Fast and efficient fatigue test of large wind turbine blades (BLATIGUE)

BLATIGUE is a development and demonstration project that includes the entire process almost up to market introduction for the multi-axis fatigue testing method (track #1) and for the multi-axis fatigue exciter (track #2). The project includes several steps in the development and demonstration of the technologies as the development is stepping from small blades (14 m) over medium size blades (49 m) to large blades (75 m).

The standard certification tests, that blades are tested against today, are not representing the real world very well. In reality blades are exposed to torsion and bending in different directions at the same time. The industry consequently needs fatigue test methods that better match the loads to which the blades are exposed to in real operational conditions. A multi-axis fatigue test methods can do exactly that.

As blades become larger the time needed to perform the necessary certification tests becomes longer. This is converting into a challenge for the industry as 100 m blades are expected to take more than a year to test. There is a need to shorten the test time and multi-axis test methods can do that as flap and edgewise loads can be tested at the same time.