Coupling aerodynamic loading to structural analysis of wind turbines through numerical simulation

Abstract

Structural analysis of wind turbine blades is essential to design the other components of the turbine. In this context, the study of the loads imposed by the wind is necessary, since the choice of aerodynamic factors is determined by structural constraints. This work was carried out aiming to study the fluid-structure interaction in a micro-scale wind turbine through computational simulation, in order to obtain the stresses and strains distribution on the blades due to the wind drag force. After obtaining the data, analysis were made concerning the structural stresses on the blades for a specific tip speed ratio. In this work, numerical strategies were used to solve the fluid-structure interaction problem. Mesh generation of solid and fluid domains, solution of flow and structural problem and post processing were performed using the CFX-ANSYS computational package. The wind speed used in the simulation was 6.5 m/s, a typical speed in the coastal area of Ceará. Through the stresses and strains analysis, it was possible to study the aerodynamic effects on the structure of the blades and the limitations that may arise in the mechanical design of wind turbines due to the efforts produced by such effects.