3D Multidisciplinary Automated Design Optimization Toolbox for Wind Turbine Blades

Abstract

This paper presents two novel automated optimization approaches. The first one proposes a framework to optimize wind turbine blades by integrating multidisciplinary 3D parametric modeling, a physics-based optimization scheme, the Inverse Blade Element Momentum (IBEM) method, and 3D Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulation; the second method introduces a framework combining 3D parametric modeling and an integrated goal-driven optimization together with a 4D Unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) solver. In the first approach, the optimization toolbox operates concurrently with the other software packages through scripts. The automated optimization process modifies the parametric model of the blade by decreasing the twist angle and increasing the local angle of attack (AoA) across the blade at locations with lower than maximum 3D lift/drag ratio until a maximum mean lift/drag ratio for the whole blade is found. This process exploits the 3D stall delay, which is often ignored in the regular 2D BEM approach. The second approach focuses on the shape optimization of individual cross-sections where the shape near the trailing edge is adjusted to achieve high power output, using a goal-driven optimization toolbox verified by 4D URANS Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation for the whole rotor. The results obtained from the case study indicate that (1) the 4D URANS whole rotor simulation in the second approach generates more accurate results than the 3D RANS single blade simulation with periodic boundary conditions; (2) the second approach of the framework can automatically produce the blade geometry that satisfies the optimization objective, while the first approach is less desirable as the 3D stall delay is not prominent enough to be fruitfully exploited for this particular case study.

Helicopter main rotor FSI analysis using parametric blade model as an application for multidisciplinary optimization

“…Parametrization of the rotor blade allows designers to explore different blade shapes and structures using geometric parameters or dimensionless coefficients. This method offers advantages in terms of time efficiency and the ability to evaluate various design variants The benefits of parametrization for rotor blades have been described in [8], [9]. In this study, parametric models are used to generate the CFD fluid domain and the blade's inner structure.…”

Parametrization of the main rotor and working environment for different flight conditions – Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis as an application for multidisciplinary optimization

“…The parametrization of the blade provides a less time-consuming solution for the preliminary design phase. The advantages of parametric blade modeling were demonstrated in numerous publications including (Sagimbayev et al, 2021;Ma et al, 2021). What is more in this stage of the study, the fluid enclosures for CFD analysis are also parametrized and generated by the prepared program.…”

Examination of the Effect of Triangular Plate on the Performances of Reverse Rotating Dual Savonius Wind Turbines

“…These turbines are generally divided into two as horizontal and vertical axis turbines according to their rotation axis. To date, many studies on these turbines have been conducted and are still being conducted [1][2][3][4]. One of the wind turbines that has been studied considerably from the past to the present is the Savonius wind turbine, which is a vertical axis turbine.…”