Investigating the impact of various operating parameters on blade aeroelasticity and wake characteristics of large-scale wind turbines

Abstract

The current study endeavors to investigate the impact of various operating parameters on the fluid-structure interaction characteristics of wind turbine blades and wake field characteristics within a wind farm. The observed underperformance of wind farms, attributed to downstream wind turbines being exposed to upstream wake effects, highlights the need for implementing active wake control (AWC). Consequently, in-depth research into the fluid-structure interaction characteristics of wind turbines and wake characteristics under AWC conditions becomes imperative. To address this, a novel aeroelastic analysis model based on geometrically exact beam theory, lifting line theory, and optimization is developed. Numerical simulations utilizing the IEA WIND 10 MW wind turbine, developed by the International Energy Agency, are employed to assess the fluid-structure interaction characteristics of the blades and wake characteristics under various wake control strategies. The results demonstrate that cone angle control in blade attitude alters the wake field width but may reduce velocity loss recovery rate, while pitch angle control significantly improves wake field length at the expense of increased response load. Yaw and tilt control redirect wake flow, with tilt control exhibiting lower thrust and structural response loads. The coupling of yaw and tilt control emerges as a promising approach with enhanced velocity loss recovery and reduced response loads. These findings contribute to understanding the effectiveness of wake control strategies in optimizing large-scale wind turbine performance.