Finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamic study of hybrid composite‐based offshore wind turbines

Abstract

AbstractOffshore wind turbines are utilized for wind power harvesting through wind farms installed in bodies of water, normally at sea. The blades of the wind turbine resist the airflow and rotate and generate useful mechanical energy. Most of these wind blades are made of synthetic glass and carbon fibers. Synthetic fiber has higher mechanical strength but is non‐biodegradable in nature. The hybrid synthetic and natural composite materials overcome the non‐biodegradable issues to a certain extent and exhibit higher mechanical strength. In this prelude, the present work utilizes sisal, jute and rubber with epoxy‐based hybrid material used for wind blade manufacturing. The hybrid composite materials used in the present work have the volume fraction of synthetic fibers, natural fibers, and resin as 40 %, and 30 %, respectively. CATIA modelling software package is utilized to design the three‐dimensional model of the wind blade and is imported into the ANSYS Workbench. The structural, harmonic, and modal analyses are carried out, and the performance of the wind blades made of different hybrid composite materials is compared. Further, the computational fluid dynamic study is carried out to visualize the proposed composite offshore wind turbine's flow distribution. The results revealed that the proposed hybrid glass/jute/epoxy composite material yields better results and is more suited for offshore wind blade manufacturing.