THE INFLUENCE OF MANUFACTURING DEFECTS FOR

FATIGUE LIFE OF COMPOSITE WIND TURBINE BLADES

U.I.K. Galappaththi1, A.M. De Silva2, M Macdonald3
Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Glasgow
Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
Udayanga.Galappaththi@gcu.ac.uk1, A.Desilva@gcu.ac.uk2
M.Macdonald@gcu.ac.uk3
Out Line

 Introduction

 Manufacturing Defect of Wind Turbine Blades

 In-service Damages of Wind Turbine Blades

 Delamination of Wind Turbine Blades

 Delamination Analysis Methods

 The limitations of FM and CZM based fatigue life estimation

 Prediction of Delamination Based On FEM, Testing and Condition
Monitoring Data

 Conclusion

 References
Introduction

 The wind energy sector is expected to develop 21-28 % of

European energy consumption by year 2030.

 Optimization of material usage and improvement of fatigue life of

turbines becomes more effective and necessary since 30-50% of
total investments of wind farms are allocated to wind turbines.
Introduction….

 Several dramatic failures of utility-scale wind turbine rotor blades

have appeared in the industry news during the past few years.
Manufacturing defects are the main reason for early blade
failures.

Fatigue failure of turbine blades (Source : telegraph.co.uk )

Manufacturing Defect of Wind Turbine Blades

The Effect of Manufacturing Defects of Wind Turbine Blades

Type of the Defect

Positio Size of
n of the the
Defect Defect

Source : Henrik Stensgaard Toftt, etl, 2009

In-service Damages of Wind Turbine Blades

o Adhesive layer Failure.

o Damage formation and growth at the interface between face and core in sandwich
panels in skins and main spar web.
o Internal damage formation and growth in laminates in skin and/or main spar
o Delamination driven by a tensional or a buckling load.
o Splitting and fracture of separate fibres in laminates of the skin and main spar.
o Formation and growth of cracks in the gel-coat; debonding of the gel-coat from the
skin(gel-coat cracking and gel-coat/skin debonding)

Type of the
Defects
Size of the
In-service Damages of Wind Defect
Turbine Blades  
Position of
the Defect

o 30–35% and 70% in chord length from the blade root.

o The root of the blade.
o Maximum chord
o Upper spar cap/flange of the spar.
Delamination of Wind Turbine Blades

Near Outer or
Inner Surface
Local Buckling
Position

Near
Delamination Centre
of Global Buckling
Wind Turbine
Blades
Large Failed at
Delaminations Ultimate
Size Loading

Small
Delaminations Less Fatigue
Life
Delamination of Wind Turbine Blades….

The mode of buckling is determined by the position of the delamination.

• Local buckling of a group of plies : Outer or inner surface of the laminate the
delamination.
• Global buckling of the laminate : If the delamination is placed near to the centre of
the material

The large delaminations create high probability of failure in ultimate loading.

• Large delaminations can be detected by available non-destructive quality control

methods.
 The large delaminations create high probability of failure in ultimate loading.
The smaller delaminations are much harder to detect and can develop due to high
stress concentrations.
• Smaller delaminations can significantly influence the fatigue life of wind turbine
blades and the ultimate capacity in its service life

Delamination of wind turbine blades caused by

• A poor infusion of resin in a definite area
• Manufacturing process imperfections (Prepreg : the delaminations can also be due to
a poor consolidation during curing)
Delamination Analysis Methods

Fracture mechanics (FM) base methods are applied when a starting

crack exists

Requires the knowledge of initial delamination pattern

FM methods are considered, the crack propagate when energy

release rate along the delamination front locally exceeds a certain
Fracture value called fracture toughness.
mechanics
The dissimilarity among FM methods generally depends on the means
Delamination Analysis

of calculating strain energy release rate

One of the criteria, which extensively used in literature, is the power of

law expression. ‘Virtual Crack Closure Technique’ (VCCT), ‘J–
integral’, and ‘Virtual Crack Extension Technique’ (VCET) have also
been used successfully in the past.

(CZM are based framework in ‘Damage Mechanics’ and ‘Strain

Cohesive zone Softening’. This method is competent of predicting both onset and growth
methods of delamination without previous facts of the crack location and
propagation direction
The limitations of FM and CZM based fatigue life estimation

 The major deficiency in existing life prediction methodologies for composite

wind turbine blades is the use of large safety factors for design stage
calculations.

 Fracture mechanics and cohesive zone approaches based on

assumptions. These pre-assumptions altered the mathematically calculated
stress variation and crack propagation figures with actual values. Therefore
low ultimate design strain levels are used for wind turbine structures.

 To develop enhanced life prediction methodologies that would result more

weight-and-cost effective composite wind turbine blades, the understanding
of fatigue failure process in composites needs to be extended and links
between visible damage/ failure mechanisms and fatigue life require to be
established.

 Moreover it is important to increase design strain level and damage growth

in fatigue life have to take as key design consideration.
Prediction of Delamination Based On FEM, Testing
and Condition Monitoring Data
Design Stage Stress and Manufacturing NDT Testing to Identify
Strain Predictions Manufacturing Defects
FEM Analysis Results Manufacturing Ultrasound, x-ray, etc
Cohesive Laws Process control Type, size and position of defects
Design stage mathematical
models

Full Scale Testing Post Manufacturing Model (FEM) of Blade without

Maximum load Stage Information Manufacturing Defects
Stress and strain Maximum loading points
Base
variation pattern in the Stress and strain variation pattern in
Maximum load
turbine blade the turbine blade
Stress and strain
variation/ Defects

Condition Monitoring Compare Stress and Strain
Visual inspection, Variation
Ultrasound, x-ray, etc Maximum loading points
Type, size and position of The effect of manufacturing
defects defects for the predicated stress
variation, etc
Model (FEM) of Blade with
Manufacturing Defects
Type of defects Maximum loading
points Stress and strain variation
pattern in the turbine blade

Improve Design Stage Calculations and Mathematical Models.

Build up new Relations to Reduce Material Consumption and Higher Safety Factors
Enhanced the Manufacturing Quality Control Process through NDT Testing
Prediction of Delamination Based On FEM, Testing
and Condition Monitoring Data
 The proposed methodology is based on finite element analysis, full
scale blade testing, Nun destructive testing (NDT), and condition
monitoring results at different stages of turbine blade life cycle.

 Full scale testing results and condition monitoring data are been used
to compare with design stage predictions to develop more weight-
and-cost effective composite design models for wind turbine blades.

 Full scale testing of wind turbine blades is important to identify stress

and strain variation pattern in wind turbine blades with or without
identified delaminations.

 The wind turbine blades should be model with known defects and the
testing results and FEM models out comes should be compared with
condition monitoring data for developing more accurate design stage
stress and strain prediction models.
Prediction of Delamination Based On FEM, Testing
and Condition Monitoring Data
 The prediction efficiency of design stage mathematical models can be improved by
increasing the size of the samples and number of calculation cycles.
 This method can be used to develop quality control guide lines by giving stress and
strain limits in different points of the wind turbine blades..
 It is possible to use NDT based information at selected points in wind turbine blades
to predict the manufacturing defects and develop quality control guide lines.
Conclusion

 The size, type, and position of the defects are the main parameters that
influence the fatigue life of turbine blades. Delamination and adhesive
failure are the most critical manufacturing defects of wind turbine blades

 Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) serves as a very useful tool for the
analysis of inter-laminar toughness. Another approach for numerical
simulation of delamination is the ‘Cohesive Zone Method’ (CZM). The main
advantage of CZM is the capability to predict both onset and growth of
delamination without previous knowledge of the crack location and
propagation direction

 FM and CZM are based on assumptions and that makes the actual result to
deviate from the calculated values. Therefore, low strain values with higher
safety factors are used in wind turbine design process.
Conclusion

 The proposed approach illustrates the procedure for developing new

mathematical model based on actual data values collected in different
phase of turbine life cycle.

 The necessary data for the calculation process is suggest to take by design
stage post processing data, NDT testing, wind turbine testing process and in
condition monitoring data.

 This method provide framework for developing more accurate mathematical

models to predict fatigue life of wind turbine blades and predict crack
propagation paths.

 The accuracy of developed mathematical models depends on the size of the

available data bases. This cyclic mechanism can be used develop quality
control guide lines for wind turbine manufacturing industry.
References
 Camanho PP, Davila C. Mixed-Mode Decohesion Finite Elements for the Simulation of
Delamination in Composite Materials, NASA/TP-2007-214869 2002.

 Douglas S. Cairns, Trey Riddle, Jared Nelson, 2011, Wind turbine composite blade
manufacturing: The need for understanding defect origins, prevalence, implications and
reliability, Sandia National Laboratories , Albuquerque, California

 European Renewable Energy Research Centre Agency, 2009, Research Priorities for
Renewable Energy Technology by 2020 and Beyond, [online], Available at:
http://www.eurec.be/content/view/278/1/, [Accessed: 24th June 2009].

 Hayman, B., 2007. Approaches to damage assessment and damage tolerance for FRP
sandwich structures, Sandwich Structures & Materials, 2007 Nov, 9(6), pp. 571-96.

 Hayman B, Wedel-Heinen J, Brondsted P, 2008 Materials challenges in present and future wind
energy. Mrs Bulletin 2008 Apr; 33(4):343-53

 Henrik Stensgaard Toft, Kim Branner, Peter Berring, John Dalsgaard Sørensen, 2009.
Distribution of defects in wind turbine blades and reliability assessment of blades containing
defects, The European Wind Energy Association
References

 Irwin GR. Fracture Handbuck der Physik. Berlin, Springer 1958;6:551–590 Parks DM. A
Stiffness Derivative Finite Element Technique for Determination Crack Tip Stress Intensity
Factors, International Journal of Fracture 1974; 10(4):487-502.

 Kruger R, Konig M. Investigation of Delamination Growth Between Plies of Dissimilar

Orientations. ISD-Report 1996;96/5.
 
 Pubudu ranaweera, 2010 Prediction of laminates loadings under damage evolution, Master
thesis.
 
 Rybicki EF, Kanninen MF. A Finite Element Calculation of Stress-intensity Factors by a Modified
Crack Closure Integral. Engineering Fracture Mechanics 1987;9:931–938.

 Short GJ, Guild FJ, Pavier MJ, The effect of delamination geometry on them compressive
failure of composite laminates, 2001, Composites Science and Technology;61(14):2075-86.

 The Knowledge Centre Wind turbine Materials and Constructions (WMC), 2006, Delft University
of Technology, Projects at WMC, Optimat blades, [Online] Available at:
http://www.wmc.eu/projects.php/ [Accessed: 24th June 2009]
Thank You