Wind Turbine Blade Design Optimization for Reduced LCoE, Focusing on Design-Driving Loads Due to Storm Conditions

Design modifications of the blade inner structure, targeted at reducing design-driving extreme loads due to storm conditions, are assessed in present paper. Under survival wind speeds, lack sufficient aerodynamic damping edgewise direction is responsible for excessive stall-induced vibrations that usually drive turbine design loads. The considered work (i) a non-symmetric increase thickness uniaxial and tri-axial material on suction pressure side sections, (ii) shift spar caps opposite directions (iii) ply-angle re-orientation laminates caps. first two interventions aim increasing low-damped modes idling rotor, while third aims fatigue ultimate normal operation. parameters problem determined basis multidisciplinary optimization (MDAO) process, which minimizes levelized cost energy (LCoE). in-house integrated tool employed study combines: servo-aero-elastic analysis calculating power yield, cross-sectional obtaining structural properties stress distributions modified blades model overall evaluate LCoE.