A parametric study for panel buckling sensitivity of composite sandwich wind turbine blades

Date of Award

2011

Degree Name

M.S. in Civil Engineering

Department

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics

Advisor/Chair

Advisor: Steven L. Donaldson

Abstract

A parametric study of buckling performance of composite wind turbine blade regions with thin symmetric laminated sandwich rectangular panels, subjected to uniform axial shell edge compression loads is presented. The research primarily focused on the critical buckling strain level and with nondimensional core material parameters, such as transverse core shear modulus and core thickness, for rectangular sandwich strips with sufficiently long aspect ratio. Both flat and curved-section models representing different regions of the blade were considered. Extensive buckling-design plots, based on fixed sets of laminate designs and critical buckling loads, provide an insight on optimal core solutions. Several typical buckling response sweeps are presented and discussed in this paper to illustrate easy to understand and useful design findings.

Keywords

Turbines Blades Design and construction Testing, Buckling (Mechanics), Materials Compression testing

Rights Statement

Copyright © 2011, author

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