Key characteristics
This closed-circuit aerodynamic wind tunnel has a 2.8 meter long test section and a cross-section of 0.5 x 0.5m. Small size obstacles such cylinders or airfoils can be set. The maximum wind speed is 40 m/s. Thanks to its size, it is the perfect equipment for developing new sensors or actuators and closed-loop control laws for aerodynamic surface flow control.
Equipment
It is currently equipped with:
– three systems for conventional acquisition and real-time acquisition system (lantencies < 1µs) ;
– a three-axis traverse system to support Pitot or hot-wire probes;
– an aerodynamic balance (6 degrees of freedom);
– 20 unsteady pressure sensors (example of use: unsteady blade lift measurement)
Dynamic control of the rotation of an obstacle (example of use: dynamic incidence of a blade)
A new disturbance system has been developed in the aerodynamic wind tunnel of the LHEEA as part of the ROTOR OPTIM. It can simulate wind gusts, close to reality, and modulate their dynamics and amplitudes.
Example of MRE applications
WEAMEC RESEARCH PROJECTS
ASAPe: Add-on Systems for wind turbine performance improvement
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 (systems installed a posteriori) on the blade for a dynamic adaptation of the aerodynamics to prevent load fluctuations 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.
> More informations about ASAPe
ROTOR-OPTIM: Equipment to constitute and characterize an active control system (sensors/actuators) on wind turbine ROTOR blades in severe environments to OPTIMize their life time and their production.
We can make several observations at stake in this project:
- Wind turbine life time and production is reduced due to the highly unsteady environment in which it operates (atmospheric turbulence, gust, hurricane …) and due to its operating (misalignments, tilts, mast passage …).
- The sensors: measurements at the wind turbine blade do not sufficiently take into account the state of the flow on the aerodynamic surfaces (attached, separated, laminar, turbulent …) which is critical to decide a control action.
- The actuators: passive add-on exists (vortex generators) but act continuously and equally whatever the wind unsteadiness upstream of the wind turbine.
