Action Plane-Based Fatigue Analysis of Adhesive Joints in Wind Turbine Rotor Blades

Complex, multi-axial and non-proportional stress histories occur in wind turbine rotor blades due to the rotation of the rotor in a turbulent, site-specific wind field and the superposition of varying loads from gravitational, centrifugal and aerodynamic forces and moments coupled with anisotropic material behaviour. Such stress histories are expressed by means of varying principle stress directions in time.

At the Institute for Wind Energy Systems, stress histories in the adhesive joints of wind turbine rotor blades are investigated, as these are weak links from a structural point of view. The focus of the research is the propagation of damage. Manufacturing tolerances and variations of material properties are incorporated via probabilistic models.