A new method for dual-axis fatigue testing of large wind turbine blades using resonance excitation and spectral loading

The demand for cost effective renewable energy sources has resulted in the continual refinement of modern wind turbine designs. These refinements generally result in larger wind turbines and wind turbine blades. In order to reduce maintenance expenses, and improve quality and reliability, each new blade design must be subjected to a high cycle fatigue test. With blades expected to soon reach 70 meters in length, traditional fatigue test systems and methods are becoming less practical. Additionally, the relationship between the flap and lead-lag bending moments has not been well understood. This work explores the accuracy of current test methods compared to service loads, presents a new method for fatigue testing larger blades and experimentally validates the analysis.; A dynamic model of a generic wind turbine blade and test system has been developed to evaluate the strain profiles during testing, evaluate control strategies and optimize the test accuracy. The relationship between the flap and lead-lag strains resulting from service bending moments has been analyzed. A load spectrum based on the relationship between the flap and lead-lag loads has been developed and compared to traditional test conditions. The effect of using the load spectrum on the test system stability has been analyzed and a new state-space controller has been designed. A 3-D finite element model of a generic wind turbine blade has been used to evaluate the damage accumulation for current test load conditions and the proposed load spectrum. A nonlinear damage accumulation model has been derived to evaluate the effects of load sequencing.; Additionally, a new method for applying the fatigue loads to the blades has been developed and implemented. A system that applies a harmonic force at the resonance frequency of the blade in the flap direction has been designed. The new system will reduce the costs and time associated with performing a fatigue test on wind turbine blades. The new system is also capable of matching a greater range of service load distribution than the current test system. An optimization routine has been used to make the test load distribution match the target: load distribution.