Numerical investigation of ice accretion on an offshore composite wind turbine under critical loads

In northern regions, wind turbines are affected by the formation of ice on the surface of their structures, which usually occurs on moving blades, resulting in a significant decrease in aerodynamic performance and then the output power tends to reduce. This research evaluates the mechanical behavior and damage of the proposed composite blade structure under icing conditions. A comparative evaluation was carried out considering three ice configurations and three blade positions. The results are then examined and analysed. During this study, the blade in service was subjected to three different critical loads. A numerical simulation is adopted using finite element method (FEM) with ABAQUS software to localize damage in the composite wind turbine blade. The method developed is based on the failure criteria of HASHIN to detect failure modes in large structures and to identify the most sensitive zones. Major damage appeared in the transition region and was the principal reason for the composite blade failure. Furthermore, greater strength and stiffness were found with Carbon (CC) fibers blade designs, whereas configuration 3 was found to be the best one, and the optimal blade position was when the ice structure was placed vertically.

Automated summary

This research evaluated the mechanical behavior and damage of composite wind turbine blades under icing conditions using a numerical simulation with the finite element method. Comparing three ice configurations and blade positions, it was found that Carbon fibers blades had greater strength and stiffness, with configuration 3 and vertical ice structure placement being the optimal choices.