Development of blades for horizontal axis wind turbines using composite materials

Abstract

Wind energy is a renewable, non-polluting source of energy, it is inexhaustible, and it reduces the use of fossil fuels, the source of greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. It is generally associated with numerous large wind turbines that are forming wind farms. However, small- and medium-scale wind power currently offers an alternative to high-power wind turbines, playing an important role in supplying consumption at the local level.

In this context, the objective of this work was to establish a system for the design and construction of a composite material blade for a low-power horizontal-axis wind turbine. To develop this work, an aerodynamic profile was selected, the blade was designed and its geometry was optimized, the performance of the rotor and wind turbine established by the blade was evaluated using BEM theory and the first approach to structural analysis was made.

At the same time, the manufacture of the blade with composite materials (GFRP) has been carried out, using 3D printing techniques to obtain the counter-mold and manual lamination with vacuum compaction to obtain the mold and the blade. Finally, different experimental techniques were applied to characterize the laminate used to manufacture the blade.