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S.K. Pal

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5 records found

This work experimentally investigated the feasibility and complementarity of aeroacoustic and infrared thermography (IRT) techniques for detecting damage in rotating wind turbine blades under controlled wind tunnel conditions. Two representative types of damage were considered: trailing edge cracks and internal shear web delamination, created in the scaled blades manufactured in-house. Experiments were conducted in the open jet facility at Delft University of Technology. Acoustic measurements using a two-dimensional microphone array revealed that trailing edge cracks induce distinct tonal noise modifications, which depend on the effective trailing edge thickness and are captured through spectral analysis and acoustic beamforming. The crack-induced tonal noise peaks at a trailing-edge-thickness-based Strouhal number, (Formula presented), between 0.15 and 0.25. IRT, by contrast, are highly sensitive to internal structural features; delaminated regions exhibited localized temperature variations due to changes in thermal properties. Principal component thermography was applied to further enhance the visualization of the internal shear webs and internal delamination. The results demonstrate that the use of aeroacoustic and IRT methods provides a complementary strategy for detecting both edge and internal damage in wind turbine blades. ...

Propagation and Profile Inversion Captured by Strong CFD-FEA Coupling

Journal article (2026) - Binyang Xie, Sumit Kumar Pal, Kazuhiro Iijima
This paper investigates the hydroelastic interaction between nonlinear regular waves and a thin elastic plate floating on deep water. A two-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI) framework, previously developed by the authors by coupling computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA), is employed to reproduce nonlinear hydroelastic wave responses. To account for the high structural flexibility and to improve computational efficiency, a Laplace matrix scheme is newly incorporated into the framework. The numerical results are validated against experimental data and analytical solutions reported in earlier studies by some of the present authors. The simulations reveal nonlinear wave profiles characterized by a steepened crest and a flattened trough, as well as their inverted counterparts, across different incident-wave frequency regimes. In the inverted-wave regime, a transition in wave profile is observed during propagation: the response shifts from an elevated form on the weatherside to a depressed form near the mid-plate region. ...
Journal article (2025) - Simon J. Watson, Sumit K. Pal, Donatella Zappalá, Amir R. Nejad
This paper studies the sensitivity of drivetrain condition monitoring system (CMS) signals to blade damage, exploring how these signals, particularly vibration, can serve as a potential tool for detection and tracking damage progression. This is achieved using a decoupled simulation approach, combining an aeroelastic solver with a drivetrain model. First, aeroelastic simulations are performed in OpenFAST, where the low-speed shaft (LSS) forces, moments, and tower top position vector are extracted and transferred to the drivetrain model. The drivetrain is modelled using the multi-body simulation environment SIMPACK. Blade damage is introduced in OpenFAST by reducing stiffness in the flap-wise or edgewise direction. The reference DTU-10MW onshore wind turbine is used as a test case. First, the impact of blade damage on LSS shear forces is analysed. Then the drivetrain response is assessed using virtual velocity sensors placed at the main bearing, rear bearing and gearbox housing. Results indicate that damage occurring in the blade mid-span region shows higher sensitivity compared to tip and root locations. A positive correlation is observed between LSS shear force and bearings side-side velocity, with higher forces leading to increased vibration. Additionally, the trend suggests that higher stiffness reduction results in higher velocity, indicating damage progression. ...
Journal article (2024) - Kurniawan T. Waskito, Juan A.C. Siahaan, Muhamad A.N. Chuzain, undefined Yanuar, Sumit Pal
In recent times, the point absorber Wave Energy Converter (WEC) has gained popularity due to its practicality. Investigating the parameters of the Hydraulic Power Take-Off (HPTO) in the WEC, including hose diameter and check valve variations, is crucial. This study analyzes optimization using the Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) method in MATLAB/SimScape, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of the interactions among HPTO components, such as hydraulic cylinders, check valves, hoses, accumulators, motors, and generators. Key system performance indicators, including pressure drop, flow rate, and power output, were assessed in both single and two-point absorber HPTO configurations. The optimization process yielded a maximum hydraulic power output of 7.33 kW, a mechanical power output of 6.41 kW, and an electrical power output of 5.4 kW using a 2-inch hose diameter. Additionally, utilizing a two-point absorber model enhanced power generation capacity by 47.4%, reaching 9.45 kW. The findings highlight the significant pressure drop at the check valve, with the 2-inch hose model experiencing a drop of 31.874 bar. These results demonstrate that optimizing HPTO parameters can significantly improve the efficiency of converting wave energy into electricity, providing valuable design recommendations for WEC technology. ...
Journal article (2024) - Binyang Xie, Guanghua He, Chuankai Zhao, Penglin Jing, Sumit Kumar Pal, Kazuhiro Iijima, Ruijia Jin, Bangqi Chen, Hassan Ghassemi
In this paper, the hydroelasticity of two segmented ship models (Barge and KVLCC2) is investigated by experimental and numerical methods. A two-way Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) coupled method is adopted and further validated its accuracy against experimental results. The current approach emphasizes the overall convergence between two solvers, maintaining a strongly coupled manner to comprehensively address the fluid-structure interaction phenomenon, including the added mass effect. A series of experiments of a segmented Barge and KVLCC2 under various wave conditions were firstly conducted. The motions of the models are measured and the displacement Response Amplitude Operators (RAOs) are calculated. The CFD-FEA coupled method is demonstrated in agreement with experimental results by comparing the numerical prediction with the tank test results in terms of motion, affirming the validity and robustness. Finally, the hydroelastic response is discussed and investigated. ...