Materials Today: Proceedings 50 (2022) 1011–1016

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Structural analysis of composite wind turbine blade using ANSYS

R. Gukendran, M. Sambathkumar, C. Sabari ⇑, C.R. Ranjith Raj, V. Ranjeeth Kumar
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kongu Engineering College, Perundurai 638060, India

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Wind power is the most successful forerunners of technological breakthroughs that could result in more
Received 1 June 2021 efficient energy output. Because of the rapid advancement in the energy sector, there is a growing need to
Received in revised form 1 July 2021 increase the energy efficiency and lifetime of wind turbines. As a result, a detailed understanding of the
Accepted 15 July 2021
activity of wind turbines under different load conditions is important. This paper investigates the perfor-
Available online 27 July 2021
mance of composite material of four different types. ANSYS Workbench is used to perform a detailed
study of a typical wind turbine blade. The composite materials are tested for Total deformation,
Keywords:
Equivalent Von-Mises stress, Maximum shear stress and strain energy and result values are noted.
Pinwheel blade
Composite materials
Ó 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
ANSYS 2020R1 Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 2nd International Con-
Equivalent Von-Mises stress ference on Functional Material, Manufacturing and Performances.
Structural analysis

1. Introduction Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) are replacing conventional

In the current energy crisis, wind turbine is the most valuable
non-conventional energy sources. The Initial cost of the Wind tur-
bine plant, on the other hand, is extremely high. The manufactur-
ing cost for producing the wind turbine blade is about 15–20% of
the total cost of the wind turbine plant. It is necessary to optimize
the initial cost of the wind turbine blade by maximizing its service
life [1]. Blade design plays a major role in the overall performance
of the wind turbine. To achieve the desired cross section and to
produce maximum torque for driving wind turbine generators,
proper blade design is necessary. Most of the wind turbine blades
are made of composite materials which can increase the strength
and efficiency for power generation due to light weight [2]. In wind
turbine blade is one of the important components; its outer shape
is required to specify that the wind power machine has enough
elevating force, pneumatic force and its structure is used for spec-
ifying that the wind power have enough stiffness and stability. A
wind turbine is the mechanism that converts wind energy into
electricity [3]. Wind turbine transform wind’s kinetic energy into
mechanical energy. The efficiency of wind turbine is determined
by material of the blade, shape of the blade and the angle of the
blade. In Wind turbine, material of the blade plays a major role.
The material of the blade should have low density, high stiffness
and long fatigue life. Composite materials are mostly used for
designing the blade structure. Epoxy material, Aramid Fibres and
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: sabari.mech.kec@gmail.com (C. Sabari).
units [4]. GFRP are the most commonly used composite materials
in the wind turbine industry. A composite material is made up of
at least two materials that work together to provide properties that
are superior to the individual constituents. Fibre reinforced Poly-
mer (FRP) composites are those that have carbon, glass, aramid,
Polymer, or natural fibres embedded in a Polymer matrix. A wind
turbine blade with a stress distribution of a 600kw was studied
using the finite element method by Duan Zhao, who discovered
that highest stress acting at blade’s root [5].
2. Materials
Finding suitable material for windmill blades is one of the key
objectives of this analysis work. Fibre-reinforced material is com-
monly used in blades. E-glass, E-carbon, Kevlar fibre, and Carbon
fibre Reinforced Polymer were the materials used in this experi-
ment. Table 1 lists the material properties that were used in this
analysis.
3. Calculation
For calculation all assumptions are made under standard atmo-
spheric condition. The average environmental condition is 36
degree centigrade. Equations (1), 2 and 3 are used to find mass of
the blade and equations (4) to (6) used to find the force and pres-
sure on the blade.
Blade radius, r = 410 mm

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.07.341
2214-7853/Ó 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 2nd International Conference on Functional Material, Manufacturing and Performances.
R. Gukendran, M. Sambathkumar, C. Sabari et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 50 (2022) 1011–1016

Table 1 as meshing takes up a large portion of the time it takes to get sim-
Material properties. ulation results. The number of nodes and elements of the pinwheel
Material E-Glass fibre Kevlar fibre Epoxy Carbon shows in the Table 2.
Density (kg/mm ) 3
2.57E-6 1.4E-6 1.6E-6 The following criteria are used in analysis of material:
UTS (MPa) 3448 3000 600
Yield Strength (MPa) 2050 N/A 94.78  Overall Deformation
Modulus of Elasticity (GPa) 72 112 70  Equivalent Von-Mises Stress
Poisson’s Ratio 0.2 0.36 0.3
% Elongation at Break 4.8 2.4 4.6
 Maximum shear Stress
 Strain Energy

The ANSYS findings and readings obtained are shown in the fol-
Wins Speed, v = 6 m/s
lowing sections. For the materials under consideration, maximum
Air density q = 1.23 kg/m3
and minimum parameter values are discovered.
Power coefficient, Cp = 0.4
Using the radius of the swept area as the value for blade length
in equation, 4.2. Epoxy glass
l = r = 0.41 m
E-glass (borosilicate glass known as ‘‘electric glass” or ‘‘E-glass”
A ¼ pr 2 ð1Þ because of its high electric resistance) is a form of glass with a cal-
A = p  0.412 cium aluminium borosilicate composition and a maximum alkali
A = 0.527834 m2 content of 2%. When high electrical resistivity and strength are
needed, these are used [7].
Volume V ¼ lwh ð2Þ Deformation, also known as pressure, is the change in size and
= 580x580x6 shape of an object caused by a change in temperature or an applied
= 2.0184x10-6 mm3 force. Various types of deformation can occur depending on the
scale, material, and force applied. From the results of simple uniax-
For E - Glass fibre; m1¼ qV ¼ 2:57  106  2:0184  106 ð3Þ ial tensile tests, Von-Mises stress used to calculate material yield-
= 5.187 kg ing at any loading condition.
For Kevlar fibre, m2 = 2.9065 kg Figures 2 and 3 shows the Total deformation and strain energy
For Epoxy carbon, m3 = 3.2294 kg of the Pinwheel type wind turbine blade with Epoxy Glass fibre.
The overall deformation of epoxy glass at maximum is
Force F ¼ mv ; F 1¼ m1 v ¼ 31:122NðMaximumÞ ð4Þ 0.002843 m, and the minimum is 0 m, according to the analysis.
F2 = 17.439 N Under static structural analysis, the equivalent (Von-Mises) stress
F3 = 19.376 N reaches a maximum of 1.5131 e9 Pa and a minimum of
1324.7 Pa. The maximum shear stress is 8.7139 e8 Pa, and the min-
Pressure P ¼ F=A ð5Þ imum shear stress is 756.84 Pa. The maximum strain energy is
= 32/0.527834 0.087977 J and the minimum strain energy is 1.7694 e-8 J.
= 60 N/m2
Using the below equation, we can determine the power trans- 4.3. Kevlar Fibre
ferred from wind to rotational energy in the turbine,
Since the 1970 s, Kevlar fibres have been used to alter steel in
Pav ailable ¼ 1=2pAv 3 Cp ð6Þ
racing tyres. In composite material components they are used as
Pavailable = 1/2(1.23  0.527834  63  0.4) a fabric because their tensile strength is high and stiffness to
Pavailable = 28.047 W weight ratio, as well as their low vibration levels [8].
Strain energy is the elastic potential energy obtained by the
4. Structural analysis using ANSYS wire during elongation by a stretching force in physics. The strain
energy of linearly elastic materials is: When the constituent atoms
Pinwheel type of wind turbine blade is imported and Static of a molecule are able to rearrange themselves in a chemical reac-
Structural Analysis was performed using ANSYS workbench to tion, strain energy is released [9].
investigate the performance characteristics of the Blade Structure. The result value of overall deformation and Strain Energy for
The maximum and minimum Strain requirements were used to Kevlar Fibre material are shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
ensure that no model elements surpassed the material’s design The overall deformation of Kevlar at maximum is 0.0028311 m,
strains [6]. The materials are Epoxy Glass, Carbon Fibre, Kevlar, and the minimum case is 0 m, according to the analysis. Under sta-
Carbon fibre Reinforced polymer are analysed. tic structural analysis, the equivalent Von-Mises stress reaches a
maximum of 10.9737 e8 Pa and a minimum of 17273 Pa. The max-
4.1. Meshing imum shear stress is 6.7563 e3 Pa, and the minimum shear stress is
9792.7 Pa. The maximum strain energy is 0.073113 J and the min-
The meshing process begins once the input data has been com- imum strain energy is 2.9614 e-9 J.
pleted. Meshing is a step in the engineering simulation process
that involves breaking down complex geometries into simple ele- 4.4. Epoxy carbon
ments that can be used as discrete local approximations of the lar-
ger domain. The meshing is viewed through a wire frame as shown Epoxy Carbon, also known as carbon fibres, are fibres with a
in Fig. 1. diameter of 5 to 10 mm and are mainly made up of carbon atoms.
The meshing capabilities of Ansys aid in reducing the amount of High stiffness, high tensile strength, low weight, high chemical
time and effort required to achieve accurate results. Ansys assists resistance, high temperature tolerance, and low thermal expansion
by developing stronger and more automated meshing methods, are only a few of the benefits of carbon fibres.
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R. Gukendran, M. Sambathkumar, C. Sabari et al.
Fig. 1. Meshing properties-E glass fibre.
Table 2
Number of nodes and elements.
Material Nodes Elements
Epoxy Glass Fibre 9688 4650
Kevlar Fibre 4539 2101
Epoxy Carbon 4539 2101
To make a composite, carbon fibres are typically blended with
other materials. It shapes carbon-fibre-reinforced Polymer (often
referred to as carbon fibre) when permeated with a polymer resin
and baked. It has a very high strength-to-weight ratio and is highly
rigid, but somewhat brittle [10,11]. Carbon fibres can also be mixed
with other materials including graphite to create strengthened car-
bon–carbon composites with a high heat tolerance. Figs. 6 and 7
indicates the total deformation, von-mises stress and strain energy
of the pinwheel type wind turbine blade.
The overall deformation of epoxy carbon at maximum is
0.0018077 m, and the minimum is 0 m according to this analysis.
Under static structural analysis, the equivalent (Von-Mises) stress
reaches a maximum of 9.6602 e8 Pa and a minimum of
21267 Pa. The maximum shear stress is 5.576 e8 Pa, and the min-
imum shear stress is 11722 Pa. The maximum strain energy is
0.05568 J and the minimum strain energy is 2.6767 e-9 J.
Fig. 2. Total deformation.
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Materials Today: Proceedings 50 (2022) 1011–1016
5. Result and discussion
The structural modelling can be improved by using realistic
models of composite blades where material properties and topol-
ogy will be considered with greater importance. The ANSYS soft-
ware was used to measure the deformation and stress
distribution of wind turbine blade. In this paper three different
materials are analysed. The maximum and minimum value for
the overall deformation, Equivalent Von-Mises stress, Maximum
shear stress and strain energy are shown in Table 3.
Figure 8(a) indicates that E-Carbon has the minimum deforma-
tion when apply the load. It shows E-Carbon is the highest strength
material compared to other composites. Fig. 8(b) indicates that E-
Carbon has the minimum Von-Mises stress value. Because, it can
withstand the maximum force per unit area. E-Glass fibre has high
stress value compared to others.
Strain energy is the elastic potential energy obtained by the
wire during elongation by a stretching force in physics. Fig. 8(c)
indicates that CFRP has the maximum strain energy compared to
other composite materials and E-Carbon has the minimum strain
energy.
Less deformation reveals the structure’s unfavourable effect.
Deformation should be avoided in order to create a decent and safe
R. Gukendran, M. Sambathkumar, C. Sabari et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 50 (2022) 1011–1016

Fig. 3. Strain energy.

Fig. 4. Total deformation.

Fig. 5. Strain energy.

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R. Gukendran, M. Sambathkumar, C. Sabari et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 50 (2022) 1011–1016

Fig. 6. Total deformation.

Fig. 7. Equivalent von-mises stress.

Table 3
Comparative analysis -Ansys result.

Material E-Glass Fibre Kevlar Fibre Epoxy Carbon

Max Min Max Min Max Min
Total deformation (m) 0.002843 0 0.002831 0 0.001807 0
Equivalent (Von-Mises) stress (Pa) 1.5131e9 1324.7 10.9737e8 17,273 9.6602e8 21,267
Maximum Shear Stress (Pa) 8.7139 8 756.84 6.7563e8 9792.7 5.576e8 11,722
Strain Energy (J) 0.087977 2.1517e-12 0.073113 2.9614e-9 0.05568 2.6767e-9

design. For a safe structure deformation should be minimum. The
standard wind turbine blade was thoroughly analysed using ANSYS
workbench. The four different composite material performance are
investigated.
6. Conclusion
 According to the static analysis of result, the Epoxy carbon
material has the smallest deformation of 0.0018077 m when
compare to other materials.
 The Minimum Von-Mises stress when compared to the other
material, Epoxy carbon material had a stress of 9.6602e8 Pa.
 The minimum shear stress when compared to the other mate-
rial, Epoxy carbon material had a stress of 5.576e8 Pa.
 Under the specified conditions, an analysis of wind turbine
blades reveals that Epoxy carbon is one of the best materials
for pin wheel type blades.
 This work aims to improve the design of a small wind turbine
blade. A Computer programme was written to simplify the con-
struction of the finite element model and shorten the cycle time
of design by creating all of the required files for unambiguous
input into a commonly accessible software package.

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R. Gukendran, M. Sambathkumar, C. Sabari et al.
Fig. 8. (a) Total deformation; (b) Equivalent Von-Mises Stress; (c) Strain energy.
 The output of the model had to be compared to that of a real
blade because the blades are geometrically complex and hand-
crafted from composite.
 According to the static analysis of result, the Epoxy carbon
material has the smallest deformation of 0.0018077 m when
compare to other materials.
 This wind turbine blade analysis work yielded the best results
for the materials. Epoxy Carbon has overall deformation, Equiv-
alent Von-Mises Stress, Maximum Shear Stress and Strain
Energy.
 Under the specified conditions, an analysis of wind turbine
blades reveals that Epoxy carbon is one of the best materials
for pin wheel type blades.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
R. Gukendran: Methodology, Supervision. M. Sambathkumar:
Conceptualization, Project administration. C. Sabari: . : Software.
C.R. Ranjith Raj: Software. V. Ranjeeth Kumar: Validation,
Resources.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgements
First, I wish to express my thanks to my supervisor, for his
enthusiasm, patience, insightful comments, helpful information,
1016
Materials Today: Proceedings 50 (2022) 1011–1016
practical advice and unceasing ideas that have helped me tremen-
dously at all times in my research.
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