Advances in Wind Turbine Blade Design and Materials (Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy)

The size of wind turbine blades has gotten larger over time, in order to achieve the highest efficiency energy conversion possible. At the same time, to increase the penetration and utilization of sustainable wind power, the use of natural and bio-based materials has grown in popularity. All of these issues present challenges in terms of the design, manufacture and operation of wind turbine blades. This book provides an authoritative overview of developments in wind turbine blade design and materials, covering the fundamental wind turbine blade design challenges and developments and computational modeling approaches to blade design. The opening chapters focus on design challenges and developments, detailing wind turbine blade materials challenges and developments, advanced materials, degradation and defect issues and blade inspection and certification. The second section explores advanced materials and wind turbine blade manufacture, performance testing and operation and maintenance of wind turbine blades. Wind energy is gaining critical ground in the area of renewable energy, with wind energy being predicted to provide up to 8% of the world’s consumption of electricity by 2021. Advances in wind turbine blade design and materials reviews the design and functionality of wind turbine rotor blades as well as the requirements and challenges for composite materials used in both current and future designs of wind turbine blades.

Part one outlines the challenges and developments in wind turbine blade design, including aerodynamic and aeroelastic design features, fatigue loads on wind turbine blades, and characteristics of wind turbine blade airfoils. Part two discusses the fatigue behavior of composite wind turbine blades, including the micromechanical modelling and fatigue life prediction of wind turbine blade composite materials, and the effects of resin and reinforcement variations on the fatigue resistance of wind turbine blades. The final part of the book describes advances in wind turbine blade materials, development and testing, including biobased composites, surface protection and coatings, structural performance testing and the design, manufacture and testing of small wind turbine blades.

Advances in wind turbine blade design and materials offers a comprehensive review of the recent advances and challenges encountered in wind turbine blade materials and design, and will provide an invaluable reference for researchers and innovators in the field of wind energy production, including materials scientists and engineers, wind turbine blade manufacturers and maintenance technicians, scientists, researchers and academics.

• Reviews the design and functionality of wind turbine rotor blades
• Examines the requirements and challenges for composite materials used in both current and future designs of wind turbine blades
• Provides an invaluable reference for researchers and innovators in the field of wind energy production

Wind energy is gaining critical ground in the area of renewable energy, with wind energy being predicted to provide up to 8% of the worlds consumption of electricity by 2021. Advances in wind turbine blade design and materials reviews the design and functionality of wind turbine rotor blades as well as the requirements and challenges for composite materials used in both current and future designs of wind turbine blades. Part one outlines the challenges and developments in wind turbine blade design, including aerodynamic and aeroelastic design features, fatigue loads on wind turbine blades, and characteristics of wind turbine blade airfoils. Part two discusses the fatigue behavior of composite wind turbine blades, including the micromechanical modelling and fatigue life prediction of wind turbine blade composite materials, and the effects of resin and reinforcement variations on the fatigue resistance of wind turbine blades. The final part of the book describes advances in wind turbine blade materials, development and testing, including biobased composites, surface protection and coatings, structural performance testing and the design, manufacture and testing of small wind turbine blades. Advances in wind turbine blade design and materials offers a comprehensive review of the recent advances and challenges encountered in wind turbine blade materials and design, and will provide an invaluable reference for researchers and innovators in the field of wind energy production, including materials scientists and engineers, wind turbine blade manufacturers and maintenance technicians, scientists, researchers and academics. This book provides an authoritative overview of developments in wind turbine blade design and materials. The opening chapters focus on design challenges and developments. Chapters in the second section of the book review advanced materials and wind turbine blade manufacture.