Prediction Of Mechanical Properties For Wind Turbine Blade Composites Reinforced By CNTs

To meet the development trend of wind turbine blade’ large-scale, high-strength,lightweight, due to its high elastic modulus, high aspect ratio, low density, hightensile strength, excellent resistance to high temperature performance, fatigueresistance, corrosion resistance and a series of excellent mechanical properties, carbonnanotubes as a strengthening phase can improve the mechanical properties of windturbine blades. In this paper, on the basis of experimental analysis, combinedasymptotic homogenization theory with finite element analysis technology, themulti-scale model of wind turbine blade composites reinforced by carbon nanotube isestablished and its equivalent mechanical properties are predicted in order to meet thecurrent development trend of wind turbine blades.Wind turbine blade composites mainly are fiber (glass fiber, carbon fiber, glassfiber/carbon fiber mixed) reinforced resin matrix composites. Based on thehomogenization program to predict the equivalent properties of wind turbine bladecomposites reinforced by fiber, the two-dimensional model of wind turbine bladecomposites reinforced by fiber is established, and the effect of the material parametersof fiber, matrix and interface (volume fraction, elastic modulus, poisson ratio, etc.) onthe mechanics properties of wind turbine blade composites reinforced by fiber arerespectively analyzed.Wind turbine blade composites reinforced by carbon nanotube that are preparedthrough RTM method have excellent mechanical properties. Based on theexperimental analysis, the multi-scale model of wind turbine blade compositesreinforced by carbon nanotube is established. Wind turbine blade compositesreinforced by carbon nanotube are described by three levels (macroscopic,microscopic and nanoscopic levels), and its mechanical properties are predicted bytwo-scale homogenization. The influnce laws of the material parameters of carbonnanotubes (aspect ratio, volume fraction, elastic modulus, etc.), the type of fiber, thearrangement of fiber and interface on wind turbine blade composites reinforced bycarbon nanotube are analyzed. And the influnce laws are compared to those of windturbine blade composites reinforced by fiber. The results show that the mechanicalproperties of fiber reinforced composites with a small percentage of carbon nanotubesfor wind turbine blade could be increased. The elastic properties are superior when carbon fiber is used to reinforce the wind turbine blade composites. The elasticproperties of the composites by the interface treatment of carbon nanotube aresuperior.In this paper, the influnce laws of material parameters on the equivalentmechanical properties of wind turbine composites are obtained through analysis. To acertain extent, that laid a solid foundation to achieve the lightweight design of theblade materials. These results have certain guiding significance for wind turbineblades’ preparation.