NREL phase VI rotor modeling issues

Wind & Water Structural Analysis
1

Dear Sir,

   My research topic is "Development of small wind turbines". For structural validation, NREL Phase VI rotor was taken as a reference  and referred many articles related to this section.

    I need your kind suggestions for my blade structural modelling. While modelling blade cross section should be hollow at given thickness, which cannot be able to perform in CREO(modelling software).  kindly help me regarding this in order to proceed my research work.

    Please  suggest some techniques for modeling of blade with structural members like spar caps and webs at inside the shell portion.

thank you

Karthikeyan

2

Dear Karthikeyan,

I’m not really sure I understand your question, but FAST needs as input beam-type properties of the blades. There are a number of sectional-analysis tools e.g. VABS, BECAS, NuMAD/BPE, PreComp, etc. that can be used to calculate the equivalent beam properties from the composite layup, webs, spar caps etc. (PreComp is limited to calculating 4x4 mass and stiffness matrices; it can’t calculate the full 6x6 that the other tools can).

That said, the blades in the NREL Phase VI rotor are very rigid, so aero-elastic effects tend to be minimal.

Best regards,