Research Projects – Institute of Structural Analysis

Fatigue

Challenges of industrial application of nanomodified and hybrid material systems in lightweight rotor blade design (HANNAH)

The HANNAH research project is the follow-up to the LENAH research project. In LENAH, material systems from the fields of nanomodified materials and hybrid laminates were developed, tested and numerically simulated. This allowed the high potential of these material systems for the application in rotor blade design to be demonstrated under laboratory conditions. The investigated material systems are far superior to currently established materials, especially with regard to fatigue resistance. In the follow-up project HANNAH the (further) development of production and simulation methods for these material systems for industrial standards is now in the foreground. On the one hand, the aim is to guarantee the excellent properties of the developed material systems in large-scale production and to be able to simulate the mechanical behaviour to answer industry-related issues. In this context, the ISD develops material-specific simulation models in order increase time and cost efficiency for processes of material development and component design for nanomodified materials and hybrid laminates.

Led by: Prof. Dr-Ing. habil. Raimund Rolfes

Team: M. Sc. Christian Gerendt, M. Sc. Betim Bahtiri, Dr. Ing. Behrouz Arash, Dr. Ing. Sven Scheffler

Year: 2019

Funding: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWI) - FKZ 0324345A

Duration: 01.03.2019 – 28.02.2022

Nanocomposites

Challenges of industrial application of nanomodified and hybrid material systems in lightweight rotor blade design (HANNAH)

The HANNAH research project is the follow-up to the LENAH research project. In LENAH, material systems from the fields of nanomodified materials and hybrid laminates were developed, tested and numerically simulated. This allowed the high potential of these material systems for the application in rotor blade design to be demonstrated under laboratory conditions. The investigated material systems are far superior to currently established materials, especially with regard to fatigue resistance. In the follow-up project HANNAH the (further) development of production and simulation methods for these material systems for industrial standards is now in the foreground. On the one hand, the aim is to guarantee the excellent properties of the developed material systems in large-scale production and to be able to simulate the mechanical behaviour to answer industry-related issues. In this context, the ISD develops material-specific simulation models in order increase time and cost efficiency for processes of material development and component design for nanomodified materials and hybrid laminates.

Led by: Prof. Dr-Ing. habil. Raimund Rolfes

Team: M. Sc. Christian Gerendt, M. Sc. Betim Bahtiri, Dr. Ing. Behrouz Arash, Dr. Ing. Sven Scheffler

Year: 2019

Funding: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWI) - FKZ 0324345A

Duration: 01.03.2019 – 28.02.2022
Functionalized, multi-physically optimized adhesives for inherent structural health monitoring of rotor blades (Func2Ad)

The performance and reliability of the rotor blade is crucial for the efficiency of a wind turbine over its entire life cycle. The blades make up a large part of the equipment cost - their manufacturing and maintenance costs are extremely high. The adhesive technology in the rotor blade is a key technology for achieving competitive advantages in the wind industry. The processing and curing properties (processability) of the adhesives as well as their operational stability (fatigue strength) in the cured state are two key parameters with regard to the system economy and the return on investment. A third would be the remote diagnosis of the glued joints of the rotor blade (Structure Health Monitoring). The research project proposed here on particle-modified adhesive systems for the wind industry starts with the three points mentioned. A main innovation is the functionalization of the adhesive resin through particle modification to implement a structural monitoring system inherent in the adhesive connections on the rotor blade. This is said to be done by modifying the electrical properties of the adhesive resin. At the same time, the processability and fatigue strength of the adhesive should be positively influenced by the modification. If the modified resin system is only optimized for one of the three aspects mentioned, there is a risk of poor performance with regard to the other. The physical properties of the adhesive must therefore not be separated for the three requirement areas, but must be considered and optimized together in their interaction and their interrelationships. In order to optimize this and increase the efficiency of the multiphysical material models, machine learning methods are used within the simulation framework.

Led by: Prof. Dr-Ing. habil. Raimund Rolfes

Team: M.Sc Betim Bahtiri, Dr.-Ing. Sven Scheffler

Year: 2023

Funding: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz, FKZ 03EE3069 A-F

Duration: 01.01.2023-31.12.2026

Material Modeling

Challenges of industrial application of nanomodified and hybrid material systems in lightweight rotor blade design (HANNAH)

The HANNAH research project is the follow-up to the LENAH research project. In LENAH, material systems from the fields of nanomodified materials and hybrid laminates were developed, tested and numerically simulated. This allowed the high potential of these material systems for the application in rotor blade design to be demonstrated under laboratory conditions. The investigated material systems are far superior to currently established materials, especially with regard to fatigue resistance. In the follow-up project HANNAH the (further) development of production and simulation methods for these material systems for industrial standards is now in the foreground. On the one hand, the aim is to guarantee the excellent properties of the developed material systems in large-scale production and to be able to simulate the mechanical behaviour to answer industry-related issues. In this context, the ISD develops material-specific simulation models in order increase time and cost efficiency for processes of material development and component design for nanomodified materials and hybrid laminates.

Led by: Prof. Dr-Ing. habil. Raimund Rolfes

Team: M. Sc. Christian Gerendt, M. Sc. Betim Bahtiri, Dr. Ing. Behrouz Arash, Dr. Ing. Sven Scheffler

Year: 2019

Funding: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWI) - FKZ 0324345A

Duration: 01.03.2019 – 28.02.2022
Functionalized, multi-physically optimized adhesives for inherent structural health monitoring of rotor blades (Func2Ad)

The performance and reliability of the rotor blade is crucial for the efficiency of a wind turbine over its entire life cycle. The blades make up a large part of the equipment cost - their manufacturing and maintenance costs are extremely high. The adhesive technology in the rotor blade is a key technology for achieving competitive advantages in the wind industry. The processing and curing properties (processability) of the adhesives as well as their operational stability (fatigue strength) in the cured state are two key parameters with regard to the system economy and the return on investment. A third would be the remote diagnosis of the glued joints of the rotor blade (Structure Health Monitoring). The research project proposed here on particle-modified adhesive systems for the wind industry starts with the three points mentioned. A main innovation is the functionalization of the adhesive resin through particle modification to implement a structural monitoring system inherent in the adhesive connections on the rotor blade. This is said to be done by modifying the electrical properties of the adhesive resin. At the same time, the processability and fatigue strength of the adhesive should be positively influenced by the modification. If the modified resin system is only optimized for one of the three aspects mentioned, there is a risk of poor performance with regard to the other. The physical properties of the adhesive must therefore not be separated for the three requirement areas, but must be considered and optimized together in their interaction and their interrelationships. In order to optimize this and increase the efficiency of the multiphysical material models, machine learning methods are used within the simulation framework.

Led by: Prof. Dr-Ing. habil. Raimund Rolfes

Team: M.Sc Betim Bahtiri, Dr.-Ing. Sven Scheffler

Year: 2023

Funding: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz, FKZ 03EE3069 A-F

Duration: 01.01.2023-31.12.2026