Modal analysis of an iced offshore composite wind turbine blade

Abstract

In the far north, low temperatures and atmospheric icing are a major danger for the safe operation of wind turbines. It can cause several problems in fatigue loads, the balance of the rotor and aerodynamics. With the aim of improving the rigidity of the wind turbine blade, composite materials are currently being used. A numerical work aims to evaluate the effect of ice on composite blades and to determine the most adequate material under icing conditions. Different ice thicknesses are considered in the lower part of the blade. In this paper, modal analysis is performed to obtain the natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes of the structure. This analysis is elaborated using the finite element method (FEM) computer program through ABAQUS software. The results have laid that the natural frequencies of the blade varied according to the material and thickness of ice and that there is no resonance phenomenon.