The Wind Speed Impact on Stress and Deformation of Composite Wind Turbine Blade

Abstract

Wind turbines are structures that transform wind energy into other types of energy. In the modern age, wind turbines are closely related to the production of electricity and are considered starters of the green industry. Designing this type of construction is a complex and demanding process. Wind turbine blades are the most important part of the construction and are usually made of composite materials that meet the requirements of strength as well as aerodynamic requirements. Due to the high cost of composite materials, numerical modeling programs are very important because they allow the structure to be inspected before production, as well as to identify possible errors and weaknesses. In this way, additional manufacturing costs are avoided and a fully optimized structure is obtained. The finite element method (FEM) is a reliable method that allows the structure to be tested for the occurrence of normal and shear stresses that can lead to unwanted values of deformations on the blade. In this paper, the procedure of static analysis of a wind turbine blade is presented and the results that are important for optimizing the blade structure are analyzed. The purpose of FEM analysis is to find critical sections of the blade and to predict where maximum values of stresses may occur. In this way, it can be concluded whether the chosen material is appropriate and how the structure can be further optimized.