Development of a Wind Turbine Optimization Tool Using Open-Source Software

Institute for Flight Propulsion Technische Universitt Mnchen

Presented by: Low CheeName of presentation Meng Supervisor: Marc Kainz

1 Name

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Outline Project objectives The wind environment Aerodynamics of wind turbines Structure of the optimization program Validation of the wind turbine performance code Results from optimization runs

Low Chee Meng

Development of a Wind Turbine Optimization Tool Using Open-Source Software

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Project Objectives

Develop and validate a wind turbine blade/rotor aerodynamics performance code Develop an optimization algorithm wrapped around the rotor/blade performance code Test the accuracy and effectiveness of the code in achieving the optimization objective: Maximize annual power capture at different wind sites

Low Chee Meng

Development of a Wind Turbine Optimization Tool Using Open-Source Software

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Windspeed and Energy Density Distribution

Windspeed Distribution Energy Density Distribution

k U U f ( U )= exp c c c

[ ( )]
k

EnergyDensity (U ) =f ( U )
*Plotted from shape and scale factors obtained from Christoffer and Ulbricht-Eissing (1989)
Low Chee Meng

1 3 U 2

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Source:Srensen and Srensen (2011)

Weibull parameters usually for winds measured at height of 10m correct windspeed pdf for desired turbine hub height Azimuthal variation of windspeed for each revolution use a correction model proposed by Wagner (2010) to find an azimuthal mean windspeed at hub height
Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Wind Turbine Performance Map

Coefficient of Power:
C p= Aerodynamic Power Extracted Total Wind Power

Cp,max

Tip Speed Ratio:

= Blade Tip Tangential Velocity Incoming Windspeed

For a fixed RPM turbine, High = low windspeeds Low = high windspeeds

Cp,max
Source:<http://www.mstudioblackboard.tudelft.nl/duwind>

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEM)

Actuator Disk Theory Blade Element Theory

Source:Staino et al. (2012)

Source:http://www.esru.strath.ac.uk

Axial Induction Factor:

a=

U U d U

Tangential Induction Factor:

a'=

U 2r

Source:Hansen M. (2008)

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Betz Limit

P extracted C p= =4a ( 1a )2 P wind

Derived from actuator disk theory

C p,max,ideal =0 . 593

Lossless conversion of axial momentum of flow to power extracted by the actuator disk

a Cp,max=

1 3

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Corrections to BEM
1) Stall delay

2) Turbulent Wake State

Source: Yu et al. (2011)

Source: Hansen (2008)

3) Tip/hub losses

Source: Lindenberg (2004)

Source: Bushong. S. (2012)

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Rotor Performance Calculations

Rotor Design
Chord Metal angle, RPM Airfoil

Stall Delay Correction

2D Polars

XFOIL

BEM Procedure

C p ()

Calculate Power Curve

P (U cut-in <U <U cut-out )

360 Extrapolation Calculate Annual Energy Production
Low Chee Meng

Windspeed PDF

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

BEM Code Validation

Reference Code: QBlade Test Cases: NREL Phase 2 and 6 Rotors

Specification RPM Radius (m) Airfoils Max. Power (kW) Chord/Metal Angles

Phase 2 72 5.05 S809 20

Phase 6 72 5.029 S809 20

See plots

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Validation Results
tip=3 tip=6

tip=9

tip=12

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Genetic Algorithms Inspired by biological 'survival-of-the-fittest' processes Fitter, more highly adapted entities have better chances of passing on their traits to successive generations Advantages of GA compared to gradient techniques: - More robust - Less likely to be trapped by local minima Disadvantages - Requires many more iterations

Source: Beliakov and Lim (2007)

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Nomenclature for GA-based Techniques

Individuals Rotor design Genes Design variables Genome Collection of genes that fully describe the rotor design Population/Generation A batch of rotor designs Selection Process by which designs are chosen for gene sharing Crossover Sharing of genes Mutation Random change to genes

Gene
Genome Gene 1 Gene 2 Gene 3

Population
Genome 1 Genome 2 Genome 3 Genome 4

Initial Population/ Generation 1

Generation 2

...

Generation n

Evolutionary Progress
Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Genes (Design Variables)

Airfoil combination RPM

111 72 0.7369 0.5511

Chord at Blade root, 25%, 50%, 75%, blade tip

0.4529 0.3551 0.2435 24.848 11.151

Blade metal angle at 25%, 50%, 75%, blade tip

Low Chee Meng

6.210 4.370 3.000

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Selection of 2 Individuals For gene sharing

Create and Assess Initial population

Do Crossover / Gene sharing Do Mutation Insert new Individuals into next population Enough individuals to No Populate next generation?
Low Chee Meng

End Yes Termination criteria met?

No

Yes

Assess fitness of each Individual in new generation

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Program Structure

Wind Turbine Rotor Optimizer

User Input GA Module
Encoding Selection Crossover Fitness Evaluation BEM Module

Airfoil Polar Preparation Module

Mutation

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Optimization Test Environments

Windspeed PDF 2 Test Environments: High Winds Helgoland Low Winds - Singapore

Energy Density

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

High Winds Environment

Evolution of AEP

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

High Winds Environment

Evolution of RPM Blade Root Bending Moment, MB

MBmax

RPM to re-align flow angle as windspeeds Windspeeds thus M . Increase B,max

should be as low as possible. Ideally, no increase!

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

High Winds Environment

C p

Vcutout

Evolved blade with highest AEP has lower Cp than baseline blade across all tip speed ratios Power output is lower for all windspeeds but operational windspeed range has widened.

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

High Winds Environment

Accessible Energy

Vcutout
Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

High Winds Environment

Pareto Trade-off AEP and Blade Root Bending Moment Pareto-frontier delineates the maxAEP-for-min-MBmax

penalty line along the AEP-MBmax curve ParetoBest rotor has 4% lower AEP compared to AEPmax rotor but also lower MBmax by 7.6%

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

MBmax

Vcutout

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

stall

stall

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Contribution of root region to power increases significantly as windspeed

Compared to AEPmax blade, ParetoBest blade has more evenly distributed power contribution from its radial blade segments Root region power contribution of ParetoBest blade increases as windspeed

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Compared to AEPmax blade, ParetoBest blade has smaller outboard chord and enlarged inboard chord, this reduces the blade root bending moment

ParetoBest
Low Chee Meng

AEPmax

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Baseline

AEPmax

ParetoBest

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Low Winds Environment

AEPmax design underwent just 1 redesign RPM decreases Cp curve shifts to the left Cp curve shifts up to increase power capture over all tip speed ratios and windspeeds

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

C(r)

Increase in Cp due to combination of: Increase in chord lengths for most of the bladespan Reduction in RPM and blade metal angle near the tip, both increase angle of attack

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Low Winds Environment

AEPmax rotor higher power capture for entire windspeed range except very close to Vcutout

Increase in energy capture comes from increase in angle of attack (mostly pre-stall) and blade forces M increases correspondingly and by a large margin of 20% Bmax

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Low Winds Environment

Vcutout
Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

stall

stall

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

MBmax remains largely unchanged

ParetoBest blade has lower MBmax compared to AEPmax blade mainly

due to enlargement of root region chord and reduction of tip chord

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Baseline

AEPmax

ParetoBest

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Summary of Findings

Adaptation toward high RPM for high winds, low RPM for low winds

Strategy for high winds Expand operational windspeed range as much as possible to tap energy available of high winds Power limitation is a problem. For fixed RPM, non-pitchable blades, solutions may include the following: - have high at the root, low (negative) at the tip - force tip to stall at high winds - enlarge root chord, reduce tip chord - power contribution shifts from tip to root as windspeed

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Summary of Findings
Strategy for low winds Maximize energy capture for low winds at the sacrifice of efficiency at high winds (where wind energy density is low) The following may be the solution: - reduce RPM - increase metal angle to increase angle of attack and blade forces - enlarge chord to increase axial induction factor and blade forces - enlarge chord more near root region to reduce blade root bending moment increase

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Conclusion
An optimization program for wind turbine rotor aerodynamics has been successfully implemented The GA is able to improve on baseline design and is robust and reliable Identified possible good 'genes' for rotors at low and high windspeeds

Outlook
Run the program with variable airfoil combinations Tune the GA algorithm for a more thorough search of possible designs but more iterations needed Improve the accuracy and speed of the BEM code Include structural and noise factors as those are important considerations as well

Low Chee Meng

Institute for Flight Propulsion

Technische Universitt Mnchen

Danke schn! Grazie

Low Chee Meng