Abstract
The main objective of the project was, through theoretical and
experimental research, to develop and validate a fully coupled,
general beam element that can be used for advanced and rapid
analysis of wind turbine blades. This is fully achieved in the project
and the beam element has even been implemented in the aeroelastic
code HAWC2. It has also been demonstrated through a parametric
study in the project that a promising possibility with the tool is to
reduce fatigue loads through structural couplings. More work is
needed before these possibilities are fully explored and blades with
structural couplings can be put into production.
A cross section analysis tool BECAS (BEam Cross section Analysis
Software) has been developed and validated in the project. BECAS
is able to predict all geometrical and material induced couplings.
This tool has obtained great interest from both industry and
academia.
The developed fully coupled beam element and cross section
analysis tool has been validated against both numerical calculations
and experimental measurements. Numerical validation has been
performed against beam type calculations including Variational
Asymptotical Beam Section Analysis (VABS) and detailed shell
and solid finite element analyses. Experimental validation included
specially designed beams with built-in couplings, a full-scale blade
section originally without couplings, which subsequently was
modified with extra composite layers in order to obtain measurable
couplings. Both static testing and dynamic modal analysis tests
have been performed.
The results from the project now make it possible to use structural
couplings in an intelligent manner for the design of future wind
turbine blades. The developed beam element is especially developed for wind turbine blades and can be used for modeling
blades with initial curvature (pre-bending), initial twist and taper.
Finally, it have been studied what size of structural couplings can
be obtained in current and future blade designs.
experimental research, to develop and validate a fully coupled,
general beam element that can be used for advanced and rapid
analysis of wind turbine blades. This is fully achieved in the project
and the beam element has even been implemented in the aeroelastic
code HAWC2. It has also been demonstrated through a parametric
study in the project that a promising possibility with the tool is to
reduce fatigue loads through structural couplings. More work is
needed before these possibilities are fully explored and blades with
structural couplings can be put into production.
A cross section analysis tool BECAS (BEam Cross section Analysis
Software) has been developed and validated in the project. BECAS
is able to predict all geometrical and material induced couplings.
This tool has obtained great interest from both industry and
academia.
The developed fully coupled beam element and cross section
analysis tool has been validated against both numerical calculations
and experimental measurements. Numerical validation has been
performed against beam type calculations including Variational
Asymptotical Beam Section Analysis (VABS) and detailed shell
and solid finite element analyses. Experimental validation included
specially designed beams with built-in couplings, a full-scale blade
section originally without couplings, which subsequently was
modified with extra composite layers in order to obtain measurable
couplings. Both static testing and dynamic modal analysis tests
have been performed.
The results from the project now make it possible to use structural
couplings in an intelligent manner for the design of future wind
turbine blades. The developed beam element is especially developed for wind turbine blades and can be used for modeling
blades with initial curvature (pre-bending), initial twist and taper.
Finally, it have been studied what size of structural couplings can
be obtained in current and future blade designs.
| Original language | English |
|---|
| Publisher | DTU Wind Energy |
|---|---|
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-87-92896-01-8 |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
| Series | DTU Wind Energy E |
|---|---|
| Number | 0001 |
Keywords
- DTU-Wind-Energy-E-0001(EN)
- DTU-Wind-Energy-Report-E-0005