ABSTRACT
This experimental study investigates blade root load fluctuations for a single turbine immersed in a regular current flow with different ambient turbulence conditions. Two scaled models of industrial prototypes were tested: a 1:28 scale model of the three-bladed horizontal axis turbine of Magallanes Renovables and a 1:20 scale model of the five-bladed horizontal axis turbine of Sabella. The rotor loads were directly measured on the rotation axis with a thrust and torque sensor. The blade roots were equipped with a load-cell measuring two forces and three moments. The variations of the rotor loads (thrust and torque) and the blade root loads (edgewise bending moments and streamwise forces) are compared and the impact of the blade angular position is investigated. A comparison of both scaled models results with those of the IFREMER generic turbine is also presented. The results are anonymised in order to ensure confidentiality.
