AUTHOR(S): 

Ana Boyano, Igor Ansoategui, Unai Fernandez-Gamiz, Ekaitz Zulueta, Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede, Faustino Mujika

TITLE

One Application of the ENFR Fracture Test: Coupon Testing for Wind Turbine Blade Materials

KEYWORDS

wind turbine blades, delamination, fracture-mechanics, mixed-mode fracture, fracture tests

ABSTRACT

The ENFR I/II mixed-mode fracture test analyzes the interlarminar fracture in fiber reinforced composites. These materials are widely used in wind turbine blades. At the structural scale, one of the most critical failures in a blade is delamination of unidirectional laminates in the spar cap. In this paper we introduce a new methodology for mixed fracture mode analysis based on linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). In order to demonstrate the consistence of the theoretical basis of the methodology, ENFR test method is applied to 10 different test conditions in specimens of one composite material typically used in wind turbine blades. Experimental results obtained for critical fracture parameters, agree with the ones obtained in pure mode fracture tests. Therefore the method can be used for wind turbine blade material characterization, at coupon testing level, as the experimental results demonstrate.

Cite this paper

Ana Boyano, Igor Ansoategui, Unai Fernandez-Gamiz, Ekaitz Zulueta, Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede, Faustino Mujika. (2017) One Application of the ENFR Fracture Test: Coupon Testing for Wind Turbine Blade Materials. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2, 52-57