Introduction to R&D at IET

Mingming Zhang

Key Laboratory of Wind Energy Research

Institution of Engineering Thermophysics
Chinese Academy of Sciences

Contents
Fundamental Research
Previous work
Future work

HuaYi Wind Turbine Blade R&D Co. Ltd

Turbine Blade Test

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Fundamental Research
-Previous Work

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

A. Optimum Design of Airfoil

Family for Wind Turbine

Schematic of CAS Airfoil Family

150

180

original airfoil
polynomial

250

210

Parametric airfoil
Parameter control

CFD
Database sampling

ANN
Asympotic polynomial

Multi-objects
definition
Genetic arithmetic

Results filtering

Final airfoil

Design procedure of CAS airfoil family

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Typical comparisons in airfoil performance

CAS-W1250
Ris-A124*
Ris-B124*
Ris-P-24
DU 91-W2250

maximum
thickness

TE
thickness

Re106

Clmax ( )

Clmax( )

25%

0.6%

3.0

1.7(15)

1.66(15)

157.6(6)

24%

1.0%

2.75

1.48(14.2)

1.19

157(7)

24%

0.7%

1.60

1.62(14.2)

1.1

73(7)

24%

1.0%

2.75

1.48(14)

1.17

156(6)

25%

0.7%

3.00

1.37(9.23)

1.217

128(7)

Cl/Cdmax(

Advantages of CAS airfoil family

High lift/drag ratio
Stable stall characteristics
Insensitive to the roughness at airfoil
leading edge

B. Blade with Blunt Trailing Edge

Advantages:
High rigidity
Low weight
High lift
Good technics
Blade with Blunt Trailing Edge

Example of Damaged
Blade due to Typhoon

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Typhoon
Area

Design of Blade with Blunt Trailing Edge

Method:
1 Change thickness ratio on both sides of mid arc;
2 Change distribution curve of thickness;
3 Rigidly rotating top and bottom arcs.
New curve after rotating 3 deg
New curve after modifying leading edge
Original airfoil curve

Cl for blunt airfoil

L/D for blunt airfoil

Schematic of rotation and leading edge modification

Effect of airfoil thickness on Cl

Geometry comparison for trailing edge

curve

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Effect of airfoil thickness on L/D

C. Aero-acoustics of Wind Turbine Blade

Noises Source:
(1) Trailing edge noise
(2) Blade tip noise
Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Computations concerned with blade aero-acoustics

Research Contents
Vortex method based CFD relative
to non-stationary flow field and
aeroelasticity on rotating 2D
airfoil;
Based on Crow method, calculating
the radiated noise in the far
field;
Investigation of interaction
between large blade flexible
deformation and vortices;

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

D. Research on Flow Separation Control on Turbine

Blade
Stalled area

Vortex
Generator

Vortex Generator

Mechanism using VG

To study effect of some parameters of VG, e.g. shape, size,

location and attack angle, on airfoil aerodynamics.
Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Typical results

VGs configuration

Streamlines near VGs

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Without VGs

With VGs

Fundamental Research
-Future Work

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

A. Wind Field Simulation

Wind field modeling over complex terrains in

China;
Wind resource evaluation;
Turbine micro-sitting;
Optimum wind turbine selection based on
wind climate near location of turbine and
corresponding turbine cost.

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

B. Bionics based Techniques

To reduce skin friction drag due to sand storm, icing and
insects accumulation on blade surface.
Sand Storm and
icing area

Leading edge protuberance

Shark skin

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Non-smooth surface

C. Wind Turbine Aerodynamics in a Wind Farm

Wind turbine aerodynamics

in a wind farm including
effects of wake and terrain;
Optimization of wind
turbines in a wind farm;
Optimal layout design of
wind farm.

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

D. Development of Wind Turbine at Low Wind

Speed

Low
wind
speed
in
almost area
Wind turbine R&D at low wind speed area in China is rather necessary.
Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

E. Offshore Wind Turbine

Currently, research on 5MW turbine is under way.

Turbine Style
Vertical or Horizontal?

Blade#
One, two or three?

Supporter
One, three piles or
floating supporter?

Blade Design
Based on
complicated Windwave-atmosphereblade interaction?
Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

HuaYi Wind Turbine Blade R&D Co. Ltd

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

HuaYi Wind Turbine Blade R&D Co. Ltd.

Located in Baoding, Hebei, China.
Set up by Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Wind
Power Society, etc, in October 2005.

R&D Work at HuaYi

Basic Research
Aerodynamic
Aeroelastic
Acoustic
Structural dynamic
CFD&FEM

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Design/Manufacture/Test
Aerodynamic design
Structural design
Master-plug
Design/Manufacture
Mould design/manufacture
Resin infusion technology
Test & Certification

Blade Design
850kW, 1.0MW, and 1.2MW wind turbine blade design
1.5/2.0 MW prototype blade
2.5/3.0 MW Project
Chord

Length of blade

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Pitch
Angle

High Efficiency Design

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Research on Airfoil
1.5

1.5

Cl

Cl

0.5

0.5

-0.5

-0.5

-1

-0.4 -0.2

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8

Cd

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

1.2 1.4

-1
-20

-10

10

20

30

attack angle

40

50

60

Typical CFD Based Research

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Master-plug Manufacture

High precision 3D Master-plug

of 1.5MW blade manufactured
by NC machine.

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Manufacture of Mirror Mould Heated by Water

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

2MW Blade Production

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

2MW Prototype Blade

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Turbine Blade Test

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

A.Blade Damage under Extreme Condition

Experiment

Simulation

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

B. Investigation of Blade Structural Dynamic

Focusing on structural modes
using both measurement and
simulation

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

C. Investigation and Test of Blade Fatigue Life

Mainly focusing on
Physics of blade fatigue
Analysis of blade fatigue life
Fatigue test technique and test equipment
Similarity theory of equivalent blade fatigue

Typical fatigue test of full scale blade

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

D. Field Test
This is the most important phase for
blade test, under which we may:
get

the whole structural

performance of blade;
understand the damage physics
under various working condition;
accumulate knowledge on blade
aerodynamic to improve design
model and test model.

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

E. National Blade Test Center (under construction)

Main Purpose
By building a series of advanced blade test facilities and conducting research and
development work, the first international blade test system in China will be set up in
order to guarantee the effective and healthy development of wind turbine industry in
China.

Layout
Total construction
area: 18000 m2.
Maximum test
length of blade:
70 m and 100
(potential).

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Blade test area

Blade stack area

Auxiliary area

Research Group
Group Leader:
Prof. Jianzhong Xu

Key members:
Prof. Xiaolu Zhao
Prof. Mingming Zhang
Prof. ChunQing Tan
Prof. Jianyi Du
Prof. Zhenming Wang
Asso. Prof. Ke Yang
Asso. Prof. Yu Xu
Asso. Prof. Huishe Wang

Other staffs and engineers:

13 Peoples
Students:
17 Ph.D. and 4 Master
Key Lab of Wind Energy Research

Asso. Prof. Zhenbin Chen

Dr. Qingjun Zhao
Dr. Fei Tang
Dr. Bing Yang
Mr. Kezhong Shi
Mr. Zhongzhu Zhang
Mr. Huojun Mao
Mr. Xiaoming Rong

Thanks for your attention!

Key Lab of Wind Energy Research