Structural testing and numerical modelling of a glass fibre-reinforced composite demonstrator for turbine blades

Jiang, Yadong, Finnegan, William, Kelly, Conor, Bastawisy, Ahmed El, Flanagan, Tomas, Glennon, Conor, & Goggins, Jamie (2023). Structural testing and numerical modelling of a glass fibre-reinforced composite demonstrator for turbine blades. Paper presented at the 15th European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference (EWTEC 2023), Bilbao, Spain, 03-07 September. https://doi.org/10.36688/ewtec-2023-181

Abstract

Tidal energy, a clean, predictable and reliable renewable energy source, can play an important role in creating a carbon-free energy system in Europe. The cumulative tidal stream technology deployed in Europe was 30.2 MW in 2022, which contributes to 77% of the global total tidal energy device installations. Under a high growth scenario, approximately 2388 MW of tidal energy capacities will be deployed in Europe by 2030. The structural performance of a tidal turbine blade is vital as it guarantees the safe operation of a turbine within its lifespan in marine environments. Experimental testing is a reliable way of investigating the structural performance of a tidal turbine blade. In this research, the structural performance of a composite demonstrator is carried out. The 5 m long demonstrator represents a tidal current turbine’s main structure, the strongest region of a typical rotor blade. The demonstrator consists of two spar cap and ©2023 European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference. This paper has been subjected to single-blind peer review. Sponsor and financial support acknowledgement: This work was funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) under the SEAI Research, Development, and Demonstration Funding Programme 2021 (grant numbers21/RDD/630, 21/RDD/655 and 21/RDD/601). The research was also supported by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) through the MaREI Research Centre for Energy, Climate, and Marine (grant no 12/RC/2302_2). The authors would also like to acknowledge the support of Marine Institute, funded under the Marine Research Programme by the Government of Ireland (PDOC/21/03/01). Y. Jiang is with the SFI MaREI Centre, Ryan Institute, School of Engineering, University of Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33 Ireland. (e-mail: yadong.jiang@universityofgalway.ie). W. Finnegan is with Construct Innovate and the SFI MaREI Centre, Ryan Institute, School of Engineering, University of Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33 Ireland. (e-mail: william.finnegan@ universityofgalway.ie). C. Kelly is with ÉireComposites Teo, Galway, H91 Y923 Ireland. (e-mail: c.kelly@eirecomposites.com). A. Bastawisy is with ÉireComposites Teo, Galway, H91 Y923 Ireland. (e-mail: a.bastawisy@eirecomposites.com). T. Flanagan is with ÉireComposites Teo, Galway, H91 Y923 Ireland. (e-mail: t.flanagan@eirecomposites.com). C. Glennon is with the SFI MaREI Centre, Ryan Institute, School of Engineering, University of Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33 Ireland. (e-mail: conor.glennon@universityofgalway.ie). J. Goggins is with Construct Innovate and the SFI MaREI Centre, Ryan Institute, School of Engineering, University of Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33 Ireland. (e-mail: conor.glennon@universityofgalway.ie). Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.36688/ewtec-2023-181 two webs, which are manufactured with glass-fibre reinforced composite materials. Steel inserts are drilled into the root of the spar cap to connect to the support frame. A hydraulic actuator is used to apply loading to the tip region of the demonstrator to simulate the operation loading. Instrumentations, including strain gauges, accelerometers and displacement transducers, are installed to monitor the demonstrator responses. The test results are utilised to validate a finite element model, which will be used in the blade design and optimisation case study in the future.

Publisher

European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference (EWTEC)

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

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Civil Engineering (Conference Papers)