Collaborative Research: Nexus of Simulation, Sensing and Actuation for Aerodynamic Vibration Reduction of Wind Turbine Blades

该合作研究项目的目标是通过在流体-结构相互作用、传感器和致动器的高级计算模型领域的创新来推进智能叶片系统。 风能是清洁和可再生能源的重要来源，正在成为美国能源组合的主要组成部分。 近年来，对大容量风力涡轮机作为收获风能的经济方式的兴趣显著增加。 风力涡轮机叶片的长度超过100米，并且叶片尺寸增加的趋势仍在继续。 然而，风力涡轮机叶片尺寸的增加意味着需要管理空气动力学振动以防止灾难性故障。 合作项目团队从创新的角度推进智能涡轮机叶片技术。本研究的假设是，风力涡轮机叶片的气动振动可以有效地减轻与生物启发的策略，用于流动传感，表面形态变化和流体-结构相互作用。 该研究项目的具体目标是：1）通过先进的流体-结构相互作用建模来理解叶片振动动力学; 2）研究用于流动湍流确定的生物传感机制并实施可行的传感器设计策略; 3）理解和仿真用于气动减振的“智能鳍”和“智能阻尼器”的功能。一个系统的方法将采取结合建模，传感和驱动策略。智能刀片系统的性能也将通过基于仿真的虚拟测试和缩小规模的模型实验进行验证。所有这些都旨在推动智能风力涡轮机叶片的技术发展。该项目为推进智能叶片技术提供了一个很好的机会，其中包括用于叶片减振的智能组件。 一个独特的生物启发的战略将追求防止灾难性的失败，风力涡轮机叶片，有效地减轻空气动力学振动。 该战略还将提高风能系统的运营效率。 所有这些进展都将对风能的安全和有效生产产生重要影响。

The objective of this collaborative research project is to advance the smart blade system through innovations in areas of advanced computational models of fluid-structure interactions, sensors and actuators. Wind energy, an important source of clean and renewable energy, is becoming a major component of the U.S. energy portfolio. The interest in large capacity wind turbines as an economical way to harvest wind energy has significantly increased in recent years. Wind turbine blades are over 100m in length and the trend of increasing the size of the blades continues. However, increases in the size of wind turbine blades means that aerodynamic vibrations need to be managed to prevent catastrophic failures. The collaborative project team takes an innovative perspective to advance the smart turbine blade technology. The hypothesis of this research is that aerodynamic vibrations in wind turbine blades can be effectively mitigated with bio-inspired strategies for flow sensing, surface morphological change and fluid-structure interactions. The specific goals of this research project are 1) to understand blade vibration dynamics with advanced modeling of fluid-structure interactions; 2) to study the mechanism of bio-sensing for flow turbulence determination and to implement a feasible sensor design strategy; and 3) to understand and emulate the functions of "smart fins" and "smart denticles" for aerodynamic vibration reductions. A systematic approach will be undertaken by combining modeling, sensing and actuation strategies. The smart blade system performance will also be validated via simulation-based virtual testing and reduced-scale model experiments. All of these aim to advance the state of art in the smart wind turbine blades.This project presents a great opportunity to advance smart blade technologies, which include intelligent components for blade vibration reduction. A unique bio-inspired strategy will be pursued to prevent catastrophic failures of wind turbine blades by effectively mitigating the aerodynamic vibrations. The strategy will also improve the operational efficiency of the wind energy system. All of these advances will have important impacts on the safe and efficient production of wind energy.