Abstract:
Currently, utilization of renewable energy sources is the major international attention to
overcome the global warming. Wind energy which is generated from wind flow by wind turbine
is one of a promising sources of renewable energy with significant potential. The majority
failures of wind turbine blade are due to fatigue load on the components like fatigue failure of
many other ordinary materials. Fatigue stresses are developed on the wind turbine blade due to
change in wind speed and increasing other factors on the blade length. The main objective of
this thesis research is to analyze a fatigue failure of a wind turbine blade made of composite
materials (E-glass fiber) for horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) blade due to various loads
occurring during operation. The main cause of fatigue of wind turbine blade; critical portion
where stress acting area is maximum, aerodynamic effect on blade and stress distribution on the
wind turbine blade are identified and determined by ANSYS. 3-D model is developed by
CATIA with NACA 4412 of air foil profile and fatigue analysis of the typical wind turbine blade
has been analyzed using commercially available FEM and CFD Fluent with ANSYS. This study
is conducted to get the maximum stressed region and critical area of the blade by aerodynamic
forces. The fatigue analysis is conducted by both analytical and simulation methods. The result
from the analysis show that the wind turbine blade with given typical parameter is determined
and operating for minimum of eleven years. Generally, from CFD result leading edge of at blade
tip and from static structural analysis root/hub of the blade is highly stressed as a result the
gradual failure which is called fatigue failure is determined and discussed with comparative
loads effects.
