MEDYNA 2013: 1st Euro-Mediterranean Conference

on Structural Dynamics and Vibroacoustics

23-25 April 2013

Marrakech (Morocco)

DYNAMICS OF A HORIZONTAL AXIS WIND TURBINE

BLADE UNDER AERODYNAMIC, CENTRIFUGAL,
GYROSCOPIC, AND GRAVITY EFFECTS
A. Hedi HAMDI1, B. Charfeddine MRAD2, and C. Rachid NASRI3*
Laboratoire de Recherche Mcanique Applique et Ingnierie
Ecole Nationale dIngnieurs de Tunis
Universit Tunis El Manar
Tunis, TUNISIA
Email: hedi_hamdi@yahoo.fr, Charfeddine.Mrad@enit.rnu.tn, Rachid.Nasri@enit.rnu.tn
1,2,3

ABSTRACT
This work presents an analytic and numeric study of the dynamic response of a horizontal axis
wind turbine blade, under aerodynamic and gravitational forces. The blade supposed deformable,
is assimilated to a wiry beam of variable section in homogenous and isotropic material, and is
discretized in multiple beam elements of constant section. The assembly of these elements
constitutes the approximate model of the blade to which the finite element method is applied. The
analytic study consists on defining the elementary matrices of mass, stiffness, and gyroscopic
coupling, in addition to the elementary vector of applied forces. The numeric study consists on
solving the linear system of the vibration of the blade for a practical case, and plotting its
dynamic response under the aerodynamic and gravitational forces. The results show that the
gyroscopic coupling and the own weight give alternating deformations to the blade, which cause
fatigue for the blade and turbulence for the wake.

MEDYNA 2013

23-25 April 2013, Marrakech (Morocco)

INTRODUCTION
In [1], we studied the free vibration of a short blade under a sudden variation of the wind speed,
and we want in this work to expand the study to the forced vibration of a long blade, thus of non
negligible weight. [2] uses the 3D beam theory with transverse shear and the membrane effect to
write the vibration equations of the blade. [3] utilises the thin shell theory to write the motion
equations of the blade and studies the effect of the column vibration on the blade dynamic
behaviour. [4] proposes a procedure to analyse the vibration of a blade in the case of linear
deformation with transverse shear. [5] studies the effect of gravitational forces with centrifugal
hardening on a blade and proposes a technologic solution to control this type of vibration. [6]
presents an approach to study the gyroscopic effect on the dynamic response of a floating wind
turbine blade. In this work, we wish to study the effect of the gyroscopic coupling and the own
weight on the dynamics of a blade.
1 FORMULATION
Figure 1, the blade rotation speed , and the inclination angle of the wind turbine rotor
relatively to a horizontal reference.
Figure 2, referring to an Euler description of the displacement of a blade element of length dx and
situated at a distance x of the rotor rotation axis, u is the lengthening, v et w are the bending, is
the rotation, is the precession, and is the nodding, of this element.
Figure 3, further to the incidence angle i , the relative speed of the air flow Vr is, V is the absolute
speed:
Vr

V 2 (1- a )2

x2

(1 a ')2

The blade vibration is governed by the following equation:

.
..
M e q Ce q K e q = Pe ( t ) Fa

Fc

We obtain the displacement vector q of the blade related to the nodal displacement, after
discretization and interpolation.
We determine the mass matrix, the stiffness matrix, and the gyroscopic coupling matrix.
We determine the aerodynamic forces: Lift, Drag, and Pitch. Last, we determine the gravitational
forces: Centrifugal and Gravity.

v
y0

Nacelle
Pale

dFy
x

dFz

X
n

t
x0

G'

x
Z

dx

Colonne

Figure 1. Wind turbine parameterization

Figure 2. A blade element

dP

u v

dFc

MEDYNA 2013

23-25 April 2013, Marrakech (Morocco)

0.8

m R
oo

V(1-a)
4.2

xW(1+a')

Vr

m
Wor

king

Rotation axis

d
or
Ch

regio

Figure 3. Air flow

Figure 4. Studied blade

The elementary aerodynamic forces are expressed as:

dFy

1
2

Cy cVr 2dx

; dFz

1
2

Cz cVr 2dx ; dM

1
2

Cx c2Vr 2dx

The elementary centrifugal force is defined as:

dFx

Sx

dx

The weight vector dP of an element of the blade of chord c , is composed of three components:
dPx, dPy, and dPz; and taking into account the wind turbine rotor inclination:
dP

gS

cos sin( t ), cos cos( t ), sin

dx

2 RESULTS
Figure 4, the studied blade has a length of 5m, the skin thickness is 8mm, it is the element of a
three bladed turbine of a radius R=5.45m, and a maximum electric power 15kW.
Figure 5: The blade is deforming under alternating Traction-Compression, relatively to (O,x).
Figure 6: The blade is deforming under alternating bending, relatively to (O,y).
Figure 7: The blade is deforming under alternating bending, relatively to (O,z).
Figure 8: The blade is deforming under alternating torsion, relatively to (O,x), without gyroscopic
coupling.
Figure 9: The blade is deforming under alternating torsion, relatively to (O,x), with gyroscopic
coupling.
Figure 10: The blade is deforming under alternating torsion, without and with the gyroscopic
coupling.
The contribution of the gyroscopic coupling is clearly visible.
A frequency analysis (FFT) of the obtained results is useful to identify the present frequencies.

Figure 5. Blade lengthening

Figure 6. Blade bending, around Oy

Figure 7. Blade bending, around Oz

Figure 8. Blade torsion, without Coupling

MEDYNA 2013

23-25 April 2013, Marrakech (Morocco)

Figure 9. Blade torsion, with Coupling

Figure 10. Blade torsion, without and with Coupling

CONCLUSION
The gyroscopic coupling and the own weight generate, during the blade rotation, vibrations of low
amplitudes but which persist, which poses the problem of the blade fatigue.
On the other hand, these alternating deformations of the blade affect the air flow, the wake
trajectory is no more perfect and becomes snaky helical, which poses the problem of the air flow
turbulence.
Some technologic solutions may be considered, as installing an absorber into the blade, to reduce
the vibrations and thus their effects.
REFERENCES
[1]
H. Hamdi, C. Mrad, R. Nasri, and A. Hamdi. Static and dynamic study of a wind turbine
blade with horizontal axis. Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering. 5: 11671174,
2011.
[2]
R. Younsi, I. El Batanony, J. B. Tritsch, H. Naji, and B. Landjerit. Dynamic study of a
wind turbine blade with horizontal axis. European Journal of Mechanics A/Solids. 20: 241252,
2001.
[3]
W. Jianhong, Q. Datong, and C. L. Teik. Dynamic analysis of horizontal axis wind turbine
by thin-walled beam theory. Journal of Sound and Vibration. 329: 35653586, 2010.
[4]
J. H. Park, H.Y. Park, S. Y. Jeong, S. Lee, Y. H. Shin, and J. P. Park. Linear vibration
analysis of rotating wind turbine blade. Current Applied Physics. 10: 332334, 2010.
[5]
A. Staino, B. Basu, and S. R. K. Nielsen. Actuator control of edgewise vibrations in wind
turbine blades. Journal of Sound and Vibration. 331: 12331256, 2012.
[6]
P. Blusseau, and H. P. Minoo. Gyroscopic effects on a large vertical axis wind turbine
mounted on a floating structure. Renewable Energy. 46: 3142, 2012.