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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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DOE OSTI2013

Assessing the Importance of Nonlinearities in the Development of a Substructure Model for the Wind Turbine CAE Tool FAST: Preprint

Design and analysis of wind turbines are performed using aero-servo-elastic tools that account for the nonlinear coupling between aerodynamics, controls, and structural response. The NREL-developed computer-aided engineering (CAE) tool FAST also resolves the hydrodynamics of fixed-bottom structures and floating platforms for offshore wind applications. This paper outlines the implementation of a structural-dynamics module (SubDyn) for offshore wind turbines with space-frame substructures into the current FAST framework, and focuses on the initial assessment of the importance of structural nonlinearities. Nonlinear effects include: large displacements, axial shortening due to bending, cross-sectional transverse shear effects, etc.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

The New Modularization Framework for the FAST Wind Turbine CAE Tool

NREL has recently put considerable effort into improving the overall modularity of its FAST wind turbine aero-hydro-servo-elastic tool to (1) improve the ability to read, implement, and maintain source code; (2) increase module sharing and shared code development across the wind community; (3) improve numerical performance and robustness; and (4) greatly enhance flexibility and expandability to enable further developments of functionality without the need to recode established modules. The new FAST modularization framework supports module-independent inputs, outputs, states, and parameters; states in continuous-time, discrete-time, and in constraint form; loose and tight coupling; independent time and spatial discretizations; time marching, operating-point determination, and linearization; data encapsulation; dynamic allocation; and save/retrieve capability. This paper explains the features of the new FAST modularization framework, as well as the concepts and mathematical background needed to understand and apply it correctly. It is envisioned that the new modularization framework will transform FAST into a powerful, robust, and flexible wind turbine modeling tool with a large number of developers and a range of modeling fidelities across the aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, servo-dynamic, and structural-dynamic components.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

NREL Software Aids Offshore Wind Turbine Designs (Fact Sheet)

NREL researchers are supporting offshore wind power development with computer models that allow detailed analyses of both fixed and floating offshore wind turbines. While existing computer-aided engineering (CAE) models can simulate the conditions and stresses that a land-based wind turbine experiences over its lifetime, offshore turbines require the additional considerations of variations in water depth, soil type, and wind and wave severity, which also necessitate the use of a variety of support-structure types. NREL's core wind CAE tool, FAST, models the additional effects of incident waves, sea currents, and the foundation dynamics of the support structures.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Aeroelastic Modeling of Offshore Turbines and Support Structures in Hurricane-Prone Regions (Poster)

US offshore wind turbines (OWTs) will likely have to contend with hurricanes and the associated loading conditions. Current industry standards do not account for these design load cases (DLCs), thus a new approach is required to guarantee that the OWTs achieve an appropriate level of reliability. In this study, a sequentially coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic modeling technique was used to address two design approaches: 1.) The ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) approach; and 2.) The Hazard Curve or API (American Petroleum Institute) approach. The former employs IEC partial load factors (PSFs) and 100-yr return-period (RP) metocean events. The latter allows setting PSFs and RP to a prescribed level of system reliability. The 500-yr RP robustness check (appearing in [2] and [3] upcoming editions) is a good indicator of the target reliability for L2 structures. CAE tools such as NREL's FAST and Bentley's' SACS (offshore analysis and design software) can be efficiently coupled to simulate system loads under hurricane DLCs. For this task, we augmented the latest FAST version (v. 8) to include tower aerodynamic drag that cannot be ignored in hurricane DLCs. In this project, a 6 MW turbine was simulated on a typical 4-legged jacket for a mid-Atlantic site. FAST-calculated tower base loads were fed to SACS at the interface level (transition piece); SACS added hydrodynamic and wind loads on the exposed substructure, and calculated mudline overturning moments, and member and joint utilization. Results show that CAE tools can be effectively used to compare design approaches for the design of OWTs in hurricane regions and to achieve a well-balanced design, where reliability levels and costs are optimized.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Numerical Stability and Accuracy of Temporally Coupled Multi-Physics Modules in Wind-Turbine CAE Tools

In this paper we examine the stability and accuracy of numerical algorithms for coupling time-dependent multi-physics modules relevant to computer-aided engineering (CAE) of wind turbines. This work is motivated by an in-progress major revision of FAST, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) premier aero-elastic CAE simulation tool. We employ two simple examples as test systems, while algorithm descriptions are kept general. Coupled-system governing equations are framed in monolithic and partitioned representations as differential-algebraic equations. Explicit and implicit loose partition coupling is examined. In explicit coupling, partitions are advanced in time from known information. In implicit coupling, there is dependence on other-partition data at the next time step; coupling is accomplished through a predictor-corrector (PC) approach. Numerical time integration of coupled ordinary-differential equations (ODEs) is accomplished with one of three, fourth-order fixed-time-increment methods: Runge-Kutta (RK), Adams-Bashforth (AB), and Adams-Bashforth-Moulton (ABM). Through numerical experiments it is shown that explicit coupling can be dramatically less stable and less accurate than simulations performed with the monolithic system. However, PC implicit coupling restored stability and fourth-order accuracy for ABM; only second-order accuracy was achieved with RK integration. For systems without constraints, explicit time integration with AB and explicit loose coupling exhibited desired accuracy and stability.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Importance of Second-Order Difference-Frequency Wave-Diffraction Forces in the Validation of a Fast Semi-Submersible Floating Wind Turbine Model: Preprint

To better access the abundant offshore wind resource, efforts across the world are being undertaken to develop and improve floating offshore wind turbine technologies. A critical aspect of creating reliable, mature floating wind turbine technology is the development, verification, and validation of efficient computer-aided-engineering (CAE) tools that can be relied upon in the design process. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has created a comprehensive, coupled analysis CAE tool for floating wind turbines, FAST, which has been verified and utilized in numerous floating wind turbine studies. Several efforts are currently underway that leverage the extensive 1/50th-scale DeepCwind wind/wave basin model test dataset, obtained at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) in 2011, to validate the floating platform functionality of FAST to complement its already validated aerodynamic and structural simulation capabilities. In this paper, further work is undertaken to continue this validation. In particular, the ability of FAST to replicate global response behaviors associated with dynamic wind forces, second-order difference-frequency wave-diffraction forces and their interaction with one another are investigated.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

New Structural-Dynamics Module for Offshore Multimember Substructures within the Wind Turbine Computer-Aided Engineering Tool FAST: Preprint

FAST, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), is a computer-aided engineering (CAE) tool for aero-hydro-servo-elastic analysis of land-based and offshore wind turbines. This paper discusses recent upgrades made to FAST to enable loads simulations of offshore wind turbines with fixed-bottom, multimember support structures (e.g., jackets and tripods, which are commonly used in transitional-depth waters). The main theory and strategies for the implementation of the multimember substructure dynamics module (SubDyn) within the new FAST modularization framework are introduced. SubDyn relies on two main engineering schematizations: 1) a linear frame finite-element beam (LFEB) model and 2) a dynamics system reduction via Craig-Bampton's method. A jacket support structure and an offshore system consisting of a turbine atop a jacket substructure were simulated to test the SubDyn module and to preliminarily assess results against results from a commercial finite-element code.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Extending the Capabilities of the Mooring Analysis Program: A Survey of Dynamic Mooring Line Theories for Integration into FAST: Preprint

Techniques to model dynamic mooring lines come in various forms. The most widely used models include either a heuristic representation of the physics (such as a Lumped-Mass, LM, system), a Finite-Element Analysis (FEA) discretization of the lines (discretized in space), or a Finite-Difference (FD) model (which is discretized in both space and time). In this paper, we explore the features of the various models, weigh the advantages of each, and propose a plan for implementing one dynamic mooring line model into the open-source Mooring Analysis Program (MAP). MAP is currently used as a module for the FAST offshore wind turbine computer-aided engineering (CAE) tool to model mooring systems quasi-statically, although dynamic mooring capabilities are desired. Based on the exploration in this manuscript, the lumped-mass representation is selected for implementation in MAP based on its simplicity, computational cost, and ability to provide similar physics captured by higher-order models.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

State-Space Realization of the Wave-Radiation Force within FAST: Preprint

Several methods have been proposed in the literature to find a state-space model for the wave-radiation forces. In this paper, four methods were compared, two in the frequency domain and two in the time domain. The frequency-response function and the impulse response of the resulting state-space models were compared against the ones derived by the numerical code WAMIT. The implementation of the state-space module within the FAST offshore wind turbine computer-aided engineering (CAE) tool was verified, comparing the results against the previously implemented numerical convolution method. The results agreed between the two methods, with a significant reduction in required computational time when using the state-space module.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

SubDyn User's Guide and Theory Manual

SubDyn is a time-domain structural-dynamics module for multimember fixed-bottom substructures created by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) through U.S. Department of Energy Wind and Water Power Program support. The module has been coupled into the FAST aero-hydro-servo-elastic computer-aided engineering (CAE) tool. Substructure types supported by SubDyn include monopiles, tripods, jackets, and other lattice-type substructures common for offshore wind installations in shallow and transitional water depths. SubDyn can also be used to model lattice support structures for land-based wind turbines. This document is organized as follows. Section 1 details how to obtain the SubDyn and FAST software archives and run both the stand-alone SubDyn or SubDyn coupled to FAST. Section 2 describes the SubDyn input files. Section 3 discusses the output files generated by SubDyn; these include echo files, a summary file, and the results file. Section 4 provides modeling guidance when using SubDyn. The SubDyn theory is covered in Section 5. Section 6 outlines future work, and Section 7 contains a list of references. Example input files are shown in Appendixes A and B. A summary of available output channels are found in Appendix C. Instructions for compiling the stand-alone SubDyn program are detailed in Appendix D. Appendix E tracks the major changes we have made to SubDyn for each public release.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Development and Analysis of a Swept Blade Aeroelastic Model for a Small Wind Turbine (Presentation)

As part of the U.S. Department-of-Energy-funded Competitiveness Improvement Project, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed new capabilities for aeroelastic modeling of precurved and preswept blades for small wind turbines. This presentation covers the quest for optimized rotors, computer-aided engineering tools, a case study, and summary of the results.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Delivery of Dynamic Thermal Energy Storage Models and Advanced Reactor Concept Models to the HYBRID Repository

This publication details newly created energy storage and reactor models developed within the HYBRID modeling repository as part of the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Integrated Energy Systems (IES) program, led by Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Model development to-date includes creation of dynamic systems-level models of a pebble bed high temperature gas reactor (HTGR), sodium fast reactor (SFR), compressed air energy storage (CAES), liquid air energy storage (LAES) and Modelica standard library based two-tank sensible heat storage (SHS) in the IES-based HYBRID repository. Models are developed using the latest publicly available data and incorporate the possibility of control strategy inclusion for use with the existing IES modeling, analysis, and optimization toolset. Simulations showcase the abilities of each technology to flexibly operate in ways consistent with IES operation expectations. When these models are available, they can be utilized within different integrated energy park concepts to understand optimal system operation, control, and dispatching. Moreover, given the generic nature of the models, industrial partner technologies can be quickly added to the repository using the existing models as a basis. Additional dynamic models for thermal energy storage concepts can be developed and added to the HYBRID repository as needed. Also detailed in this report are future development goals for the HYBRID repository including adding suites of steady-state models, economic costing information, and reduced-order models. By adding these models in addition to the physical transient models currently existing within HYBRID, HYBRID will be a fully integrable tool for FORCE users.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗