On the behavior of pliable plate dynamics in wind : application to vertical axis wind turbines

Numerous studies have shown that flexible materials improve resilience and durability of a structure. Several studies have investigated the behavior of elastic plates under the influence of a free stream, such as studies of the fluttering flag and others of shape reconfiguration, due to a free stream.

The principle engineering contribution of this thesis is the design and development of a vertical axis wind turbine that features pliable blades which undergo various modes of behavior, ultimately leading to rotational propulsion of the turbine. The wind turbine design was tested in a wind tunnel and at the Caltech Laboratory for Optimized Wind Energy. Ultimately, the flexible blade vertical axis wind turbine proved to be an effective way of harnessing the power of the wind.

In addition, this body of work builds on the current knowledge of elastic cantilever plates in a free stream flow by investigating the inverted flag. While previous studies have focused on the fluid structure interaction of a free stream on elastic cantilever plates, none had studied the plate configuration where the trailing edge was clamped, leaving the leading edge free to move. Furthermore, the studies presented in this thesis establish the geometric boundaries of where the large-amplitude flapping occurs.

Dynamic Stall on Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

In this study the dynamics of flow over the blades of vertical axis wind turbines was investigated using a simplified periodic motion to uncover the fundamental flow physics and provide insight into the design of more efficient turbines. Time-resolved, two-dimensional velocity measurements were made with particle image velocimetry on a wing undergoing pitching and surging motion to mimic the flow on a turbine blade in a non-rotating frame. Dynamic stall prior to maximum angle of attack and a leading edge vortex development were identified in the phase-averaged flow field and captured by a simple model with five modes, including the first two harmonics of the pitch/surge frequency identified using the dynamic mode decomposition. Analysis of these modes identified vortical structures corresponding to both frequencies that led the separation and reattachment processes, while their phase relationship determined the evolution of the flow.

Detailed analysis of the leading edge vortex found multiple regimes of vortex development coupled to the time-varying flow field on the airfoil. The vortex was shown to grow on the airfoil for four convection times, before shedding and causing dynamic stall in agreement with 'optimal' vortex formation theory. Vortex shedding from the trailing edge was identified from instantaneous velocity fields prior to separation. This shedding was found to be in agreement with classical Strouhal frequency scaling and was removed by phase averaging, which indicates that it is not exactly coupled to the phase of the airfoil motion.

The flow field over an airfoil undergoing solely pitch motion was shown to develop similarly to the pitch/surge motion; however, flow separation took place earlier, corresponding to the earlier formation of the leading edge vortex. A similar reduced-order model to the pitch/surge case was developed, with similar vortical structures leading separation and reattachment; however, the relative phase lead of the separation mode, corresponding to earlier separation, necessitated that a third frequency to be incorporated into the reattachment mode to provide a relative lag in reattachment.

Finally, the results are returned to the rotating frame and the effects of each flow phenomena on the turbine are estimated, suggesting kinematic criteria for the design of improved turbines.

The phytoplankton of an enriched, soft-water lakel subject to intermittent hydraulic flushing (Grasmere, English Lake District)

This paper describes some characteristic features of the phytoplankton of Grasmere, one of the smaller of the principal lakes of the English Lake District, and attempts to relate these to distinctive physical and chemical properties of the lake. Quantitative data presented herein are derived from 5-m vertical column samples, collected with a flexible polyethylene hose close to the deepest point of Grasmere, generally at intervals of 14 days ( 7 days from 1972 to 1978, inclusive). The study concludes that although Grasmere has been subject to increased phosphorus-loading and has quickly developed many features associated with eutrophication, the composition of its plankton has retained the characteristics of a mesotrophic, soft-water lake: a vernal diatom maximum, generally dominated by Asterionella, is followed by summer growths of nanoplanktonic species, of various colonial Chlorophyceae, before a substantial return to Asterionella-dominance in the autumn.

Aerodynamics of vertical-axis wind turbines in full-scale and laboratory-scale experiments

Within a wind farm, multiple turbine wakes can interact and have a substantial effect on the overall power production. This makes an understanding of the wake recovery process critically important to optimizing wind farm efficiency. Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) exhibit features that are amenable to dramatically improving this efficiency. However, the physics of the flow around VAWTs is not well understood, especially as it pertains to wake interactions, and it is the goal of this thesis to partially fill this void. This objective is approached from two broadly different perspectives: a low-order view of wind farm aerodynamics, and a detailed experimental analysis of the VAWT wake.

One of the contributions of this thesis is the development of a semi-empirical model of wind farm aerodynamics, known as the LRB model, that is able to predict turbine array configurations to leading order accuracy. Another contribution is the characterization of the VAWT wake as a function of turbine solidity. It was found that three distinct regions of flow exist in the VAWT wake: (1) the near wake, where periodic blade shedding of vorticity dominates; (2) a transition region, where growth of a shear-layer instability occurs; (3) the far wake, where bluff-body oscillations dominate. The wake transition can be predicted using a new parameter, the dynamic solidity, which establishes a quantitative connection between the wake of a VAWT and that of a circular cylinder. The results provide insight into the mechanism of the VAWT wake recovery and the potential means to control it.

Estimating reflectivity values from wind turbines for analyzing the potential impact on weather radar services

Locate full-text(opens in a new window)|View at Publisher| Export | Download | More... Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Volume 8, Issue 5, 27 May 2015, Pages 2183-2193 Estimating reflectivity values from wind turbines for analyzing the potential impact on weather radar services (Article) Angulo, I.a, Grande, O.a, Jenn, D.b, Guerra, D.a, De La Vega, D.a a University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain b Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, United States View references (28) Abstract The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has repeatedly expressed concern over the increasing number of impact cases of wind turbine farms on weather radars. Current signal processing techniques to mitigate wind turbine clutter (WTC) are scarce, so the most practical approach to this issue is the assessment of the potential interference from a wind farm before it is installed. To do so, and in order to obtain a WTC reflectivity model, it is crucial to estimate the radar cross section (RCS) of the wind turbines to be built, which represents the power percentage of the radar signal that is backscattered to the radar receiver.

For the proposed model, a representative scenario has been chosen in which both the weather radar and the wind farm are placed on clear areas; i.e., wind turbines are supposed to be illuminated only by the lowest elevation angles of the radar beam.

This paper first characterizes the RCS of wind turbines in the weather radar frequency bands by means of computer simulations based on the physical optics theory and then proposes a simplified model to estimate wind turbine RCS values. This model is of great help in the evaluation of the potential impact of a certain wind farm on the weather radar operation.

Modeling Innovative Power Take-Off Based on Double-Acting Hydraulic Cylinders Array for Wave Energy Conversion

One of the key systems of a Wave Energy Converter for extraction of wave energy is the Power Take-Off (PTO) device. This device transforms the mechanical energy of a moving body into electrical energy. This paper describes the model of an innovative PTO based on independently activated double-acting hydraulic cylinders array. The model has been developed using a simulation tool, based on a port-based approach to model hydraulics systems. The components and subsystems used in the model have been parameterized as real components and their values experimentally obtained from an existing prototype. In fact, the model takes into account most of the hydraulic losses of each component. The simulations show the flexibility to apply different restraining torques to the input movement depending on the geometrical configuration and the hydraulic cylinders on duty, easily modified by a control law. The combination of these two actions allows suitable flexibility to adapt the device to different sea states whilst optimizing the energy extraction. The model has been validated using a real test bench showing good correlations between simulation and experimental tests.