Table of Content

24 December 2016, Volume 37 Issue S1

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Offshore floating wind turbine and its dynamic problems

Renchuan ZHU, Guoping MIAO, Ju FAN, Hua LIU

2016, 37(S1):  1-10. 

Abstract ( 570 )   HTML   PDF (188KB) ( 444 )  

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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.

Articles

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

Long WANG, Hui LI, Tongguang WANG

2016, 37(S1):  11-20. 

Abstract ( 528 )   HTML   PDF (537KB) ( 859 )  

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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.

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

Zhenyu ZHANG, Ning ZHAO, Wei ZHONG, Long WANG, Bofeng XU

2016, 37(S1):  21-30. 

Abstract ( 441 )   HTML   PDF (721KB) ( 437 )  

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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.

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

Deshun LI, Rennian LI, YinranLI, Xiuyong WANG, Liejiang WEI, Yan QIANG, Zhiqiang LIU

2016, 37(S1):  31-42. 

Abstract ( 534 )   HTML   PDF (1064KB) ( 706 )  

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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

Xiaodong LI, Baohong BAI, Yingbo XU, Min JIANG

2016, 37(S1):  43-50. 

Abstract ( 568 )   HTML   PDF (108KB) ( 329 )  

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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.

Progress in wind tunnel experimental techniques for wind turbine

Jingping XIAO, Li CHEN, Qiang WANG, Qiao WANG

2016, 37(S1):  51-66. 

Abstract ( 455 )   HTML   PDF (674KB) ( 115 )  

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Based on the unsteady aerodynamics experiment (UAE) phase VI and the model experiment in controlled conditions (MEXICO) projects and the related research carried out in China Aerodynamic Research and Development Center (CARDC), the recent progress in the wind tunnel experimental techniques for the wind turbine is summarized. Measurement techniques commonly used for different types of wind tunnel experiments for wind turbine are reviewed. Important research achievements are discussed, such as the wind tunnel disturbance, the equivalence of the airfoil inflow condition, the three-dimensional (3D) effect, the dynamic inflow influence, the flow field structure, and the vortex induction. The corresponding research at CARDC and some ideas on the large wind turbine are also introduced.

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

Zhonghua HAN, Wenping SONG, Yongwei GAO, Jing CHEN

2016, 37(S1):  67-84. 

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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.

Independent research and development progress in large-scale wind turbine blade with coordinated aerodynamics, structure, and load

Yu XU, Caicai LIAO, Xiaomin RONG, Qiang WANG

2016, 37(S1):  85-96. 

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Abstract According to the three key elements in blade design process, i.e., aerodynamic design, structure design, and load prediction, the independent research and development (R&D) progress of blade design is summarized and analyzed. The calculational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, the vortex method, and the blade element momentum method (BEM) are described. Based on the widely used BEM method, the solutions for the blade design in low-speed wind area are obtained. A brief overview of the traditional design and analysis methods based on beam models is given. The defects of these methods used for simulating the structure of large-scale composite blade are analyzed. The application progress of the finite element method (FEM) used in the blade structure analysis is shown. The effects of load prediction on the blades and entire wind turbine are introduced. The progress in load forecasting is described. With the analysis of the relationship among these three key elements, it is concluded that developing a blade optimization design system with coordinated aerodynamics, structure, and load will truly meet the requirement of high efficiency and low cost. The main directions for further study are pointed out, e.g., high efficiency and low load airfoils, structural nonlinear finite element analysis, aerodynamic structure coupling research, and establishing different design standards. The aim is to establish a blade R&D system suitable for the conditions of wind resources in China and promote the development of wind power in the country.

Aeroelastic analysis of large horizontal wind turbine baldes

Di TANG, Zhiliang LU, Tongqing GUO

2016, 37(S1):  97-104. 

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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.

Recent progresses in studies on wave-current loads on foundation structure with piles and slab

Hua LIU, Benlong WANG, Leiping XUE, Yanping HE

2016, 37(S1):  105-116. 

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The foundation structure with piles and slab is widely used in offshore wind farm construction in shallow water. Experimental studies on the hydrodynamic loads acting on the piles and slab under irregular waves and currents are summarized with discussion on the effects of pile grouping on the wave forces and wave impact loads on the slab locating near the free surface. By applying the theoretical solution of the wave diffracted by the slab and using the Morison equation to evaluate the wave force on the piles, the effects of the slab on the wave forces acting on the piles are analyzed. Based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations and the volume of fluid (VOF) method, a numerical wave basin is developed to simulate the wave-structure interaction. The computed maximum wave force on the foundation structure with piles and slab agrees well with the measured data. The violent deformation, breaking, and run-up of the wave around the structure are presented and discussed. Further work on the turbulent flow structures and large deformation of the free surface due to interaction of the waves and foundation structures of offshore wind farms needs more efficient approaches for evaluating hydrodynamic loads under the effects of nonlinear waves and currents.

Status of large scale wind turbine technology development abroad

Ye LI, Lei DUAN

2016, 37(S1):  117-124. 

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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.