Design of a scaled wind turbine model for matching multiple structural load transients under blade-detachment conditions

Abstract. Complete blade detachment simultaneously changes a wind turbine's aerodynamic, centrifugal, and gravitational loading, requiring these load changes to be matched consistently in model-scale experiments. This study develops a scaled wind turbine design method that establishes common force and moment scales to define coupled targets for rotor speed, blade mass, spanwise mass distribution, and axial aerodynamic loading. The method is demonstrated using a 1:100 model of a 10 MW prototype onshore turbine. The blade geometry is redesigned for low-Reynolds-number operation, and a modular construction combining a CNC-machined carbon-fibre spar with segmented PMI foam permits separate adjustment of the aerodynamic profile and material distribution. Centrifugal- and aerodynamic-load experiments show overall agreement between numerical predictions and measurements under the tested conditions. The resulting model provides an experimental basis for controlled blade-detachment testing and subsequent validation of numerical models of post-failure load redistribution.