Integration of Low-cost Consumer Electronics for In-situ Condition Monitoring of Wind Turbine Blades

Abstract. Given that wind turbine blades are such large structures, the use of low-cost composite manufacturing processes and materials has been necessary for the industry to be cost competitive. Since these manufacturing methods can lead to inclusion of unwanted defects, potentially reducing blade life, the Blade Reliability Collaborative tasked the Montana State University Composites Group with assessing the effects of these defects. Utilizing the results of characterization and mechanical testing studies, probabilistic models were developed to assess the reliability of a wind blade with known defects. As such, defects were found to best be assessed as design parameters in a parametric probabilistic analysis allowing for establishment of a consistent framework to validate categorization and analysis. Monte Carlo simulations were found to adequately describe the probability of failure of composite blades with included defects. By treating defects as random variables, the approaches utilized indicate the level of conservation used in blade design may be reduced when considering fatigue. In turn, safety factors may be reduced as some of the uncertainty surrounding blade failure is reduced when analysed with application specific data. Overall, the results indicate that characterization of defects and reduction of design uncertainty is possible for wind turbine blades.

Download Full-text

In-Situ Cure Monitoring of Wind Turbine Blades by Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors and Fresnel Reflection Measurement

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s150818229 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (8) ◽

pp. 18229-18238 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Umesh Sampath ◽

Hyunjin Kim ◽

Dae-gil Kim ◽

Young-Chon Kim ◽

Minho Song

Keyword(s):

Wind Turbine ◽

Fiber Bragg Grating ◽

Turbine Blades ◽

Bragg Grating ◽

Fresnel Reflection ◽

Wind Turbine Blades ◽

Cure Monitoring ◽

Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors ◽

Reflection Measurement

Download Full-text

Investigation of performance of small wind turbine blades with winglets

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat &amp Fluid Flow ◽

10.1108/hff-09-2019-0695 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Michal Kulak ◽

Michal Lipian ◽

Karol Zawadzki

Keyword(s):

Wind Turbine ◽

Low Cost ◽

Turbine Blades ◽

Significant Degree ◽

Small Scale ◽

Performance Study ◽

Wind Turbine Blades ◽

Content Type ◽

Efficiency Increase ◽

Energy Prosumers

Purpose This paper aims to discuss the results of the performance study of wind turbine blades equipped with winglets. An investigation focusses on small wind turbines (SWTs), where the winglets are recalled as one of the most promising concepts in terms of turbine efficiency increase. Design/methodology/approach To investigate a contribution of winglets to SWT aerodynamic efficiency, a wind tunnel experiment was performed at Lodz University of Technology. In parallel, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations campaign was conducted with the ANSYS CFX software to investigate appearing flow structures in greater detail. Findings The research indicates the potential behind the application of winglets in low Reynolds flow conditions, while the CFD study enables the identification of crucial regions influencing the flow structure in the most significant degree. Research limitations/implications As the global effect on a whole rotor is a result of a small-scale geometrical feature, it is important to localise unveiled phenomena and the mechanisms behind their generation. Practical implications Even the slightest efficiency improvement in a distributed generation installation can promote such a solution amongst energy prosumers and increase their independence from limited natural resources. Originality/value The winglet-equipped blades of SWTs provide an opportunity to increase the device performance with relatively low cost and ease of implementation.

Download Full-text

Design and Evaluation of a Rooftop Wind Turbine Rotor With Untwisted Blades

Volume 2: Reliability, Availability and Maintainability (RAM); Plant Systems, Structures, Components and Materials Issues; Simple and Combined Cycles; Advanced Energy Systems and Renewables (Wind, Solar and Geothermal); Energy Water Nexus; Thermal Hydraulics and CFD; Nuclear Plant Design, Licensing and Construction; Performance Testing and Performance Test Codes ◽

10.1115/power2013-98217 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Sayem Zafar ◽

Mohamed Gadalla

Keyword(s):

Wind Turbine ◽

Wind Turbines ◽

Low Cost ◽

Turbine Blades ◽

Angle Of Attack ◽

Turbine Rotor ◽

Wind Turbine Blades ◽

Wind Speeds ◽

Small Wind Turbines ◽

Wind Turbine Rotor

A small horizontal axis wind turbine rotor was designed and tested with aerodynamically efficient, economical and easy to manufacture blades. Basic blade aerodynamic analysis was conducted using commercially available software. The blade span was constrained such that the complete wind turbine can be rooftop mountable with the envisioned wind turbine height of around 8 m. The blade was designed without any taper or twist to comply with the low cost and ease of manufacturing requirements. The aerodynamic analysis suggested laminar flow airfoils to be the most efficient airfoils for such use. Using NACA 63-418 airfoil, a rectangular blade geometry was selected with chord length of 0.27[m] and span of 1.52[m]. Glass reinforced plastic was used as the blade material for low cost and favorable strength to weight ratio with a skin thickness of 1[mm]. Because of the resultant velocity changes with respect to the blade span, while the blade is rotating, an optimal installed angle of attack was to be determined. The installed angle of attack was required to produce the highest possible rotation under usual wind speeds while start at relatively low speed. Tests were conducted at multiple wind speeds with blades mounted on free rotating shaft. The turbine was tested for three different installed angles and rotational speeds were recorded. The result showed increase in rotational speed with the increase in blade angle away from the free-stream velocity direction while the start-up speeds were found to be within close range of each other. At the optimal angle was found to be 22° from the plane of rotation. The results seem very promising for a low cost small wind turbine with no twist and taper in the blade. The tests established that non-twisted wind turbine blades, when used for rooftop small wind turbines, can generate useable electrical power for domestic consumption. It also established that, for small wind turbines, non-twisted, non-tapered blades provide an economical yet productive alternative to the existing complex wind turbine blades.

Download Full-text