BladeComp

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BladeComp – a design and optimisation software for wind and tidal turbine blades

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BladeComp is an in-house developed wind/tidal turbine blade design and optimisation software. The BladeComp comprises advanced Finite Element (FE) analysis techniques and design optimisation strategies for efficient, robust and rapid design of turbine blades. The methodology for designing wind/tidal blade is utilized by the BladeComp‌, which can produce blade model for a range of input properties, such as air-foils, composite materials and layup distributions.

This software has been used to design rotor blades for the 2 MW Orbital Marine Power floating tidal turbine device, which is manufactured in Ireland (Galway) by ÉireComposites and is tested in our facility under static and fatigue loading. The test results validate the reliability of this software. The BladeComp is also used to optimise the structural performance of a 15kw wind turbine blade [link], where the strength of the optimised blade is significantly improved without increase the blade mass. In the worldwide context, this will put the MaREI Centre at NUI Galway at the forefront of design and testing of full-scale tidal turbine rotor blades, rotor blades, which is necessary to exploit the full potential of marine energy as a significant renewable resource.

Publication

	Year	Publication
	2017	Fagan, Edward M., Leen, S.B., Torre, O. de la, Goggins, J., 2017. Experimental investigation, numerical modelling and multi-objective optimisation of composite wind turbine blades. J. Struct. Integr. Maint. 2, 109–119. [DOI]
	2017	Fagan, E. M., Flanagan, M., Leen, S.B., Flanagan, T., Doyle, A., Goggins, J., 2017. Physical experimental static testing and structural design optimisation for a composite wind turbine blade. Compos. Struct. 164, 90–103. [DOI]
	2017	Fagan, E.M., 2017. Design of fibre-reinforced polymer composite blades for wind and tidal turbines (PhD Thesis). National University of Ireland, Galway. [link]
	2018	Fagan, E.M., De La Torre, O., Leen, S.B., Goggins, J., 2018. Validation of the multi-objective structural optimisation of a composite wind turbine blade. Compos. Struct. 204, 567–577. [DOI]
	2019	Jiang, Y., Fagan, E.M., Goggins, J., 2019. Structural design and optimisation of a full-scale tidal turbine blade, in: Vicinanza, D. (Ed.), Proceedings of the Thirteenth European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference. Presented at the the Thirteenth European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference, EWTEC, Universitá degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Italy. [link]

Year

Publication

2017

Fagan, Edward M., Leen, S.B., Torre, O. de la, Goggins, J., 2017. Experimental investigation, numerical modelling and multi-objective optimisation of composite wind turbine blades. J. Struct. Integr. Maint. 2, 109–119. [DOI]

2017

Fagan, E. M., Flanagan, M., Leen, S.B., Flanagan, T., Doyle, A., Goggins, J., 2017. Physical experimental static testing and structural design optimisation for a composite wind turbine blade. Compos. Struct. 164, 90–103. [DOI]

2017

Fagan, E.M., 2017. Design of fibre-reinforced polymer composite blades for wind and tidal turbines (PhD Thesis). National University of Ireland, Galway. [link]

2018

Fagan, E.M., De La Torre, O., Leen, S.B., Goggins, J., 2018. Validation of the multi-objective structural optimisation of a composite wind turbine blade. Compos. Struct. 204, 567–577. [DOI]

2019

Jiang, Y., Fagan, E.M., Goggins, J., 2019. Structural design and optimisation of a full-scale tidal turbine blade, in: Vicinanza, D. (Ed.), Proceedings of the Thirteenth European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference. Presented at the the Thirteenth European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference, EWTEC, Universitá degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Italy. [link]