Nonlinear Structural Vibration of Multi-Megawatt Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Blades-Part 1: Derivation of Motion Equations

Abstract

Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy is one of the important means to improve energy scarcity and environmental protection, and is of great significance for achieving sustainable development of human society. Vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) is one of the key equipment for applying green energy — wind energy. During the operation of VAWT, its blades not only have to withstand periodic aerodynamic loads, but also suffer from centrifugal force effects and the Coriolis force effect caused by coupling with multi-dimensional deformation. The complex stress situation makes the blades susceptible to damage, resulting in structural resonance and instability of aeroelastic stability. This paper applies the Euler beam model and Hamilton principle to establish a nonlinear structural vibration motion equation for large-span vertical axis wind turbine blades with fully coupled four-dimensional deformation (i.e. lateral bending deformation, chord bending deformation, axial torsion deformation, and axial tensile deformation), and retains the nonlinear term of the motion equation to the third-order infinitesimal. Separating the motion equation into equilibrium equation and dynamic equation, it can be seen that the displacement of equilibrium state caused by the centrifugal force of the rigid body exists in the form of a coefficient in the dynamic equation, which will have an impact on the dynamic characteristics. This modeling work can provide a research foundation for exploring the dynamic characteristics and aeroelastic stability of VAWT blades in the future.