Trailing edge subcomponent testing for wind turbine blades–Part A: Comparison of concepts

Abstract

As a complement to the mandatory structural full-scale test for wind turbine blades, the method of subcomponent testing has recently been proposed by international standards and guidelines for the experimental investigation of design-critical full-scale parts. This work investigated different subcomponent test (SCT) concepts for a trailing edge of an outboard segment from a 34-m blade. Detailed analytical models to design the SCT concepts with regard to the boundary conditions were derived. Finite element analyses of the SCT's linear response were benchmarked against each other and against the full blade model in terms of displacements, rotations, in-plane strains, and energy consumption. All SCT concepts were in good agreement with the full-scale test with respect to the longitudinal strain response but showed deviations in the transverse and shear strain, as well as in the rotational and displacement response.