Experimental Validation of the Structural Integrity of Modular Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Blades

• Main Authors: Abhishek Asthana, Sanjay Mukherjee, Sara Mountney, Ryan Griffiths
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2017-11-01
• Series: Proceedings
• Subjects: Modular Wind Turbines; Wind Energy; Structural integrity
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/1/7/694

The production, transportation and repair of long horizontal axis wind turbine blades measuring up to 85 m require expensive specialist machinery that increases the capital cost of wind power generation. A modular blade design is a potential solution to these problems however; the inclusion of joints could make the modular blades inherently weaker. This work investigates the effect of post-tensioned tendons on the structural integrity of modular blades, through cantilever deflection and tensile tests conducted on 3D printed small-scale prototypes. The experiment indicates 43% and 15.4% reduction in blade tip displacement and deflection caused by cyclic loading, respectively, in case of modular design with tendons compared to without tendons design.