The effects of elastic compliance in dynamically pitching wind turbine blades have been experimentally investigated via unsteady surface pressure measurements and phase-locked Particle Imaging Velocimetry. Using a torsionally compliant member, aeroelastic effects on the unsteady aerodynamics were compared against the results from a corresponding non-compliant case to isolate the effects of compliance. The presence of compliance has been found ⅰ) to change the details of dynamic stall, ⅱ) to alter the dynamic loading as measured by the sectional lift and moment coefficients, and ⅲ) to be highly sensitive to small changes in the aeroelastic system. These results demonstrate the potential for aerodynamic control as a means to mitigate adverse loading effects and improve wind turbine efficiency.
展开▼
