Development of a versatile structural test facility for wind rotor blade subcomponents

Abstract

Currently, only material level and full scale tests are used to validate wind turbine rotor blades. The new DNVGL-ST-0376 standard allows the use of further test levels based on component and subcomponent tests. A versatile test approach for the validation of strength and stability behavior of rotor blade subcomponents is presented. The current focus is on the static strength of the blade trailing edge adhesive connection. A concept is presented that allows the realistic reproduction of the complex stress states in the trailing edge for a wide range of wind rotor blades. This not only allows tests of the structure itself but also possible additional systems like structural health monitoring under realistic conditions.