Wind Turbine Blade Testing System using Base Excitation

Jason Cotrell (Inventor), Robert Thresher (Inventor), Scott Lambert (Inventor), Scott Hughes (Inventor), Jay Johnson (Inventor)

Research output: Patent

Abstract

An apparatus (500) for fatigue testing elongate test articles (404) including wind turbine blades through forced or resonant excitation of the base (406) of the test articles (404). The apparatus (500) includes a testing platform or foundation (402). A blade support (410) is provided for retaining or supporting a base (406) of an elongate test article (404), and the blade support (410) ispivotally mounted on the testing platform (402) with at least two degrees of freedom of motion relative to the testing platform (402). An excitation input assembly (540) is interconnected with the blade support (410) and includes first and second actuators (444, 446, 541) that act to concurrently apply forces or loads to the blade support (410). The actuator forces are cyclically applied infirst and second transverse directions. The test article (404) responds to shaking of its base (406) by oscillating in two, transverse directions (505, 507).
Original languageAmerican English
Patent number8,677,827
Filing date25/03/14
StatePublished - 2014

Bibliographical note

Assignee: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC (Golden, CO)

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/PT-5000-62969

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