alternative energy technologies


Powering the future


Beth Harlen reports on the use of modelling and simulation tools in the design, development and testing of


alternative energy technologies W


ithin many of today’s engineering design fields, a common and prevailing trend is the use of computer-based


modelling and simulation throughout the development process. Te benefits of doing so are clear: virtual builds can be created and tested far more quickly and cost-effectively compared to their physical counterparts, and designers are free to examine a wide range of optimisation possibilities and design variants that would not otherwise be possible. Tis boost in efficiency can mean a reduction in the time to maket within what remains a growing area. In a recent study commissioned by


Greenpeace and WWF, Cambridge Econometrics found that if large-scale investment were made in offshore wind rather than gas, the UK GDP would increase by 0.8 per cent by 2030 and more than 100,000 additional jobs would be created by 2025. Te combination of environmental concerns and figures like these is increasing the pressure on design engineers to develop and refine systems that can reduce


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dependency on the more mature and conventional methods of power generation. Speed is of the essence here, and this is where simulation comes to the fore.


Coming of age One advantage that this field has, in the words of Lance Hill, energy lead, Simulia at Dassault Systèmes, is that ‘it began before simulation was readily available and so allows people to break out of the paradigms of the past and the rigidity of how things have always been done. Alternative energy is really the area where simulation has come of age – it has become the driving force behind innovation.’ Te difficulty, observes Hill, lies in the fact that these complex, multi- physics systems have competing objectives. For example, within a wind turbine, the power is roughly proportional to the square of the blade length. When extending the blade length, however, the weight increases, causing additional stresses and fatigue. Te way the blades interact with the wind is also a factor, as are all the myriad mechanical interactions that convert the rotational


energy and pass it into the electrical generator. Te way in which the man-made structure interacts with the foundation and surrounding environment can also affect the efficiency of the turbines. Te challenge, says Hill, is that each of these competing elements needs to be analysed in concert with each other. Te solution is modelling and simulation. Dassault Systèmes has a number of


applications within this market. Tese applications are provided within a unified ‘Sustainable Wind Turbines Experience’. For example, a CAD (computer-aided


ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IS REALLY THE AREA WHERE SIMULATION HAS COME OF AGE


design) package like the company’s Catia (computer-aided three-dimensional interactive application) application can be used to design the shape of the blade, perform the initial composite layup and also assess manufacturability. Te design can then be analysed for functional reliability with Simulia applications for structural and multiphysics simulation. Delmia applications can be used for planning the manufacturing


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