Wind Turbine Aeroelastic Modeling: Basics and Cutting Edge Trends

Table 2

Comparison of aeroelastic codes for wind turbine.

Name of the code	Started	Developer	Aerodynamic model	Structural model	Description
GH Bladed	1996	Garrad Hassan and Partners Ltd	BEM theory	Modal approach	Since 1999 this tool extended for offshore application with monopile or gravity-based foundations. The late version is capable of modeling and analyzing both onshore and offshore wind turbine with variety of support specification.
HAWC2	2003–2006	Risø National Laboratory; Technical University of Denmark	BEM theory	Multibody dynamics	It is a successor for HAWEC tool (which utilizes FE method using substructure approach with Timoshenko-beam elements for structural modeling); HAWEC2 is a time domain, more comprehending tool. The aerodynamic model is modified to handle dynamic inflow, dynamic stall, skew inflow, shear effects on the induction, and effects from large deflection.
ADAMS/WT	—	Mechanical Dynamics, Inc. under contract of NREL	BEM theory	Multibody dynamics	ADAMS/WT is replaced with FAST-to-ADAMS Preprocessor. A plug-in AdWiMo and AeroDyn with A2AD interface can also be integrated with multibody software ADAMS/solver to model and simulate.
Alcyone	—	Center for Renewable Energy Source & NTUA	BEM theory	FEM	National Technical University of Athens developed Alcyone (free wake) with  free wake panel method, which also includes a simulator of turbulent wind fields, time domain aeroelastic analysis of the full wind turbine configuration, and postprocessing of loads for fatigue analysis.
TURBU	2007	ECN of the Netherlands	BEM theory	Multibody dynamics	It is a frequency domain, linearized aerohydroservoelastic code and the active aeroelastic control code.
DUWECD	1986	TU Delft	BEM theory	Multibody dynamics	In 1993 it was modified to model offshore wind turbine and later to include wave loads.
FAST	—	Oregon State University under contract of NREL	BEM theory	Modal approach	This tool has much less runtime. In 1996, NREL has modified FAST to use the AeroDyn subroutine package developed at the University of Utah to calculate the aerodynamic forces along the blade.
FLEX5	—	DTU	BEM theory	Modal approach	It is time domain aeroelastic simulation tool and uses relatively fewer degree of freedom to model the turbine.
FLEXLAST	1982	Stork Product Engineering	BEM theory	Multibody dynamic	Since 1992 this code has been used as design and certification tool.
PHATAS	1993	ECN of the Netherlands	BEM theory	Multibody dynamic	To determine the nonlinear dynamic behavior and the corresponding loads of a horizontal-axis, wind turbine (both onshore and offshore) in time domain.
TWISTER	1983	Stentec B.V, The Netherlands	BEM theory	FEM	Initially it is used to be called FKA; since 1991, it supports scholastic wind field simulation.
VIDYN	1983	Teknikgruppen AB, Sollentuna, Sweden	BEM theory	Modal approach	It is started as part of the evaluation projects concerning two large, Swedish prototypes Maglarp and Nassuden.