Wind turbine blade technology is constantly developing to better harvest kinetic energy through the wind while reducing costs of production [1]. The wind turbine blades often account for approximately 50% of the total cost [1]. That is since they are produced using natural fibres, carbon or even glass [1]. Hence, there are constant new design approaches to reduce the cost of the blades while maintaining the same quality.
Design factors: To generate great amounts of power and harvest enough energy to be rendered an efficient renewable method there are various factors to consider. To yield great amounts of power, wind turbines generally must be big [2]. However, for them to be efficient, a lot of design and engineering must go into the blades [2]. The length of the blade of the wind turbine determines the possible net power that a wind turbine can produce [2]. There are multiple different types of blades which each have its pros and cons. Flat blades are the cheapest option among others, however, they produce great drag forces rendering them inefficient [2]. Curved blades however are much more efficient in high-speed rotations but are harder to produce and cost more [2]. The curved blades are designed in a manner which allows the applied forces to move the blades faster than the wind itself which generates greater power and outcome [2]. Despite the reduction, wind blades continue to experience drag [2]. On the other hand, to improve the turbine’s efficiency, we can use twisted and curved blades which reduce the drag force while optimizing the outcome from the wind since its curved and twisted angles alter the point of contact increasing the speed and efficiency [2]. However, this is not the only design aspect to consider. We must also determine how many blades would be the most efficient. Wind turbines with many blades would be inefficient and expensive as they would have great drag forces and would cost a lot more than other cheaper options. Wind turbines with only two blades save the cost of a third common blade however have greater difficulty attaining the same output and producing as much power and will occasionally face stability issues [3]. One-bladed design is cost-efficient, however, lacks power output, it faces the same issue as two-bladed turbines however on a greater scale [3]. Three-bladed turbines although more costly eliminate most issues faced in both one-bladed and two-bladed turbines [3].
[1] J. Hurtado, “New Turbine Blade Technologies Help drive wind's growth - prescouter - custom intelligence from a global network of experts,” PreScouter, 20-Aug-2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.prescouter.com/2019/08/new-turbine-blade-technologies-help-drive-winds-growth/. [Accessed: 27-Sep-2022].
[2] Alternative Energy Tutorials, “Wind turbine blade design, flat, bent or curved,” Alternative Energy Tutorials, 07-Jan-2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.alternative-energy-tutorials.com/wind-energy/wind-turbine-blade-design.html. [Accessed: 27-Sep-2022].
[3] TURBINE TOPOLOGIES, Number of blades. [Online]. Available: http://mstudioblackboard.tudelft.nl/duwind/Wind%20energy%20online%20reader/Static_pages/blades_number.htm#:~:text=Most%20modern%20wind%20turbines%20used,azimuth%20position%20of%20the%20rotor. [Accessed: 27-Sep-2022].