Real-Time Hybrid Model Tests of a Braceless Semi-Submersible Wind Turbine: Part III — Calibration of a Numerical Model

Author(s):  
Petter Andreas Berthelsen ◽  
Erin E. Bachynski ◽  
Madjid Karimirad ◽  
Maxime Thys

In this paper, a numerical model of a braceless semi-submersible floating wind turbine (FWT) is calibrated against model test data. Experimental data from a 1:30 scaled model tested at MARINTEK’s Ocean Basin in 2015 using real-time hybrid model testing (ReaTHM) is used for the calibration of the time-domain simulation model. In these tests, aerodynamic loads were simulated in real-time and applied to the physical model. The simulation model is based on the as-built model at full scale. The hull and turbine are considered as rigid, while bar elements are used to model the mooring system in a coupled finite element approach. Frequency-dependent added mass, radiation damping, and excitation forces/moments are evaluated using a panel method based on potential theory. Distributed viscous forces on the hull and mooring lines are added to the numerical model applying Morison’s equation. The viscous drag coefficients in Morison’s equation are calibrated against selected test data, including decay tests in calm water and test with irregular waves. Simulations show that the drag coefficients change when waves are present. Aerodynamic loads are included as time varying loads applied directly at the hub based on the actual physical loads from the experiment. This way, uncertainties related to the aerodynamic loads in the calibrations are removed. The calibrated numerical model shows good agreement with experimental data.

Author(s):  
Erin E. Bachynski ◽  
Maxime Thys ◽  
Thomas Sauder ◽  
Valentin Chabaud ◽  
Lars Ove Sæther

Real-Time Hybrid Model (ReaTHM) tests of a braceless semi-submersible wind turbine were carried out at MARINTEK’s Ocean Basin in 2015. The tests sought to evaluate the performance of the floating wind turbine (FWT) structure in environmental conditions representative of the Northern North Sea. In order to do so, the tests employed a new hybrid testing method, wherein simulated aerodynamic loads were applied to the physical structure in the laboratory. The test method was found to work well, and is documented in [1]. The present work describes some of the experimental results. The test results showed a high level of repeatability, and permitted accurate investigation of the coupled responses of a FWT, including unique conditions such as blade pitch faults. For example, the influence of the wind turbine controller can be seen in decay tests in pitch and surge. In regular waves, aerodynamic loads due to constant wind had little influence on the structure motions (except for the mean offsets). Tests in irregular waves with and without turbulent wind are compared directly, and the influence of the wave-frequency motions on the aerodynamic damping of wind-induced low-frequency motions can be observed.


Author(s):  
Hamid Khakpour Nejadkhaki ◽  
John F. Hall ◽  
Minghui Zheng ◽  
Teng Wu

A platform for the engineering design, performance, and control of an adaptive wind turbine blade is presented. This environment includes a simulation model, integrative design tool, and control framework. The authors are currently developing a novel blade with an adaptive twist angle distribution (TAD). The TAD influences the aerodynamic loads and thus, system dynamics. The modeling platform facilitates the use of an integrative design tool that establishes the TAD in relation to wind speed. The outcome of this design enables the transformation of the TAD during operation. Still, a robust control method is required to realize the benefits of the adaptive TAD. Moreover, simulation of the TAD is computationally expensive. It also requires a unique approach for both partial and full-load operation. A framework is currently being developed to relate the TAD to the wind turbine and its components. Understanding the relationship between the TAD and the dynamic system is crucial in the establishment of real-time control. This capability is necessary to improve wind capture and reduce system loads. In the current state of development, the platform is capable of maximizing wind capture during partial-load operation. However, the control tasks related to Region 3 and load mitigation are more complex. Our framework will require high-fidelity modeling and reduced-order models that support real-time control. The paper outlines the components of this framework that is being developed. The proposed platform will facilitate expansion and the use of these required modeling techniques. A case study of a 20 kW system is presented based upon the partial-load operation. The study demonstrates how the platform is used to design and control the blade. A low-dimensional aerodynamic model characterizes the blade performance. This interacts with the simulation model to predict the power production. The design tool establishes actuator locations and stiffness properties required for the blade shape to achieve a range of TAD configurations. A supervisory control model is implemented and used to demonstrate how the simulation model blade performs in the case study.


Author(s):  
Marit I. Kvittem ◽  
Petter Andreas Berthelsen ◽  
Lene Eliassen ◽  
Maxime Thys

Hydrodynamic model tests and numerical simulations may be combined in a complementary manner during the design and qualification of new offshore structures. In the EU H2020 project LIFES50+ (lifes50plus.eu), a model test campaign of floating offshore wind turbines using Real-Time Hybrid Model (ReaTHM) testing techniques was carried out at SINTEF Ocean in fall 2017. The present paper focuses on the process of calibrating a numerical model to the experimental results. The concepts tested in the experimental campaign was a 1:36 scale model of the public version of the 10MW OO-Star Wind Floater semi-submersible offshore wind turbine. A time-domain numerical model was developed based on the as-built scale model. The hull was considered as rigid, while bar elements were used to model the mooring system and tower in a coupled finite element approach. First-order frequency-dependent added mass, potential damping, and excitation forces/moments were evaluated across a range of frequencies using a panel method. Distributed viscous forces on the hull and mooring lines were added to the numerical model according to Morison’s equation. Potential difference-frequency excitation forces were also included by applying Newman’s approximation. The quasi static properties of the mooring system were assessed by comparing the restoring force and maximum line tension with the pull-out test. Drag coefficients for the line segments were estimated by imposing the measured fairlead motion from model tests as forced displacement and comparing the calculated and measured dynamic line tension. The linear and viscous damping coefficients were first estimated based on the decay tests, and the tuned damping coefficients were compared to initial guesses based on the Reynolds and Keulegan-Carpenter number at model scale. The results were then applied in the numerical model, and simulations in extreme irregular waves were compared to the experiments. It was found that second order drift forces proved to be significant, particularly for the severe irregular seastate. These could not be modelled correctly applying the potential drift forces together with quadratic damping matrix tuned to the free decay test. And the model with viscous drag coefficients tuned to decay tests also underestimated the slow drift motions. Thus, new viscous drag coefficients were determined to match the low frequency platform response. To inverstigate the performance of the tuned model, comparisons were made for a moderate seastate and for a simulation with both waves and wind on an operating turbine. In the end, possible further improvements to the modelling were suggested.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Lei ◽  
Xiang Yuan Zheng ◽  
Hua-dong Zheng

Abstract This work is dedicated to comparing the experimental and numerical results of the dynamic responses of a novel floating system integrating a floating offshore wind turbine with a steel fish farming cage (FOWT-SFFC) under wind and wave loadings. The patents of this floating system have been successfully licensed recently in China and USA. The experimental study is carried out in the Ocean Basin of Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, with a Froude scaling of 1:30. A small commercial wind turbine is used to produce the scaled wind loads on FOWT-SFFC in terms of the similarity of thrust force. In this paper, the setup of model tests is described first. Second, a numerical model of prototype FOWT-SFFC is built in the software OrcaFlex. Then, this numerical model is calibrated and updated by the results of free decay tests and static offset tests in the basin. The numerical model also adopts three sets of drag coefficients. Finally, the experimental results of FOWT-SFFC under a variety of load cases are presented and compared with the numerical simulation results. They include seakeeping tests for hydrodynamic motion response amplitude operators (RAOs) and dynamic responses corresponding to normal operating and survival conditions. The numerical simulation results show that, though they are in good agreement with model test data especially on time records of dynamic responses, they are sensitive to the selection of drag coefficients particularly on extreme values and low-frequency spectral contents. Appropriate drag coefficients are suggested to be used in the numerical model for a specific environmental condition. Drag coefficients benchmarked from the free decay tests may not be suitable for moderate and harsh wave conditions.


Author(s):  
Madjid Karimirad ◽  
Erin E. Bachynski ◽  
Petter Andreas Berthelsen ◽  
Harald Ormberg

In this paper, integrated analyses performed in SIMA are compared against experimental results obtained using real-time hybrid model testing (ReaTHM®) carried out in the ocean basin facilities of MARINTEK in October 2015. The experimental data is from a 1:30 scaled model of a semi-submersible wind turbine. Coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic simulations are performed in MARINTEK’s SIMA software. The present work extends previous results from Berthelsen et al. [1] by including a blade element/momentum (BEM) model for the rotor forces in SIMA and comparing the coupled responses of the system to the experimental results. The previously presented hydrodynamic model is also further developed, and the importance of second order loads (and applicability of approximate methods for their calculations) is examined. Low-frequency hydrodynamic excitation and damping are seen to be important, but these loads include a combination of viscous and potential forces. For the selected concept, the second order potential flow forces have limited effects on the responses.


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