Improving the Mechanical Properties of Wind Turbine Blades Using Hybrid Composite Materials

Abstract

This research investigates?the mechanical properties improvement of a wind turbine blade in different operating conditions using a hybrid composite reinforced with Kevlar fibers. Three samples of this material were manufactured using a hand layup method with various configurations: Sample 1 (Kevlar fibres with epoxy), Sample 2 (Kevlar with epoxy and iron powder), and Sample 3 (Kevlar with epoxy and graphite and iron powders). All samples were cut and machined according to ASTM D3039 and ASTM G65 standards. The three samples were then subjected to Wear, hardness, and tensile tests to verify their performance. The results showed that Sample 2 had the highest hardness (70 Vickers), indicating its high resistance to deformation. Meanwhile, Sample 1 exhibited the lowest wear rate (< 3.093 × 10?? g/cm³), indicating its high wear resistance. During tensile tests, the first sample achieved the highest strength in both the 90° (139.42 MPa) and 45° (237.5 MPa) fiber directions, with corresponding maximum loads of 2.9 kN and 5.7 % strain at failure in the 45° orientation. Adding iron and graphite powders had a minimal effect on mechanical performance, with Sample 1 exhibiting the best combination in terms of hardness, wear resistance, and tensile strength for use in wind turbine blades.