IABG has developed a new and improved concept for fatigue testing of rotor blades, offering significant advantages over previous methods. The fatigue strength of rotor blades is typically verified through a fatigue test involving millions of load cycles, such as vibration testing based on the resonance principle.

The test frequency is constrained by the first natural bending frequency of the test specimen. For current blades, this frequency is well below one Hertz, leading to long test durations and, consequently, high costs. Additionally, the bending line established during the resonance test often differs from the bending line resulting from aerodynamic loads in real-world operation. This discrepancy can lead to localized over- or under-stressing, negatively affecting test quality.

With the patented IABG test method, these disadvantages can be significantly mitigated or eliminated.

This innovative method enables an increase in the natural bending frequency, better simulation of the bending line, the application of a center load during testing and a doubling of the test frequency.