Stall flutter instabilities on the IEA-15 reference wind turbine in idling conditions: code-to-code comparisons and physical analyses

Abstract The present study investigates stall-induced vibrations on a IEA-15-RWT wind turbine blade. At standstill and under specific strong crosswind conditions, simulations using the codes OpenFAST and DeepLines WindTM exhibit large-amplitude vibrations. Results of both codes are first compared, showing an overall good agreement. Then, the influence of the wind misalignment angle is assessed as well as the choice of aerodynamic polar datasets. Vibrations are observed within two well-marked angular sectors, and the high sensitivity of the phenomenon to the choice of polars is highlighted. Finally, a simplified model based on a spring-mounted aeroelastic section is used to help identifying which type of unstable aeroelastic modes may be at play.