An aeroelastic model is a computer code that programs the configuration and physical properties of a turbine and the nature of the ambient wind flow. The model will predict the loads and stresses in all of the critical components under the specified conditions.

Validating an aeroelastic model involves comparing the computer predictions with measurements from the operating turbine. After achieving this agreement over a range of conditions, the model is considered to be validated. It can then be used with confidence to predict the effects of changing the turbine in any way and how new versions and similar products will perform.

The first step toward validation came in 2021. The successful “pull test” validated our Frequency Response model by providing matching data between the modeling and the field data. The Wind Harvest blog details the story of the test, and the results can be found in this report. Subsequent tests validated the aerodynamic drag, Various Speed control Algorithm Module (VSAM), and braking system. Engineers Dr. Malcolm and Dr. Ajala used the data collected in these tests to further refine the aeroelastic model.

In fall 2023, Wind Harvest’s aeroelastic model was fully validated in a report by Dr. Davis Malcolm, where he found that field data accurately matched the model’s prediction.