Performance estimation and redesign of horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) blade

Abstract

The present global energy crisis has pushed the human race to its limit in search of alternative sources of energy. Wind turbine technology has seen continuous developments ever since the humankind has been on the lookout for harnessing the wind energy. The modern design analysis tools and the emergence of new materials have enabled the development of state-of-the-art wind turbines. The main power-producing component in the turbine is none other than the blade itself which has undergone a major design improvement in the recent past. The Present work comprises of re-design of a composite blade of an experimental Horizontal-axis Wind turbine with appropriate structural modifications to reduce its weight and hence improving it efficiency. A load generation code V BLADE was developed in C-language for calculating the design wind loads on the turbine blade. An optimized and efficient blade design with spar-rib construction was arrived satisfying the power requirements and structural design criteria through structural optimization by deploying FEA SW satisfying static and buckling design constraints. The optimization resulted in a substantial blade weight reduction of thirty-nine present.