King Him Lo

Stiffness predictions for closed-cell PVC foams

Light-weight polymeric foams are frequently used in composite sandwich construction in which foam core material properties could significantly influence the overall performance of the sandwich structure. Foam mechanical properties usually depend on a number of factors, including foam density, cell microstructure, and properties of foam–matrix polymer. Although the properties of foam–matrix polymer are determined mainly by the properties of the foam base (parent) polymer, they are also affected by other factors such as foam processing conditions. With the large number of material and microstructure parameters that influence foam properties, modeling mechanical behavior of polymeric foams could be quite involved, especially if foam behavior is anisotropic. This paper describes an effort to predict static elastic stiffness of closed-cell PVC foams. PVC foams are modeled as transversely isotropic materials with properties in the foam rise direction different from those in the planar (plane of isotropy) directions. An engineering approach, based on fibrous composites, is developed to predict in-plane and out-of-plane stiffness of PVC foams. The validity of the engineering model for the PVC foam stiffness is first demonstrated through comparison with test results on DIAB H80 foam obtained from a systematic in-house test program. Comparison of the predictions with the stiffness properties reported by a PVC foam manufacturer for various other density foams is also carried out. Good agreements are obtained for the cases studied. Comparison of stiffness predictions obtained in the paper with predictions from other published models of isotropic foam behavior is presented.

Failure strength predictions for closed-cell polyvinyl chloride foams

This paper describes an effort to model mechanical strength of closed-cell polyvinyl chloride foams under static loading. The study presented here is a continuation of an earlier study to model elastic stiffness of closed-cell polyvinyl chloride foams as effective transversely isotropic materials. An engineering approach is used in the study and governing equations are developed for predicting the strength of polyvinyl chloride foams. To account for foam microstructure and cell-shape anisotropy on foam strength, a unit cell representation of the polyvinyl chloride foam microstructure is used to derive equations to assess tensile and shear strengths of polyvinyl chloride foams. The differential stretching of polyvinyl chloride foam cell walls (in the rise direction and in the in-plane directions) on the strength of the foam-matrix polymer is also taken into account in modeling the mechanical strength of polyvinyl chloride closed-cell foams. The behavior of closed-cell polyvinyl chloride foams under compression is different from that under tension. In the paper, the equations for predicting compressive strength of closed-cell polyvinyl chloride foams are based on an approximate theory developed in an earlier study of compressive strength of unidirectional composites. The validity of the foam strength predictive equations, derived in the paper, is first demonstrated through comparison of the predictions with the results on Divinycell H (DIAB) foams obtained from a systematic in-house test program. A comparison is also carried out between the strength predictions and the test results published by two polyvinyl chloride foam manufacturers for different density polyvinyl chloride foams. Good agreements are found for all the different density foams studied.

In-Situ Interface Bond Strength Determination in Thick Adhesive Bonded Box Beam

A box-beam structure, consisting of adhesive-bonded spar caps and shear webs, is a primary load-bearing structural element in a large composite wind turbine blade. In evaluation of a wind turbine blade structure, a scaled box beam is often used to examine and determine the structural strength and failure modes of a full-scale wind turbine. In this study, a series of scaled composite-sandwich box beams were designed and fabricated for rigorous investigation of their strength characteristics under 4-point bending. Damage and failure modes observed during the bending tests of the box beams exhibited progressive development of local buckling of spar caps and final adhesive bond-line failure. Computational mechanics analyses revealed local nonlinear deformation and stress distributions in the box-beam spar caps, shear webs and thick adhesive bond layers. The results also indicated the presence of large normal tensile stresses acting at the interfaces of shear web and adhesive layer and the spar cap and adhesive. In this paper, an investigation of in-situ adhesive joint tensile strength was conducted. Adhesive joint specimens were taken from the box beams tested under bending. Due to the very small dimensions of the selected sample regions which consisted of a bonded spar-cap laminate-adhesive-shear web joint, tab extensions consisting of (0)n laminate were attached for proper load application. Initial tensile test results from the specimens without the gage-section reduction failed prematurely at very low stresses with very large scatter. Consequently, tensile specimens with dog-bone shaped gage section geometry were designed and tested. By varying the gage region locations in the specimen, the true adhesive bond failure occurred at shear web/adhesive and spar cap/adhesive interfaces. The in-situ bond strength of the composite laminate and the adhesive joint in the box beam was determined. The experimental results of the in-situ bond strength were used in analytical modeling and evaluation of the box-beam strength and failure mode prediction.

Aerodynamics and CFD analysis of equal size dual-rotor wind turbine

The linear momentum theory is used to analyze the power-extraction capability of dual-rotor wind turbines with equal-size rotors. The rotors of a dual-rotor wind turbine are modeled as two separate actuator disks. The stream tube encompassing the front rotor is modeled as two (inner and outer) stream tubes, with the rear rotor being fully enclosed within the front rotor inner stream tube. No assumption is made on airflow pressure in between the rotors. The effect of the front and rear rotor interaction on the airflow within the inner stream tube is included in the analysis. With the results obtained, axial thrusts on front and rear rotors are determined and later used as input for computational fluid dynamics simulation to determine flow characteristics across the rotors. Based on the flow pattern between the rotors, the total power coefficient of a dual-rotor wind turbine is related to the rotor separation distance. A general solution for the dual-rotor wind turbine is developed, which shows that the lar...

Effect of Pile–Soil Interaction on Structural Dynamics of Large Moment Magnitude-Scale Offshore Wind Turbines in Shallow-Water Western Gulf of Mexico

The effect of pile–soil interaction on structural dynamics is investigated for a large offshore wind turbine (OWT) in the hurricane-prone Western Gulf of Mexico (GOM) shallow water. The OWT has a rotor with three 100-meter blades and a monotower structure. Loads on the turbine rotor and the support structure subject to a 100-year return hurricane are determined. Several types of soil are considered and modeled with a distributed spring system. The results reveal that pile–soil interaction affects dynamics of the turbine support structure significantly, but not the rotor dynamics. Designed with proper pile lengths, natural frequencies of the turbine structure in different soils stay outside dominant frequencies of wave energy spectra in both normal operating and hurricane sea states, but stay between blade passing frequency intervals. Hence, potential resonance of the turbine support structure is not of concern. A comprehensive Campbell diagram is constructed for safe operation of the offshore turbine in different soils.

Effect of Pile-Soil Interaction on Structural Dynamics of Large MW Scale Offshore Wind Turbines in Shallow-Water Western GOM

The effect of pile-soil interaction on structural dynamics is investigated for a large offshore wind turbine in the hurricane-prone Western Gulf of Mexico (GOM) shallow water. The offshore wind turbine has a rotor with three 100-meter blades and a mono-tower structure. Loads on the turbine rotor and the support structure subject to a 100-year return hurricane are determined. Several types of soil are considered and modeled with a distributed spring system. The results reveal that pile-soil interaction affects dynamics of the turbine support structure significantly, but not the wind rotor dynamics. Designed with proper pile lengths, natural frequencies of the turbine structure in different soils stay outside dominant frequencies of wave energy spectra in both normal operating and hurricane sea states, but stay between blade passing frequency intervals. Hence potential resonance of the turbine support structure is not of concern. A comprehensive Campbell diagram is constructed for safe operation of the offshore turbine in different soils.Copyright

Structural Dynamics and Load Analysis of Large Offshore Wind Turbines in Western Gulf of Mexico Shallow Water

In this paper, a study is conducted on wind and metocean loads and associated structural dynamics of a 13.2-MW large offshore wind turbine in Western Gulf of Mexico (GOM) shallow water. The offshore wind turbine considered includes a rotor with three 100-meter long blades and a mono-tower support structure. Natural frequencies and mode shapes of the blades and the mono-tower are determined first and used subsequently to establish a Campbell diagram for safe wind turbine operation. The results show that hydrodynamic added mass has little effect on the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the support structure but it introduces, in part, appreciable effects on loads carried by the turbine when the blades are pitched at wind speeds above the rated speed. Also determined, for normal operation and extreme metocean conditions (i.e., 100-year return hurricanes), are normal thrust on the wind rotor, blade-tip displacement, overturning moment and tower-top displacement sustained by the wind turbine.© 2014 ASME