The Effect of Composite Coating on Dynamic Behavior of Glass/Epoxy and Carbon/Epoxy Archimedes Wind Turbine Blade: Considering Fluid Solid Interaction

Abstract

This study investigates the enhancement of dynamic behavior of traditional metallic blades in Archimedes Spiral Wind Turbines (ASWT) through the use of composite coatings, particularly carbon/epoxy and glass/epoxy. The study employs a combination of modal analysis and numerical fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis to assess the aero-elastic performance and structural stability of both coated and uncoated metal blades under diverse aerodynamic conditions. Modal analysis highlights the impact of composite coatings on the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the blades, ensuring safety and structural integrity by preventing resonance with operational frequencies. Further FSI analysis shows that composite coatings significantly improve fatigue strength and increase the fatigue life of the metal blades by reducing stress concentrations and optimizing load distribution during operation. These findings emphasize the potential of composite-coated metal blades as a promising advancement in wind turbine technology, addressing both dynamic stability and long-term durability. Also, it is evident that coating the turbine blade with a composite material results in a notable increase in the maximum stress experienced by the blade. Specifically, this modification leads to a 15.7% rise in maximum stress. This increase is significant and suggests that the composite coating may alter the structural behavior of the turbine blade under operational conditions.