Microtab dynamic modelling for wind turbine blade load rejection

• Effect of microtab on the unsteady aerodynamics of its parent aerofoil is accurately modelled.
• Instantaneous response assumption in modelling microtab gives inaccurate results.
• The effectiveness of microtabs in wind turbine blade load alleviation is investigated.
• The effectiveness of microtabs in life enhancement of wind turbine blades is investigated.
• Targeting different frequency regions for load rejection leads to different blade lifespan.

A dynamic model characterising the effect of microtab deployment on the aerodynamics of its base aerofoil is presented. The developed model predicts the transient aerodynamic coefficients consistent with the experimental and computational data reported in the literature. The proposed model is then used to carry out investigation on the effectiveness of microtabs in load alleviation and lifespan increase of wind turbine blades. Simulating a bang–bang controller, different load rejection scenarios are examined and their effect on blade lifespan is investigated. Results indicate that the range of frequencies targeted for rejection can significantly impact the blade fatigue life.Case studies are carried out to compare the predicted load alleviation amount and the blade lifespan using the developed model with those obtained by other researchers using the steady state model. It is shown that the assumption of an instantaneous aerodynamic response as used in the steady state model can lead to inaccurate results.