  The design of structures submitted to aerodynamic loads usually requires the
development of specific computational models considering fluid-structure
interactions. Models using structural frame elements are developed in several
relevant applications such as the design of advanced aircraft wings, wind
turbine blades or power transmission lines. In the case of flexible frame
structures submitted to fluid flows, the consistent computation of inertial and
aerodynamic forces for large displacements is a challenging task. In this
article we present a novel formulation for the accurate computation of
aerodynamic forces for large displacements and rotations using the
co-rotational approach, the quasi-steady theory and the principle of virtual
work. This formulation is coupled with a reference consistent co-rotational
formulation for computing internal and inertial forces, providing a unified set
of nonlinear balance equations. A numerical resolution procedure is proposed
and implemented within the open-source library ONSAS. The proposed formulation
and its implementation are validated through the resolution of five examples,
including a realistic wind turbine analysis problem. The results provided by
the proposed formulation are compared with analytic solutions and solutions
obtained using a lumped mass approach. The proposed formulation provides
accurate solutions for challenging numerical problems with large displacements
and rotations.
