Composites Analysis and Mechanics

By establishing design and maintenance tools that account for blade damage, we can contribute to the development of new improved composites materials and more accurate assessment of damages in blades in service. This will result in yet larger wind turbine rotor blades, and extend the life of most blades well beyond the original design, leading to a higher energy production.

We perform mechanical testing while using sensors and non-destructive techniques to detect damage. We use scanning electron microscopy and X-ray tomography to characterize damage at the micro- and macroscale. We perform fracture mechanics modelling to predict macroscale damage from microscale parameters.