Description

This project aims to explore the feasibility of repurposing decommissioned wind turbine blades for innovative new applications, reducing the volume of blades entering the waste stream. The student will focus on understanding the aerodynamics of wind turbine blades in non-typical applications and designing an optimized load-bearing structure to accommodate both static and dynamic loads. The project will involve CFD modeling, structural analysis, and optimization techniques to assess the viability of the concept. Successful outcomes could contribute to sustainable practices in the wind energy sector and foster economic growth through potential job creation.

The project would be carried out in collaboration with 2ndWind, a purpose-driven start-up founded in 2021 with the mission to explore feasibility of, and ideally realise alternative uses for end-of-life wind turbine blades.

Key Objectives

• Analyze blade aerodynamics in non-typical applications using existing methodologies.

• Design and optimize a load-bearing structure considering static and dynamic loads.

• Perform CFD modeling and fluid-structure interaction analysis.

• Evaluate the feasibility of the concept for repurposing wind turbine blades.

• Propose potential scalable applications for the repurposed blades.