Aerodynamic and Structural Assessment of Floating Wind Turbine Rotor Under Varying Tilt Angle

Abstract

Predicting the aerodynamic performance of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) proves challenging due to platform motion induced by waves. The effect of wind and waves results in a six-degree-of-freedom motion of the platform, directly influencing turbine performance. Understanding the impact of specific degrees of freedom (DOF) motions on aerodynamics and structural response is crucial for effective wind turbine design. This research examines the impact of rotor tilt on both aerodynamic performance and structural response. The investigation employs computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and mapping aerodynamic loads onto the finite element (FE) mesh for structural analysis. The study employs a comprehensive 3D simulation, utilizing the moving reference frame (MRF) method for the NREL 5 MW reference wind turbine CFD simulations. It explores different rotor tilt angles (5°, 10°, 15°, and 20°) encountered by offshore structures during their operation and examines their impact on aerodynamic performance. Predicted aerodynamic loads were mapped onto the blade FE mesh using the radial basis function (RBF) interpolation technique and solved using the open-source FE solver CalculiX. The analysis shows that the turbine performance is relatively unaffected up to a tilt angle of 10°. However, further increase in rotor tilt angle adversely impacts turbine performance, leading to notable reductions in thrust and power output. The fluid-structure coupled analysis provided insights into the deformations and stresses experienced by the turbine blade, indicating a notable increase in flap-wise displacement for larger tilt angles, while edge-wise displacement is not as significantly affected. The maximum stress location on the blade generally correlates well with actual observations.