bladedesign

tool to set up structural models of [biplane] wind turbine blades

Current workflow (as of April 25, 2014)

1. run path_to_blade_lib/prep_stnXX_mesh.py - write initial TrueGrid input file with boundary curves: mesh_stnXX_start.tg
2. manually edit mesh_stnXX_start.tg to create block meshes fitted to boundary curves; save as mesh_stnXX_finish.tg
3. run TrueGrid on mesh_stnXX_finish.tg to write ABAQUS output file: mesh_stnXX.abq
4. run path_to_blade_lib/layer_plane_angles_stnXX.py - write updated grid object to VABS input file: mesh_stnXX.vabs
5. run path_to_blade_lib/run_vabs.py - use VABS to calculate mass and stiffness matrices
6. mesh_stnXX.vabs.K - mass and stiffness matrices are in this file!
7. run path_to_blade_lib/plot_MK.py - plot VABS data
8. run path_to_blade_lib/write_DYMORE_input_file.py - write VABS output for a DYMORE input file to blade_OD.dat and blade_MK.dat
9. manually copy contents of blade_OD.dat and blade_MK.dat into blade.dat.
10. run rundymore.bat to load the structural model
11. run plot_DYMORE_results.py to postprocess results in FIGURES directory
12. run clean.bat to erase all DYMORE results

Plan forward (as of April 10, 2014)

Create a beam model of the biplane blade (flapwise symmetric, no stagger configuration). Reuse cross-section meshes at stations 1-9 and 25-34 from the Sandia blade. Make new meshes for stations 10-24, then create new DYMORE input files for the biplane blade.

In the end, you should have an archive of all the blade input files that looks like:

• biplane_blade/
  • blade_definition.csv
  • materials.csv
  • airfoils/
  • Cylinder.txt
  • ...
  • NACA_64-618.txt
  • stn01/
  • mesh_stn01_start.tg (initial TrueGrid input file with part boundary curves)
  • mesh_stn01_final.tg (final TrueGrid input file with grids inside curves)
  • mesh_stn01.abq (exported grid file in ABAQUS format)
  • mesh_stn01.vabs (VABS input file of geometry and materials)
  • mesh_stn01.vabs.K (VABS output of mass and stiffness matrices)
  • stn02/
  • ...
  • stn34/
• biplane_blade_lib/
  • plot_selected_stations.py
  • prep_stn01_mesh.py
  • ...
  • prep_stn34_mesh.py
  • layer_plane_angles_stn01.py
  • ...
  • layer_plane_angles_stn34.py
  • run_vabs.py
  • plot_MK.py
  • write_DYMORE_input_file.py
  • plot_DYMORE_results.py
• sandia_blade/
  • blade_definition.csv
  • materials.csv
  • airfoils/
  • Cylinder.txt
  • ...
  • NACA_64-618.txt
  • stn01/
  • mesh_stn01_start.tg (initial TrueGrid input file with part boundary curves)
  • mesh_stn01_final.tg (final TrueGrid input file with grids inside curves)
  • mesh_stn01.abq (exported grid file in ABAQUS format)
  • mesh_stn01.vabs (VABS input file of geometry and materials)
  • mesh_stn01.vabs.K (VABS output of mass and stiffness matrices)
  • stn02/
  • ...
  • stn34/
• sandia_blade_lib/
  • plot_selected_stations.py
  • prep_stn01_mesh.py
  • ...
  • prep_stn34_mesh.py
  • layer_plane_angles_stn01.py
  • ...
  • layer_plane_angles_stn34.py
  • run_vabs.py
  • plot_MK.py
  • write_DYMORE_input_file.py
  • plot_DYMORE_results.py