ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to develop a replicable methodology for testing the capabilities and characteristics of a wind turbine blade in a structural re-use application with the specific goal of creating and demonstrating an efficient and commercially viable wind blade pedestrian bridge design. Wind energy experienced a dramatic increase in popularity following the turn of the century and it is now a common source of renewable energy around the world. However, while wind turbines are able to produce clean energy while in service, turbine blades are designed for a fatigue life of only about 20 years. With the difficulty and costs associated with recycling the composite material blades used on the turbines, wind power companies choose to dispose of decommissioned blades in landfills instead. The Re-Wind BladeBridge project aims to promote a more sustainable life cycle for wind power by demonstrating that decommissioned wind turbine blades have the capability to be repurposed as structural elements in bridges. This paper presents an analysis and characterization of a LM 13.4 wind blade from a Nordex N29 turbine, along with a design for a pedestrian bridge using two LM 13.4 wind blades to create a 5-meter span bridge. Software developed by the Re-Wind team called “BladeMachine” was used to generate the engineering properties of the blade at multiple sections along the blade length. Resin burnout tests and mechanical testing in tension and compression were performed to determine the material and mechanical properties of the composite materials in the blade. Additionally, a four-point edge-wise bending test was performed on a 4-meter section of the wind blade to evaluate its load-carrying behavior. The results of these tests revealed that the LM 13.4 blades are suitable to be re-utilized as girders for a short-span pedestrian bridge. An overview of the design of the BladeBridge currently under construction in County Cork, Ireland is presented, including details on the architectural and structural design processes.
