Aerodynamic Response of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Using QBlade
摘要
Wind energy is considered as a sustainable, renewable, and cost-effective source of electricity. As the demand of the harvested energy increases, the size of the turbine blade keeps on increasing which makes them slender and highly flexible. This results in excessive wind induced vibrations that affect the efficiency of the turbine and shorten the lifetime of the components. These vibrations are primarily due to the turbulent aerodynamic load and the rotation of the blade. This study investigates the dynamic response of horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) blades using QBlade software which is specially developed for structural dynamics, aerodynamic, and hydrodynamics analysis of wind turbine. The cross-section profile of the blade is based on an airfoil design, with its type, position and aerodynamic properties are specified to create the wind turbine blade model in QBlade. The natural frequencies and mode shapes of the blade are determined for the blade in parked and rotating conditions. The results are validated against existing literature. The aerodynamics load on the HAWT is simulated using the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) method and IEC inflow turbulence model based on Kaimal spectra. The edgewise and flapwise responses are extracted for various wind speeds, different turbulence intensity, and rotation speed of wind turbine blade. The results show a good agreement with the existing literature. This study aims to enhance the understanding of the impact of aerodynamic loads on the performance and structural integrity of wind turbine blades.