Distributed On-Blade Control for Enhanced Wind Turbine Performance

Wind turbines have a need to improve both their overall efficiency and reliability if they are to compete successfully with alternate energy sources on a cost-per-kilowatt hour basis. High efficiency operation typically requires some form of adaptation of the turbine to variable wind speed conditions, while enhanced reliability can be realized through improvements in the turbine rotor and support structure fatigue life. Both of these areas may be addressed through a novel application of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators to provide on-blade aerodynamic control to wind turbine rotor systems. A DOE-sponsored effort is described that evaluated the effectiveness and feasibility of this new design and control strategy, and combined advanced rotor aeroelastic performance prediction tools with considerable corporate experience in SMA-based aerospace actuator development. This work has resulted in a preprototype system concept suitable for continued development in a follow-on research program.