The wind energy has been recognised as one of the rising sustainable energies in the world. The wind turbines are subjected to high aerodynamic loads and they cause vibrations due to the wake formation. The magnitude of the applied loads has significant effects on the crack propagation. The fatigue loads have been identified as one of the key sources of damage, with delamination as the main cause for the failure of the turbine blades. The article presents a review of fatigue damages that have been experienced in the wind turbine blades, and factors that are influenced due to the fatigue loads are discussed. The causes and effects of the fatigue loads have been highlighted, and the ways for preventing the fatigue damage by improving the design lifetime are mainly concentrated in review. The overall review gives an idea for determining and reducing the crack growth in wind turbine blades.
AdedipeOBrennanFKoliosA (2016) Review of corrosion fatigue in offshore structures: Present status and challenges in the offshore wind sector. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews61: 141–154.
BernhammerLOvan KuikGAMDe BreukerR (2016) Fatigue and extreme load reduction of wind turbine components using smart rotors. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics154: 84–95.
4.
BlomAFSvenkvistPThorS-E (1990) Fatigue design of large wind energy conversion systems and operational experience from the Swedish prototypes. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics34(1): 45–76.
5.
BrøndstedPLilholtHLystrupA (2005) Composite materials for wind power turbine blades. Annual Review of Materials Research35(1): 505–538.
6.
CastaignetDBarlasTBuhlT, et al. (2014) Full-scale test of trailing edge flaps on a Vestas V27 wind turbine: Active load reduction and system identification. Wind Energy17(4): 549–564.
7.
ChengYW (1985) The fatigue crack growth of a ship steel in seawater under spectrum loading. International Journal of Fatigue7(2): 95–100.
8.
DasguptaAPechtM (1991) Material failure mechanisms and damage models. IEEE Transactions on Reliability40(5): 531–536.
9.
DeyuanLZhiquanYYanC, et al. (2003) Load spectrum and fatigue life analysis of the blade of horizontal axis wind turbine. Wind Engineering27(6): 495–506.
10.
EderMABelloniFTesauroA, et al. (2017) A multi-frequency fatigue testing method for wind turbine rotor blades. Journal of Sound and Vibration388: 123–140.
11.
FormanRG (1972) Study of fatigue crack initiation from flaws using fracture mechanics theory. Engineering Fracture Mechanics4(2): 333–345.
12.
FraisseABrøndstedP (2017) Compression fatigue of Wind Turbine Blade composites materials and damage mechanisms. In: 21st International Conference on Composite Materials (ICCM-21). Xi’an, China.
13.
FrohboesePAndersA (2007) Effects of icing on wind turbine fatigue loads. Journal of Physics: Conference Series75(1): 012061.
14.
FuglsangPBakCGaunaaM, et al. (2004) Design and verification of the Risø-B1 airfoil family for wind turbines. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering126(4): 1002–1010.
15.
GamstedtEKAndersenSI (2001) Fatigue Degradation and Failure of Rotating Composite Structures: Materials Characterisation and Underlying Mechanisms. Vol. 1261. Roskilde: Risø National Laboratory.
16.
HaSKde LeceAGMDonazar MorionesC, et al. (2016) Effects of shallow angle on static strength and fatigue life of multi-directional laminates for wind turbine blades. Journal of Composite Materials51: 2549–2563.
17.
HammerumKBrathPPoulsenNK (2007) A fatigue approach to wind turbine control. Journal of Physics: Conference Series75(1): 012081.
18.
Hasan BhuiyanFMavriplisDJFertigRS (2016) Predicting fatigue life of composite wind turbine blades using constituent-level physics and realistic aerodynamic loads. In: Proceedings of the 57th AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC structures, structural dynamics, and materials conference, San Diego, CA, 4–8 January, pp. 1–11. Reston, VA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
19.
HashinZRotemA (1973) A fatigue failure criterion for fiber reinforced materials. Journal of Composite Materials7(4): 448–464.
20.
HassanUTaylorGJGarradAD (1988) The dynamic response of wind turbines operating in a wake flow. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics27(1–3): 113–126.
21.
HuWChoiKKChoH (2016a) Reliability-based design optimization of wind turbine blades for fatigue life under dynamic wind load uncertainty. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization54(4): 953–970.
22.
HuWChoiKKZhupanskaO, et al. (2016b) Integrating variable wind load, aerodynamic, and structural analyses towards accurate fatigue life prediction in composite wind turbine blades. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization53(3): 375–394.
23.
JangYJChoiCWLeeJH, et al. (2015) Development of fatigue life prediction method and effect of 10-minute mean wind speed distribution on fatigue life of small wind turbine composite blade. Renewable Energy79(1): 187–198.
24.
Joselin HerbertGMIniyanSSreevalsanE, et al. (2007) A review of wind energy technologies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews11(6): 1117–1145.
25.
KoukouraCNatarajanAVesthA (2015) Identification of support structure damping of a full scale offshore wind turbine in normal operation. Renewable Energy81: 882–895.
26.
KongCBangJSugiyamaY (2005) Structural investigation of composite wind turbine blade considering various load cases and fatigue life. Energy30(11–12): 2101–2114.
27.
LadosDAApelianDDonaldJK (2007) Fracture mechanics analysis for residual stress and crack closure corrections. International Journal of Fatigue29(4): 687–694.
28.
LahuertaFNijssenRPLvan der MeerFP, et al. (2016) Thickness scaled compression tests in unidirectional glass fibre reinforced composites in static and fatigue loading. Composites Science and Technology123: 115–124.
29.
LambertMJOgleMHSmithBW (1988) Investigation of wind-induced fatigue in tall guyed steel masts. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics30(1–3): 55–65.
30.
LeeHGParkJ (2016) Static test until structural collapse after fatigue testing of a full-scale wind turbine blade. Composite Structures136: 251–257.
31.
LehtomäkiVRissanenSWadham-GagnonM, et al. (2016) Fatigue loads of iced turbines: Two case studies. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics158: 37–50.
32.
LiDYeZChenY, et al. (2003) Load spectrum and fatigue life analysis of the blade of horizontal axis wind turbine. Wind Engineering27(6): 495–506.
33.
LiuXLuoYWangZ (2016) A review on fatigue damage mechanism in hydro turbines. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews54: 1–14.
34.
MadsenPHFrandsenS (1984) Wind-induced failure of wind turbines. Engineering Structures6(4): 281–287.
35.
MarínJCBarrosoAParísF, et al. (2009) Study of fatigue damage in wind turbine blades. Engineering Failure Analysis16(2): 656–668.
36.
MehmanparastABrennanFTavaresI (2017) Fatigue crack growth rates for offshore wind monopile weldments in air and seawater: SLIC inter-laboratory test results. Materials and Design114: 494–504.
37.
MengHLienF-SLiL (2017) Elastic actuator line modelling for wake-induced fatigue analysis of horizontal axis wind turbine blade. Renewable Energy116: 423–437.
38.
NijssenRPL (2006) Fatigue life prediction and strength degradation of wind turbine rotor blade composites. PhD Thesis, Delft University of Technology, Delft.
39.
NodaM (1999) A simulation model for wind turbine blade fatigue loads. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics83(1–3): 527–540.
40.
OestJSørensenRLarsLC, et al. (2017) Structural optimization with fatigue and ultimate limit constraints of jacket structures for large offshore wind turbines. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization55(3): 779–793.
41.
PassipoularidisVAPhilippidisTPBrondstedP (2011) Fatigue life prediction in composites using progressive damage modelling under block and spectrum loading. International Journal of Fatigue33(2): 132–144.
42.
RadajD (1996) Review of fatigue strength assessment of nonwelded and welded structures based on local parameters. International Journal of Fatigue18(3): 153–170.
43.
RiziotisVAVoutsinasSG (2000) Fatigue loads on wind turbines of different control strategies operating in complex terrain. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics85(3): 211–240.
44.
SamborskyDDMandellJF (1996) Fatigue resistant fiberglass laminates for wind turbine blades. In: Proceedings of the American society of mechanical engineers and American petroleum institute energy week conference and exhibition (Energy Week ’96), Houston, TX, 21 January–2 February, pp. 46–51. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Energy.
SamborskyDDWilsonTJAgastraP, et al. (2008) Delamination at thick ply drops in carbon and glass fiber laminates under fatigue loading. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering130(3): 031001.
47.
SanchezHSankararamanSEscobetT, et al. (2016) Analysis of two modeling approaches for fatigue estimation and remaining useful life predictions of wind turbine blades. In: Proceedings of the third European conference of the prognostics and health management society, Bilbao, 5–8 July, pp. 1–11. Available at: http://www.phmsociety.org/sites/phmsociety.org/files/phm_submission/2016/phmec_16_049.pdf
48.
SestoECasaleC (1998) Exploitation of wind as an energy source to meet the world’s electricity demand. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics74–76: 375–387.
49.
SutherlandHJ (1999) On the fatigue analysis of wind turbines. Sandia National Laboratories database. Albuquerque, NM: Sandia National Laboratories. Available at: https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/9460
50.
SutherlandHJ (2000) A summary of the fatigue properties of wind turbine materials. Wind Energy: An International Journal for Progress and Applications in Wind Power Conversion Technology3(1): 1–34.
ThompsonJWC (1984) Phenomenological Investigation of the Influence of Cathodic Protection on Corrosion Fatigue Crack Propagation Behaviour, in a BS 4360 50D Type Structural Steel and Associated Weldment Microstructures, in a Marine Environment. Cranfield: Cranfield University.
53.
ThorpeTWScottPMRanceA, et al. (1983) Corrosion fatigue of BS 4360:50D structural steel in seawater. International Journal of Fatigue5(3): 123–133.
54.
Van DelftDRde WinkelGJoosseP (1997) Fatigue behaviour of fibreglass wind turbine blade material under variable amplitude loading. In: Proceedings of the 35th AIAA/ASME wind energy symposium, Reno, NV, 6–9 January, pp. 180–188. Reston, VA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
55.
VasudevanAKSadanandaKGlinkaG (2001) Critical parameters for fatigue damage. International Journal of Fatigue23(Suppl. 1): 39–53.
56.
VeersPSWintersteinSR (1998) Application of measured loads to wind turbine fatigue and reliability analysis. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering120(4): 233–239.
57.
VeersPSManuelLWintersteinSR (2001) Parametric models for estimating wind turbine fatigue loads for design. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering123: 346–355.
58.
VeersPSSutherlandHJAshwillTD (1992) Fatigue life variability and reliability analysis of a wind turbine blade. In: LinYK (ed.) Probabilistic Mechanics and Structural and Geotechnical Reliability. New York: American Society of Civil Engineers, pp. 424–427.
59.
WangYSoutisC (2017) Fatigue behaviour of composite T-joints in wind turbine blade applications. Applied Composite Materials24(2): 461–475.
60.
WhiteDLMusialWD (2004) The effect of load phase angle on wind turbine blade fatigue damage. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering126(4): 1050–1059.
61.
ZhangMTanBXuJ (2016) Smart fatigue load control on the large-scale wind turbine blades using different sensing signals. Renewable Energy87: 111–119.
62.
ZieglerLGonzalezERubertT, et al. (2018) Lifetime extension of onshore wind turbines: A review covering Germany, Spain, Denmark, and the UK. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews82: 1261–1271.
