Design and optimization of smart wind turbines to vibration control and structural monitoring - SWinT

General Information

Project title: Design and optimization of smart wind turbines to vibration control and structural monitoring

Duration time: 24 months. Start date: 2023-04, end date: 2025-03

Project acronym: SWinT

Principal Investigator: Dr. Marcela Rodrigues Machado,

                                    e-mail: marcela.rodrigues-machado@pbs.edu.pl, mromarcela@gmail.com

                                   website: marcela-machado

A statement on the source of funding: This research is part of the project No. 2022/45/P/ST8/02123 co-funded by the National Science Centre and the European Union Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 945339.

Project location: The research project is carried out at the Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology

Website: https://swint.pbs.edu.pl/pl/

Project information

Introduction: A reliable power supply is crucial for the sustainable development of any economy, and as the world increasingly focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, investment in renewable energy sources has seen significant growth. Among these sources, wind energy has emerged as a key technology to reduce dependence on coal, oil, and gas while opening doors to substantial investment opportunities in the near future. However, wind turbines continue to face challenges, particularly in dealing with vibrations. This research project aims to address these limitations by utilizing metamaterials and smart metastructures to enhance vibration control and monitoring in wind turbines.

Enhancing Vibration Control: Despite numerous control strategies, vibrations remain a persistent issue in wind turbines. To overcome this challenge, the project proposes the use of metamaterials and smart structures that offer enhanced vibration control, mitigation, and integrity monitoring. By leveraging mechanical and electromechanical resonators, along with electronic shunt circuits for passive control, these innovative solutions aim to optimize the design and performance of wind turbines.

Optimization and Efficiency: A key objective of this research project is to explore and develop optimized topologies for resonating shunt circuits and mechanical absorbers. This optimization is geared towards achieving improved efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and wide-ranging applications for these metamaterials in vibration control and stabilization of wind turbines. By harnessing the potential of smart metastructures, the research aims to enhance the overall performance of wind turbine systems.

Monitoring and Detection: In addition to vibration control, the proposed smart metastructures have the capability to monitor system vibrations and elastic waves and aid in the detection of discontinuities and malfunctions. This integrated monitoring system holds immense value for ensuring the reliability and functionality of wind turbines while also contributing to predictive maintenance practices.

Industrial Applications and Collaborative Research: This project seeks to establish a multidisciplinary research group dedicated to developing the next generation of smart-wind turbines. The aim is to address the challenges of broadband vibration mitigation, control, and monitoring within the industrial sector. By collaborating with experts and stakeholders, this project strives to bridge the gap between research and implementation.

The research and development of smart wind turbines using metamaterials and smart metastructures for vibration control, mitigation, and monitoring are undergoing significant progress. At the conclusion of this project, a research-level technology readiness level (TRL-3) is expected to be achieved, bringing us closer to the reality of reliable and efficient wind turbine systems that contribute to a sustainable future. By pushing the boundaries of wind turbine technology, this research project aims to unlock new possibilities for renewable energy and pave the way for a greener and cleaner future.

Work Plan

Justification for the pioneering nature of the project

Metamaterials are a fascinating class of functional materials with engineered topology that possess unique and enhanced material properties. Over the years, metamaterials have found applications in various fields, such as vibration and noise control, acoustic cloaking, seismic shields, acoustic wave lensing, and wave trapping. By leveraging the mechanical or electromechanical absorbers arranged in a periodic pattern, metamaterials can induce a stopband or bandgap, effectively suspending vibrations.

Despite numerous control strategies developed for wind turbines (WT), there is a noticeable lack of research focusing on using metamaterials as a base for control. In response to this gap, our research project is dedicated to the broadband vibration mitigation of wind turbines, aiming to develop new designs that harness the potential of metamaterials and smart metamaterials.

Concept and Work Plan

The key design objectives and steps outlined in our project plan are as follows:

WP1: Design and optimize a meta-turbine involving metamaterials to broadband suppress vibrations in one or multiple frequency ranges simultaneously.

The goal of this objective is to explore the use of metamaterials to design a wind turbine that can effectively suppress vibrations over a wide range of frequencies. By carefully engineering the properties of the metamaterials, we can achieve broadband vibration mitigation, leading to improved turbine performance and longevity.

WP2: Design a smart meta-turbine including programmable metamaterials (smart metastructures) to broadband suppress vibrations in one or multiple frequency ranges simultaneously.

Building upon the principles of metamaterials, this objective focuses on developing a wind turbine design that incorporates programmable metamaterials or smart metastructures. These structures possess the ability to dynamically adjust their material properties in response to changing conditions, allowing for adaptive and efficient vibration suppression across multiple frequency ranges.

WP3: Design and optimize a smart meta-turbine based on rainbow programmable metamaterials.

In this objective, we aim to take the concept of programmable metamaterials to the next level by exploring the potential of rainbow programmable metamaterials. These advanced metamaterials possess a unique ability to control and manipulate the propagation of different frequencies of vibrations, enabling precise and effective broadband vibration mitigation in wind turbines.

WP4: Develop a programmable smart turbine to monitor the vibration response signature of WT.

The final objective focuses on developing a programmable smart turbine that can continuously monitor the response signature of the wind turbine. By integrating sensors and data analytics capabilities, this smart turbine will provide valuable insights into the performance and health condition of the turbine, enabling proactive maintenance and maximizing its operational efficiency.

Through the pursuit of these design objectives, our research project aims to push the boundaries of wind turbine technology by harnessing the potential of metamaterials and smart metamaterials. By effectively mitigating vibrations and improving turbine performance, we envision a future where wind energy becomes even more sustainable and reliable.

Stay tuned for updates on our progress as we work towards revolutionizing wind turbine design and contributing to advancing renewable energy.