ANSYS modeling of the 500 kW Horizontal-axis wind turbine blade

Wind turbines are designed to deliver optimal power at rated wind speeds. Site specific designs, therefore are highly desirable. Lift based turbines are more efficient than stall based turbines. Stall regulated turbines require suitable section profiles. However, the three dimensional effects dominated by rotation are not properly understood. The wind turbine blades are highly flexible. Aeroelastic analysis incorporating both structural dynamics and computational fluid dynamics forms the basis of this study. Of many effects, the blade flexibility plays a crucial role in optimal design. This requires a good understanding of the aeroelastic behavior of turbine rotors. Effect of flexibility on turbine performance is still unexplored. Following the demand for lighter blades, new composite materials and advanced fabrication methods were introduced, resulting in reduced structural damping, a property which until recently was not possible to model and enhance. Therefore it is necessary to accurately construct the computational model of the wind turbine blade. This report describes the structural modeling of a wind turbine blade similar to NAL's 500 kW low speed horizontal axis wind turbine blade designed for Indian wind conditions. Three different airfoils designed specifically for NAL's 500 kW low speed horizontal axis wind turbine are used in three different sections of the entire blade. ANSYS is used to construct the structural model of the low speed horizontal axis wind turbine. Series of macros were written for the step by step construction of the wind turbine blade model. This report also discusses the structural analysis (static analysis and modal analysis) and the aerodynamic analysis of a low speed horizontal axis wind turbine blade using Panel method