A Critical Review of Damage and Failure of Composite Wind Turbine Blade Structures

Advancing beyond the historic feasibility limits deemed by designers, wind turbine rotor blades have eventually surpassed the 100m milestone, making them reside among the largest single components in the world made of fiber composite materials. In the development of wind energy, aerodynamics has been an essential field of research, just as it will still be, the recent two decades witnesses structures becoming more critical due to the ever-increasing size of the rotor blades. The fact is simple: for wind turbines to operate continuously and cost-efficiently, rotor blades must maintain their structural integrity and reliability. This study reviews recent advances in the field of the structural integrity of large scale composite wind turbine blades. A particular focus is placed on damage and failure in such structures from the triad of field observations, laboratory experiments and numerical modeling. This study also identifies the established knowledge, the latest achievements, the topical research fields and the current challenges for future research and development.