Numerical Assessment of Dynamic Loads in Two-Blade and Three-Blade Wind Turbines under Varying Hurricane Categories and Power Generation.*

Wind turbine blade configuration and number play a significant role in the dynamic loading and power generation. With the growing demand for wind energy all over the world, it’s important to analyze how wind turbines could withstand the hurricane prone areas specifically in the Caribbean and East coast of USA. This study aims to investigate the impact of wind turbine blade configuration and number on dynamic loading and power generation, particularly in hurricane-prone areas like the Caribbean and East coast of the USA. The research compares two-blade and three-blade wind turbine configurations under five distinct hurricane categories, maintaining a tip-speed ratio of 9. To analyze turbulent flow at the inlet, Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) and Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Naiver-Stokes (URANS) simulations are employed, using a neutral atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) profile based on velocity measurements at a reference height of 61.5m. The main focus is to assess the risk of wind turbine failures caused by hurricanes' induced wind on the blades, comparing both configurations at normal and high-speed wind conditions.