This book concerns the development of novel finite elements for the structural analysis of composite beams and blades. The introduction of material damping is also an important aspect of composite structures and it is presented here in terms of their static and dynamic behavior. The book thoroughly presents a new shear beam finite element, which entails new blade section mechanics, capable of predicting structural blade coupling due to composite coupling and/or internal section geometry. Theoretical background is further expanded towards the inclusion of nonlinear structural blade models and damping mechanics for composite structures. The models effectively include geometrically nonlinear terms due to large displacements and rotations, improve the modeling accuracy of very large flexible blades, and enable the modeling of rotational stiffening and buckling, as well as, nonlinear structural coupling. Validation simulations on specimen level study the geometric nonlinearities effect on the modal frequencies and damping values of composite strips of various angle-ply laminations under either tensile or buckling loading. A series of correlation cases between numerical predictions and experimental measurements give credence to the developed nonlinear beam finite element models and underline the essential role of new nonlinear damping and stiffness terms.

In the wind industry, the current trend is towards building larger and larger turbines. This presents additional structural challenges and requires blade materials that are both lighter and stiffer than the ones presently used. This study is aimed to aid the work of designing new wind turbine blades by providing a comparative study of different composite materials. A coupled Finite-Element-Method (FEM) - Blade Element Momentum (BEM) code was used to simulate the aerodynamic forces subjected on the blade. For this study, the finite element study was conducted on the Static Structural Workbench of ANSYS, as for the geometry of the blade it was imported from a previous study prepared by Cornell University. Confirmation of the performance analysis of the chosen wind turbine blade is presented and discussed including the generated power, tip deflection, thrust and tangential force for a steady flow of 8m/s. A homogenization method was applied to derive the mechanical properties and ultimate strengths of the composites. The Tsai-Hill and Hoffman failure criterions were both conducted to the resulting stresses and shears for each blade composite material structure to determine the presence of static rupture. A progressive fatigue damage model was conducted to simulate the fatigue behavior of laminated composite materials, an algorithm developed by Shokrieh.

The chapter discusses the topic of probabilistic analysis of wind turbine blades. First, structural analysis models, the definition of ‘failure’ and the treatment of random variables will be explored, focusing on the challenges involved in a probabilistic design depending on the choices made during each step. Next, the various probabilistic methods (Monte Carlo method, first-order reliability method, Edgeworth expansion method, response surface method) will be described. Issues arising out of the use of composite material structures, in applications such as wind turbine blades, as well as other aspects relating to wind energy applications will be highlighted, and techniques will be discussed through examples.

Wind energy is gaining critical ground in the area of renewable energy, with wind energy being predicted to provide up to 8% of the world’s consumption of electricity by 2021. Advances in wind turbine blade design and materials reviews the design and functionality of wind turbine rotor blades as well as the requirements and challenges for composite materials used in both current and future designs of wind turbine blades. Part one outlines the challenges and developments in wind turbine blade design, including aerodynamic and aeroelastic design features, fatigue loads on wind turbine blades, and characteristics of wind turbine blade airfoils. Part two discusses the fatigue behavior of composite wind turbine blades, including the micromechanical modelling and fatigue life prediction of wind turbine blade composite materials, and the effects of resin and reinforcement variations on the fatigue resistance of wind turbine blades. The final part of the book describes advances in wind turbine blade materials, development and testing, including biobased composites, surface protection and coatings, structural performance testing and the design, manufacture and testing of small wind turbine blades. Advances in wind turbine blade design and materials offers a comprehensive review of the recent advances and challenges encountered in wind turbine blade materials and design, and will provide an invaluable reference for researchers and innovators in the field of wind energy production, including materials scientists and engineers, wind turbine blade manufacturers and maintenance technicians, scientists, researchers and academics. Reviews the design and functionality of wind turbine rotor blades Examines the requirements and challenges for composite materials used in both current and future designs of wind turbine blades Provides an invaluable reference for researchers and innovators in the field of wind energy production

This book provides a holistic, interdisciplinary overview of offshore wind energy, and is a must-read for advanced researchers. Topics, from the design and analysis of future turbines, to the decommissioning of wind farms, are covered. The scope of the work ranges from analytical, numerical and experimental advancements in structural and fluid mechanics, to novel developments in risk, safety & reliability engineering for offshore wind.The core objective of the current work is to make offshore wind energy more competitive, by improving the reliability, and operations and maintenance (O&M) strategies of wind turbines. The research was carried out under the auspices of the EU-funded project, MARE-WINT. The project provided a unique opportunity for a group of researchers to work closely together, undergo multidisciplinary doctoral training, and conduct research in the area of offshore wind energy generation. Contributions from expert, external authors are also included, and the complete work seeks to bridge the gap between research and a rapidly-evolving industry.

Discusses the design and verification of composite materials and components. The blade is the basic and the most important component of wind turbine. Blade structure reliability is an important feature to ensure the safe operation of blades in a turbine. This book describes all aspects of blade structure design, including basic theories and design methods. It is invaluable for professionals, technical personnel, students and faculties.

The 5th Asia Conference on Mechanical and Materials Engineering (ACMME 2017) was held during June 9-11, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. The presented collection of papers contains the newest researches results and achievements in the field of applied materials engineering for the various branches of the modern manufacturing. We hope this book will be useful for many researchers and engineers which activity related to development and application of modern structural materials.