Adopting reliability analysis to improve composite blade technology of a typical wind turbine generator (WTG)

As the number of composite wind turbine generator (WTG) blades in operation rises, rotor blade maintenance is emerging as a major issue. Careful review of the WTG blade lifecycle reveals where damage occurs. Damaged blades can significantly lower WTG performance. A variety of environmental events like lightning strikes, rain and wind erosion are all possible causes of damage. Wind turbulence and changes in wind direction are also contributors. These conditions severely impact the fatigue experienced by the WTG blades and lead to early `wear and tear´. In this study, we found that reliability and performance of the WTG blade can be improved by adjusting the center of gravity (CG) and adopting a fiber optic application.