Fatigue life of pitch- and stall-regulated composite tidal turbine blades

Tidal turbine blades are subject to harsh loading and environmental conditions, including large thrust and torsional loadings, relative to wind turbine blades, due to the high density of seawater, among other factors. The complex combination of these loadings, as well as water ingress and associated composite laminate saturation, have significant implications for blade design, affecting overall device design, stability, scalability, energy production and cost-effectiveness. This study investigates the effect of seawater ingress on composite material properties, and the associated design and life expectancy of tidal turbine blades in operating conditions. The fatigue properties of dry and water-saturated glass fibre reinforced laminates are experimentally evaluated and incorporated into tidal blade design. The fatigue lives of pitch- and stall-regulated tidal turbine blades are found to be altered by seawater immersion. Water-saturation is shown to reduce blade life about 3 years for stall-regulated blades and by about 1–2 years for pitch-regulated blades. The effect of water ingress can be compensated by increased laminate thickness. The tidal turbine blade design methodology presented here can be used for evaluation of blade life expectancy and tidal device energy production.