Structural analysis of wind turbine blade by using finite element method

Abstract

Wind turbine serves as one of the reliable sources of renewable energy converter around the globe. The main purpose of the wind turbine is to extract maximum aerodynamic efficiency utilizing the wind and turbine blade acting as the main factor for harnessing wind energy. To ensure a turbine blade with required structural integrity as well as aerodynamically thin structure, blade material plays a vital role. The blade materials in a turbine blade should have properties like fatigue resistance, low density, and higher strength. In this study, wind turbine blades are designed using SolidWorks software and analysis is performed for six different materials using the finite element method. The materials used here are carbon epoxy, glass polyester, epoxy E-glass, epoxy S-glass, epoxy carbon UD (230 GPa) prepreg, and structural steel. The purpose of this analysis is to explore the nodal deformation and von-Mises stress distribution as well as maximum strain energy. Later, graphical, and tabular results are presented for the target elements, occurring at the most vulnerable region of blade structure. The results are also presented in terms of maximum von-Mises stress, maximum deformation, and total strain energy. The main goal of this study is to validate and compare the above-mentioned materials with conventional ones to select the best material for the wind turbine blade.