Innovation of adaptive wind turbine blades underpinned by novel FSI modelling

The Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering is delighted to offer an exciting PhD studentship on “Fluid-structure interaction modelling for the innovation of large scale adaptive composite wind turbine blades”. This project will be carried out in collaboration with a number of research groups of Strathclyde: Mechanics and Materials; cFASTT and Wind Energy. University of Strathclyde has a long-term reputation in developing frontier technologies in the area of wind energy.

Project Background: Wind energy is playing an increasingly significant role in the future energy system of UK. The growth of wind energy industry requires designers to build larger scale rotors that can produce more energy under various conditions and in a cost-efficient manner. The concept of designing passively adaptive composite blades to improve the efficiency of energy capture is therefore attractive. It has been shown in previous research that either bend-twist or stretch-twist coupling of biased composite lay-ups can be utilised to effectively improve the performance of wind turbine blades. However, the challenges and the potentials of adaptive blades in terms of detailed design, manufacturing, and durability have not been thoroughly explored for industrial/commercial applications. This is partially due to the lack of a deep understanding of the physics of fluid and anisotropic structures coupling. To fully explore the potential benefits of bend/stretch-twist coupling given by composite materials for the innovation of adaptive wind turbines, an accurate and fast simulation tool must be developed.

Project Aims: Focusing on the development of a novel FSI simulation tool and the optimal design of adaptive wind turbine blades, the aims of this project are to (1) A fast and accurate FSI simulation tool for wind blades; (2) Optimal stiffness tailoring for the design of adaptive blades; (3) Novel large scale adaptive blade concepts.

Your academic supervisors will be Dr Zhangming Wu (z.wu<στο>strath.ac.uk) and Dr Ian Taylor (ian.taylor<στο>strath.ac.uk) of the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department. The research team at Strathclyde is internationally recognised for the research in numerical modellings, fluid-structural interaction and wind energy. The successful applicant will be encouraged to collaborate with team members and industrial partners.

Entry requirements: Students applying should normally have (or expect to achieve) a minimum 2.1 undergraduate degree in a relevant engineering, mathematics or physics, and be highly motivated to undertake multidisciplinary research. Candidates with a background in composite structures, fluid dynamics, solid mechanics and/or numerical methods are strongly encouraged to apply. Experience with Matlab and Abaqus/Ansys is desirable though not essential.

The studentship: Available from October 2015. This 3-year PhD studentship will cover Home/EU tuition fees and a tax-free stipend of £14,057 per annum. Both Home/EU and Overseas applicants are welcome.

If you wish to apply please email a covering letter, full Curriculum Vitae and the names and contact details of at least two academic referees to Dr Zhangming Wu z.wu<στο>strath.ac.uk or Dr Ian Taylor (ian.taylor<στο>strath.ac.uk).

Closing date: 30th June 2015 (Project will start on 1^st October 2015)