Advances In Wind Turbine Blade Design And Materials

Wind energy is gaining critical ground in the area of renewable energy, with wind energy being predicted to provide up to 8% of the world’s consumption of electricity by 2021. Advances in wind turbine blade design and materials reviews the design and functionality of wind turbine rotor blades as well as the requirements and challenges for composite materials used in both current and future designs of wind turbine blades. Part one outlines the challenges and developments in wind turbine blade design, including aerodynamic and aeroelastic design features, fatigue loads on wind turbine blades, and characteristics of wind turbine blade airfoils. Part two discusses the fatigue behavior of composite wind turbine blades, including the micromechanical modelling and fatigue life prediction of wind turbine blade composite materials, and the effects of resin and reinforcement variations on the fatigue resistance of wind turbine blades. The final part of the book describes advances in wind turbine blade materials, development and testing, including biobased composites, surface protection and coatings, structural performance testing and the design, manufacture and testing of small wind turbine blades. Advances in wind turbine blade design and materials offers a comprehensive review of the recent advances and challenges encountered in wind turbine blade materials and design, and will provide an invaluable reference for researchers and innovators in the field of wind energy production, including materials scientists and engineers, wind turbine blade manufacturers and maintenance technicians, scientists, researchers and academics. Reviews the design and functionality of wind turbine rotor blades Examines the requirements and challenges for composite materials used in both current and future designs of wind turbine blades Provides an invaluable reference for researchers and innovators in the field of wind energy production

Wind energy is gaining critical ground in the area of renewable energy, with wind energy being predicted to provide up to 8% of the world's consumption of electricity by 2021. Advances in wind turbine blade design and materials reviews the design and functionality of wind turbine rotor blades as well as the requirements and challenges for composite materials used in both current and future designs of wind turbine blades. Part one outlines the challenges and developments in wind turbine blade design, including aerodynamic and aeroelastic design features, fatigue loads on wind turbine blades, and characteristics of wind turbine blade airfoils. Part two discusses the fatigue behavior of composite wind turbine blades, including the micromechanical modelling and fatigue life prediction of wind turbine blade composite materials, and the effects of resin and reinforcement variations on the fatigue resistance of wind turbine blades. The final part of the book describes advances in wind turbine blade materials, development and testing, including biobased composites, surface protection and coatings, structural performance testing and the design, manufacture and testing of small wind turbine blades. Advances in wind turbine blade design and materials offers a comprehensive review of the recent advances and challenges encountered in wind turbine blade materials and design, and will provide an invaluable reference for researchers and innovators in the field of wind energy production, including materials scientists and engineers, wind turbine blade manufacturers and maintenance technicians, scientists, researchers and academics.

Advances in Wind Turbine Blade Design and Materials, Second Edition, builds on the thorough review of the design and functionality of wind turbine rotor blades and the requirements and challenges for composite materials used in both current and future designs of wind turbine blades. Reviews the design and functionality of wind turbine rotor blades Examines the requirements and challenges for composite materials used in both current and future designs of wind turbine blades Provides an invaluable reference for researchers and innovators in the field of wind

Small wind turbine blades share a number of features with large blades, but have some important differences. The two main differences are their much higher rotational speed, which causes more fatigue cycles and higher yaw moments, and their operation at low Reynolds number, which means that thick aerofoil sections cannot be used near the root. This chapter discusses the design challenges arising from these differences, the materials commonly used for blade manufacture, and the fatigue testing of small blades. The use of timber is highlighted for very small blades, and fibre-reinforced composite manufacture of larger ones is discussed in terms of sustainability, conformity of manufactured shape, and fatigue behaviour.

An overview of the current and future trends in wind turbine blade structural design process is presented. The main design principles and failure mechanisms of blades in operation are assessed and explained through an industry point of view, in a realistic manner. A number of failure modes which are not addressed sufficiently in the certificate guidelines are presented. An example on how to use the new design philosophy is presented. The manufactured prototype is a 44m long load carrying spar and the weight is reduced by 40%.

The chapter discusses the topic of probabilistic analysis of wind turbine blades. First, structural analysis models, the definition of ‘failure’ and the treatment of random variables will be explored, focusing on the challenges involved in a probabilistic design depending on the choices made during each step. Next, the various probabilistic methods (Monte Carlo method, first-order reliability method, Edgeworth expansion method, response surface method) will be described. Issues arising out of the use of composite material structures, in applications such as wind turbine blades, as well as other aspects relating to wind energy applications will be highlighted, and techniques will be discussed through examples.

This chapter discusses surface layer protection for wind turbine rotor blades. The surface protection and coating can be a gelcoat or a paint and can be made of unsaturated polyester, epoxy, polyurethane or acrylic. As wind turbines are often erected in harsh climates, the blade surface will be exposed to conditions that cause erosion and wear. There are tests to measure resistance against these attacks, and the surface is designed to minimize damage to the blade caused by the environment. By using existing standards for surface layers for offshore use and for helicopters, it has been found that a combination of accelerated tests for UV degradation, chemical attack and wear give a complete picture of the performance of surface layers.

This chapter deals with loads on wind turbine blades. It describes the load generating process, wind fields, and the concepts of stresses and strains. Aerodynamic loads, loads introduced by inertia, gravitation and gyroscopic effects, and actuation loads are discussed. The loading effects on the rotor blades and how they are interconnected with the dynamics of the turbine structure are highlighted. There is a discussion on how stochastic loads can be analysed and an outline of cycle counting methodology. The method of design verification testing is briefly described.