The aeroelastic response of the IEA 15-MW wind turbine's blades impinged by a turbulent inflow

This study investigates the aeroelastic response of the IEA 15-MW offshore wind turbine under turbulent inflow conditions, using a high-fidelity Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) solver that couples Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Computational Structural Dynamics (CSD). By implementing a two-way coupling, this solver integrates Large Eddy Simulation (LES) for the aerodynamic field with a linear modal approach for blade deformation, modeled as cantilever beams. The Actuator Line Model (ALM) represents the rotor, while the tower and nacelle effects are included via the immersed boundary method. Simulations compare the aeroelastic responses under laminar and turbulent inflows, analyzing blade deformation, aerodynamic forces, and wake dynamics. Results reveal that inlet turbulence induces significant high-frequency oscillations in aerodynamic loads and out-of-plane deformations, which could affect blade longevity. Furthermore, the tower interaction imposes low-frequency oscillations in both the angle of attack and aerodynamic forces, amplified by inflow turbulence. These findings underscore the critical role of turbulent inflow and tower influence on the aeroelastic behavior of large-scale turbines, suggesting that both should be included in high-fidelity simulations for accurate performance predictions.