Copenhagen Class –A New Concept for Wind Turbine Blade Design
a report by
Hans Jørgen Riber, Flemming Sørensen and Find Mølholt Jensen
SSP Technology A/S, Denmark and Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark
Introduction to a Novel, First-grade Set of
Blade Design Principles and Processes
The need for larger wind turbines is increasing, meaning there is huge
potential for large but cost-effective blades. These require new ways
of thinking and a much stronger interface with wind turbine design. As
the size and complexity of wind turbine blades will exceed the
capabilities of design rules and tests in the years to come, there is a
strong need for further development of existing design procedures to
provide safe and cost-effective blades for the industry.
In order to meet this demand, SSP Technology has developed a novel
blade design procedure – Copenhagen class – in cooperation
with Risø Technical University of Denmark (DTU), based on a set
of strong design principles for wind turbine blades on the
international market, providing not only better structural performance,
but also cost-effective blades throughout their entire service life.
The Copenhagen class concept consists of an integrated design process
in which the standard design phase goes hand-in-hand with small-scale
tests and simulations. Furthermore, the design process investigates
different failure modes with current requirements and the final blade
test is extended with additional load cases.
The Copenhagen Class Concept
This new blade design concept is based on existing methods of design
improved with additional smart test and computer simulations derived
from the latest research at Risø DTU. These results have shown
that optimisation of design and test methods, stricter and more complex
than required by certification standards, is highly beneficial in terms
of light and reliable blades. Thus, the Copenhagen class concept is
developed to provide better, more cost-effective and reliable wind
turbine blades. To achieve this, additional investment is necessary
atthe start of the design phase. However, the costs spent on tailored
computer simulations and intelligent testing are expected to be
recuperated at a later stage of the project, due to reduced risk of
failure and better performance.
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