Case Study: NSE Composites achieves 12% more energy capture by validating sweep-twist blade with Dassault Systèmes (SIMULIA Abaqus)

NSE Composites - Customer Case Study

NSE Composites, a Seattle-based composites engineering firm, needed to analyze loads, stresses and fatigue for an innovative sweep‑twist wind turbine blade aimed at capturing substantially more energy on low‑wind sites. To do this they used SIMULIA’s Abaqus finite element analysis (FEA) from Dassault Systemes to validate the blade’s twisting behavior, buckling characteristics and fatigue performance during design and testing.

Using Dassault Systemes’ SIMULIA Abaqus (with NSE’s bladeMesher to generate solid 3D meshes), the team rapidly evaluated multiple sweep geometries, confirmed earlier section analyses, and guided prototype testing. The solution predicted a safe design (buckling limits >5× extreme winds), validated a 20‑year fatigue life in tests, enabled exploring ~20 geometries in weeks instead of years, and delivered a measured 12% increase in energy capture versus similarly rated turbines.

NSE Composites

DM Hoyt

Principal Engineer