Behavior Of Wind Turbine Blades Research Articles

Parametric and numerical Finite Element simulation of wind turbine blades subjected to thermal residual stresses

This study aims to contribute to the ongoing efforts to enhance the reliability and durability of wind turbine blades, a critical component in wind energy generation. Specifically, this research addresses the issue of tunneling cracking and severe damage that can occur in wind turbine blades due to cohesive failure of the trailing edge. To achieve this objective, the study employs a rigorous approach, utilizing a full three-dimensional (3D) modeling strategy with finite element analysis (FEA) to simulate the behavior of wind turbine blades. The effect of cohesive materials and layered simulation methods on the thermal residual stress and crack propagation is thoroughly investigated. In particular, the study assesses the influence of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) materials on the phenomenon under consideration. In addition, the study undertakes a comprehensive parametric analysis to identify the independent effects of material properties and numerical simulation on thermal residual stress. Moreover, the research explores the behavior of the cohesive zone model in terms of thermal residual stress and crack propagation. The findings of this study have significant implications for researchers and practitioners in the wind energy industry. The study’s outcomes can aid in the development of improved materials and simulation techniques to mitigate thermal residual stress and prevent the occurrence of tunneling cracking and other types of damage in wind turbine blades. As such, this research contributes to the broader efforts to advance the reliability, efficiency, and sustainability of wind energy generation.

Buckling behavior of wind turbine blade

The use of composite materials is growing up compared to the traditional materials, in basically all the industrial domains, where we need powerful, lightweight and cost effective structures. An example of a challenging lightweight structure made of composite materials are wind turbine blades. Indeed, the modern wind turbine blades are becoming dramatically bigger, and nowadays a length of a standard one is over 60 m. The wind turbine blades are often facing extremely complex loads due to environmental conditions they are working in. One of the main loading acting on the wind turbine bale are pressure load, which can engender flap wise and edgewise bending. On the other hand, the consequence of optimum design strategy, the wind turbine blades are becoming thin-walled structures, which raise the risk of buckling phenomena. Therefore, the understanding of the wind turbine blade behaviour under this kind of aforementioned load is very crucial. In this study, the buckling behaviour of the spar cap of a wind turbine blade using the finite element method is investigated. For so doing, a generic NACA 634- 421 airfoil section is considered. The spar cap is taken as a multilayer curved cylindrical shell. A parametric study is made in order to study the effect of material choice, stacking sequence and number of layers on the buckling resistance of the spar cap. The results showed that the buckling load is very sensitive to the considered parameters.

Prediction of the Damage Effect on Fiberglass-Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites for Wind Turbine Blades.

The structure of wind turbine blades (WTBs) is characterized by complex geometry and materials that must resist various loading over a long period. Because of the components’ exposure to highly aggressive environmental conditions, the blade material suffers cracks, delamination, or even ruptures. The prediction of the damage effects on the mechanical behavior of WTBs, using finite element analysis, is very useful for design optimization, manufacturing processes, and for monitoring the health integrity of WTBs. This paper focuses on the sensitivity analysis of the effects of the delamination degree of fiberglass-reinforced polymer composites in the structure of wind turbine blades. Using finite element analysis, the composite was modeled as a laminated structure with five plies (0/45/90/45/0) and investigated regarding the stress states around the damaged areas. Thus, the normal and shear stresses corresponding to each element of delaminated areas were extracted from each ply of the composites. It was observed that the maximum values of normal and shear stresses occurred in relation to the orientation of the composite layer. Tensile stresses were developed along the WTB with maximum values in the upper and lower plies (Ply 1 and Ply 5), while the maximum tensile stresses were reached in the perpendicular direction (on the thickness of the composite), in the median area of the thickness, compared to the outer layers where compression stresses were obtained. Taking into account the delamination cases, there was a sinuous-type fluctuation of the shear stress distribution in relation to the thickness of the composite and the orientation of the layer.

A numerical investigation of the effects of ice accretion on the aerodynamic and structural behavior of offshore wind turbine blade

In recent years, several wind turbines have been installed in cold climate sites and are menaced by the icing phenomenon. This article focuses on two parts: the study of the aerodynamic and structural performances of wind turbines subject to atmospheric icing. Firstly, the aerodynamic analysis of NACA 4412 airfoil was obtained using QBlade software for a clean and iced profile. Finite element method (FEM) was employed using ABAQUS software to simulate the structural behavior of a wind turbine blade with 100 mm ice thickness. A comparative study of two composite materials and two blade positions were considered in this section. Hashin criterion was chosen to identify the failure modes and determine the most sensitive areas of the structure. It has been found that the aerodynamic and structural performance of the turbine were degraded when ice accumulated on the leading edge of the blade and changed the shape of its profile.

A DNN surrogate unsteady aerodynamic model for wind turbine loads calculations

A recurrent deep-neural network (DNN) surrogate model capable of modeling the unsteady aerodynamic response and dynamic stall behavior of wind turbine blades has been developed and validated for use in engineering design codes. The model is trained using a subset of the oscillating airfoil experiments conducted at the Ohio State University wind tunnel. The predictions from our DNN model show excellent agreement with the measured data and, in all cases, a marked improvement over the state-of-the-art unsteady aerodynamic models. The DNN-based unsteady aerodynamics model was integrated with OpenFAST to perform full-turbine load computations for the NREL-5MW rotor. The largest differences are observed for the inboard stations, particularly in the pitching moment response, when using the new surrogate model compared to the other models available in OpenFAST.

Dimensional reduction analyzing the thermoelastic behavior of wind turbine blades based on the variational asymptotic multiscale method

Accurate and effective prediction of the thermoelastic behavior of composite wind blades is critical to the optimal design and performance evaluation. In this paper, a high-fidelity dimensional reduction model of composite wind blade is established based on the variational asymptotic multiscale method. First, the thermoelastic variational expression of 3-D composite wind blade was derived. Then, the thermoelastic energy functional was extended asymptotically to a series of 2-D energies by using the inherent small parameters of the structure, so that the original 3-D thermoelastic problem of composite wind blades was strictly divided into 2-D airfoil section analysis and 1-D beam analysis. The local displacement and stress fields were recovered based on the global response without a priori assumptions and unnecessary scale separation assumptions. Finally, the numerical examples of composite wind blades with NACA2412 airfoil and MH 104 airfoil are provided to verify the accuracy and effectiveness of the model by comparison with the three-dimensional finite element model (3D-FEM). The results show that the predicted thermoelastic behavior and local 3-D stress field of the composite wind blades are in good agreement with 3D-FEM, but the calculation efficiency is greatly improved.

Design and Optimization of Composite Offshore Wind Turbine Blades

In order to obtain an optimal design of composite offshore wind turbine blade, take into account all the structural properties and the limiting conditions applied as close as possible to real cases. This work is divided into two stages: the aerodynamic design and the structural design. The optimal blade structural configuration was determined through a parametric study by using a finite element method. The skin thickness, thickness and width of the spar flange, and thickness, location, and length of the front and rear spar web were varied until design criteria were satisfied. The purpose of this article is to provide the designer with all the tools required to model and optimize the blades. The aerodynamic performance has been covered in this study using blade element momentum (BEM) method to calculate the loads applied to the turbine blade during service and extreme stormy conditions, and the finite element analysis was performed by using abaqus code to predict the most critical damage behavior and to apprehend and obtain knowledge of the complex structural behavior of wind turbine blades. The approach developed based on the nonlinear finite element analysis using mean values for the material properties and the failure criteria of Hashin to predict failure modes in large structures and to identify the sensitive zones.

Numerical study of the structural static and fatigue strength of wind turbine blades

Abstract Wind turbine blades are highly complex structures with complex 3 dimensional forms governed by their aerodynamics that allow a maximum of power output and efficiency. On the structural side there is always an immense interest in keeping the blades as light and as rigid as possible. No structure being perfectly rigid, the wind turbine blades are specifically designed to keep their deformation in check. Deflection twist couplings are also designed into the blades to have favorable aerodynamic properties even in the deformed state. A combination of experimental and numerical work has been used to address the most critical failure mechanisms and to get an understanding of the complex structural behavior of wind turbine blades. Different failure mechanisms observed during the tests performed for reduced scale tests (smaller test specimens) and the corresponding FE-analysis are presented.

Simulation of Mechanical Behavior and Damage of a Large Composite Wind Turbine Blade under Critical Loads

Issues such as energy generation/transmission and greenhouse gas emissions are the two energy problems we face today. In this context, renewable energy sources are a necessary part of the solution essentially winds power, which is one of the most profitable sources of competition with new fossil energy facilities. This paper present the simulation of mechanical behavior and damage of a 48 m composite wind turbine blade under critical wind loads. The finite element analysis was performed by using ABAQUS code to predict the most critical damage behavior and to apprehend and obtain knowledge of the complex structural behavior of wind turbine blades. The approach developed based on the nonlinear FE analysis using mean values for the material properties and the failure criteria of Tsai-Hill to predict failure modes in large structures and to identify the sensitive zones.

The influence of material properties on the aeroelastic behavior of a composite wind turbine blade

The main objective of this research is to investigate the degree to which variations in mechanical properties of constitutive composite materials can influence the aeroelastic behavior of a wind turbine blade. First, structural behavior of a full-scale wind turbine blade is evaluated from different aspects of bending, torsional and axial rigidities. For this purpose, simplified model of the blade is constructed and it is validated with experimental data of the full-scale blade. Then, a parametric study is performed to determine the most dominant mechanical properties which have a severe impact on the structural behavior of the blade. Identified dominant properties are varied randomly and independently. Thus, stochastic analysis is performed to investigate the variations in natural frequencies of the blade as the governing parameter in defining aeroelastic behavior. Finally, susceptibility of the blade to dynamics instability is also examined. Aeroelastic effects are found to have a stronger effect on the blade with lower material properties that lead to more power reduction.

Influence of Icing on the Modal Behavior of Wind Turbine Blades

Wind turbines installed in cold climate sites accumulate ice on their structures. Icing of the rotor blades reduces turbine power output and increases loads, vibrations, noise, and safety risks due to the potential ice throw. Ice accumulation increases the mass distribution of the blade, while changes in the aerofoil shapes affect its aerodynamic behavior. Thus, the structural and aerodynamic changes due to icing affect the modal behavior of wind turbine blades. In this study, aeroelastic equations of the wind turbine blade vibrations are derived to analyze modal behavior of the Tjaereborg 2 MW wind turbine blade with ice. Structural vibrations of the blade are coupled with a Beddoes-Leishman unsteady attached flow aerodynamics model and the resulting aeroelastic equations are analyzed using the finite element method (FEM). A linearly increasing ice mass distribution is considered from the blade root to half-length and thereafter constant ice mass distribution to the blade tip, as defined by Germanischer Lloyd (GL) for the certification of wind turbines. Both structural and aerodynamic properties of the iced blades are evaluated and used to determine their influence on aeroelastic natural frequencies and damping factors. Blade natural frequencies reduce with ice mass and the amount of reduction in frequencies depends on how the ice mass is distributed along the blade length; but the reduction in damping factors depends on the ice shape. The variations in the natural frequencies of the iced blades with wind velocities are negligible; however, the damping factors change with wind velocity and become negative at some wind velocities. This study shows that the aerodynamic changes in the iced blade can cause violent vibrations within the operating wind velocity range of this turbine.

Numerical investigation of a large composite wind turbine with different spar profiles using finite-element method

We currently notice a substantial growth in the wind energy sector worldwide. This growth is expected to be even faster in the coming years. This means that a massive number of wind turbine blades will be produced in the forthcoming years. There is a large potential for materials savings in these blades. The analysis of designed blade is done in dynamic loading. Five types of spars cross-section are taken in this work. The blade and spar are of composite material. The Finite element modal analysis of designed blade is done in ABAQUS. The scope of the present work is to investigate the structural modal analysis of full-scale 48m fiberglass composite wind turbine blades for 5MW horizontal axis wind turbine and through this to assess the potential for materials savings and consequent reductions of the rotor weight. The entire wind turbine can benefit from such weight reductions through decreased dynamics loads and thus leave room for further optimization. A numerical work has been used to address the most adequate spar shape and to get an understanding of the complex structural behavior of wind turbine blades. Five different types of structural reinforcements helping to prevent undesired structural elastic mechanisms are presented. Comparisons of the eigenfrequencies observed in the full-scale tests are presented and conclusions are drawn based on the mechanisms found.

Validation of a three-dimensional viscous–inviscid interactive solver for wind turbine rotors

MIRAS is a newly developed computational model that predicts the aerodynamic behavior of wind turbine blades and wakes subject to unsteady motions and viscous effects. The model is based on a three-dimensional panel method using a surface distribution of quadrilateral singularities with a Neumann no penetration condition. Viscous effects inside the boundary layer are taken into account through the coupling with the quasi-3D integral boundary layer solver Q3UIC. A free-wake model is employed to simulate the vorticity released by the blades in the wake. In this paper the new code is validated against measurements and/or CFD simulations for five wind turbine rotors, including three experimental model rotors [20–22], the 2.5 MW NM80 machine [23] and the NREL 5 MW virtual rotor [24]. Such a broad set of operational conditions and rotor sizes constitutes a very challenging validation matrix, with Reynolds numbers ranging from 5.0⋅104 to 1.2⋅107.

Calculation of effective section stiffness properties for wind turbine blades using homogenization

The structural behavior of wind turbine blades can be accurately modeled using beam models. The accuracy in the predictions using beam models depends on the degree of accuracy in the prediction of the effective section properties. A simple and efficient method compared with full 3D analysis is developed for the prediction of effective section properties for prismatic slender members of any arbitrary cross-section shape. The technique, which is based on the superposition principle, is developed to include the shear deformation modes in predicting the effective stiffness properties. A homogenization scheme based on strain energy equivalence is employed for calculating the effective properties. The method can accurately predict the full stiffness matrix including the off-diagonal terms. Also a procedure for finding the locations of the weighted centroid and the shear center is presented. The results for four different cross-section shapes including a wind turbine blade section are validated using an existing analysis technique, Variational Asymptotic Beam Sectional Analysis. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Application of videometric technique to deformation measurement for large-scale composite wind turbine blade

The size of wind turbine blades is expected to increase considerably in the future. Since the modern wind turbine blade is generally large-scale, faulty design production results in high expense. To achieve a desired wind turbine blade, a better understanding of the structural behavior on different scale is necessary. Although the structural deformation of the full-scale blade under various loads is an important parameter in the analysis of structural behavior and the blade’s performance, there are many difficulties in an accurate deformation measurement of the large-scale wind turbine blade. A videometric technique reported here was developed to determine the large-scale blade deformations. The technique principle and methodology will be presented in the current paper, which involves the detail of implementation in the large-scale blade deformation measurement. Some application examples with the obtained data and their analysis are presented, which demonstrates the technique’s application on large-scale wind turbine blade, and which is relevant to understanding the structural behavior of wind turbine blade in the full-scale tests and during operation. The videometric technique will be useful for structural investigation of composite wind turbine blades. A wide variety of other applications, especially those involving fieldwork, could exploit this implementation of videometric.

Design and Finite Element Modal Analysis of 48m Composite Wind Turbine Blade

We currently notice a substantial growth in the wind energy sector worldwide. This growth is expected to be even faster in the coming years. This means that a massive number of wind turbine blades will be produced in the forthcoming years. There is a large potential for materials savings in these blades. The analysis of designed blade is done in dynamic loading. Five types of spars cross-section are taken in this work. The blade and spar are of composite material. The Finite element modal analysis of designed blade is done in ABAQUS. The scope of the present work is to investigate the structural modal analysis of full-scale 48m fiberglass composite wind turbine blades for 5MW horizontal axis wind turbine and through this to assess the potential for materials savings and consequent reductions of the rotor weight. The entire wind turbine can benefit from such weight reductions through decreased dynamics loads and thus leave room for further optimization. A numerical work has been used to address the most adequate spar shape and to get an understanding of the complex structural behavior of wind turbine blades. Five different types of structural reinforcements helping to prevent undesired structural elastic mechanisms are presented. Comparisons of the eigenfrequencies observed in the full-scale tests are presented and conclusions are drawn based on the mechanisms found.

Dynamic Analysis of Wind Turbine Blades Using Radial Basis Functions

Wind turbine blades play important roles in wind energy generation. The dynamic problems associated with wind turbine blades are formulated using radial basis functions. The radial basis function procedure is used to transform partial differential equations, which represent the dynamic behavior of wind turbine blades, into a discrete eigenvalue problem. Numerical results demonstrate that rotational speed significantly impacts the first frequency of a wind turbine blade. Moreover, the pitch angle does not markedly affect wind turbine blade frequencies. This work examines the radial basis functions for dynamic problems of wind turbine blade.