The research in the Aeroelastic Design Section is focused on the development  of aero-servo-elastic simulation methods, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes and software design tools for analysis of airfoils, blades, and wind turbines, and application for design in interaction with the industry.  Aeroelastic stability analyses and experiments to determine modal damping properties  of a wind turbine, is part of this. The research is going hand in hand with experimental validation and is aiming at continuously extending the design basis for optimisation and up-scaling of existing concepts as well as paving the way for new concepts and principles.

By combining models for atmospheric flow- and wakes, aerodynamics, structural dynamics and control into aeroelastic codes, we can simulate and predict the extreme and fatigue loads that a wind turbine will experience during its lifetime under different complex conditions, e.g. in a wind farm. Ofshore operation is also simulated taking wave loadings or floating conditions into account. The tools are used as well for cost optimal layout of wind farms, taking a variety of parameters into account.

New dedicated airfoils like thick high lift- or multi-element airfoils are developed and designed by means of aerodynamic engineering models and the Numerical Wind Tunnel in combination with numerical optimisation. They are verified by wind tunnel measurements and subsequently applied by the industry.

New concepts like individual blade pitch and distributed blade trailing edge control in combination with advanced sensoring technique is also subject to substantial research and development with the perspective of reducing fatigue and extreme loads, and thereby increase rotor size, energy capture and cost efficiency.

To further increase the detailed understanding and modelling capabilities of the complex interaction between terrain wind flow, rotor flow and structure, a full CFD/structure modelling has been performed. This will become part of the future design process.