A Fluid-Structure Interaction Study in Wind-Turbine Blades

当前叶片技术的局限性构成了进一步降低风能成本的技术障碍。叶片制造是劳动密集型的，需要高素质的人力，这是一个瓶颈，随着涡轮机尺寸的增加，反映在转子成本的增加份额中。巨大的尺寸差异使从风洞实验数据外推到原型尺寸变得复杂。因此，引入新的技术解决方案，提高叶片设计，制造和运输物流的经济性，而不损害可靠性的关键是减少与叶片气动弹性动力学相关的不确定性。所提出的研究的目的是通过改进的流体-结构相互作用过程的数学计算模型来更好地理解底层物理。这种虚拟试验环境可以在实际的全尺寸条件下以合理的计算成本对创新的原型叶片进行试验，它将在并行HPC超级计算机平台中结合联合收割机两种先进的数值模型：采用涡度-速度自适应算法的非定常分离流模型;以及在叶片截面上使用简化技术的异质复合材料梁的结构响应模型。这项工作的智力价值是复杂的流体-结构相互作用问题的计算数学模型的进步，在风力涡轮机叶片设计中起着关键作用，也提供了一个基本的工具，更好地了解基础物理。除了与涡轮机械发展的明确相关性外，研究流体-结构相互作用的非线性动力学还提供了对一个广泛的物理主题的见解，该主题出现在许多科学学科和工程的几个分支中。在由于某种机制的内在操作而将旋转分量添加到物体的相对运动的情况下，科学挑战仍然更大。这些现象在广泛的范围内表现出来，为科学发现和丰富的技术应用提供了极好的机会。更广泛的影响：这项工作将推动风能技术的工业发展，同时通过激励工程专业的学生领导应用数学和计算力学前沿的研究，促进本科和研究生水平的教学和学习。这项工作还将通过与该地区一家高科技公司合作开展协同活动，对开发风力涡轮机叶片技术产生变革性影响。除了对当地经济作出贡献外，这些活动还将帮助学生从工业环境中获得经验。这项工作从本质上扩大了代表性不足的群体在研究中的参与：参与该项目的PI和博士生都来自代表性不足的群体。

0933058PontaLimitations in the current blade technology constitute a technological barrier to further reductions in wind-energy cost. Blade manufacturing is labor-intensive and requires highly-qualified manpower, a bottleneck that reflects into the increasing share of the cost of the rotor as turbine size increases. Huge size differences complicate extrapolation of experimental data from the wind tunnel to the prototype scale. Hence, a key to introduce new technological solutions that improve the economics of blade design, manufacturing and transport logistics, without compromising reliability, is to reduce the uncertainties related to blade aeroelastic dynamics. The objective of the proposed research is to get a better understanding of the underlying physics through improved mathematical computational models of the fluid-structure interaction process. This Virtual Test Environment where innovative prototype blades may be tested at realistic full-scale conditions, with a reasonable computational cost, would combine two advanced numerical models in a parallel HPC supercomputer platform: A model of the unsteady separated flow using Vorticity-Velocity Self-Adaptive algorithms; and a model of the structural response of heterogeneous composite beams using Dimensional-Reduction techniques on the blade sections.Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit of this work is the advancement of computational mathematical models for the complex fluid-structure interaction problems that play a critical role in wind-turbine blade design, providing also a fundamental tool for a better understanding of the underlying physics. Besides its clear relevance to turbo-machinery development, studying the nonlinear dynamics of fluid-structure interaction provides insights into a widespread physical topic which makes appearances in many scientific disciplines and several branches of Engineering. In cases where a rotational component is added to the relative motion of a body due to the intrinsic operation of a certain mechanism, the scientific challenge is still greater. These phenomena manifest themselves at a wide range of scales and present excellent opportunities for scientific discovery with a richness of technical application.Broader Impacts: This work will advance industrial development in wind-energy technology while promoting teaching and learning at both the undergraduate and graduate levels by motivating engineering students to lead research at the frontiers of applied mathematics and computational mechanics. This work would also have transformative effects in the development of wind turbine blade technology through synergistic activities in collaboration with a high-tech company located in the region. Besides contributing to the local economy, these activities would help students gain experience from an industrial setting. This work intrinsically broadens the participation of underrepresented groups in research: both the PI and the PhD students involved in this project are from under-represented groups.