Duration: 4 minutes
Rainflow cycle count calculation
The Rainflow cycle count calculation can used to perform component fatigue analysis over the turbine's lifetime.
1. Run Bladed simulations as inputs
Run many Bladed time history simulations as inputs to the Rainflow calculation:
- Power production
- Idling
- Stops
- Faults
2. Run Rainflow Cycle Count calculation
Assign time (Number of occurrences per year or Hours per year) to the time history simulations.
3. Assess the Fatigue Loads (using other software / tools)
Bladed does provide a fatigue damage calculation, but commonly this is carried out with external tools / software. Also, the Bladed channel combination calculation can be used to calculate a stress time history from the load time histories.
The two main user cases for this are:
- Direct assessment of a turbine component fatigue damage.
- Comparison of site specific loads to type class (design) loads.
Ultimate loads calculation
The 'Ultimate loads' calculation can be used to determine the probability of failure of components.
1. Run Bladed simulations as inputs
Run many Bladed time history simulations as inputs to the Ultimate Loads calculation:
- Power production
- Idling
- Stops
- Faults
- Installation maintenance scenarios
2. Run Ultimate Loads calculation
Apply Safety factors to the time history simulations.
3. Assess the Ultimate Loads (using other software / tools)
The outputs from Bladed can be imported into other software / tools to assess the extreme (or ultimate) loading on components.