Development of a fluid structure interaction tool based on an actuator line model

Abstract In the present paper the methodology and the procedures for the implicit coupling of an Actuator Line (AL) aerodynamic code with a beam like structural code for the analysis of wind turbine rotors are detailed. Results from benchmark aeroelastic simulations of canonical inflow conditions, comparing the newly developed AL model against a standard Blade Element Momentum (BEM) model are presented in the paper. The two models provide very similar results in simple, uniform inflow, axisymmetric flow cases. The advantages of this newly developed tool emerge when more complex inflow conditions are addressed. In the present paper, besides axial flow conditions, operation under high yaw misalignment is also considered. BEM model accounts for the effect of the wake skewness through the application of an a posteriori engineering correction. Therefore, in this particular non symmetric flow case, deviations between AL and BEM are expected to be higher, especially as yaw misalignment angles increase. In the paper the above differences are assessed and interpreted.