Structural analysis of composite wind

turbine based on SANDIA Report

Nicolas Alday and Nicolas Tripp, IMPSA Wind
Andrs Liberatto, ESSS Argentina

Documentation

Cross-sections

Geometry, materials, load cases,

constraints, types of analysis, etc.

ANSYS Design Modeler Geometry creation

Cross-section
(airfoil)

Splines

Cross-sections were created using

splines and starting from
coordinates specified in the
document NREL/ SR-500-36334 as
shown in the image.
The root section was created using
an ellipse.
Then, span wise splines were
created to define surfaces.

Some dimensions are missing in the

SANDIA Report and in these cases
assumptions were made.

Geometry: lines
and surfaces

ANSYS Mechanical Mesh and Groups definitions

Mesh
Groups

Independently of the type of analysis it is necessary to

generate a mesh and create groups of elements according to
the material distribution.

The groups are created, in ANSYS Mechanical, defining

Named Selections and, in ACP, either element by element or
by using rules. In any case the first option is preferred.
In this case the groups were created according to Figure 3(a)
of the SANDIA Report.

ANSYS Workbench Analysis type

Modal Analysis
The analysis type is defined in ANSYS
Workbench independent of ANSYS
Composite PrepPost (ACP).
In this particular case the analysis made
are one modal, two static (lineal and nonlineal) and a linear buckling.
Static Analysis
(lineal or non-lineal)

Stability Analysis
(linear buckling)

ANSYS Mechanical Load case

The Extreme Wind Speeds load

case was used as it is the only one
the SANDIA Report presents results
for.
The load consists of a 0.62 [psi]
pressure resulting from a 4200 [lb]
force applied in a bilinear
distribution along the chord.

ANSYS Mechanical - Load case and support constraints

A fix support was applied
to the nodes lying in the
root section of the blade.

P = 0.62 psi = 4274 Pa

For simplicity of this

demonstration a
constant pressure of
4274 [Pa] was applied
to the high pressure
face.

ANSYS Composite PrePost (ACP) model import

ACP Graphical Users Interface

2
1

Imported mesh

startACP.bat
Wb_model_SYS.dat
Wb_model_SYS.acp
Wb_model_SYS_R0.acp

Material
properties loaded
in ANSYS
Mechanical are
ignored by ACP.

ACPrePost Elements Groups Visualization

ANSYS Mechanical Tree

The named selections

defined in ANSYS
Mechanical, are imported
as groups of elements in
ACP (Element Sets).

ACP Tree

ACPrePost Elastic material properties

RMB

Unit system must be consistent with the one

defined in ANSYS Mechanical.

ACPrePost Strain and Stress limits

In the same Material Properties windows, the user

can define strain and stress limits that will be used
in the post-process once defined a failure criteria.

No especificado

ACPrePost Fabrics and Cores

RMB

ACPrePost Laminates

ACPrePost Thickness Visualization

2
RMB

1
Figura 3 (b)
It is possible to visualize
the thickness in every
zone of the blade

= 0.0134 m

Differences between present model and SANDIA Report

1. Geometry: non-specified dimensions were arbitrary assigned.

2. Load: the blade was loaded with a pressure distribution instead of a bilinear force distribution.
3. Materials: A) the value of Sxy (Strain Limit) is not specified, so it was assumed. B) spar cap laminate was used
in the transition zone.

?
3
2

ACPrePost Modal analysis results

Natural frequencies (Hz)

Case: stopped rotor

with 18 lb. tip brake.
1 mode

4 mode

2 mode

5 mode

3 mode

ACPrePost Static analysis results

28

Strain and displacement of the tip.

ACPrePost Linear buckling analysis

1 mode

2 mode

4 mode

3 mode

5 mode

Eigenvalues

ACPrePost Non-linear buckling analysis

No defects

Thanks very much!