The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods are applied to aerodynamic problems for large scale wind turbines. The progresses including the aerodynamic analyses of wind turbine profiles, numerical flow simulation of wind turbine blades, evaluation of aerodynamic performance, and multi-objective blade optimization are discussed. Based on the CFD methods, significant improvements are obtained to predict two/three dimensional aerodynamic characteristics of wind turbine airfoils and blades, and the vortical structure in their wake flows is accurately captured. Combining with a multi-objective genetic algorithm, a 1.5 MW NH-1500 optimized blade is designed with high efficiency in wind energy conversion.     

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.     

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。