Development and Commissioning of a Small / Mid-Size Wind Turbine Test Facility
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DOE/NASA Mod-0 100KW wind turbine test results
The Wind Turbine demonstrates the capability of automatic unattended operation, including startup, achieving synchronism, and shutdown as dictated by wind conditions. During the course of these operations, a wealth of engineering data was generated. Some of the data which is associated with rotor and machine dynamics problems encountered, and the machine modifications incorporated as a solution are presented. These include high blade loads due to tower shadow, excessive nacelle yawing motion, and power oscillations. The results of efforts to correlate measured wind velocity with power output and wind turbine loads are also discussed.
Glasgow, J. C.↗
Large-Scale Wind Turbine Testing in the NASA 24.4m (80) by 36.6m(120) Wind Tunnel
The 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center in California provides a unique capability to test large-scale wind turbines under controlled conditions. This special capability is now available for domestic and foreign entities wishing to test large-scale wind turbines. The presentation will focus on facility capabilities to perform wind turbine tests and typical research objectives for this type of testing.
Zell, Peter T.↗
Swift Wind Turbine Testing
The purpose of this project was to independently test the Swift wind turbine according to the AWEA Small Wind Turbine Performance and Safety Standard. This project was part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Independent Testing project. The project was established to help providers of small wind turbines the opportunity to validate the product to AWEA standards. The National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) conducted testing that included duration, safety and function, power performance, and acoustic. Successful operation of the turbine was confirmed in the results of the testing. Duration requirements were met, there were no safety issues, power performance was established, and the acoustic level was verified to be low compared to other similar turbines. Data results can be assembled and submitted to the Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC) for certification of the turbine to AWEA standards.
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An overview of large wind turbine tests by electric utilities
A summary of recent plants and experiences on current large wind turbine (WT) tests being conducted by electric utilities is provided. The test programs discussed do not include federal research and development (R&D) programs, many of which are also being conducted in conjunction with electric utilities. The information presented is being assembled in a project, funded by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the objective of which is to provide electric utilities with timely summaries of test performance on key large wind turbines. A summary of key tests, test instrumentation, and recent results and plans is given. During the past year, many of the utility test programs initiated have encountered test difficulties that required specific WT design changes. However, test results to date continue to indicate that long-term machine performance and cost-effectiveness are achievable.
Vachon, W. A.↗
NREL Establishes a 1.5-MW Wind Turbine Test Platform for Research Partnerships (Fact Sheet)
Research turbine supports sustained technology development.
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Establishment of Small Wind Turbine Regional Test Centers (Presentation)
This presentation offers an overview of the Regional Test Centers project for Small Wind Turbine testing and certification.
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Characterizing the Influence of Abstraction in Full-Scale Wind Turbine Nacelle Testing
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in full-scale wind turbine nacelle testing to complement individual component testing. As a result, several wind turbine nacelle test benches have been built to perform such testing with the intent of loading the integrated components as they are in the field. However, when mounted on a test bench the nacelle is not on the top of a tower and does not have blades attached to it - this is a form of abstraction. This paper aims to quantify the influence of such an abstraction on the dynamic response of the nacelle through a series of simulation case studies. The responses of several nacelle components are studied including the main bearing, main shaft, gearbox supports, generator, and yaw bearing interface. Results are presented to highlight the differences in the dynamic response of the nacelle caused by the abstraction. Additionally, the authors provide recommendations for mitigating the effects of the abstraction.
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Building State-of-the-Art Wind Technology Testing Facilities (Fact Sheet)
The new Wind Technology Test Center is the only facility in the nation capable of testing wind turbine blades up to 90 meters in length.
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Wind Turbine Blade Test Definition of the DeWind DW90 Rotor Blade: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-09-326
This CRADA was developed as a funds-in CRADA with DeWind to assess the suitability of facilities and equipment at the NWTC for performing certification blade testing on wind turbine blades made from advanced materials. DeWind produces a wind turbine blade which includes the use of high-strength and stiffness materials. NREL and DeWind had a mutual interest in defining the necessary facilities,equipment, and test methods for testing large wind turbine blades which incorporate advanced materials and adaptive structures, as the demands on test equipment and infrastructure are greater than current capabilities. Work under this CRADA would enable DeWind to verify domestic capability for certification-class static and fatigue testing, while NREL would be able to identify and developspecialized test capabilities based on the test requirements.
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Results of free yaw tests of the Mod-O 100 kilowatt wind turbine
Tests were conducted on the Mod-O 100 kW experimental wind turbine to provide data on yaw alignment characteristics of a large horizontal axis wind turbine with its yaw restraint removed (i.e., in free yaw). The wind turbine consisted of a downwind horizontal axis rotor mounted on a tubular tower. Three rotor configurations were tested. Each rotor was teetered, coned 3 deg and tip-controlled. Two of the rotors had pitch-flap coupling or Delta-3, and one rotor had none. The two rotors with Delta-3 differed in the airfoil used in the tip sections. Test results indicate the rotor without pitch-flap coupling did not align closer than 25 deg with the wind, and pitch-flap coupling improved the wind turbine's alignment with the wind. Yaw damping was shown to have a favorable effect on free yaw characteristics. The change in the tip airfoil section was shown to affect the free yaw alignment also. The rotors with Delta-3 were shown to be capable of responding to wind shifts and exhibited stable operating properties.
Glasgow, J. C.↗
Grid Simulator for Testing a Wind Turbine on Offshore Floating Platform
An important aspect of such offshore testing of a wind turbine floating platform is electrical loading of the wind turbine generator. An option of interconnecting the floating wind turbine with the onshore grid via submarine power cable is limited by many factors such as costs and associated environmental aspects (i.e., an expensive and lengthy sea floor study is needed for cable routing, burial,etc). It appears to be a more cost effective solution to implement a standalone grid simulator on a floating platform itself for electrical loading of the test wind turbine. Such a grid simulator must create a stable fault-resilient voltage and frequency bus (a micro grid) for continuous operation of the test wind turbine. In this report, several electrical topologies for an offshore gridsimulator were analyzed and modeled.
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NWTC Controllable Grid Interface (Fact Sheet)
NREL's Controllable Grid Interface tests wind turbines off-line from the grid, verifies compliance with standards, and provides grid operators with the performance information they need for a faction of the time and cost it would take to test the turbine in the field.
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Comparison of upwind and downwind rotor operation of the DOE/NASA 100-kW MOD-0 wind turbine
Tests were conducted on a 38m diameter horizontal axis wind turbine, which had first a rotor downwind of the supporting truss tower and then upwind of the tower. Aside from the placement of the rotor and the direction of rotation of the drive train, the wind turbine was identical for both tests. Three aspects of the test results are compared: rotor blade bending loads, rotor teeter response, and nacelle yaw moments. As a result of the tests, it is shown that while mean flatwise bending moments were unaffected by the placement of the rotor, cyclic flatwise bending tended to increase with wind speed for the downwind rotor while remaining somewhat uniform with wind speed for the upwind rotor, reflecting the effects of increased flow disturbance for downwind rotor. Rotor teeter response was not significantly affected by the rotor location relative to the tower, but appears to reflect reduced teeter stability near rated wind speed for both configurations. Teeter stability appears to return above rated wind speed, however. Nacelle yaw moments are higher for the upwind rotor but do not indicate significant design problems for either configuration.
Glasgow, J. C.↗
Duration Test Report for the SWIFT Wind Turbine
This test was conducted as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Independent Testing project. This project was established to help reduce the barriers of wind energy expansion by providing independent testing results for small turbines. Three turbines where selected for testing at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) as a part of round two of the Small Wind Turbine Independent Testing project. Duration testing is one of up to 5 tests that may be performed on the turbines. Other tests include power performance, safety and function, noise, and power quality. The results of the testing will provide the manufacturers with reports that may be used for small wind turbine certification.
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Testing of a one-bladed 30-meter-diameter rotor on the DOE/NASA Mod-O wind turbine
Tests were conducted on the DOE/NASA Mod-O 200-kW horizontal-axis wind turbine in a one-bladed rotor configuration. The objectives of the test were to evaluate the performance, loads, and dynamic characteristics of a one-bladed rotor, and then to compare these parameters with those of an aerodynamically similar two-bladed rotor configuration. Test operations showed that this intermediate-size (15.2-m radius) one-bladed rotor configuration can be operated successfully. Test results show that the one-bladed rotor had cyclic blade loads comparable to those of a two-bladed rotor. A moderate power penalty equivalent to a reduction in windspeed of 1 m/sec occurred with the one-bladed rotor when operated at a rotor speed 50 percent higher than that of the two-bladed rotor.
Ensworth, C. B. F., III↗
Safety and Function Test Report for the SWIFT Wind Turbine
This test was conducted as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Independent Testing project. This project was established to help reduce the barriers of wind energy expansion by providing independent testing results for small turbines. Three turbines where selected for testing at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) as a part of round two of the Small Wind Turbine Independent Testing project. Safety and Function testing is one of up to 5 tests that may be performed on the turbines. Other tests include power performance, duration, noise, and power quality. The results of the testing will provide the manufacturers with reports that may be used for small wind turbine certification.
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NREL Wind Turbine Blade Structural Testing of the Modular Wind Energy MW45 Blade: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-09-354
This CRADA was a purely funds-in CRADA with Modular Wind Energy (MWE). MWE had a need to perform full-scale testing of a 45-m wind turbine blade. NREL/NWTC provided the capabilities, facilities, and equipment to test this large-scale MWE wind turbine blade. Full-scale testing is required to demonstrate the ability of the wind turbine blade to withstand static design load cases and demonstrate thefatigue durability. Structural testing is also necessary to meet international blade testing certification requirements. Through this CRADA, MWE would obtain test results necessary for product development and certification, and NREL would benefit by working with an industrial partner to better understand the unique test requirements for wind turbine blades with advanced structural designs.
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