Numerical analysis of the influence of inertial loading over morphing trailing edge devices

Larger and more flexible wind turbine blades are currently being manufactured. Those highly flexible blades suffer from loading of aeroelastic nature which increases the fatigue damage. Smart blade concepts are being developed to reduce the aerodynamic loading. The state of the art favors the discrete deformable trailing edge concept. Many authors have reported adequate performance of this type of actuators in reducing the blade vibrations. However, the question of whether the actuator can maintain its authority under strong external loading remains still answered. To solve this question, actuator models that include the loading produced by the blade vibration are required. In this article, a smart morphing trailing edge model is presented that includes the inertial forces produced by the blade dynamics. The model is applied to a commercial actuator and the influence of its parameters is analyzed. Finally, a simple estimation of the inertial loading produced by a 35-m wind turbine blade at the flutter instability condition is analyzed to understand the design requirements of this type of systems.