English abstract
The natural wind flow is an increasingly important source of power production worldwide, with wind
energy providing more than half of the growth in renewable energy. However, the efficient utilization of
wind energy strongly depends on the structural condition of the turbine blade. Therefore, evaluating
turbine performance in varying wind conditions is crucial for developing and designing energy-efficient
wind turbines.
Developing and designing large wind turbines and determining their performance under varying wind
loads is a challenging and costly process. Numerical simulations using Finite Element (FE) modeling
provide a cost-effective substitute to develop and test the performance of large wind turbines. However,
studies pertinent to coupling of turbine blade at minimum cost and estimation of fatigue life under varying
wind conditions are limited.
This study aims to compare the strength and deformation of blades of a horizontal axis wind turbine made
of composite and aluminum alloy. The aerodynamic analysis of a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT)
is performed, with a 3D geometric model generated and imported into a Finite Element code (ANSYS
Workbench) for analysis. The Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis is coupled with structural
analysis using one-way fluid structure interaction. The power output and pressure coefficients obtained
from CFD are compared with experimental data. The deformation and stresses produced in the two types
of blades (aluminum alloy and composite) are analyzed and compared, and the tip deflection and stress
on the blades are related to wind speed and Yaw angles.
The results obtained from numerical simulations demonstrate higher blade tip deformation in aluminum
blades compared to composite material. The obtained results are compared and discussed in the context
of similar studies available in the published literature. This study can help in the development of cost effective and high-performance wind turbines for efficient utilization of wind energy.
