Journal of Theoretical
and Applied Mechanics
57, 1, pp. 85-97, Warsaw 2019
DOI: 10.15632/jtam-pl.57.1.85

Numerical and experimental analysis of a segmented wind turbine blade under assembling load effects

Majdi Yangui, Slim Bouaziz, Mohamed Taktak, Vincent Debut, J. Antunes, Mohamed Haddar
In this paper, numerical and experimental modal analysis of a segmented wind turbine blade
assembled with a steel threaded shaft and a nut are presented. The blade segments are built
by a 3D printer using ABS material. The experimental modal parameters identification has
been achieved using the Eigen system Realization Algorithm (ERA) method for different values
of the blade segments assembly force caused by the nut tightening torque. Furthermore,
a three dimensional finite element model has been built using DTK18 three node triangular
shell elements in order to model the blade and the threaded shaft structure, taking into
account the additional stiffness caused by the nut tightening torque. This study covers the
blade segments assembly force effects on the rotating blade vibration characteristics. The
numerical model is adjusted and validated by the identified experimental results. This work
highlights the significant variation of the natural frequencies of the segmented wind turbine
blade by the assembling load of the segments versus blade rotating speed.
Keywords: segmented wind turbine blade, experimental modal analysis, shell element modeling, assembling load

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