Case study for impact of D-string® on levelized cost of energy for offshore wind turbine blades

The rapid growth of the offshore wind industry has led to a considerable increase in the size of offshore wind turbine blades. Loading of these has become an important factor, particularly edgewise loads resulting from gravitational forces. These loads imply development of longitudinal cracking on the trailing edge, with a significant impact on maintenance cost. As a result, several devices are in development with the goal of stiffening the blades. This paper aims to analyze the potential impact of such a device on the levelized cost of energy using a discrete event simulator. A case study is made using the NORCOWE reference wind farm.