Engineering topics

Ivanov, Chris

Publications and source records attributed to Ivanov, Chris.

7 records

DOE OSTI2024

Comparison of Loads and Aeroacoustics Between Upwind and Downwind Wind Turbine Rotors

This presentation discusses the motivation, preparation, risk mitigation, execution, and results of a full-scale experiment where the rotor of a 1.5 megawatt wind turbine was operated in a downwind configuration. The experiment took place at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Flatirons Campus in Colorado, USA, and collected conventional loads and power together with acoustic measurements from an array of four microphones. Results from load simulations complement the experiment. Fatigue loads and performance are compared between 410 minutes of downwind operation with 960 minutes of conventional upwind operations. Downwind operations cause an increase in damage equivalent loads in a few load channels. Damage equivalent load of blade root flapwise and edgewise moment and the damage equivalent load of tower base fore aft moment increase between 2% and 20% depending on the wind speed. The comparison in active power is less conclusive, but experimental results show more power in downwind than predicted by simulations. In terms of acoustics, the overall sound pressure levels are similar between upwind and downwind, but downwind worsens the metrics describing amplitude modulation.

aeroacoustics↗

DOE OSTI2024

Simulating Wind-Driven Loading on PV Systems

As PV modules continue to trend toward larger, thinner, and more flexible forms they grow more susceptible to damage from dynamic wind loading. As a result, understanding the impact of wind on PV systems, particularly when mounted on compliant solar-tracking hardware, and identifying robust, stable array layouts and stow strategies is becoming increasingly important for the PV community. We are developing an open-source software package, PVade (PV aerodynamic design engineering), to simulate the cascading fluid-structure interaction that occurs within single-axis, solar-tracking arrays to enable researchers to test hardware, layout, and tracker control changes, leading to enhanced stability and a reduction in wind-driven damage. We will give an overview of the PVade software and present the latest outcomes from our ongoing validation campaign in which we compare time series and statistical structural responses with field data. From there, we will present simulated results from a larger, multi-row array and highlight the effect of varying tracker angles on stability and the differences between positive and negative tilt angles.

fluid↗

DOE OSTI2024

Design of a Launcher for Wildlife Collision Simulation on Wind Turbines to Validate Strike Detection Systems

Design and construction of a custom launcher and projectiles to simulate wildlife collisions with wind turbines is investigated. The various design features that led to success of the launcher are enumerated and described in detail. These features include custom projectiles, precision aiming capabilities, repeatable launch parameters, and azimuthal control over projectile launch. Success is investigated in terms of an overall hit percentage.

collision simulation↗

DOE OSTI2024

A Simulation and Optimization Framework for Managing Wind-Driven Loading on PV Systems

As PV modules continue to trend toward larger, thinner, and more flexible forms they grow more susceptible to damage from dynamic wind loading. As a result, understanding the impact of wind on PV systems, particularly when mounted on solar-tracking hardware, and identifying robust, stable array layouts and stow strategies is becoming increasingly important for the PV community. We are developing an open-source software package, PVade (PV aerodynamic design engineering), to simulate the cascading fluid-structure interaction that occurs within solar-tracking arrays to enable researchers to test hardware, layout, and tracker control changes, leading to enhanced stability and a reduction in wind-driven damage. We will give an overview of the PVade software and present the latest outcomes from our ongoing validation campaign in which we compare statistical structural responses with field data. From there, we will present simulated results from a larger, multi-row array and highlight the effect of varying tracker angles on stability as measured by both acceleration and deformation, focusing on the stability differences between positive and negative tilt angles.

fluid structure interaction↗

DOE OSTI2024

Predicting Instability and the Effect of Wind Loading on Single-Axis Trackers

As PV modules continue to trend toward larger, thinner, and more flexible forms they grow more susceptible to damage from dynamic wind loading. As a result, understanding the impact of wind on PV systems, particularly when mounted on solar-tracking hardware, and identifying robust, stable array layouts and stow strategies is becoming increasingly important for the PV community. In our ongoing DuraMAT project, we are developing an open-source software package, PVade (PV aerodynamic design engineering), to simulate the cascading fluid-structure interaction that occurs within solar-tracking arrays to enable researchers to test hardware, layout, and tracker control changes, leading to enhanced stability and a reduction in wind-driven damage. We will give an overview of the PVade software, highlighting recent user-interface and algorithm developments, before presenting the latest outcomes from our ongoing validation campaign in which we analyze and compare with experimental data obtained from a DuraMAT 1 project. From there, we will present simulated results from a larger, multi-row array and highlight relationships between varying tracker angles and stability as measured by different experimentally validated metrics.

fluid structure interaction↗

DOE OSTI2023

How to Flip a GE1.5 Wind Turbine from Upwind to Downwind

An experiment is planned on a 1.5 MW wind turbine to make its rotor operate in a downwind configuration. The talk at the NAWEA WindTech 2023 conference will discuss how such a challenging experiment has been prepared and will show the ongoing steps in the field.

big adaptive rotor↗

DOE OSTI2022

Design of the American Wake Experiment (AWAKEN) field campaign

The American WAKE experimeNt (AWAKEN) is a multi-institutional collaborative field campaign, starting in March 2022, that will gather an unprecedented data set including both atmospheric observations and wind plant operational data. This comprehensive data set will be used to characterize the wind plant performance and turbine loading in different operational and atmospheric conditions and validate the use of different wind plant control strategies and simulation frameworks. An extensive field campaign like AWAKEN requires proper coordination and long-term planning to be successful. In this paper, we review the major activities planned during AWAKEN to provide information for current and future project partners. Specifically, we provide information about the project sites, their planned instruments, and how these will relate to the scientific objectives of the overall AWAKEN project.

17 WIND ENERGY↗