Dynamic Study of Wind Turbine Propeller Bearings

Abstract

The increase in electricity outages due to the high price of fuel is pushing researchers to explore other alternatives to compensate for the use of fossil fuels. Wind energy, being the second most used New and Renewable Energy in the world after solar energy, remains a sustainable solution for the Sahelo-Saharan countries where the wind (inexhaustible source) is permanent. This work presents a dynamic model of wind turbines, particularly those with a vertical axis, in order to optimize the loads on the bearings of the wind turbine while maximizing the power produced. Certainly, previous research has illustrated the maximum power produced by the wind rotor, this power leads to an increase in the motor torque from which the forces on the rotor bearings emanate, our model comes to resolve this problem, that is to say maximize power while especially minimizing the axial force on the rotor bearing which, in reality, is a source of degradation of said bearings. Thus, we referred to two theories, the theory of axial flow and the theory of the blade element, the latter will take into account the one-dimensional and bidirectional theory of a wind rotor. The dynamic model thus obtained is simulated by MATLAB/Simulink and we were able to determine the ideal angle of inclination of the blades allowing maximum power to be obtained while minimizing the forces on the wind rotor.