The Effect of Mass and Web Spacing on the Loads and Structural Response of Increasing Wind Turbine Blade Size

Abstract: The research presented considers the effect of varying shear web spacing and mass for two blades; a61.5m 5MW blade (based on the NREL5MW reference turbine) and a 100m 13.2MW blade (based onthe SNL100 blade). The variations are analyzed using HAWC2 aeroelastic simulations and Abaqus/CAE finite element simulations;and the effect of the variations is measured by comparing natural frequencies, loads, tip deflection,equivalent fatigue loads, material strength and buckling. Additionally, a tool was developed to facilitatethe modeling of blade variations. Varying the web spacing showed that the web placement is able to reduce loads, tip deflection, and equivalentfatigue loads. Mass variations demonstrated that reducing the mass will decrease edge-wise loadingand equivalent fatigue loads. The increase in blade size has shown that edge-wise fatigue loads becomelarger than the flap-wise fatigue loads for the larger blade.