Structural Optimization of Wind Turbine System Utilizing Biomimicry and Structural Health Monitoring

Wind turbines, despite being a sustainable and environmentally friendly method of electricity generation, often suffer structural damage during storms or typhoons. To enhance their resilience under such conditions, this study proposes two optimization strategies: (i) palm leaf–inspired blades and (ii) multi-rotor spatial layouts. Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted on centimeter-scale 3D-printed models (approximately 1:1000 scale representation), and specimens were tested in a custom-built wind tunnel. The inflow was steady (∼23.7m/s) and conditioned by a collimator, serving as a proxy for severe wind conditions. Inclination and vibration were monitored, and the data were analyzed using Fourier transforms, t-tests, and ANOVA. The results showed that the palm leaf–inspired design exhibited inferior performance compared to conventional blades, suggesting limited applicability in this context. The three-rotor system achieved the smallest average inclination angles (3.36° lateral, 3.08° forward), indicating lower tower-base bending demand and a greater stability margin (i.e. delayed buckling), and the lowest vibration response (0.341), indicating reduced cyclic stress amplitudes and improved fatigue resistance. These findings highlight the three-rotor system as a promising design for enhancing wind turbine resilience under storm-level wind conditions.