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Session: Poster pitches
Session starts: Wednesday 15 April, 11:50
Presentation starts: 11:53
Room: Main

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Wanting Cui ()

Abstract:
Tidal energy is a promising renewable energy source, and tidal turbines play a critical role in harnessing this energy. However, the harsh marine environment imposes significant challenges on tidal turbine blades, such as fatigue, corrosion, and hydrodynamic loading. Fibre composites are favoured materials due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and resistance to environmental degradation. Hybrid fibre-reinforced polymer composites offer a promising approach to tailoring the stiffness, strength, and damage tolerance of tidal turbine blades through the strategic combination of complementary fibre systems. The primary aim is to develop and optimize these hybrid configurations to enhance mechanical strength, fatigue resistance, and environmental durability in harsh marine environments. In this study, glass fibre–aramid (Kevlar) hybrid composite laminates were designed, manufactured, and mechanically characterized as a first step towards optimized hybrid blade structures for marine energy applications. Laminates were fabricated using the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process, with particular attention paid to resin flow control, fibre alignment, and interfacial bonding quality. Four different layup configurations were developed to investigate the effects of fibre type, orientation, and stacking order on mechanical properties. Specimens were prepared according to ASTM D3039 and ASTM D6641 standards and tested under tensile and compressive loads. Results showed that stiffness, strength, and failure modes were significantly dependent on the laminate structure, highlighting the effectiveness of glass-Kevlar hybrids in achieving a balance between stiffness and ductility. New static compression data are also provided, filling a gap in the literature with few reports on specific compression values for glass fibre/Kevlar. The study establishes a robust experimental framework for hybrid composite manufacturing and testing for tidal turbine blade applications. The findings provide a baseline for ongoing work extending the material system to include carbon and basalt fibres, as well as impact, fatigue, and hygrothermal conditioning, with the ultimate aim of developing durable and high-performance composite solutions for marine renewable energy structures.