Comparative study of static and fatigue performances of wind turbine blade materials

Abstract

Climate impact has been one of the emerging issues currently leading to severe environmental impacts such as rising sea levels and droughts. One viable way to address these increasing global issues such as climate change, pollution, and global warming is by switching over to renewable energy. Past research studies have suggested that increasing wind energy capacity by two orders of magnitude would be an ideal way to accomplish this minimization of climatic crises. The efficiency of the wind energy industry solely depends on the blades, as it is the structure that limits the performance and lifetime of the turbine. Therefore, proper choice of material selection for wind turbine blades is an important factor. The primary objectives of this research study were to identify and propose a suitable material for wind turbine blades, create a 3D model to compare the proposed material with existing material, and testing of the material using static and fatigue studies. As a solution, natural fiber/S-glass and natural-fiber/Carbon fiber hybrid composites were proposed as new reinforcing material along with a polypropylene polymer as the matrix material. A proposed 3D model of a horizontal wind turbine blade was created using SolidWorks software and blade dimensions of an average 5 kW horizontal axis wind turbine. Static and fatigue tests were also performed on the blade to determine how the blade would perform when subjected to aerodynamic loads. To validate the results obtained, experimental runs were carried out with the aid of ANSYS software utilizing the same boundary conditions.