Abstract

The presentation will provide some examples of wind-turbine-oriented aerodynamic challenges tackled by the research lab in Hydrodynamics, Energetics and Atmospheric Environment (LHEEA) of Centrale Nantes. The presentation will focus on two projects funded by WEAMEC. They illustrate the contribution, through a multidisciplinary approach, to the optimization of wind turbines to increase their performance and their life-time.

– FLOATEOLE project. The main objective is the optimization of floating wind turbines operation by studying the consequences of the wave/wind/structure coupling on the performance and durability of the wind energy converters subjected to harsh and non-deterministic operating conditions. The goal of the project is to combine wind tunnel and full-scale offshore experiments in order to characterize the wave influence on the aerodynamic behavior of the floating wind turbines and on their wake development.

– ASPAPe project. The main objective is the wind turbine load mitigation through the implementation of sensor and actuator add-ons for the dynamic adaptation of the blade aerodynamics. Indeed, the wind upstream of the wind turbine rotor is highly unsteady and inhomogeneous (misalignment of the rotor in the wind, turbulence of the atmosphere, gust … etc) while blade are increasingly longer. Using Add-ons is foreseen to be a significant improvement to increase wind turbine lifetime. This project will be realized with the equipment acquired as part of the ROTOR-OPTIM project, enabling the generation of gusts, taylored in intensity and dynamics, in a wind tunnel.

“This work was carried out within the framework of the WEAMEC, West Atlantic Marine Energy Community, and with funding from the Pays de la Loire Region”

See FLOATEOLE project, ROTOR OPTIM project and ASAPe project