Reconstruction and reduction of uncertainties in aeroelastic systems

Abstract

The growing demand for energy worldwide has resulted in the exploration and
development of sustainable forms of energy, such as wind energy. Wind turbines
are typically used to extract power from the wind through the rotational motion
of blades, which are aeroelastic structures. Among other practical examples, aircraft wings are also aeroelastic in nature. Aeroelastic structures suffer from inherent instabilities and fatigue, and hence their design process requires characterisation of safe operating regimes in order to prevent failure. In this dissertation, we present a methodology for predicting dynamic aeroelastic behaviour, and additionally employing data from experiments to improve predictions. The methodology is demonstrated on three test-cases: a 2-DoF airfoil, the Goland wing and an experimental, downwind, wind turbine. The presented method is generic in terms of applicability to any aeroelastic problem, however considering the engineering and societal relevance, the wind turbine problem is extensively investigated. The dissertation contributes to three broad scientific domains - aeroelasticity, reduced ordermodelling and uncertainty quantification.