For large-scale 5MW offshore wind turbines, the discrete equation of fluid domain and the motion equation of structural domain with geometric nonlinearity were built, the three-dimensional modeling of the blade considering fluidstructure interaction (FSI) was achieved by using Unigraphics (UG) and Geometry modules, and the numerical simulation and the analysis of the vibration characteristics for wind turbine structure under rotating effect were carried out based on ANSYS software. The results indicate that the rotating effect has an apparent effect on displacement and Von Mises stress, and the response and the distribution of displacement and Von Mises stress for the blade in direction of wingspan increase nonlinearly with the equal increase of rotational speeds. Compared with the single blade model, the blade vibration period of the whole machine model is much longer. The structural coupling effect reduces the response peak value of the blade displacement and Von Mises stress, and the increase of rotational speed enhances this coupling effect. The maximum displacement difference between two models decreases first and then increases along wingspan direction, the trend is more visible with the equal increase of rotational speed, and the boundary point with zero displacement difference moves towards the blade root. Furthermore, the Von Mises stress difference increases gradually with the increase of rotational speed and decreases nonlinearly from the blade middle to both sides. The results can provide technical reference for the safe operation and optimal design of offshore wind turbines.

In this study, the impact of roof slope on the flow characteristics over low-sloped gable roofs was investigated using steady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations based on a k-ω SST turbulence model. A measurement database of the flow field over a scaled model of 15° was created using particle image velocimetry (PIV). Sensitivity analyses for the grid resolutions and turbulence models were performed. Among the three common Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations (RANS) models, the k-ω SST model exhibited a better performance, followed by the RNG model and then the realizable k- model. Next, the flow properties over the differently sloped (0° to 25°) building models were determined. It was found that the effect of roof slope on the flow characteristics was identified by changing the position and size of the separation bubbles, 15° was found to be approximately the sensitive slope at which the distribution of the separation bubbles changed significantly. Additionally, it is suggested additional attention focused on the distributions of the negative pressure on the windward surfaces (especially 5° and 10° roofs) and the possible snow redistribution on the leeward surfaces.

Proper understanding of offshore wind speed variability is of essential importance in practice, which provides useful information to a wide range of coastal and marine activities. In this paper, long-term wind speed data recorded at various offshore stations are analyzed in the framework of fractal dimension analysis. Fractal analysis is a well-established data analysis tool, which is particularly suitable to determine the complexity in time series from a quantitative point of view. The fractal dimension is estimated using the conventional box-counting method. The results suggest that the wind speed data are generally fractals, which are likely to exhibit a persistent nature. The mean fractal dimension varies from 1.31 at an offshore weather station to 1.43 at an urban station, which is mainly associated with surface roughness condition. Monthly variability of fractal dimension at offshore stations is well-defined, which often possess larger values during hotter months and lower values during winter. This is partly attributed to the effect of thermal instability. In addition, with an increase in measurement interval, the mean and minimum fractal dimension decrease, whereas the maximum and coefficient of variation increase in parallel.

Despite that the failure of sign structure may not have disastrous consequence, its sheer number still ensures the need for rigorous safety standard to regulate their maintenance and construction. During its service life, a sign structure is subject to extensive wind load, sometimes well over its permissible design load. A fragility analysis of a sign structure offers a tool for rational decision making and safety evaluation by using a probabilistic framework to consider the various sources of uncertainty that affect its performance. Wind fragility analysis was used to determine the performance of sign structure based on the performance of its connection components. In this study, basic wind fragility concepts and data required to support the fragility analysis of the sign structure such as sign panel's parameters, connection component's parameters, as well as wind load parameters were presented. Fragility and compound fragility analysis showed disparity between connection component. Additionally, reinforcement of the connection system was introduced as an example of the utilization of wind fragility results in the retrofit decision making.

In this study, wind data such as speeds, loads and potential of Mugla which is located in the southwest of Turkey were statistically analyzed. The wind data which consists of hourly wind speed between 2010 and 2013 years, was measured at the 10-meters height in four different ground stations (Datca, Fethiye, Marmaris, Koycegiz). These stations are operated by The Turkish State Meteorological Service (T.S.M.S). Furthermore, wind data was analyzed by using Log-Normal and Gamma distributions, since these distributions fit better than Weibull, Normal, Exponential and Logistic distributions. Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and the coefficients of the goodness of fit (R2) were also determined by using statistical analysis. According to the results, extreme wind speed in the research area was 33 m/s at the Datca station. The effective wind load at this speed is 0.68 kN/m2. The highest mean power densities for Datca, Fethiye, Marmaris and Koycegiz were found to be 46.2, 1.6, 6.5 and 2.2 W/m2 , respectively. Also, although Log-normal distribution exhibited a good performance i.e., lower AD (Anderson – Darling statistic (AD) values) values, Gamma distribution was found more suitable in the estimation of wind speed and power of the region.

In this paper, a new algorithm for active control design of structures is proposed and investigated. The algorithm preserves the decoupling property of the modal vibration equation and eliminates the spillover problem, which is the main shortcoming in the independent modal space control (IMSC) algorithm. With linear quadratic regulator(LQR) control law, the analytical solution of algebraic Riccati equation and the optimal actuator control force are obtained, and the control design procedure is significantly simplified . A numerical example for the control design of a tall building subjected to wind loads demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in reducing the acceleration and displacement responses of tall buildings under wind actions.

The aircraft industry supports aviation by building aircraft and manufacturing aircraft parts for their maintenance. Fuel economization is one of the biggest concerns in the aircraft industry. The reduction in specific fuel consumption of aircraft can be achieved by a variety of means, simplest and more effective is the one to impose minor modifications in the aircraft main wing or the parts which are exposed to the air flow. This method can lead to a reduction in aerodynamic resistance offered by the air and have a smoother flight. The main objective of this study is to propose geometric design modifications on an existing aircraft wing which acts as a vortex generator and it can reduce the drag and increase lift to drag ratio, leading to lower fuel consumption. The NACA 2412 aircraft wing is modified and designed. Rigorous flow analysis is carried out using computational fluid dynamics based software Ansys Fluent. Results show that saw tooth modification to the main wing shows the best aerodynamic efficiency as compared to other modifications.

This paper presents a method of estimation of fatigue demands on connection bolts of tubular steel wind turbine towers. The presented method relies on numerical simulation of aerodynamic loads and structural behavior of bolted connections modeled using finite element method. Variability of wind parameters is represented by a set of values derived from their probability densities, which are adjusted based on field measurements. Numerically generated stress time-series show agreement with the measurements from strain gauges inside bolts, in terms of power spectra and the resulting damage. Position of each bolt has a determining effect on its fatigue damage. The proposed framework for fatigue life estimation represents the complexities in loading and local behavior of the structure. On the other hand, the developed procedure is computationally efficient since it requires a limited number of simulations for statistically representing the wind variations.

This paper presents a method of estimation of fatigue demands on connection bolts of tubular steel wind turbine towers. The presented method relies on numerical simulation of aerodynamic loads and structural behavior of bolted connections modeled using finite element method. Variability of wind parameters is represented by a set of values derived from their probability densities, which are adjusted based on field measurements. Numerically generated stress time-series show agreement with the measurements from strain gauges inside bolts, in terms of power spectra and the resulting damage. Position of each bolt has a determining effect on its fatigue damage. The proposed framework for fatigue life estimation represents the complexities in loading and local behavior of the structure. On the other hand, the developed procedure is computationally efficient since it requires a limited number of simulations for statistically representing the wind variations.

Advancements in materialistic life styles and increasing awareness about adverse climatic changes and its negative effects on human life have been the driving force of finding new and clean sources of energy. Wind power has become technologically mature and commercially acceptable on global scale. However, fossil fuels have been the major sources of energy in most countries, renewable energy (particularly wind) is now booming worldwide. To cope with this wind energy technology, various related aspects have to be understood by the scientific, engineering, utility, and contracting communities. This study is an effort towards the understanding of the (i) wind turbine blade and tower structural stability issues, (ii) turbine blade and tower failures and remedial measures, (iii) weather and seismic effects on turbine blade and tower failures, (iv) gear box failures, and (v) turbine blade and tower failure analysis tools.