Aero-Structural Design Study of Extreme-Scale Segmented Ultralight Morphing Rotor Blades

Abstract

In this paper we present a study to explore the design space of aero-structural performance of extreme-scale wind turbine blades. Traditionally, aerodynamics of the wind turbine blades has driven the design of the blade, but with blades reaching lengths of greater than 100 meters, the mass and cost of the blades have become important factors, thus the structural design is becoming more important. To achieve these sizes, the design of these structures involves design contributions from various fields including aerodynamics, structures and controls, hence making it essential to assess the competing considerations of these domains simultaneously. In the present study, we evaluate the aero-structural design space of a 13MW wind turbine blade across different axial induction factors as well as structural configurations. A semi-automated blade design tool called AutoNuMAD is used to explore and characterize the design space.

Mayank Chetan

Wind Energy Researcher

Current research interests include wind turbine structures, aero-elasticity and loads analysis.