Abstract
Theoretical modeling and the sliding mode control (SMC) of an active trailing-edge flap of a wind turbine blade based on the adaptive reaching law are investigated. The blade is a single-celled thin-walled composite structure using circumferentially asymmetric stiffness (CAS) design, exhibiting displacements of flap-wise/twist coupling. A reduced structural model originated from the variation method is used to model the structure of the blade, the structural damping of which is computed. The trailing-edge flap is a rigid structure that is embedded in and hinged to the blade host structure, and it is driven by two pairs of pneumatic cylinders moving in reverse. Flutter suppression for the large-amplitude vibration of the blade tip is investigated based on an active trailing-edge flap structure and SMC algorithm using the adaptive reaching law. The controlled responses of flap-wise/twist displacements and control inputs (the angles of the trailing-edge flap) are illustrated, with obvious simulation effects demonstrated. An experimental platform for driving the pneumatic cylinders verifies the effectiveness of the control algorithm using the adaptive reaching law and the effectiveness of the selected pneumatic transmission scheme controlled by another adaptive SMC based on the minimum parameter learning of neural networks.
Highlights
Wind turbine blades have always been involved in large-amplitude vibration in the actuation of unsteady flow states
In the last 10 years, various nonlinear theories of composite structure have been successfully used in vibration analysis and aeroelastic control for beams or blades, and various optimization approaches using the finite element model (FEM) or various optimization criteria have been used in structural enhancement or active control to achieve the purpose of improving the aeroelastic behavior of blades
Thakur et al investigated the load mitigation effects using blade trailing-edge flaps subjected to turbulent wind, with the Blade Element momentum (BEM) theory used to obtain the aerodynamic loads by modeling in a multi-body framework while the hydrodynamic and geotechnical analysis were performed in a FEM framework [14]
Summary
Wind turbine blades have always been involved in large-amplitude vibration in the actuation of unsteady flow states. In the last 10 years, various nonlinear theories of composite structure have been successfully used in vibration analysis and aeroelastic control for beams or blades, and various optimization approaches using the finite element model (FEM) or various optimization criteria have been used in structural enhancement or active control to achieve the purpose of improving the aeroelastic behavior of blades. Thakur et al investigated the load mitigation effects using blade trailing-edge flaps subjected to turbulent wind, with the BEM theory used to obtain the aerodynamic loads by modeling in a multi-body framework while the hydrodynamic and geotechnical analysis were performed in a FEM framework [14]. The purpose of the experimental platform in the present study is to verify the feasibility of the theoretical control algorithms that can run perfectly in the actual PLC control hardware
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