Load simulation

Wind turbines are exposed to extreme dynamic loads. In order to investigate the coupled dynamic behaviour of wind turbines under consideration of aerodynamic and hydrodynamic loads, load simulations are necessary. During the simulation, the interaction between the actions and the different structural components as well as the interaction with the controller are taken into account. In order to keep the number of degrees of freedom and computing times low, a combination of finite element models, multi-body systems and modal approaches is used for the modelling. This type of simulation is indispensable for determining time series and load collectives that are used for both the ultimate limit state and fatigue strength checks. Design concepts for details such as grout joints, welds, etc. can be linked to the results of overall simulations.