Structural performance analysis of hemp fiber-reinforced hybrid composites in wind turbine blade manufacturing

The modern environmental policy encourages the development of green energy industries, including wind turbine industry. The scientific community tests the possibility of introducing and using, in the different structures of the wind turbine, reliable and eco-friendly materials.The objective of this study was to design an optimal wind turbine blade using hemp fibers as composites reinforcement. To do so, first, the blade design was defined using Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory and done using Catia V5 (R). Then, a finite element model of the blade was created by PATRAN (R) software and analyzed by NASTRAN (R) software. Finally, based on analyses of various scenarios, the choice of the material under the static load was reported.The optimal scenario based on the insertion of hemp fibers showed a 20% reduction in weight between the old and new model, and a cost reduction of approximately 30%, while still conforming to blade design standards.