scope:

This part of IEC 61400 defines the requirements for full-scale structural testing of wind turbine blades and for the interpretation and evaluation of achieved test results. The standard focuses on aspects of testing related to an evaluation of the integrity of the blade, for use by manufacturers and third party investigators.

The following tests are considered in this standard:

• static load tests;

• fatigue tests;

• static load tests after fatigue tests;

• tests determining other blade properties.

The purpose of the tests is to confirm to an acceptable level of probability that the whole population of a blade type fulfils the design assumptions.

It is assumed that the data required to define the parameters of the tests are available and based on the standard for design requirements for wind turbines such as IEC 61400-1 or equivalent. Design loads and blade material data are considered starting points for establishing and evaluating the test loads. The evaluation of the design loads with respect to the actual loads on the wind turbines is outside the scope of this standard.

At the time this standard was written, full-scale tests were carried out on blades of horizontal axis wind turbines. The blades were mostly made of fibre reinforced plastics and wood/epoxy. However, most principles would be applicable to any wind turbine configuration, size and material.