Fatigue Analysis of Hybrid Wind Turbine Towers

Abstract

Fatigue analysis of hybrid wind turbine towers between cut in wind speed and cut out wind speed are demonstrated. Nominal stress method and miner liner accumulated damage theory are adopted. Through the analysis of the results, comparative research on effect of parameters of aspect ratio, height ratio and unequal legs for fatigue properties of hybrid wind turbine towers. The results show that the optimal range of aspect ratio of hybrid towers is 1/6~1/4, the optimal range of height ratio of hybrid towers is 0.60~0.67. Fatigue analysis of hybrid towers, should select the right junction of leeward towers and the S-N curve from EN 1993-1-9.The effect of unequal legs for fatigue properties of hybrid towers can be neglected.

Keywords

• wind power generation
• hybrid tower
• fatigue property
• design load spectrum
• finite element analysis