Measured aerodynamic forces on a full scale 2MW turbine in comparison with EllipSys3D and HAWC2 simulations

Design loads on turbines are normally simulated with an aeroelastic model using an engineering BEM type model with the turbulent inflow generated with a turbulence model like the Mann model. There are several fundamental uncertainties in this approach, e.g. how well the unsteady induction in response to the turbulent flow is computed.

However, within the last few years full 3D CFD rotor computations with turbulent inflow have been performed which can provide detailed insight into this complex load response. In the present work we present computations with the EllipSys3D solver on the 80m diameter NM80 turbine used in the DANAERO project where surface pressure measurements at four radial positions were conducted.

The aerodynamic loads integrated from the pressure distributions have been derived and compared with computations by the aeroelastic code HAWC2. Overall a very good correlation is found by comparing PSD spectra of the measured sectional blade forces with HAWC2 simulations using specific flow input from the meteorology mast at six heights.

In another comparison using purely turbulent inflow for the simulations on the NM80 rotor some deviations between the force spectra are found between EllipSys3D results and HAWC2 simulations at the inboard part of the blade and at high frequencies.