TY - UNPB
T1 - Fastblade: A Technological Facility for Full-Scale Tidal Blade Fatigue Testing
AU - Lopez Dubon, Sergio
AU - Vogel, Christopher R.
AU - Garcia Cava, David
AU - Cuthill, Fergus
AU - McCarthy, Eddie
AU - Ó Brádaigh, Conchúr M.
PY - 2023/3/27
Y1 - 2023/3/27
N2 - Fatigue testing of tidal turbine blades requires the application of cyclic loads without the ability to match the natural frequency of the blade due to their high stiffness and the associated thermal issues of testing composite materials at those frequencies (i.e., 18-20 Hz). To solve this, loading the blades with an auxiliary system is necessary; in most cases, a conventional hydraulic system tends to be highly energy demanding and inefficient. A regenerative digital displacement hydraulic pump system was employed in the FastBlade fatigue testing facility, which saved up to 75% compared to a standard hydraulic system. A series of equivalent target loads were defined using Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) simulations (based on on-site collected water velocity data) and utilised in FastBlade to demonstrate an efficient way to perform fatigue testing. During the test, a series of measurements were performed on the blade response and the Fastblade test structure itself, providing novel insights into the mechanical behaviour of a blade, and enabling improved testing practice for FastBlade. The blade withstood 20 years (equivalent) of accelerated fatigue loading without catastrophic failure. This test data will enable FastBlade to identify improvements to the testing procedures.
AB - Fatigue testing of tidal turbine blades requires the application of cyclic loads without the ability to match the natural frequency of the blade due to their high stiffness and the associated thermal issues of testing composite materials at those frequencies (i.e., 18-20 Hz). To solve this, loading the blades with an auxiliary system is necessary; in most cases, a conventional hydraulic system tends to be highly energy demanding and inefficient. A regenerative digital displacement hydraulic pump system was employed in the FastBlade fatigue testing facility, which saved up to 75% compared to a standard hydraulic system. A series of equivalent target loads were defined using Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) simulations (based on on-site collected water velocity data) and utilised in FastBlade to demonstrate an efficient way to perform fatigue testing. During the test, a series of measurements were performed on the blade response and the Fastblade test structure itself, providing novel insights into the mechanical behaviour of a blade, and enabling improved testing practice for FastBlade. The blade withstood 20 years (equivalent) of accelerated fatigue loading without catastrophic failure. This test data will enable FastBlade to identify improvements to the testing procedures.
KW - Testing
KW - Fatigue
KW - Tidal Steam Blades
KW - Composites
UR - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369578926_Fastblade_A_Technological_Facility_for_Full-Scale_Tidal_Blade_Fatigue_Testing
U2 - 10.2139/ssrn.4400928
DO - 10.2139/ssrn.4400928
M3 - Preprint
BT - Fastblade: A Technological Facility for Full-Scale Tidal Blade Fatigue Testing
PB - Social Science Research Network (SSRN)
ER -