Optimization of resonance‐type fatigue testing for a full‐scale wind turbine blade

Abstract

AbstractFatigue testing of a 48.3 m wind turbine blade needs to utilize the blade's oscillation range of 8.4 m along the flapwise direction for one million cycles. Control of such a remarkable oscillation range makes flapwise fatigue testing difficult and requires a large supply of energy. This study minimized the actuating force required for flapwise fatigue testing using an on‐board‐type resonance exciter with constant amplitude. Constraints related to the exciter's stroke and capacity and the maximum error between target loads and test loads were also considered. Based on a new algorithm suggested in this study, first, we found test setup candidates minimizing the maximum error under a given testing frequency and then found more candidates having slightly larger maximum errors as the exciter's location moved toward the blade's tip. Next, using damping ratio equations for the test blade, a required actuating force of the exciter at each test setup candidate was calculated. Considering the exciter's capacity, we found an optimum test setup that requires a minimum actuating force in the vicinity of the minimum of the maximum error between target loads and test loads. To conclude, the approach suggested in this study was able to conclusively achieve the required fatigue testing of the test blade, avoiding the adverse increase of fatigue testing time possible to happen due to a required actuating force larger than the exciter's capacity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.