Modelling and Stress Analysis of an Aluminum Blade for Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

Abstract

As a key wind turbine component, the blade structure should be designed to withstand local environmental conditions encountered during lifetime of wind turbine. In this study, using the Finite Element Analysis (FEA), the analysis model is established and the stress calculation is made in various to environmental loads of a small-scale aluminum blade for vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). The design feasibility of the blade structure is confirmed by evaluating the deflection and stress. Stress analysis is performed in which it is subjected to a combination of gravitational, wind and centrifugal loads using SOLIDWORKS SIMULATION package. The results show that the blade structure works steadily and has good mechanical properties according to maximum values of von Mises stresses and maximum deflections.