Chapter 23: Modal Analysis of a Wind Turbine Blade Using Beam Elements

This example problem demonstrates how to use beam elements to simulate the behavior of a slender composite structure such as a wind turbine blade.

The following features and capabilities are highlighted:

  • The meshed beam-section subtype for conveniently representing the built-up sections with complex geometry and nonuniform materials.

  • The tapered-beam section type for defining varying cross-section geometry.

  • Cubic interpolation option for improving computational efficiency and accuracy.

  • The nonaveraged results file format for storing results from an analysis involving composite materials.

For related information, see Beam and Pipe Cross Sections in the Structural Analysis Guide.