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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

Integration of Wind Turbine Generation (WTG) into utility generating systems

In order to obtain information required for the economical integration of wind turbine generation into utility systems, performance simulations of the MOD-2 turbine were conducted. The sensitivity of the utility-cost-of-generation to wind turbine performance models and the accuracy of wind velocity forecasts was analyzed. Four different simulation methods were used and the characteristics of each are discussed.

Mccabe, T. F.↗
DOE OSTI2020

A simple method for modelling fatigue spectra of small wind turbine blades

Small-scale wind turbines have market opportunities in distributed energy generation applications but face future challenges in remaining cost competitive compared with solar photovoltaic systems. High unit costs can be attributed to design conservatism when calculating fatigue loads of key structural components such as the blades. In this study, we use the aeroelastic software FAST to highlight limitations of the International Electrotechnical Commission 61400-2:2013 small wind turbine design standard for calculating fatigue life using the simplified load model. We present a modified method for calculating the fatigue spectra of small wind turbine blades. An advantage of this method is that it does not require complex aeroelastic simulations or field measurements. This modified method is intended to be implemented early in the blade design stage, such as during rotor optimization simulations, allowing for multiple rotor configurations to be rapidly compared.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Prognosis of Wind Turbine Gearbox Bearing Failures Using SCADA and Modeled Data

Predictive maintenance and condition monitoring systems for wind turbines have seen increased adoption to minimize downtime, reducing operation and maintenance costs. On today’s wind power plants, the integrated supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system provides low- frequency operational data that can be leveraged to quantify a wind turbine’s health. The aim of this study is to utilize machine-learning techniques to predict axial cracking failures in wind turbine gearbox bearings up to 1 month ahead of time. The failures are assumed to have occurred when the investigated bearing was replaced. While current SCADA systems show the overall condition of a wind turbine, often they do not allow for the investigation of specific gearbox bearings’ health. To enrich bearing fault signatures, additional data are computed through physics-based models using gearbox design information. Based on SCADA data, modeled data, and bearing failure log data from an actual wind plant, the performances of different machine-learning models on unseen data are then evaluated using industry-standard metrics such as precision, recall, and F1 score. Results show the overall system performance enhancement in predicting bearing failure when modeled data are included with SCADA data. The reduction in terms of false alarms is about 50%, and improvement in terms of precision and F1 score is about 33% and 12% respectively, based on the best modeling case in this study.

49 EE - Wind and Water Power Program - Wind (EE-4W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Aeroelastic code comparison using the IEA 22MW reference turbine

Reference wind turbine designs and the associated aeroelastic models are widely used in both research and industry. Reference models representing future concepts are of particular interest. Current state of the art aeroelastic tools are relied upon to design the next generation of large wind turbines. However, modelling assumptions may be invalidated by upcoming very large turbines, and different aeroelastic tools may give inconsistent results. A 22MW turbine model has been defined as part of International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind Task 55 on Reference Wind Turbines and Farms to represent future turbines to be deployed in the 2030s. In this study, an aeroelastic model of this turbine has been created in four tools; Bladed, HAWC2, OpenFAST, and QBlade. Code comparisons are presented for steady state operation, linear stability analysis, and time domain power production simulations in steady and turbulent wind. Generally, the codes show a good agreement, but with some differences present in the linear stability analysis, periodic azimuthal variation, and time domain simulations. The models are a good basis for further study with the IEA 22MW turbine, and further code comparison exercises.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Impacts of wind field characteristics and non-steady deterministic wind events on time-varying main-bearing loads

Abstract. This work considers the characteristics and drivers of the loads experienced by wind turbine main bearings. Simplified load response models of two different hub and main-bearing configurations are presented, representative of both inverting direct-drive and four-point-mounted geared drivetrains. The influences of deterministic wind field characteristics, such as wind speed, shear, yaw offset, and veer, on the bearing load patterns are then investigated for similarity scaled 5, 7.5, and 10 MW reference wind turbine models. Main-bearing load response in cases of deterministic gusts and extreme changes in wind direction are also considered for the 5 MW model. Perhaps surprisingly, veer is identified as an important driver of main-bearing load fluctuations. Upscaling results indicate that similar behaviour holds as turbines become larger, but with mean loads and load fluctuation levels increasing at least cubically with the turbine rotor radius. Strong links between turbine control and main-bearing load response are also observed.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

The inclusion of uncertainty in circularity transition modeling: A case study on wind turbine blade end-of-life management

The transition to a more circular economy (CE) is complex and hard to predict, including in sustainable energy technologies. Many sources of uncertainty make it challenging to model CE scenarios and their potential benefits. As an example, the high variability in costs and revenues of different recycling options makes future wind turbine blade recycling highly uncertain. To better understand this challenge, the circular economy, life cycle assessment and visualization (CELAVI) framework - a discrete event simulation and life cycle assessment framework - is modified to incorporate uncertainty analysis capabilities. Moreover, a 3-step procedure that covers different aspects of uncertainty in CE studies and includes a Monte-Carlo analysis is proposed. The procedure is tested in a case study on wind turbine blade recycling using CELAVI. Results highlight that grinding and landfilling costs are the most influential parameters for wind power circularity. The model's output coefficients of variation (when input parameter uncertainties are propagated) are between 92% and 384% depending on the indicator. The approach developed in this study may help researchers and decision-makers who study circularity prioritize their data collection effort. Finally, our method contributes to a mounting yet critical body of research: the measurement of uncertainty in circularity transitions.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

pyNuMAD v.0.1

SAND2024-08606O The pyNuMAD software is used for managing wind turbine blade model data. pyNuMAD specializes in defining the geometry, materials, and boundary conditions for structural analysis of wind turbine blades. This includes loading in data files and providing an interface for users to make updates to the model. The software also features meshing functionality, which takes the blade model and creates a shell or brick mesh for use in finite element analysis. A typical user workflow might be: load in blade information from a yaml file, make adjustments to the blade properties, update the blade based on the adjustments, create a mesh of the blade, export this blade to another software for structural analysis. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Paquette, Joshua↗
DOE OSTI2023

Open-Loop Control Co-Design of Semisubmersible Floating Offshore Wind Turbines Using Linear Parameter-Varying Models

Here, this paper discusses a framework to design elements of the plant and control systems for floating offshore wind turbines in an integrated manner using linear parameter-varying models. Multiple linearized models derived from aero-elastic simulation software in different operating regions characterized by the incoming wind speed are combined to construct an approximate low-fidelity model of the system. The combined model is then used to generate open-loop, optimal control trajectories as part of a nested control co-design strategy that explores the system’s power production and stability using the platform pitch tilt as a proxy in the context of crucial plant and control design decisions. The radial distance between the central and outer columns and the diameter of the outer columns of the semisubmersible platform are the plant design variables. The platform stability and power production are studied for different plant design decisions. The effect of plant decisions on subsequent power production and stability response of the floating wind turbine is quantified in terms of the levelized cost of energy. The results show that the inner-loop constraints and the plant design decisions affect the turbine’s power and, subsequently, the cost of the system.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Rigid-flexible coupling multi-body dynamics modeling of a semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbine

A 14-degree-of-freedom (14-DOF) flexible multibody dynamics model is developed and verified for a semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT). The model considers the coupled dynamics of the platform, tower, nacelle, blades, and mooring subjected to external wind and wave loads. The platform is simplified as a rigid body connected to the seabed by the mooring system. The tower and blade are modeled as flexible cantilever beams. The energy method is used to derive the governing equations of motion, where the kinetic energy, potential energy, and work done by external wind-wave forces are all deduced in a global coordinate system. The 5-MW baseline semi-submersible FOWT is used to verify the derived model against the results simulated from FAST developed by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at two scenarios: free decay state and different wind-wave load cases. Results show that the established FOWT model can well reflect the vibration characteristics of FAST model. The application of the model to the control of platform pitch with a tuned mass damper is studied. Furthermore, the simplified model could provide a low-order method for the structural dynamics analysis and advanced vibration control design for the multi-body components of the semi-submersible FOWT in the future.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1976

Wind tunnel measurements of the tower shadow on models of the ERDA/NASA 100 KW wind turbine tower

Detailed wind speed profile measurements were made in the wake of 1/25 scale and 1/48 scale tower models to determine the magnitude of the speed reduction (the tower shadow). The 1/25 scale tower modeled closely the actual wind turbine including the service stairway and the equipment elevator rails on one face. The 1/48 scale model was made of all tubular members. Measurements were made on the 1/25 scale model with and without the stairway and elevator rails, and on the 1/48 all tube model without stairs and rails. The test results show that the stairs and rails were a major source of wind flow blockage. The all tubular 1/48 scale tower was found to offer less resistance to the wind than the 1/25 scale model that contained a large number of square sections. Shadow photos are included to show the extent of the blockage offered to the wind from various directions.

Savino, J. M.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Lidar measurements of yawed-wind-turbine wakes: characterization and validation of analytical models

Abstract. Wake measurements of a scanning Doppler lidar mounted on the nacelle of a full-scale wind turbine during a wake-steering experiment were used for the characterization of the wake flow, the evaluation of the wake-steering set-up, and the validation of analytical wake models. Inflow-scanning Doppler lidars, a meteorological mast, and the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system of the wind turbine complemented the set-up. Results from the wake-scanning Doppler lidar showed an increase in the wake deflection with the yaw angle and that the wake deflection was not in all cases beneficial for the power output of a downstream turbine due to a bias of the inflow wind direction perceived by the yawed wind turbine and the wake-steering design implemented. Both observations could be reproduced with an analytical model that was initialized with the inflow measurements. Error propagation from the inflow measurements that were used as model input and the power coefficient of a waked wind turbine contributed significantly to the model uncertainty. Lastly, the span-wise cross section of the wake was strongly affected by wind veer, masking the effects of the yawed wind turbine on the wake cross sections.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1978

Wake characteristics of a tower for the DOE-NASA MOD-1 wind turbine

A 1/40th scale model of a tower concept designed for a MOD-1 wind power turbine was tested in a low speed wind tunnel. Wake wind speed profiles were measured, and from these were determined local values of wake minimum velocity ratio, average velocity ratio, and width over a range of tower elevations and wind approach angles. Comparison with results from two other all tubular models (MOD-0 and eight leg designs) tested earlier in the same tunnel indicated that wake width and flow blockage at the rotor plane of rotation were slightly larger for the MOD-1 tower than for the other two models. The differences in wake characteristics were attributed to differences in tower geometry and member dimensions.

Savino, J. M.↗
DOE OSTI2021

A vortex sheet based analytical model of the curled wake behind yawed wind turbines

Motivated by the need for compact descriptions of the evolution of non-classical wakes behind yawed wind turbines, we develop an analytical model to predict the shape of curled wakes. Interest in such modelling arises due to the potential of wake steering as a strategy for mitigating power reduction and unsteady loading of downstream turbines in wind farms. We first estimate the distribution of the shed vorticity at the wake edge due to both yaw offset and rotating blades. By considering the wake edge as an ideally thin vortex sheet, we describe its evolution in time moving with the flow. Vortex sheet equations are solved using a power series expansion method, and an approximate solution for the wake shape is obtained. The vortex sheet time evolution is then mapped into a spatial evolution by using a convection velocity. Apart from the wake shape, the lateral deflection of the wake including ground effects is modelled. Our results show that there exists a universal solution for the shape of curled wakes if suitable dimensionless variables are employed. For the case of turbulent boundary layer inflow, the decay of vortex sheet circulation due to turbulent diffusion is included. Finally, we modify the Gaussian wake model by incorporating the predicted shape and deflection of the curled wake, so that we can calculate the wake profiles behind yawed turbines. Model predictions are validated against large-eddy simulations and laboratory experiments for turbines with various operating conditions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Going beyond BEM with BEM: an insight into dynamic inflow effects on floating wind turbines

Blade element momentum (BEM) theory is the backbone of many industry-standard wind turbine aerodynamic models. To be applied to a broader set of engineering problems, BEM models have been extended since their inception and now include several empirical corrections. These models have benefitted from decades of development and refinement and have been extensively used and validated, proving their adequacy in predicting aerodynamic forces of horizontal-axis wind turbine rotors in most scenarios. However, the analysis of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) introduces new sets of challenges, especially if new-generation large and flexible machines are considered. In fact, due to the combined action of wind and waves and their interaction with the turbine structure and control system, these machines are subject to unsteady motion and thus unsteady inflow on the wind turbine's blades, which could put BEM models to the test. Consensus has not been reached on the accuracy limits of BEM in these conditions. This study contributes to the ongoing research on the topic by systematically comparing four different aerodynamic models, ranging from BEM to computational fluid dynamics, in an attempt to shed light on the unsteady aerodynamic phenomena that are at stake in FOWTs and whether BEM is able to model them appropriately. Simulations are performed on the UNAFLOW 1:75 scale rotor during imposed harmonic surge and pitch motion. Experimental results are available for these conditions and are used for baseline validation. The rotor is analyzed in both rated operating conditions and low wind speeds, where unsteady aerodynamic effects are expected to be more pronounced. Results show that BEM, despite its simplicity, can adequately model the aerodynamics of FOWTs in most conditions if augmented with a dynamic inflow model.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

FOCAL Campaign I: Advanced Wind Turbine Control Strategies

Campaign I of the Floating Offshore-wind Controls Advanced Laboratory Experimental Program (FOCAL) aims to generate a dataset enabling the validation of aerodynamic performance of a scaled turbine mounted on a rigid tower in a fixed condition. The turbine considered in the FOCAL testing campaigns is the IEA-Wind 15MW Reference Wind Turbine. This scaled model is capable of simulating advanced blade-pitch control strategies in a high-quality wind field. The turbine is fully instrumented to record a variety of parameters in real time such as structural loads and dynamics. The test data considered was generated at the University of Maine's Harold Alfond Wind and Wave (W2) testing facility. The Load Cases (LC) considered in this testing campaign are as follows: LC 1.X - Constant wind and blade-pitch with varying rotor speeds LC 2.X - Constant wind and rotor speed with varying blade-pitch LC 3.X - Varying wind with active closed-loop control Detailed properties on the modeled system are found in the following reference: Lenfest E., Floating Offshore-wind Controls Advanced Laboratory (FOCAL) Experimental Program - Campaign I: 1:70 Model-scale Testing of the IEA-Wind 15MW Reference Turbine. UMaine ASCC Report Number 23-40-1183. Details on the results of the verification and validation are found in the following reference: Mendoza, Nicole et al., "Verification and Validation of Model-Scale Turbine Performance and Control for the IEA Wind 15 MW Reference Wind Turbine," Energies, vol. 15, no. 20, 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/en15207649.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1987

Performance and aerodynamic braking of a horizontal-axis wind turbine from small-scale wind tunnel tests

Wind tunnel tests of three 20" diameter, zero twist, zero pitch wind turbine rotor models were conducted in a 7' x 10' wind tunnel to determine the performance of such rotors with NACA 23024 and NACA 64 sub 3-621 airfoil sections. Aerodynamic braking characteristics of a 38% span, 30% chord, vented aileron configuration were measured on the NACA 23024 rotor. Surface flow patterns were observed using fluorescent mini-tufts attached to the suction side of the rotor blades. Experimental results with and without ailerons are compared to predictions using airfoil section data and a momentum performance code. Results of the performance studies show that the 64 sub 3-621 rotor produces higher peak power than the 23024 rotor for a given rotor speed. Analytical studies, however, indicate that the 23024 should produce higher power. Transition strip experiments show that the 23024 rotor is much more sensitive to roughness than the 64 sub 3-621 rotor. These trends agree with analytical predictions. Results of the aileron test show that this aileron, when deflected, produces a braking torque at all tip speed ratios. In free wheeling coastdowns the rotor blade stopped, then rotated backward at a tip speed ratio of -0.6.

Cao, H. V.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Extension of the Generic Multi-Frequency Modelling Method for Type 3 Wind Turbines

Reflecting potential non-linearities of converter-based systems, especially frequency and sequence couplings, is an ongoing challenge for linearized multi-frequency models. Besides, design details are required to develop such models, which either are the intellectual property of manufacturers or require experimental tests. The generic multi-frequency modelling method has been proposed to fill this gap; however, it is only developed for converter-connected systems, e.g., Type 4 Wind Turbines (WT). This paper proposes to extend the application of the generic multi-frequency modelling method for Type 3 WTs. In this way, a theory for patterns of the couplings in Type 3 WTs is proposed. Accordingly, a group of emissions and couplings are Rotor-Speed-Dependent (RSD). The RSD emissions and couplings are particular characteristics of Type 3 WTs, which should be addressed in the generic multi-frequency models. Additionally, the proposed theory is verified by unique-worldwide experimental perturbation tests on a 2 MVA Type 3 WT using a 7 MVA grid emulator. Accordingly, a limited number of RSD couplings and emissions are observed in the test results, mainly in low frequencies (below 1 kHz). Therefore, addressing the RSD couplings is practical and important to extend the generic multi-frequency modelling for Type 3 WTs.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗