On the effects of blade aeroelasticity in control co-design of large offshore wind turbines

To increase the competitiveness of wind energy against conventional energy sources, proponents have sought to reduce the Levelized cost of energy. An inclination toward larger rotors to increase the power production may halt this progress due to an increase in maintenance costs that it may require. Advanced control systems such as the individual pitch control (IPC) seek to reduce fatigue loads on the rotor, reduce maintenance costs, and extend their life span. However, as blades reach lengths over 100 meters, deflection and inertial forces cannot be ignored. Traditionally, high-fidelity simulations have been considering turbine rotors to be rigid. To address this, we have performed Large-Eddy simulations of a wind turbine. The blades are modeled using the actuator surface model coupled with an aeroelastic model. Additionally, simulations with the IPC are compared against that of a rigid and an aeroelastic blade. Results have shown that the aeroelastic rotor reduces the fluctuating aerodynamic loads corresponding to the rotational frequency of the rotor.