Similitude analysis of thin-walled composite I-beams for subcomponent testing of wind turbine blades. Issue 5 (October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Eydani Asl, Mohamad; Niezrecki, Christopher; Sherwood, James; Avitabile, Peter
• Is Part Of: Wind engineering. Volume 41:Issue 5(2017)
• Page Start: 297
• Page End: 312
• Publication Date: 2017-10
• Subjects: Similitude -- wind turbine blade -- subcomponent -- composite I-beam -- scaling laws; Wind-pressure -- Periodicals; Winds -- Periodicals; Wind power -- Periodicals; Engineering meteorology -- Periodicals; Pression du vent; Vents; Énergie éolienne; Météorologie appliquée; Engineering meteorology; Wind power; Wind-pressure; Winds; Periodicals; 621.4505
• DOI: 10.1177/0309524X17709924
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0309-524X

Abstract

In this study, the I-beam structure of a utility-scale blade is used as the basis for the design of a small-scale subcomponent emulating the same type of structural element of a utility-scale wind turbine blade. Governing equations for the bending of a shear deformable thin-walled composite I-beam are considered. Similitude theory is applied to derive the corresponding scaling laws. Accuracy of the derived scaling laws in predicting the strain and displacement fields of the full-scale I-beam is considered as a design criterion for small-scale I-beams. Both complete and partial similarity cases are discussed. A novel approach is proposed to design partially similar scaled I-beams with totally different layups from those of the full-scale I-beam. Using the proposed technique, scaled-down composite I-beams are designed that predict the strain and displacement fields of their full-scale parent I-beam with very good accuracy.