Bachelor- / Master Thesis: Multi body simulation of a wind turbine drive train with Python

The Chair of Wind Power Drives at the RWTH   Aachen   University   conducts research   in   the   field   of   drive train technologies for wind  turbines.  In numerous research projects throughout past  decades,  drivetrain  technologies as  well  as  vibration  analysis  of  wind turbines and their drive train components  have  been  continuously developed.

Multi body simulation (MBS) of drive trains of wind turbines is an efficient tool for the calculation of dynamic loads and excitations. MBS is used in various stages of the product development process and the product optimization process. The state of the art software for MBS e.g. Simpack is powerful and uses continuously improved solvers for the solution of the systems of differential equations.

It is also possible to solve the systems of differential equations with open source packages in Python e.g. SymPy or PyDy. Therefore this thesis aims to rebuild a complex MBS drive train model of a wind turbine in Python and to derive the difference between this model and the model programmed in state of the art software. The goal of having a MBS model of a wind turbine drive train in Python is to be independent of specific software and to improve the runtime of the simulation so that finally calculation run in real time will be possible.

Tasks:

• Gathering basic knowledge of wind turbine drive trains
• Literature research of the possibilities of MBS with Python
• Analysis of the state of the art of MBS with Python in wind energy
• Set up of a simply Python MBS model
• Set up of Python MBS models of components of the wind turbine drive train
• Set up of a wind turbine drive train MBS model with Python

Requirements:

• Motivation to work independently on technical questions in the field of drivetrain technology
• Prior knowledge of Python advantageous

We offer:

• Immediate start and rapid progress of the thesis
• Intensive supervision
• Flexible working hours in a young and motivated team

We look forward to your application by email:

Julian Röder, M. Sc.
Chair for Wind Power Drives

Campus-Boulevard 61, 52074 Aachen
julian.roeder@cwd.rwth-aachen.de