Strain gauge validation experiments for the Sandia 34-meter VAWT (vertical axis wind turbine) Test Bed

Technical Report · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6873378

Sutherland, H J

Sandia National Laboratories has erected a research oriented, 34- meter diameter, Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine near Bushland, Texas. This machine, designated the Sandia 34-m VAWT Test Bed, is equipped with a large array of strain gauges that have been placed at critical positions about the blades. This manuscript details a series of four-point bend experiments that were conducted to validate the output of the blade strain gauge circuits. The output of a particular gauge circuit is validated by comparing its output to ''equivalent'' gauge circuits (in this stress state) and to theoretical predictions. With only a few exceptions, the difference between measured and predicted strain values for a gauge circuit was found to be of the order of the estimated repeatability for the measurement system. 8 refs., 20 figs., 3 tabs.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6873378
• Report Number(s): SAND-88-1807; ON: DE89000418
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

17 WIND ENERGY
170602* -- Wind Energy Engineering-- Turbine Design & Operation
BUILDING MATERIALS
DATA
ENERGY SOURCES
INFORMATION
MACHINERY
MATERIALS
MATERIALS TESTING
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NUMERICAL DATA
POWER
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
STRAIN GAGES
STRAINS
TESTING
TURBINE BLADES
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
VERTICAL AXIS TURBINES
WIND POWER
WIND TURBINES