Assessment of Blade Strength for Small Wind Turbine Applications

Abstract

Small Wind Turbines (SWTs) are an increasingly developing Renewable Energy Source, thanks to the gradual popularisation of the prosumer energy generation approach. This, however, requires maximum safety of the machine, working next to households. Reliability is also necessary from the financial point of view, as SWTs should withstand 20 - 30 years of operation without any serious failure to ensure investment profitability. The weakest SWT element is arguably its most exposed one - the rotor - hence the important role played by the blade strength tests. The experimental analysis becomes preferable with increasing popularity of new materials (composites) and production techniques (additive manufacturing). This paper sets out to develop a test stand for static strength examination of 3D-printed SWT blades. This kind of objects is often considered as more vulnerable to structural failures than those created via machining techniques, due to their anisotropic structure, so ensuring structural integrity is crucial for safety reasons.