Computational Modelling of Repetitive Raindrop Impact and Resulting Fatigue Damage in Wind Turbine Blades

Nikesh Kuthe, Suhail Ahmad, Puneet Mahajan, Leon Mishnaevsky Jr

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingArticle in proceedingsResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Computational modelling of repetitive raindrop impact and predicting the ensuing damage in the coating and substrate due to fatigue is an essential step in determining the life of the wind turbine blade. The blade is multi-layered with a viscoelastic coating layer, a viscoelastic putty layer, and an elastic composite substrate with an interface between the layers. The damage usually takes the form of erosion of the coating and debonding at the various interfaces between the layers of the wind turbine blade. The modelling of impact and damage involves several steps beginning with generating a stochastic rain scenario which provides information on raindrop size distribution and velocity hitting a volume of the blade. A Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) analysis of a single raindrop and a representative region of the blade provides impact forces on and resulting stresses in the blade. The CEL analysis is repeated for drops of different diameters to generate a library of stresses. This library, combined with a stochastic rain scenario, generates stresses at any location of the representative blade due to the repetitive impact of different-sized raindrops hitting arbitrary locations. Continuum damage mechanics is used to predict the damage evolution in the coating, and when damage reaches a critical value in any element within the developed finite element model of the multilayered blade sample represents the erosion of the coating. A cohesive zone model for fatigue debonding is employed for interfaces between coating, putty, and composite substrate. Both the Continuum damage mechanics model and a Cohesive zone model for fatigue are implemented through a user-defined subroutine in ABAQUS/Explicit. Using the model, the interaction between erosion and debonding is studied. Using the properties of materials from the literature, the analysis shows that damage always initiates from the bottom portion of the coating layer close to the adhesive interface. This eventually creates displacement jumps at the interface of coating and putty, causing damage initiation at the interfaces. Repetitive raindrop impact of different sizes at arbitrary locations causes damage accumulation and propagation faster at the interface, finally damaging the coating layer.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the ASME 2024 43rd International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering OMAE2024
Number of pages8
Volume7
PublisherThe American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Publication date2024
Article numberv007t09a054
ISBN (Electronic)978-0-7918-8785-1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024
Event43rd International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering - Singapore, Singapore
Duration: 9 Jun 202414 Jun 2024

Conference

Conference43rd International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering
Country/TerritorySingapore
CitySingapore
Period09/06/202414/06/2024

Keywords

  • Wind turbine blade
  • Raindrop impact
  • Erosion
  • Debonding
  • FE analysis

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