High reliability of large wind turbines via computational micromechanics based enhancement of materials performances

The future of wind power is related with the design of very large turbines (8-10MW) standing in wind farms of several hundred MW, both on- and offshore. In this case, the potential costs of repair and replacement of damaged wind turbines will be huge. Thus, the problem of ensuring high reliability of wind turbines becomes especially important for large and extra large turbines. The required reliability of wind turbines can be ensured by development and use of strong and highly damage resistant advanced materials. The goal of this project is to create a scientific basis for the development of advanced, strong materials for wind blades by optimizing their structures at microlevel. This goal is achieved by carrying out comprehensive materials testing programme (incl. in-situ under electron microscopy) (which allows to clarify the complex damage and degradation mechanisms in wind blade materials), by development of a “virtual laboratory” for the computational testing of different materials for wind blade applications  and exploring different ways of modification and optimization of wind blade materials microstructures (including nanoengineered composites and hierarchical materials) in numerical experiments. Exact methods to predict the lifetime and strength of different blade materials under complex cyclic and environmental loading, as well as recommendations toward the improvement of performances of composites for the wind turbine blades are developed.

The objective of this project is to create a scientific basis for the development of advanced, strong materials for blades of large and extra-large wind turbines by optimizing their structures at microlevel. The intermediate goals include: 

• Development of “virtual laboratory” for the computational testing, comparison and optimization of different microstructures of wind blade materials, 
• Predictive models of lifetime and reliability of wind blade materials, taking into account the microscale mechanisms of strength and real microstructures of materials, 
• Determination of microscale physical mechanisms and microstructural parameters governing the damage resistance and strength of wind blade materials. In order to do it, a comprehensive program of the experimental and theoretical studies is planned 
• Analysis of the environmental effects on the strength and lifetime of the wind blades, 
• Exploring future directions of wind blade materials development: Nanoengineered matrix and hybrid composites, their usability and efficiency as compared with usual composites 
• Development of computational programs for the optimal choice of wind blade materials corresponding to given service requirements

The project is funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research. The budget is 4.99 Mio Kroner (about 670 K€) and lasts frm 2011 til 2014.  The project includes the collaboration with  the China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing (Professor Hongwei Zhou).