A review of ballistic impact behavior and multiscale simulation of composite laminates in wind turbine blades

Wind turbines are playing a crucial role in the development of sustainable energy due to the cleanliness, renewability, and widespread availability of wind energy. The number of installed wind turbines has significantly increased in recent years. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are attractive for the fabrication of wind turbine blades due to their lightweight and low-vibration characteristics. However, extreme weather events (e.g., hailstorms) pose significant challenges to FRP composite wind turbine blades due to high-velocity particle impacts. This paper reviews the FRP composite structures in wind turbines, damage modes and damage mechanisms, and the multiscale simulation of ballistic impact behavior of FRP composites. The ballistic impact behavior of FRP composites is dependent on factors such as impact velocity, projectile shape, and stacking sequence. The improvement in ballistic impact resistance of the FRP composites was achieved by optimizing fiber architectures, hybrid fiber utilization, and matrix modification. The impact behaviors were simulated, and the damage mechanisms were revealed through multiscale modeling. Based on the multiscale modeling, the future research for composite wind turbine blades can be concentrated on the long-term lifespan prediction under realistic operational conditions and digital twin-enabled real-time structural health monitoring for proactive maintenance. This paper offers valuable insights for developing high-performance wind turbine blades and lifecycle maintenance of wind turbines. © 2026 Published by Elsevier Ltd.