AHP VIKOR framework for selecting wind turbine materials with a focus on corrosion and efficiency

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Sustainable Energy

Background:

• Corrosion significantly impacts operational wind turbine durability, necessitating advanced material selection.
• Existing material evaluation methods lack comprehensive consideration of environmental, mechanical, and cost factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply an integrated decision-making framework for selecting optimal materials for wind turbines.
• To address the critical challenge of material durability and corrosion resistance in wind energy technology.

Main Methods:

• Integration of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for criteria weighting and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) with the VIKOR method for material ranking.
• Evaluation of seven material options against sixteen criteria, including corrosion resistance, mechanical properties, cost, and environmental impact.

Main Results:

• The AHP method successfully weighted sixteen diverse criteria, guiding the selection of potential materials.
• The VIKOR method identified Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) as the top-ranked material, demonstrating a priority ranking (Qi) of 0.001.
• CFRP exhibited a high similarity to the positive ideal solution (Si=0.3704) and relative closeness (Ri=0.0750).

Conclusions:

• The integrated AHP-VIKOR methodology provides a robust approach for selecting high-performance, durable materials for wind turbines.
• This research advances sustainable wind energy technology by identifying materials that enhance turbine lifespan and performance.
• The findings offer a significant improvement in the material selection process for wind turbine components, addressing key industry challenges.