the use of wind tunnels in the wind energy industry

The use of wind tunnels in the Wind Energy IndustryJesper Monrad LaursenSiemens Gamesa Renewable EnergyOctober 24th, 2018

Offshore state-of-the-art 2018

Industrial perspective

Swept area 22.000 m2 ~3 football fields

Energy production ~ +7000house holds

Mass of air through rotor at10 m/s ~ 18 large Trucks

Wind load in blade root ~ A VWGolf at the end of a 1.9 km stick

600 siblings are up and running!

• Cost pressure

• Global market growth

• Low volume/short time on market

• Consolidation

• Cost focus

• Innovation need

• Short term Incremental thinking

• Cash constraints

• Short product life cycle

The industry challenge is the simultaneous cost pressure and global market growth

Industrial perspective

Continuous collaboration with Universities and Research Institutions is a part of the solution

The innovation challenge for extreme-scale turbine development

Industrial perspective 4

• Larger blades and increased cycle time -> Needfor factory space increase rapidly!

Factory space scaling

Radical innovation and disruption is needed to break the basic scaling laws – “more of the same” will not work!

• Scaling of a blade with 50% leads to almost 3times the blade mass

Blade mass scaling

Scalinglaw

Additionalinnovation

needed

Blade x 1.5

Blade x 1

Factory size for 50% additional blade length (est.)Non linear mass scaling trend with size

Blade factory in Aalborg, Denmark

Transporting 6MW nacelle to test site in Høvsøre6

The innovation challenge for blade development

Fundamental changes in shape and design –> 30 - 40 years of blade development

1979 Today

B75 blade

SWT 6.0-154

5 m blade

Bonus 27 kW

Innovations in Aerodynamic Blade Design

Design Approach

Dinotail®Flatback airfoils

Active flowcontrol

Vortex Generators

High thickness airfoils

Innovations in aerodynamic blade shape design has been driven by DFM & Product performance

Tip shape

Sweep / Pre-bend

Wind turbine airfoils

.SGRE In-house Airfoil Design

• Tailored airfoils for specific functional requirements

Robust performance in field - an Important KPI

• Blade surfaceconditions are rarelyideal!

Airfoil Design Validation • SGRE airfoils tailored to blade design philosophy, enablinghigh root performance, lower solidity and higher t/c

• Design for robustness favored over peak efficiency designfor unlikely clean surface in field

• DFM approach enabling low cost light blades• Flatback root airfoils• Airfoil families tailored for straight, well aligned beams

• New airfoils are alwayswind tunnel validatedbefore release for NewProduct Development(NPD)

Aerodynamic add-ons

.Dinoshells®

Lift enhancing deviceapplied at the root sectionof the blade

Vortex Generators

Vortex generators (VGs)are used to increaseaerodynamic performanceand reduce impact ofblade soiling

Dinotail®

A device applied at thetrailing edge to reducetrailing edge soundemissions

• Power curve upgrade kits provide AEP increase, reducesoiling sensitivity and noise emission

• Add-on configuration is optimized on basis of few basiccomponents

• Noise can be reduced at the same time as increasing annualenergy production (AEP)

Wind turbine acoustics

• Learning from a silent hunter…

Quietplease!

Overall a 1 dB noisereduction over existingstate of the art serrations!

Systematic designapproach and wind tunneltesting key to successfulend result

Tip Shapes

.Advanced Modeling of Tip Flow Wind Tunnel Validation

Testing of B45 blade tipwith winglet

Qualitative measurementsto prove designfunctionality

Field Testing• Advanced tip design can improve performance of large scale

wind turbines – SGRE and Risø further pursuingopportunities in this area through the Smart Tip project(Innovation Fund Denmark project)

• The devil is in the detail – How can we use wind tunnel teststo unlock further details going forward?

Engineers performing fieldvalidation of own concepts

High level of detail can beobtained – down to thelevel of surface finish,soiling etc.

Tip flow is essentially 3D

CFD “3D wind tunnel”:Offers opportunities fordirectly modeling impact ofgeometry changes

Active flow control

.Basic Concept Concept Validation in Wind Tunnel

Wind tunnel ideal fortesting different concepts

Feedback from windtunnel used actively inoptimization and maturingprocess

Rapid Prototyping - “Just do it” Approach • SGRE looking for next breakthrough on add-ons

• Concepts tailored for specific need• Power production below rated power?• Loads alleviation? What load case is targeted?

• Overcoming of high design cost on large scale turbine• Concept screening• Rapid prototyping• Testing, testing, testing…

Early field testing essentialfor screening concepts

Hands-on approach part ofteam DNA!

Design and mature activeadd-ons concept

Tailor blade sectionloading to actual need:performance increment orloads reduction?

Advanced modelling

How can we combine advanced modelling and wind tunnel tests to understand dynamic phenomena better?

We have become pretty far with our staticcalculations -> fits well with power curveetc.

Next step is to better understand dynamic phenomena• Advanced modelling of dyn. phenomena (getting started)• How can we better validate model (wind tunnel testing?)?• Field measurements (costly and late in development cycle)

Computational Aero-Acoustics (CAA)

The combination of advanced modelling and wind tunnel testing can be used to improve acoustic design

• Lattice-Boltzmann simulation• Lambda2 Criterion visualizing vortices• Acoustic waves and pressure fluctuations in BL

• Near field visualization of vortices rolling up onserrated trailing edge

• CAA can be used to pick improved design ->before going to wind tunnel

Technology maturity16

The wind tunnel need remains – but the individual technologies change!

Effort / Time

growing

mature

embryonic

Airfoils

Add-ons

Active flowcontrol

Technology readiness level17

The wind tunnel need is on component and sub system level

Key messages

• Congratulations on this great new wind tunnel– We are looking forward to working with youin the AeroLoop EUDP project!

• Radical innovation and disruption is needed– “more of the same” will not work!

• The wind tunnel need remains– but the individual technologies change!

Thank you!Jesper Monrad Laursen

Chief Engineer, Offshore Blade R&D, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy

Jesper.m.Laursen@siemensgamesa.com

the use of wind tunnels in the wind energy industry

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