Structural Analysis of a Roof Extracted from a Wind Turbine Blade
Publication: Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 26, Issue 4
Abstract
The objective of this research is to demonstrate that parts of decommissioned wind turbine blades can be repurposed for infrastructure applications for a sustainable future of the wind power industry. The purpose of this paper was to develop a methodology to conduct detailed structural engineering design of composite material parts extracted from wind turbine blades. A large section extracted from a 100-m long blade was repurposed as a roof for a small (approximately 40 m2) single-story masonry house. Geometric and material properties were taken from the blade design documents. A three-dimensional graphical model was created from the exterior surface and material layups. The roof was designed using the load and resistance factor design method familiar to civil engineers. Analysis of stresses and defections was conducted using hand calculations and the finite element method. The results of the analyses showed that the roof is within code mandated stress and deflection limits. The methodology developed could be applied to other wind blade repurposing concepts.
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Acknowledgments
Support for this research was provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation under grants 1701413 and 1701694; by InvestNI/Department for the Economy under grant 16/US/3334; and by Science Foundation Ireland under grant USI-116 (US-Ireland Tripartite program).
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Published In
Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 26 • Issue 4 • December 2020
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 3, 2019
Accepted: Jul 27, 2020
Published online: Sep 25, 2020
Published in print: Dec 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Feb 24, 2021
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