Bend-twist adaptive control for flexible wind turbine blades: Principles and experimental validation

Abstract

This study proposes a new methodology for optimizing the power curve of a wind turbine at low wind speeds. The principles of bend-twist coupling and the mechanism of energy exchange between the structure and inflow are analyzed. For the blade’s geometric nonlinearity, the virtual displacements and strain fields are described using the Green-Lagrange strain theorem, retaining third-order terms in the energy expressions. The equations of motion are derived using Hamilton’s principle. The bend-twist coupling effects and large deformations of the blade are analyzed using the Updated Lagrange method. Notably, the angle of attack for a single blade section is influenced by bend-twist deformation, causing variations in the rotor’s maximum power coefficient from its optimal value. Additionally, the projection length of the blade, influenced by centrifugal forces, also affects the bend-twist deformation. Based on these findings, an aero-elastic coupling control strategy, termed “Bend-twist Adaptive Control”, is proposed and validated through experiments. The results demonstrate that the proposed control strategy could increase annual power production by 2.3 %. These conclusions offer a promising outlook for future wind turbine blade design and power optimization.