Backup mandate Research Council: The CO-simulation of UNsTeady aERodynamics (COUNTER) Integrating wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations to a deeper level: A novel methodology using structured data-driven models (OZR3821)

An important challenge in the design of new wind turbines is the accurate prediction of the unsteady aerodynamic and hydrodynamic loads on the turbine rotor and the tower. Where before wind tunnel experiments were used to determine the aerodynamics of turbine rotors, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations have largely overtaken that key role in the last few decades. Contrary to structural analysis, where finite-element model updating through experimental testing is common, there is no framework to formally link numerical data from CFD and experimental data from wind tunnel tests (WTT). However, a clear framework to unite CFD and WTT into a co-simulation model would provide better intuitive insight and offer a more efficient numerical tool for design optimisation and real-time control.
The main objective of this project is to develop a novel methodology to effectively integrate medium-fidelity CFD and wind tunnel experiments into a co-simulation approach for the study of complex, unsteady, nonlinear aerodynamics, through the smart use of structured data fusion and nonlinear data-driven modelling techniques. The project will focus on two canonical systems that are representative for the typical unsteady aerodynamics loads on wind turbines: a pitching wing and a cylinder oscillating transversely to the flow.
This project will have an important impact in the field of fluid dynamics where unsteady aerodynamics play a key role, such as in wind energy.

Keywords:smart integration, structured data fusion

Disciplines:Aerodynamics