Research on Leading Edge Erosion and Aerodynamic Characteristics of Wind Turbine Blade Airfoil

The effects of the erosion present on the leading edge of a wind turbine airfoil(DU 96-W-180)on its aerodynamic performances have been investigated numerically in the framework of a SST k–ωturbulence model based on the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations(RANS).The results indicate that when sand-induced holes and small pits are involved as leading edge wear features,they have a minimal influence on the lift and drag coefficients of the airfoil.However,if delamination occurs in the same airfoil region,it significantly impacts the lift and resistance characteristics of the airfoil.Specifically,as the angle of attack grows,there is a significant decrease in the lift coefficient accompanied by a sharp increase in the drag coefficient.As wear intensifies,these effects gradually increase.Moreover,the leading edge wear can exacerbate flow separation near the trailing edge suction surface of the airfoil and cause forward displacement of the separation point.

Experimental study on the variation of optical remote sensing imaging characteristics of internal solitary waves with wind speed

Optical remote sensing has been widely used to study internal solitary waves(ISWs).Wind speed has an important effect on ISW imaging of optical remote sensing.The light and dark bands of ISWs cannot be observed by optical remote sensing when the wind is too strong.The relationship between the characteristics of ISWs bands in optical remote sensing images and the wind speed is still unclear.The influence of wind speeds on the characteristics of the ISWs bands is investigated based on the physical simulation experiments with the wind speeds of 1.6,3.1,3.5,3.8,and 3.9 m/s.The experimental results show that when the wind speed is 3.9 m/s,the ISWs bands cannot be observed in optical remote sensing images with the stratification of h_(1)∶h_(2)=7∶58,ρ_(1)∶ρ_(2)=1∶1.04.When the wind speeds are 3.1,3.5,and 3.8 m/s,which is lower than 3.9 m/s,the ISWs bands can be obtained in the simulated optical remote sensing image.The location of the band’s dark and light extremum and the band’s peak-to-peak spacing are almost not affected by wind speed.More-significant wind speeds can cause a greater gray difference of the light-dark bands.This provided a scientific basis for further understanding of ISW optical remote sensing imaging.

Impact of Blade-Flapping Vibration on Aerodynamic Characteristics of Wind Turbines under Yaw Conditions

Although the aerodynamic loading of wind turbine blades under various conditions has been widely studied,the radial distribution of load along the blade under various yaw conditions and with blade flapping phenomena is poorly understood.This study aims to investigate the effects of second-order flapwise vibration on the mean and fluctuation characteristics of the torque and axial thrust of wind turbines under yaw conditions using computational fluid dynamics(CFD).In the CFD model,the blades are segmented radially to comprehensively analyze the distribution patterns of torque,axial load,and tangential load.The following results are obtained.(i)After applying flapwise vibration,the torque and axial thrust of wind turbines decrease in relation to those of the rigid model,with significantly increased fluctuations.(ii)Flapwise vibration causes the blades to reciprocate along the axial direction,altering the local angle of attack and velocity of the blades relative to the incoming wind flow.This results in the contraction of the torque region from a circular shape to a complex“gear”shape,which is accompanied by evident oscillations.(iii)Compared to the tangential load,the axial load on the blades is more sensitive to flapwise vibration although both exhibit significantly enhanced fluctuations.This study not only reveals the impact of flapwise vibration on wind turbine blade performance,including the reduction of torque and axial thrust and increased operational fluctuations,but also clarifies the radial distribution patterns of blade aerodynamic characteristics,which is of great significance for optimizing wind turbine blade design and reducing fatigue risks.

Effect of Rigid Pitch Motion on Flexible Vibration Characteristics of a Wind Turbine Blade

Adynamic pitch strategy is usually adopted to improve the aerodynamic performance of the blade of awind turbine.The dynamic pitch motion will affect the linear vibration characteristics of the blade.However,these influences have not been studied in previous research.In this paper,the influences of the rigid pitch motion on the linear vibration characteristics of a wind turbine blade are studied.The blade is described as a rotating cantilever beam with an inherent coupled rigid-flexible vibration,where the rigid pitch motion introduces a parametrically excited vibration to the beam.Partial differential equations governing the nonlinear coupled pitch-bend vibration are proposed using the generalized Hamiltonian principle.Natural vibration characteristics of the inherent coupled rigid-flexible system are analyzed based on the combination of the assumed modes method and the multi-scales method.Effects of static pitch angle,rotating speed,and characteristics of harmonic pitch motion on flexible natural frequencies andmode shapes are discussed.It shows that the pitch amplitude has a dramatic influence on the natural frequencies of the blade,while the effects of pitch frequency and pith phase on natural frequencies are little.

Aero-Hydrodynamic Coupled Dynamic Characteristics of Semi-Submersible Floating Offshore Wind Turbines Under Inflow Turbulence

In this study,the frequency characteristics of the turbulent wind and the effects of wind-wave coupling on the low-and high-frequency responses of semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbines(FOWT)are investigated.Various wave load components,such as first-order wave loads,combined first-and second-order difference-frequency wave loads,combined first-and second-order sum-frequency wave loads,and first-and complete second-order wave loads are taken into consideration,while different turbulent environments are considered in aerodynamic loads.The com-parison is based on time histories and frequency spectra of platform motions and structural load responses and statistical values.The findings indicate that the second-order difference-frequency wave loads will significantly increase the natural frequency of low-frequency motion in the responses of the platform motion and structure load of the semi-submersible platform,which will cause structural fatigue damage.Under the action of turbulent wind,the influences of second-order wave loads on the platform motion and structural load response cannot be ignored,especially under extreme sea conditions.Therefore,in order to evaluate the dynamic responses of semi-submersible FOWT more accurately,the actual environment should be simulated more realistically.

Characteristics of sub-synchronous oscillation in grid-connected wind farm system

With the rapid development of wind power, wind turbines are accompanied by a large quantity of power electronic converters connected to the grid, causing changes in the characteristics of the power system and leading to increasingly serious sub-synchronous oscillation (SSO) problems, which urgently require the generalized classification and characterization of the emerging oscillation problems. This paper classifies and characterizes the emerging types of SSO caused by grid-connected wind turbines to address these issues. Finally, the impact of the typical system parameters changes on the oscillation pattern is analyzed in depth to provide effective support for the subsequent suppression and prevention of SSO.

Comparable study on typhoon and strong northern wind characteristics of the Runyang Suspension Bridge based on field tests

The strong wind characteristics of the Runyang Suspension Bridge（ RSB） including the wind speed and direction, the turbulence intensity, the turbulence integral length and power spectrum are analyzed based on measurement data from the wind environment monitoring subsystem of the structural health monitoring system （SHMS）of the RSB and field tests during strong winds. The differences between the typhoon and the strong northern wind are especially studied. It is found that the mean wind speed of the strong northern wind is a little smaller and the mean wind direction is more stable than that of the typhoon. The turbulence intensity of both the typhoon and the strong northern wind is greater than the values suggested in Chinese code, and the turbulence integral length difference between the typhoon and a strong northern wind is not clear. As for the along-wind turbulence power spectrum, the spectrum of the strong northern wind can fit the Kaimal spectrum better than that of the typhoon. The obtained results can provide measurement data for founding a strong wind characteristic database and determining the strong wind characteristic parameter values of the RSB.

Dynamic characteristics of the planetary gear train excited by time-varying meshing stiffness in the wind turbine

Wind power has attracted increasing attention as a renewable and clean energy. Gear fault frequently occurs under extreme environment and complex loads. The time-varying meshing stiffness is one of the main excitations. This study proposes a 5 degree-of-freedom torsional vibration model for the planetary gear system. The influence of some parameters(e.g., contact ratio and phase difference) is discussed under different conditions of a single teeth pair and double pairs of teeth. The impact load caused by the teeth face fault, ramped load induced by the complex wind conditions, and the harmonic excitation are investigated. The analysis of the time-varying meshing stiffness and the dynamic meshing force shows that the dynamic design under different loads can be made to avoid resonance, can provide the basis for the gear fault location of a wind turbine, and distinguish the fault characteristics from the vibration signals.

Spatiotemporal characteristics of wind energy resources from 1960 to 2016 over China

In the paper,daily near-surface wind speed data from 462 stations are used to study the spatiotemporal characteristics of the annual and seasonal mean wind speed(MWS)and effective wind energy density(EWED)from 1960 to 2016,through the methods of kriging interpolation,leastsquares,correlation coefficient testing,and empirical orthogonal function(EOF)analysis.The results show that the annual MWS is larger than 3 m s-1 and the EWED is larger than 75 W m-2 in northern China and parts of coastal areas.However,the MWS and EWED values in southern China are all smaller than in northern China.Over the past 50 years,the annual and seasonal MWS in China has shown a significant decreasing trend,with the largest rate of decline in spring for northern China and winter for coastal areas.The annual MWS in some areas of Guangdong has an increasing trend,but it shows little change in southwestern China,South China,and west of Central China.Where the MWS is high,the rate of decline is also high.The main spatial distributions of the annual MWS and the annual EWED show high consistency,with a decreasing trend year by year.The decreasing trend of wind speed and wind energy resources in China is mainly related to global warming and land use/cover change.

Experimental study on aerodynamic characteristics of a high-speed train on viaducts in turbulent crosswinds

In this study, experiments were carried out to investigate aerodynamic characteristics of a high-speed train on viaducts in turbulent crosswinds using a 1:25 scaled sectional model wind-tunnel testing. Pressure measurements of two typical sections, one train-head section and one train-body section, at the windward and leeward tracks were conducted under the smooth and turbulence flows with wind attack angles between-6° and 6°, and the corresponding aerodynamic force coefficients were also calculated using the integral method. The experimental results indicate that the track position affects the mean aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle, especially for the train-body section. The fluctuating pressure coefficients at the leeward track are more significantly affected by the bridge interference compared to those at the windward track. The effect of turbulence on the train-head section is less than that on the train-body section. Additionally, the mean aerodynamic force coefficients are almost negatively correlated to wind attack angles, which is more prominent for vehicles at the leeward track. Moreover, the lateral force plays a critical role in determining the corresponding overturning moment, especially on the train-body section.

Infl uence of structural parameters on dynamic characteristics and wind-induced buffeting responses of a super-long-span cable-stayed bridge

A 3D finite element （FE） model for the Sutong cable-stayed bridge （SCB） is established based on ANSYS. The dynamic characteristics of the bridge are analyzed using a subspace iteration method. Based on recorded wind data, the measured spectra expression is presented using the nonlinear least-squares regression method. Turbulent winds at the bridge site are simulated based on the spectral representation method and the FFT technique. The influence of some key structural parameters and measures on the dynamic characteristics of the bridge are investigated. These parameters include dead load intensity, as well as vertical, lateral and torsional stiffness of the steel box girder. In addition, the influence of elastic stiffness of the connection device employed between the towers and the girder on the vibration mode of the steel box girder is investigated. The analysis shows that all of the vertical, lateral and torsional buffeting displacement responses reduce gradually as the dead load intensity increases. The dynamic characteristics and the structural buffeting displacement response of the SCB are only slightly affected by the vertical and torsional stiffness of the steel box girder, and the lateral and torsional buffeting displacement responses reduce gradually as the lateral stiffness increases. These results provide a reference for dynamic analysis and design of super-long-span cable-stayed bridges.

AdaBoosting Neural Network for Short-Term Wind Speed Forecasting Based on Seasonal Characteristics Analysis and Lag Space Estimation

High accurary in wind speed forcasting remains hard to achieve due to wind’s random distribution nature and its seasonal characteristics.Randomness,intermittent and nonstationary usually cause the portion problem of the wind speed forecasting.Seasonal characteristics of wind speed means that its feature distribution is inconsistent.This typically results that the persistence of excitation for modeling can not be guaranteed,and may severely reduce the possibilities of high precise forecasting model.In this paper,we proposed two effective solutions to solve the problems caused by the randomness and seasonal characteristics of the wind speed.(1)Wavelet analysis is used to extract the robust components of time series and reduce the influence of randomness.(2)Based on the energy distribution about the extracted amplitude and associated frequency,seasonal characteristics of wind speed are analyzed based on self-similarity in periodogram under scales range generated by wavelet transformation.Thus,the original dataset is reasonably divided into subsest which can effectively reflect the seasonal distribution characteristics of wind speed.In addition,two strategies are given to optimal model structure and improve the forecasting accuracy:(1)The forecasting model’s lag space is approximately estimated by the Lipschitz quotient to improve the generality ability of the feedforward neural network.(2)The forecasting accuracy and model robustness are further improved by the wavelet decomposition combined with AdaBoosting neural network.Finally,experimental evaluation based on the dataset from National Renewable Energy Laboratory(NREL)is given to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach.

Effects of Wind on Steady-state Scan Characteristics and Hit Probability of Terminal-sensitive Projectile

The wind effects on steady-state scan characteristics and hit probability of terminal-sensitive projectile were discussed in this paper. Considering wind as the constitutions of the average wind and the impulsive wind, a simplified wind field model was established for the ballistic calculation of the steady-state scan phase; under the windy condition, the effects of the range wind and the beam wind on the steady-state scan characteristics of the terminal-sensitive projectile were analyzed in detail and its hit probabilities for a certain armored target were calculated. The calculated results show that, when the wind speed exceeds a certain value, the hit probabilities of terminal-sensitive projectile drop rapidly; the wind effects must be considered in the application of the terminal-sensitive projectiles. This paper provides some theoretical references for the fire wind speed correction and the global structure optimization of the terminal-sensitive projectile.

Experimental Study on Aerodynamic Characteristics of the Model Wind Rotor System and on Characterization of A Wind Generation System

In order to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics of 6-MW wind turbine, experimental study on the aerodynamic characteristics of the model rotor system and on characterization of a wind generation system is carried out. In the test, a thrust-matched rotor system and a geometry-matched rotor system, which utilize redesigned thrustmatched and original geometry-matched blades, respectively, are applied. The 6-MW wind turbine system is introduced briefly. The proper scaling laws for model tests are established in the paper, which are then implemented in the construction of a model wind turbine with optimally designed blades. And the parameters of the model are provided. The aerodynamic characteristics of the proposed 6-MW wind rotor system are explored by testing a 1:65.3 scale model at the State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Before carrying out the wind rotor system test, the turbulence intensity and spatial uniformity of the wind generation system are tested and results demonstrate that the characterization of the wind generation system is satisfied and the average turbulence intensity of less than 10% within the wind rotor plane is proved in the test. And then, the aerodynamic characteristics of 6-MW wind rotor system are investigated. The response characteristic differences between the thrust-matched rotor system and the geometry-matched rotor system are presented. Results indicate that the aerodynamic characteristics of 6-MW wind rotor with the thrust-matched rotor system are satisfied. The conclusion is that the thrust-matched rotor system can better reflect the characteristics of the prototype wind turbine. A set of model test method is proposed in the work and preparations for further model basin test of the 6-MW SPAR-type floating offshore wind turbine system are made.

Sub-synchronous frequency domain-equivalent modeling for wind farms based on rotor equivalent resistance characteristics

The equivalent simplification of large wind farms is essential for evaluating the safety of power systems.However,sub-synchronous oscillations can significantly affect the stability of power systems.Although detailed mathematical models of wind farms can help accurately analyze the oscillation mechanism,the solution process is complicated and may lead to problems such as the“dimensional disaster.”Therefore,this paper proposes a sub-synchronous frequency domain-equivalent modeling method for wind farms based on the nature of the equivalent resistance of the rotor,in order to analyze sub-synchronous oscillations accurately.To this end,Matlab/Simulink is used to simulate a detailed model,a single-unit model,and an equivalent model,considering a wind farm as an example.A simulation analysis is then performed under the sub-synchronous frequency to prove that the model is effective and that the wind farm equivalence model method is valid.

Near ground wind characteristics during typhoon Meari:Turbulence intensities, gust factors, and peak factors

Wind data were collected during the 2011 typhoon Meari at heights of 10, 20, 30, and 40 m above the ground using a 40 m high anemometer tower in the coastal area near Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Wind speeds and directions, turbulence intensities, gust factors, and peaks were analyzed using the time records of wind speed. The results show that turbulence intensity components in longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions decrease with mean wind speed, regardless of elevations, and the turbulence intensities are in a linear relationship with mean wind speeds. The ratios of three turbulence intensity components(i.e. Iu, Iv, Iw) at heights of 10, 20 and 40 m were calculated and equal to be 1:0.88:0.50, 1:0.84:0.57, and 1:0.9:0.49, respectively. In addition, the gust factors in three directions exhibit a reduction with increasing mean wind speed. The peak factors at different heights show a similar trend and slightly decrease with mean wind speed; average peak factors for all 10-min data from Typhoon Meari are 2.43, 2.48, and 2.47, respectively.

Wind Tunnel Experimental Investigation on the Aerodynamic Characteristics of the Multifin Rockets and Missiles

The transonic-supersonic wind tunnel experiment on the aerodynamics of the rockets and missiles that have four, six, eight flat or wrap-around fins is introduced. The experimental results show, while M∞〈2.0, with the increase of the fins＇number, the derivative of lift coefficient is increasing, the pressure center is shifting backwards, and the longitudinal static stability is augmenting. On the contrary, while the Mach number exceeds a certain supersonic value, the aerodynamic effectiveness of the eight-fin missiles would be lower than that of the six-fin missiles. For the low speed short-range missiles, by adopting six, eight or ten flat fins configuration, the lift effectiveness can be greatly increased, the pressure center can be shifted backwards, the static and dynamic stability can be obviously enhanced. For the high speed long-range large rockets and missiles launched from multi-tube launcher, the configuration adopting more than six fins can not be useful for increasing the stability but would make the rolling rate instable during the flight.

Numerical Simulation of Wind Field Characteristics around Two Adjacent High-Rise Buildings

This paper based on Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations standard ?model [1];the surface pressure on the wind field around two adjacent high-rise buildings was numerically simulated with software Fluent. The results show that with the influence of adjacent high-rise building, numerical simulation is a good way to study the wind field around high-rise building and the distribution of wind pressure on building’ surface. The pressures on the windward surface are positive with the maximum at 2/3 H height and have lower values on the top and bottom. The pressures on the leeward surface and two sides were negative. Due to the serious flow separation at the corner of building’s windward, the wind field has a high turbulent kinetic energy.

Wind-sand movement characteristics and erosion mechanism of a solar photovoltaic array in the middle of the Hobq Desert,Northwestern China

The operation and power generation of utility-scale solar energy infrastructure in desert areas are affected by changes in surface erosion processes resulting from the construction of solar photovoltaic(PV)power stations.However,few studies have addressed the interactions between solar PV arrays and aeolian erosion processes.In this study,wind flow field characteristics and the vertical distribution of sediments were investigated in the near-surface transport layer at three different locations with respect to the solar PV arrays in a 200 WM-p PV power station in the central Hobq Desert,northwestern China.The results indicate that the sediment transport varied around the panels,with the greatest transport occurring between the panels,followed by behind and in front of the panels.The sediment fluxes of all of the observation sites obey an exponential function.The secondary flow field zones formed around the PV panels:the conflux accelerating zone between the panels,the resistance decelerating zone of the under panels,and the transition zone of the rapid velocity increase in front of and behind the panels.This resulted in a greater shear force in front of the panels under the downward flow diversion effect of PV panels,and the wind erosion depressions were finally formed here.The results of this study provide information for planning better technical schemes for wind-sand hazards at solar PV power stations,which would ensure operational stability and safety in desert areas.

Experimental study of rotating wind turbine breakdown characteristics in large scale air gaps

When a wind turbine is struck by lightning,its blades are usually rotating.The effect of blade rotation on a turbine＇s ability to trigger a lightning strike is unclear.Therefore,an arching electrode was used in a wind turbine lightning discharge test to investigate the difference in lightning triggering ability when blades are rotating and stationary.A negative polarity switching waveform of 250/2500 μs was applied to the arching electrode and the up-and-down method was used to calculate the 50%discharge voltage.Lightning discharge tests of a 1：30 scale wind turbine model with 2,4,and 6 m air gaps were performed and the discharge process was observed.The experimental results demonstrated that when a 2 m air gap was used,the breakdown voltage increased as the blade speed was increased,but when the gap length was 4 m or longer,the trend was reversed and the breakdown voltage decreased.The analysis revealed that the rotation of the blades changes the charge distribution in the blade-tip region,promotes upward leader development on the blade tip,and decreases the breakdown voltage.Thus,the blade rotation of a wind turbine increases its ability to trigger lightning strikes.