PASTA research project

Project title: PASTA – Precise design methods of complex coupled oscillation systems of modern wind turbines in turbulent excitation

Summary:

With increasing rotor diameters and hub heights, wind turbines become more susceptible to vibration. As a result, loads from the simulations are often not accurately predicted and consequently cannot be correctly considered in the WT design process. On the one hand, these inaccuracies in the plant design can result in an oversizing of individual components and thus drive up the manufacturing costs or, on the other hand, lead to a too weak design of certain components of the WTG, which in turn results in increased costs for maintenance and repair. Therefore, in order to take the next step towards increasing precision in turbine design, an improved understanding of the effect of the wind field on the load dynamics is essential.

Content and Methodology:

This project is dedicated to the temporary upswing of turbine components, a phenomenon of wind turbines that is often observed but has hardly been addressed so far. This phenomenon typically affects weakly damped plant modes, such as higher tower modes or blade modes. This often involves a periodic excitation that is strongly influenced by the wind field. Within the project, new approaches for the combination of wind field descriptions and a detailed description of the dynamic behavior of the wind turbine in a modern MBS environment are investigated and new simulation methods for robust and accurate design are explored.