Dynamic analysis of a floating vertical axis wind turbine under emergency shutdown using hydrodynamic brake

Abstract

Emergency shutdown is always a challenge for an operating vertical axis wind turbine. A 5-MW vertical axis wind turbine with a Darrieus rotor mounted on a semi-submersible support structure was examined in this study. Coupled non-linear aero-hydro-servo-elastic simulations of the floating vertical axis wind turbine were carried out for emergency shutdown cases over a range of environmental conditions based on correlated wind and wave data. When generator failure happens, a brake should be applied to stop the acceleration of the rotor to prevent the rotor from overspeeding and subsequent disaster. In addition to the traditional mechanical brake, a novel hydrodynamic brake was presented to apply to the shutdown case. The effects of the hydrodynamic brake on the platform motions and structural loads under normal operating conditions and during the emergency shutdown events were evaluated. The use of both the hydrodynamic brake and mechanical brake was also investigated. The application of the hydrodynamic brake is expected to be efficient for rotor shutdown and for reducing the platform motions and structural loads.