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Wind Turbine Blade FSI (Part 2)
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This module is from our free online simulations course at edX.org (sign up here). The edX interface provides a better user experience and the content has been updated, so we recommend that you go through the module there rather than here. Also, you will be able to see answers to the questions embedded within the module there. |
Created using ANSYS 15.0
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This tutorial has videos. If you are in a computer lab, make sure to have head phones. |
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The blade is composed of an outer surface and an inner spar. The thickness of the outside surface linearly decreases from 0.1 m at the root to 0.005 m at the tip. The spar has a similar thickness behavior with 0.1 m at its closest point to the root and 0.03 m at the tip. To sum up, here are the thickness specifications needed along with their location with respect to the global coordinate system (which represents the center of an imaginary hub and thus the center of rotation).
Surface
| X (m) | Thickness (m) |
|---|---|
| -1 | 0.1 |
| -44.2 | 0.005 |
Spar
| X (m) | Thickness (m) |
|---|---|
| -3 | 0.1 |
| -44.2 | 0.03 |
These thicknesses are actually very close to what you would encounter on a real turbine.
Wind turbine blades are now made of composite materials to reduce the weight of these massive machines. Here we simplify the structural analysis by assuming that the composite material can be approximated by the following orthotropic material properties.
Density (kg/m^3) | 1550 |
|---|---|
Young's Modulus-X (Pa) | 1.1375E+11 |
Young's Modulus-Y (Pa) | 7.583E+09 |
Young's Modulus-Z (Pa) | 7.583E+09 |
Poisson's Ratio-XY | 0.32 |
Poisson's Ratio-YZ | 0.37 |
Poisson's Ratio-XZ | 0.35 |
Shear Modulus-XY (Pa) | 5.446E+09 |
Shear Modulus-YZ (Pa) | 2.964E+09 |
Shear Modulus-XZ (Pa) | 2.964E+09 |
These values are representative of composite properties found in real wind turbine blades.
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