Vibration attenuation performance of wind turbine tower using a prestressed tuned mass damper under seismic excitation

With the rapid development of large megawatt wind turbines,the operation environment of wind turbine towers(WTTs)has become increasingly complex.In particular,seismic excitation can create a resonance response and cause excessive vibration of the WTT.To investigate the vibration attenuation performance of the WTT under seismic excitations,a novel passive vibration control device,called a prestressed tuned mass damper(PS-TMD),is presented in this study.First,a mathematical model is established based on structural dynamics under seismic excitation.Then,the mathematical analytical expression of the dynamic coefficient is deduced,and the parameter design method is obtained by system tuning optimization.Next,based on a theoretical analysis and parameter design,the numerical results showed that the PS-TMD was able to effectively mitigate the resonance under the harmonic basal acceleration.Finally,the time-history analysis method is used to verify the effectiveness of the traditional pendulum tuned mass damper(PTMD)and the novel PS-TMD device,and the results indicate that the vibration attenuation performance of the PS-TMD is better than the PTMD.In addition,the PS-TMD avoids the nonlinear effect due to the large oscillation angle,and has the potential to dissipate hysteretic energy under seismic excitation.

Thermal comfort in classrooms considering a traditional wind tower in Trabzon through simulation

The spaces must be designed in accordance with certain design principles for people to feel comfortable.In accordance with that,building ventilation is particularly important during hot periods to ensure thermal comfort.In this study,the effect of ventilation realized using a wind tower on the thermal quality of a classroom was investigated.In the study,two popular models(unidirectional and multidirectional wind tower)were studied,and the model that provided more ergonomic ventilation to sitting users based on climate conditions of the province of Trabzon(Turkey)during the month of August was determined.The more efficient model was studied further.Some dimensional changes in width,height,and shelf height were applied to it to find a model that provided more comfort for the used thermal conditions.The models were modelled and simulated using ANSYS FLUENT.Velocity distributions were generated to ease the interpretation of the results.With the calculated average wind speeds in different regions in the classroom,the thermal sensation in the space was evaluated.Furthermore,the thermal perception of users of the retained model was evaluated by entering thermal comfort parameter values calculated for the relevant region into the CBE thermal comfort tool available online.The change in the dimensional features of the wind tower had an impact on wind tower performance.Ventilation provided by wind towers under the thermal conditions of Trabzon in August often caused thermal discomfort.

Study of wind towers with different funnels attached to in crease natural ventilation in an underground building

Finding ways to cool buildings by natural,passive techniques is crucial in the context of global warming.For centuries,wind towers(traditi onal win dcatchers)have been used in the Middle East for cooling purposes.In this study,the use of funnels at the openings of wind towers for wind ingress and egress is proposed primarily to increase the mass flow captured by the wind tower.The use of funnels in the wind in gress openings in creases the inlet area,improving the capture of wind.In parallel,the use of funnels in the egress openings modifies the wake of the tower,which aims to ease the exit of the flow from inside the building.Several design configurations are presented,where the length and width of the funnels are changed and tested separately by computational fluid dynamics(CFD).Results of over 120 CFD simulations are presented and compared.The volumetric flow entering the wind towers in creases by 10.7% in several cases.These results in dicate that adding funnels to wind towers could positively in fluence their performance.Changing the dimensions of the funnels affects their efficacy and can increase or decrease the airflow entering the tower.

Rapid seismic analysis methodology for in-service wind turbine towers

The wind energy industry has been growing rapidly during the past decades.Along with this growth,engineering problems have gradually emerged in the wind power industry,including those related to the structural reliability of turbine towers.This study proposes a rapid seismic analysis methodology for existing wind turbine tower structures.The method is demonstrated and validated using a case study on a 1.5 MW tubular steel wind turbine tower.Three finite element(FE)models are developed first.Field tests are conducted to obtain the turbine tower’s vibrational characteristics.The tests include(1) remotely measuring the tower vibration frequencies using a long range laser Doppler Vibrometer and(2) monitoring the tower structural vibration by mounting accelerometers along the height of the tubular structure.In-situ measurements are used to validate and update the FE models of the wind turbine tower.With the updated FE model that represents the practical structural conditions,seismic analyses are performed to study the structural failure,which is defined by the steel yielding of the tubular tower.This research is anticipated to benefit the management of the increasing number of wind energy converters by providing an understanding of the seismic assessment of existing tubular steel wind turbine towers.

Dynamic analysis of wind turbine tower structures in complex ocean environment

Studying and analyzing the dynamic behavior of offshore wind turbines are of great importance to ensure the safety and improve the efficiency of such expensive equipments.In this work,a tapered beam model is proposed to investigate the dynamic response of an offshore wind turbine tower on the monopile foundation assembled with rotating blades in the complex ocean environment.Several environment factors like wind,wave,current,and soil resistance are taken into account.The proposed model is ana-lytically solved with the Galerkin method.Based on the numerical results,the effects of various structure parameters including the taper angle,the height and thickness of the tower,the depth,and the diameter and the cement filler of the monopile on the funda-mental natural frequency of the wind turbine tower system are investigated in detail.It is found that the fundamental natural frequency decreases with the increase in the taper angle and the height and thickness of the tower,and increases with the increase in the diameter of the monopile.Moreover,filling cement into the monopile can effectively im-prove the fundamental natural frequency of the wind turbine tower system,but there is a critical value of the amount of cement maximizing the property of the monopile.This research may be helpful in the design and safety evaluation of offshore wind turbines.

Multi-Objective Structural Optimization of Wind Turbine Tower Using Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm

A multi-objective optimization process for wind turbine steel towers is described in present work.The objective functions are tower top deformation and mass.The tower's height,radius and thickness are considered as design variables.The mathematical relationships between objective functions and variables were predicted by adopting a response surface methodology(RSM).Furthermore,the multi-objective non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II(NSGA-II)is adopted to optimize the tower structure to achieve accurate results with the minimum top deformation and total mass.A case study on a 2MW wind turbine tower optimization is given,which computes the desired tower structure parameters.The results are compared with the original tower:a reduction of tower top deformation reduction by about 16.5%and a reduction of a mass by about 1.5%could be achieved for such an optimization process.

Smart Semi-active PID-ACO control strategy for tower vibration reduction in Wind Turbines with MR damper

Wind turbine technology is well known around the globe as an eco-friendly and eff ective renewable power source. However, this technology often faces reliability problems due to structural vibration. This study proposes a smart semi-active vibration control system using Magnetorheological (MR) dampers where feedback controllers are optimized with nature-inspired algorithms. Proportional integral derivative (PID) and Proportional integral (PI) controllers are designed to achieve the optimal desired force and current input for MR the damper. PID control parameters are optimized using an Ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm. The eff ectiveness of the ACO algorithm is validated by comparing its performance with Ziegler-Nichols (Z-N) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). The placement of the MR damper on the tower is also investigated to ensure structural balance and optimal desired force from the MR damper. The simulation results show that the proposed semi-active PID-ACO control strategy can signifi cantly reduce vibration on the wind turbine tower under diff erent frequencies (i.e., 67%, 73%, 79% and 34.4% at 2 Hz, 3 Hz, 4.6 Hz and 6 Hz, respectively) and amplitudes (i.e. 50%, 58% and 67% for 50 N, 80 N, and 100 N, respectively). In this study, the simulation model is validated with an experimental study in terms of natural frequency, mode shape and uncontrolled response at the 1st mode. The proposed PID-ACO control strategy and optimal MR damper position is also implemented on a lab-scaled wind turbine tower model. The results show that the vibration reduction rate is 66% and 73% in the experimental and simulation study, respectively, at the 1st mode.

Dynamic performance of cable-stayed bridge tower with multi-stage pendulum mass damper under wind excitations——I:Theory

In this paper, wind-induced vibration control of a single column tower of a cable-stayed bridge with a multi- stage pendulum mass damper （MSPMD） is investigated. Special attention is given to overcoming space limitations for installing the control device in the tower and the effect of varying natural frequency of the towers during construction. First, the finite element model of the bridge during its construction and the basic equation of motion of the MSPMD are introduced. The equation of motion of the bridge with the MSPMD under along-wind excitation is then established. Finally, a numerical simulation and parametric study are conducted to assess the effectiveness of the control system for reducing the wind-induced vibration of the bridge towers during construction. The numerical simulation results show that the MSPMD is practical and effective for reducing the along-wind response of the single column tower, can be installed in a small area of the tower, and complies with the time-variant characteristics of the bridge during its entire construction stage.

Wind-induced responses of super-large cooling towers

Traditional gust load factor(GLF)method,inertial wind load(IWL)method and tri-component method(LRC+IWL)cannot accurately analyze the wind-induced responses of super-large cooling towers,so the real combination formulas of fluctuating wind-induced responses and equivalent static wind loads(ESWLSs)were derived based on structural dynamics and random vibration theory.The consistent coupled method(CCM)was presented to compensate the coupled term between background and resonant response.Taking the super-large cooling tower(H=215 m)of nuclear power plant in Jiangxi Province,China,which is the highest and largest in China,as the example,based on modified equivalent beam-net design method,the aero-elastic model for simultaneous pressure and vibration measurement of super-large cooling tower is firstly carried out.Then,combining wind tunnel test and CCM,the effects of self-excited force on the surface pressures and wind-induced responses are discussed,and the wind-induced response characteristics of background component,resonant component,coupled term between background and resonant response,fluctuating responses,and wind vibration coefficients are discussed.It can be concluded that wind-induced response mechanism must be understood to direct the wind resistant design for super-large cooling towers.

A new framework for evaluating along-wind responses of a transmission tower

In this paper, an analytical framework to evaluate the along-wind-induced dynamic responses of a transmission tower is presented. Two analytical models and a new method are developed： （1） a higher mode generalized force spectrum （GFS） model of the transmission tower is deduced; （2） an analytical model that includes the contributions of the higher modes is further derived as a rational algebraic formula to estimate the structural displacement response; and （3） a new approach, applying load with displacement （ALD） instead of force, to solve the internal force of transmission tower is given. Unlike conventional methods, the ALD method can avoid calculating equivalent static wind loads （ESWLs）. Finally, a transmission tower structure is used as a numerical example to verify the feasibility and accuracy of the ALD method.

Wind Turbine Tower Optimization under Various Requirements by Using Genetic Algorithm

The purpose of this study is to optimize the mass of 1.5 MW wind turbine steel tower performing Genetic Algorithm method (GA). In accordance with ASCE 7-98, AISC-89 and IEC61400-1 , the impact of loads on tower is calculated within the highest safety conditions against buckling strength of each sections of tower by means of GA codes. The stifness along tower is ensured entirely while the mass of tower is mitigated and optimized.

Improving the Power Generation Performance of a Solar Tower Using Thermal Updraft Wind

The purpose of this study is to improve the efficiency of the power generation system of a solar tower using fluid dynamics. The power generation system of a solar tower can be designed and constructed at relatively low cost. However, the energy output tends to be low for its physical size compared with other renewable energy production systems. The technical and scientific improvement of these types of generation systems has lost its momentum since the shutdown of the wellknown Spanish pilot plant “Manzanares Solar Chimney” in 1989, although it still has the potential to play a role in renewable energy in the future. We have focused on the tower component of the system to seek possible enhancements of the power output of the internal turbine. As a result of our fluid dynamic shape optimization, a diffuser-shaped tower was employed to increase the internal flow speed of a scaled model. The results show a remarkable improvement in the power output of the internal wind turbine.

Performance Prediction of a Multi-Stage Wind Tower for Indoor Cooling

A theoretical model is developed to establish an indepth understanding of the performance of a three-stage wind tower with a bypass system for indoor cooling in rural dry and hot climates. Model simulations are presented for a wide range of ambient conditions that include inlet wind speed, inlet temperature and relative humidity. Simulation results provide an insight into the desirable water flow rates and air-to-water loadings for comfort zone tem-peratures and relative humidity levels at the exit of the wind tower. Simulations show wind towers with variable cross-sections provide an increase in the cooling power for the same inlet wind speed, inlet air temperature and relative humidity when compared to wind towers with a constant cross-section. The study shall lead to a better understanding to designing wind towers that are both environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

超高层工业建筑中“机械-自然-城市-人”多尺度复合设计研究——以日立电梯试验塔“H1 TOWER”为例

工业建筑因其特殊的功能和尺度,相关研究往往以结构设备技术为重心。而在技术革新、城市发展的推动下,当代工业建筑设计进入了类型多样化、技术高度化、城市景观化、使用人性化的新发展阶段。本文以日立电梯“H1 TOWER”为例,针对高速电梯试验塔这一新工业建筑类型,从机械、自然、城市、人这四种尺度对试验塔的不同要求进行梳理,对平面构成、建筑轮廓、风穴与立面、外墙细部中对意匠与技术方案的整合进行具体考察,并结合同类建筑作进一步比较分析与总结,提出多尺度复合、多专业协同将是拓展工业建筑设计维度、工程技术与城市人文融合的关键。

A New Approach for Structural Optimization with Application to Wind Turbine Tower

This work takes the bionic bamboo tower(BBT)of 2 MW wind turbine as the target,and the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm(NSGA-II)is utilized to optimize its structural parameters.Specifically,the objective functions are deformation and mass.Based on the correlation analysis,the target optimization parameters were determined.Furthermore,the Kriging model of the BBT was established through the Latin Hypercube SamplingDesign(LHSD).Finally,the BBT structure is optimized withmultiple objectives under the constraints of strength,natural frequency,and size.The comparison shows that the optimized BBT has an advantage in the Design Load Case(DLC).This advantage is reflected in the fact that the overall stability of the BBT has increased by 2.45%,while the displacement of the BBT has decreased by 0.77%.In addition,the mass of the tower is decreased by 1.49%.Correspondingly,the steel consumption of each BBT will be reduced by 2789 Kg.This work provides a scientific basis for the structural design of the tower in service.

Wind-induced vibration control of long-span power transmission towers

We investigated wind-induced vibration control of long-span power transmission towers based on a case study of the Jingdongnan-Nanyang-Jingmen 1 000 kV transmission line project in P. R. China. The height of the cup tower is 181 m with a ground elevation of 47 m, which makes it a super flexible and wind-sensitive structure. Therefore, we should analyze the windresistant capacity of the system. We simulated applicable transverse fluctuating wind velocity field, developed a lead-rubber damper (LRD) for controlling wind-induced vibration of long-span transmission towers, deduced LRD calculation model parameter, and researched the best layout scheme and installation method of LRD. To calculate the wind-induced response of tower-line coupling system in seven layout schemes, we used the time history analysis method, and obtained the efficiencies of wind-induced vibration control. LRD deformation research proved that the damp of all LRDs was efficient under the designed wind velocity when they were laid along the edge of tower heads. We studied the controlling efficiency resulting from only applying stiffness to the tower poles where the dampers used to be laid under the designed wind velocity. The results show that the controlling efficiency was not ideal when the stiffness is increased on the poles only. Therefore, LRD should contribute to both the stiffness and damp of a structure to effectively reduce the dynamic response of a tower-line coupling system under strong winds. We also discussed the controlling efficiency of LRD under static winds. The results show that there was little difference between displacements derived by the finite element time history method and those obtained by static wind method conducted by a design institute. This means the simulation on space relevant wind velocity field was accurate and reasonable.

Application of Lead Viscoelastic Dampers to Wind Vibration Control on Big-Span Power Transmission Tower

To study the wind vibration response of power transmission tower, the lead viscoelastic dampers （LVDs） were applied to a cup tower. With time history analysis method, the displacement, velocity, acceleration and force response of the tower was calculated and analyzed. The results show that the control effect of lead viscoelastic dampers is very good, and the damping ratio can reach 20% or more when they are applied to the tower head.

Erratum to “Improving the Power Generation Performance of a Solar Tower Using Thermal Updraft Wind” [Energy and Power Engineering Vol. 6 No. 11 (October 2014) 362-370]

The original online version of this article (Masataka Motoyama, Kenichiro Sugitani, Yuji Ohya, et al. (2014) “Improving the Power Generation Performance of a Solar Tower Using Thermal Updraft Wind”, 2014, 6, 362-370. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/epe.2014.611031) was published in October, 2014.The author wishes to correct the following error in text and Figures 9-11.

动态风向变化下风力机叶片和塔架应力及功率特性分析

风向变化显著影响风力机气动载荷分布,从而影响风力机稳定高效的运行,而气动载荷是风力机结构应力和功率变化主要影响因素之一。该文以S翼型三叶片水平轴风力机为研究对象,在旋转平台上进行风洞实验,对不同风向变化速度(0.5°、1°、1.5°、2°/s)下风力机叶片和塔架的应力以及风力机功率特性进行分析。结果表明:风向变化速度为0.5°/s时,在风向由0°变化到30°时,叶片弦向和展向应力值和风力机功率下降幅度最大;在风向由0°变化到20°时,叶片应力值和功率下降较为缓慢,风向变化结束后,风力机应力与功率会进一步减小;风向变化角度在0°~20°范围内,受叶片转速和气动载荷下降速度与风向变化耦合作用的影响,塔架应力值出现较大波动,并随风向变化速度的增加,波动出现的区间从15°~20°提前到0°~5°;风向变化结束后,叶片转速持续下降,造成塔架应力仍有不同程度的波动。结果可为考虑风向变化下运行的风力机结构设计提供一定理论依据。

风电机组纯钢塔架和组合式塔架动力特性对比研究

对某风电场2.0 MW风电机组120 m高单管式风力发电钢塔和钢-混凝土组合式风力发电塔的振动进行长期监测,分别采用峰值拾取法(PP)和随机子空间法(SSI)对塔架的模态参数进行识别和分析,并与数值分析结果进行对比。结果表明:两座塔架的振动主要以前三阶模态为主,高阶模态的影响不可忽略。相较于钢-混凝土组合塔架,纯钢塔架受塔顶叶轮转动的影响更大,更易发生共振。模态阻尼中气动阻尼占比较大,其与环境风速和桨距角关系密切,与风速呈非线性关系,并且在桨叶变桨时变化明显。对比实测识别和数值分析结果发现,两座塔架的模态频率以及混塔的振型数值分析结果与实测结果比较吻合,钢塔的振型数值分析结果与实测结果存在差异,在运维养护时应重点关注。