W I ND E N G I N E E R I N G V O L U M E 25, N O .

4 , 20 0 1 PP 23 724 8 237

Structure Dynamic Analysis of a Horizontal Axis

Wind Turbine System Using a Modal Analysis
Method
Ye Zhiquan, Ma Haomin, Bao Nengsheng, Chen Yan and Ding Kang
Institute of Energy and Environment Science
Shantou University, Shantou, 5150 63, P.R.China
E-mail: zqye@stu.edu.cn

ABSTRACT
This paper considers the structural dy namic analy sis of horizontal axis wind turbine
(HAW T ) rotor blades. Initiall y a blade from a 300 W m a chine w as used, using both
ex perim ental and theoretical modal analy ses. In the ex perim ents, a DA S (D y namic Signal
A naly sis and F ault Diagnosis Sy stem) was used to ex tra ct m odal parameters by m easuring
vibrations at various locations along the blade surface. A finite element analy sis (F EA )
method was used for the theoretical modal analy sis. C omparison of ex periment and theory
ex plains the low order vibration conditions. The effects of dif ferent constraint conditions of
the F E m odel are discussed. Finally, theoretical m odal analy sis is used to analyze a 600 k W
rotor blade. The results are compared with those calculated using Bladed for W indow s of
G arrad H assan a nd Partners Ltd (U K ), and satisfactory ag reem ent betw een them is
obtained.

K ey w ords: wind turbine, rotor blades, m odal analy sis, F EA

1. INTRODUCTION
The rotor blades of w ind turbines hav e both alternating and stochastic loads causing
inevitable blade vibration. A s structural components of the total flexible kinetic sy stem, the
rotor blades ex perience the dominant vibrations of w ind turbines. Therefore, the analy sis of
the structural dy namic characteristics of rotor blades is vital for the stability and reliability of
wind turbines [1].
In recent years, m odal a naly sis has become an important m ethod for studying the
structural dy namic characteristics of kinetic sy stems, including the m ultiple degrees of
freedom of H AW T rotor blades. Both ex perimental and theoretical m ethods of m odal analy sis
are used.
Ex perim ental m odal analy sis considers the structural dy namic characteristics of a kinetic
sy stem by m easuring and a nalyzing the input and response signals. H owever, for a larg e-scale
rotor blade, there are limits to the size of the ex perim ental test sy stem . In comparison,
theoretical m odal analy sis can be applied m ore easily and w idely, though it is not as direct as
information from ex periments. There are different theoretical m ethods, such as numerical
integral m ethods and finite elem ent analysis ( F EA ). Com monly it is difficult for a high
order sy stem to use a n integral method to calculate modal characteristics. F EA is a m ore
accurate and convenient m ethod, and has been w idely used in the field of structural dy namic
analy sis [2,3].
The w ork of this paper (supported by g rants from the Chinese G overnment) analyzes the
 238 S T R U CT U R E D Y N A M I C A N A LY SI S OF A H O R I Z O NTA L A X I S W I ND T U R B I N E S Y ST E M

structural dy namic chara cteristics of the H AW T blade. Firstly, a rotor blade of a sm all 300W
wind turbine is studied by both ex perim ental and theoretical modal analy ses. W ith the results,
a reasonable computational model of F EA is g ained. Then using this model, the structural
dy namic characteristics of a large-scale rotor blade of a 600 k W H AW T are studied.

2. EXPERIMENTAL MODAL ANALYSIS

In ex perim ental m odal a naly sis, the rotor blade natural frequencies a nd m ode shapes are
obtained by measuring and analy zing the input and response signals on the tested kinetic
sy stem using a dy namic sig nal analy tic sy stem.

2.1 Dynamic Signal Analysis

W hen an exciting force is input, the response signals of the rotor blade can be ex pressed as
follow s:

(1)

w here F j is the exciting force placed on point j and x i is the displacem ent response of point
i, h ij is the complex frequency response function w hich can be ex pressed:

(2)

It m eans that h ij can be obtained by analyzing the m easured values of F j and x i . The
analy tical processes are show n below.
The transfer function of the sy stem is G (s) = (s2M + sC + K ) -1. It can be ex pressed as follow s:

(3)

w here
M p = modal mass m atrix , after uncoupling;
C p = modal damping matrix , after uncoupling;
K p = modal toughness matrix , after uncoupling;
F = m ode sha pe m atrix ;
f i
= mode shape;

F rom Equation (3), w e obtained

(4)
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The m odal para meters can be analyzed either only from the real part or the im aginary
part of H (v ). In this ex periment w e use the im aginary part,for analy ses. The imaginary part
of the response function of th mode in complex frequency domain can be ex pressed a s:

(5)

w herer H 0 (jv ) presents the other modal effects on this m ode. are constants determined by
the m odal param eters.
Because an acceleration sensor is used in this ex periment, Equation (5) is translated into a
formulation of a cceleration response.

(6)

The imaginary part of Equation (6) is

(7)

If sampling frequency is v k , mean square error has the form of:

(8)

w here
k
= H i Hik , the error;
ek = the w eighting error;
k = sample point, (k = 1,2,,m)

So A , B, C, D can be obtained by calculating the partial derivative of the form ulations below :

Then, using Equation (4) and Equation (5), the m odal param eters are computed.

2.2 Experimental Setup

1) The Rotor Blade
The model tested w as a rotor blade of a F D 2-300 wind turbine. The rotor blade is m ade of glass
fiber reinforced plastic material. The main characteristics of this rotor are: rotor diam eter 2m ,
rated power 300 W, rated rotational speed 400 rpm , airfoil NACA 632x x . The detailed rotor
blade parameters are show n in Table 1 and the m aterial chara cteristics of the blade a re show n
in table 2.
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Table 1. Rotor blade parameters

section chord/mm twist/deg radius of Leading airfoil
Edge/mm
1 123.4 16.55 3.27 NACA632xx
2 116.4 12.00 3.08
3 109.3 7.14 2.90
4 102.2 3.78 2.17
5 95.2 1.98 2.02
6 88.1 1.26 1.87
7 81.1 0.93 1.29
8 74.0 0.61 1.18
9 66.9 0.35 1.07
10 59.9 0.18 0.65
11 52.8 0.00 0.57

Table 2 Material characteristics of the rotor blade (YEW - 7808/5)

Mass Density/(kg/m3) 1,950
Poissons Ratio 0.300
Modulus of Elasticity/GPa 42.6
Shear Modulus of Elasticity/GPa 9.5

In the test, the root of the rotor blade is fixed flatly (elem ents 1..4) and the tip (elements
41..44) is a free end. Input signals a re placed on the tip of the rotor blade. The response sig nals
at various locations along the blade surface a re tested. The testing locations are placed on
points w hich are most important in representing the outline of the rotor blade. In the
ex perim ent, four test points per section are chosen. The first a nd the fourth point on every
section are located on the trailing and leading edges of the section respectively. The second
point and the third point are located on the points of 5/ 8 chord and 1/ 4 chord from the leading
edge, as show n in Fig.1.

Figure 1. Distribution of the test points on rotor blade. Blade tip elements 41-44.

2.2 Test System

The rotor blade w as tested in the D y namic Signal A nalysis a nd F ault Diag nosis Sy stem (D A S)
developed in Shantou U niversity [4]. We use the diagnosis sy stem to analyze the dy namic
mode of rotor blade.
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Figure 2. Diagrammatic sketch of the test setup

Figure 2 show s the diag ramm atic sk etch of the test setup. It should be noticed that the
excitation point must not be placed on the node of the low order natural frequency. The modal
parameters are obtained by m easuring a nd analyzing the input and response signals on the
tested kinetic sy stem . In order to test the reliability of the results, the coherence function
between the response and the input signals is monitored. In the ex perim ent, the value of
coherence function of each natural frequency is larger than 0.9. The coherence function is
defined as:

(9)

w here G x x (f), is the a uto-spectrum of the input signal and G yy (f) is the auto-spectrum of the
output signal G x y (f) is the cross-spectrum of the input and output signals.

2.3 Results
There are 6 order m odes of the 300W rotor blade within the frequency range from 2 H z to 400
Hz. The mode sha pes and the modal param eters of frequencies, dam ping ratios are show n in
Figure 3 and table 3. The damping ratio is defined as follow s.

(10)

w here, n [1/ s] is attenuation coefficient v i [1/ s] is natural frequency. c [k g/ s] is dam ping

coefficient. m [k g] is m ass of the blade.
Fig.3 show s that the m ode shapes a re flapwise vibration (bending) from m ode 1 to mode 3.
Torsional vibration appears in mode 4 to m ode 6. Only in m ode 5 is the main vibration
torsional. A ccording to theory, the dominant vibrational energ y is stored in the first and the
second orders. Therefore flapwise vibration is the main vibrational mode of this rotor blade.

(a) mode 1 (b) mode 2

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(c) mode 3 (d) mode 4

(e) mode 5 (f) mode 6

Figure 3. The mode shape of mode 1 to mode 6. Blade tips to the right of each figure.

The damping ratio of high order has little effect on the characteristics of the m ode. The
damping ratio decreases with the increasing of the frequency (Table 3). W hen the order of
mode is larger than 3, the dam ping ratio of the m ode is less than 1%.

Table 3. The modal parameters of the 300W rotor blade

Mode Frequency/Hz Damping Ratio/%
1 18.512 3.252
2 57.633 3.543
3 129.330 1.652
4 240.146 0.731
5 341.694 0.984
6 385.584 0.543

3. THEORETICAL MODAL ANALYSIS

3.1 Theoretical Model
The equations of motion of the rotor blade is

(11)

W here, M, C , K represent the m ass m atrix , the damping m atrix and the stiffness m atrix of
the kinetic sy stem. X is the displacem ent response vector, and F is the exciting force vector. In
the complex frequency domain, the transformed formulation becomes:

(12)

These are a coupled equation set. By using a modal a naly sis method, Equation (12) can be
translated into independent equations that are not coupled w ith each other. The independent
equation of the mode of the r th order is

(13)

The modal para meters can be obtained by calculating these independent equations
separately.
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In this paper, a F EA m ethod is used for the theoretical m odal analy sis. W ith the blade
model and theoretical g rid established, the calculation m odule of structural dy namic analy sis
is developed using the software Blade D esign for W indow s, a H AW T aerody namic and
structure CA D software developed in Shantou U niversity. By analyzing the blade m odel
created, A lg or-F E A S, F EA softw are for la rg e-scale [5,6], is used to compute the m ode
parameters of the 300 W rotor blade.

3.2 FEA Module

A calculating m odule for structural dy namic analy sis is developed in Bla de D esign for
W indow s. The structural dy namic module of the software is a fore-processing progra m by
w hich the F E model of the rotor blade can be m odeled and m eshed easily. The flow chart of
the structural dy namic module is show n in Fig.4. R eferring to the a xis of the rotor blade in the
span direction, the F E model is m eshed in spanwise, radial and tangential directions.

Open Project

Input the Airfoils of Sections

If having inside Yes Input the material

structure parameters

No

Input the Mesh Number in

Three Directions

Graphics File of the Rotor Blade

End
(The Graphics File will be
Processed in Algor-FEAS)

Figure 4. The flow chart of the structural dy namic module

W hen the m eshed model graphics is entered into A lgor-F EA S, the Linear Mode Shapes
and Natural F requencies calculating method is used to analyze the m ode of the rotor blade.
W ith the characteristic of the rotor blade as a solid and flexible structure, an eig ht-noded brick
element is chosen. The constraint condition of the root section of the rotor blade is sim plified
so that the w hole surface of the root section is fixed. Figure 5 (a ) and (b) a re the meshes of the
rotor blade viewed from different directions.
24 4 S T R U CT U R E D Y N A M I C A N A LY SI S OF A H O R I Z O NTA L A X I S W I ND T U R B I N E S Y ST E M

(a) View from Y direction (b) View from Z direction

Figure 5 The FE mesh sketch of the rotor blade

3.3 Results
Table 4 show s that flapwise vibration is the m ain vibration in all five modes. Close inspection
by the authors of the m ag nified flapwise vibration showed that there is a little torsional
vibration in mode 4 and mode 5, and a little edgewise vibration in modes 3, 4 a nd 5. W hen the
orders of the modes a re less than 3, there is only flapwise vibration in the mode shape.
Torsional and edgewise vibrations only have a little effect on high orders of mode. The energ y
of the torsional and edgewise vibrations of the rotor blade is far less than that of the flapwise
vibration.

Table 4. The natural frequency and mode shape

(a)- natural frequency
modal 1 2 3 4 5
frequency
(Hz) 18.408 61.941 97.258 144.564 230.795
(b) - flapwise model shape

mode shape
(flapwise)

(c)-edgewise model shape

mode shape
(edgewise)
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3.4 Comparison and discussion

Compared with the results of the ex perim ental modal a naly sis of the 300 W rotor blade, the
F E theoretical m odal analy sis is reasonable for the lower order vibration conditions. If the
difference between the ex perim ental a nd theoretical values is called the error, then, the
errors of the natural frequency of mode 1 and m ode 2 are less than 8% as show in table 4.
Though there are som e errors and uncertainties from ex perimental sy stem, the D A S has been
testified to be a reliable measurement sy stem to +/ 1%, and has been applied successfully in
many vibration and mode measurem ents. More detailed discussions can be found in [7].
Because an approxim ate linear calculation model is applied in F EA , the errors (i.e. the
differences) increased with the increasing of the order of m odes. The errors of the modes are
show n in table 5. The hig her m ode is less useful to the w ind turbine sy stem . To the order higher
than two, the natural frequencies of theoretically calculated m ethod a re less than that of the
ex perimental m ethod, and the differences are increase w ith the increasing of the order of
modes.

Table 5. Comparisons of the different mode analysis results for 300 W rotor blade
Mode experimental natural Calculated natural Error
frequency (Hz ) frequency (Hz)
1 18.512 18.408 -0.56 %
2 57.633 61.941 7.5 %
3 129.330 97.258 -24.8 %

The different constraint conditions will effect the calculated results. Com pared w ith fixing
half of the root section surface, the constraint condition of fixing the w hole surface is a m ore
reasonable sim plification of the rotor blade.

4. LARGE-SCALE ROTOR BLADE

4.1 FEA Modal Analysis of 600 kW Rotor Blade
The m odal characteristics of a large-scale rotor blade of 600 k W HAW T are now analyzed
using the theoretically calculated modal a naly sis method. The rated power of the rotor is 600
k W and the rated rotational speed is 27 rpm . The design parameters of the rotor blade are
referred to the blade LM19 tak en from LM Glasfiber A / S Company,1999, [8]. The blade has an
inner tendon structure with two tendons and the m aterial characteristics of the tendons, as
show in figure 6, are the same as the rotor blade. The airfoils of the rotor blade a re NACA 634x x
and F FA -W x x series. The material characteristics of the 600 k W rotor blade is the sam e a s that
of the 300 W rotor blade.

Figure 6 Inner-tendon Structure Diagram of the Blade

The calculated results are show n in table 5. Com pared w ith the 300 W rotor blade, the 600
k W rotor blade is m ore slender and the natural frequency of each m ode is lower. The m ode
shapes indicate that flapwise vibration is still the m ain vibration in all six m odes. Torsional
vibration appears in m ode 4 to mode 6, and it is obvious in the mode shapes of m ode 5 and
mode 6.
24 6 S T R U CT U R E D Y N A M I C A N A LY SI S OF A H O R I Z O NTA L A X I S W I ND T U R B I N E S Y ST E M

F or a larg e-scale w ind turbine, the natural frequency of mode 1 is relatively low. It is
im portant for w ind turbine to a v oid opera ting a t a rotational speed near the natural
frequencies of the low m ode [9]. In the 600 k W m achine case, the natural frequency of mode 1
(6.204 H z) is far higher than that of rated rotational speed 27 rpm (0.450 H z). The rotor blades
and the tower a re the m ain components of the unit. The stiffness of the tower, w hich is
manufactured with a steel structure, is usually more rigid than that of the blades. It is
acceptable therefore for coupling the rotor blades and tower sy stem.

4.2 Comparison Results Between Two Design Software

The results calculated by both Bl aded for W indow s, an integrated software pack ag e for w ind
turbine performance and loading calculations developed by G a rrad Hassan and Partners Ltd
(UK ), and our software Bl ade Desig n for W indow s are compared. The representation of w ind
turbine structural dy namics within Bl aded for W indows is based on a modal model. The finite
element model of the rotor is based on the use of 2D beam elem ents to describe the m ass and
stiffness properties of the rotor blades. The bending stiffness is defined in local flapwise and
edgewise directions at each radial station [10]. The differences between tw o results are show n
in Table 6 and figure 7.

Table 6. The results calculated by Bladed for Windows and Blade Design for Windows
mode Natural frequency of Natural frequency of Difference
B la d ed fo r W in d ow s (H z ) B la d eD e s ig n fo r W ind o w s (H z )
1 6.385 6.204 2.91%
2 16.918 17.712 4.48%
3 27.685 27.183 1.83%
4 44.125 43.102 2.33%
5 77.051 76.966 0.11%

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 2 3 4 5

The results of Blade Design for Windows

The results of Bladed for Windows

Figure 7. Comparison of the different calculated results

The calculated results using the two software m ethods ag ree fairly w ell. The ma xim um
difference between the tw o curves is less than 5% and the mode sha pe is similar for each m ode.

5. CONCLUSIONS
Avoiding sy m pathetic vibration is an especially important problem in designing larg e-scale
W I ND E N G I N E E R I N G V O L U M E 25, N O . 4 , 20 0 1 24 7

wind turbines. Therefore both ex perim ental and theoretical m ethods are used to study the
structural dy namic characteristics of rotor blades. By comparing the results of the tw o
methods for a relatively small blade, a reasonable F E m odel for theoretical m odal analy sis
w as justified for the low order vibration conditions. The theoretical method w as then used to
analyze the characteristics of a large blade from a 600 k W capacity turbine.
The natural frequencies of flapwise vibrations are lower than that of the torsional
vibration; flapwise vibration is the m ain vibra tion of the rotor blade. The damping ratios of the
modes decrease with increasing order of modes. The damping ratios have little effect on the
vibration chara cteristics of hig her order m odes.
A F EA m ethod is used to a nalyze a 600 k W rotor blade. The results are compared w ith
those calculated using Bl aded for W indows by G a rrad H assan and Partners Ltd. (U K ), and
satisfa ctory ag reem ent between them is obtained.

ACKNOWLEDEMENTS
The authors a cknowledge with gratitude that the w ork of this paper w as supported by grants
from the Chinese G overnment, listed a s NSF C 59976020,50076023, 863 program and NSF G
990790.

NOMENCLATURE
Fi exciting force placed on point j
Xi displacem ent response of point i
h ij complex frequency response function
Mp modal m ass matrix , after uncoupling;
Cp modal damping matrix , after uncoupling;
Kp modal toughness matrix , after uncoupling;
F mode shape matrix ;
f i
mode shape;
v k sa mpling frequency
M mass m atrix of the kinetic sy stem
C damping ma trix of the kinetic sy stem
z damping ratio
c damping coefficient
m mass of the blade
n attenuation coefficient
K stiffness matrix of the kinetic sy stem
X displacem ent response vector
F exciting force vector
v frequency of the sy stem

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24 8 S T R U CT U R E D Y N A M I C A N A LY SI S OF A H O R I Z O NTA L A X I S W I ND T U R B I N E S Y ST E M

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