Abstract
The blade of a wind turbine is a critical component that can be damaged by extreme loads; thus, its structural safety is paramount. Further, because its manufacturing cost comprise a high proportion of overall wind power production cost, its weight should be optimized to save on production and material cost. Much research has been conducted on structural optimization of wind turbine blades; however, focus has only been on exterior design. In this study, we optimize the cross-sectional dimensions of a 5-MW wind turbine blade by performing 3-D fluid analysis of the blade and using the pressure distribution obtained as input loads to find the inner structural shape of its cross section. Subsequent 2-D and 3-D fluid structural analyses conducted to find the maximum stress on the overall blade and its cross sections confirm that the cross section of the blade is minimized and that it is structurally safe.
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Recommended by Associate Editor Chang-Wan Kim
Dong-Hoon Kim received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical and Automotive Engineering from Keimyung University in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Kim is currently worked at the Research and Development Center Test and CAE Team, HWASHIN Co., LTD.
O-Kaung Lim received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University in 1972 and M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from KAIST in 1976, respectively. He then received his Ph.D. degree from University of Iowa in 1982. He served as a Head of the School of Mechanical Engineering in Pusan National University. Dr. Lim is currently a Chair of the Innovation Center for Engineering Education in Pusan National University. Dr. Lim’s current research interests include education methodology for engineering design and nonlinear optimization.
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Kim, DH., Lim, OK., Choi, EH. et al. Optimization of 5-MW wind turbine blade using fluid structure interaction analysis. J Mech Sci Technol 31, 725–732 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-017-0124-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-017-0124-2