Composites One China to exhibit at China Composites Expo

Archived; click post to view.
Excerpt: Material distributor Composites One says that Composites One China will be an exhibitor at China Composites Expo in Beijing. The International Composites Industrial Technical Expo, now in its 16th year, will be held September 15 to 17 at the China National Convention Center. “We have found …

New device lets turbines float offshore

Archived; click post to view.
Excerpt: A new floating platform would allow wind turbines to float offshore without water-depth restrictions. The WindFloat platform was conceived by engineering firm Marine Innovation & Technology and owned by Principle Power. The device is a floating support structure for offshore wind turbines. …

Surface coating improves rotor performance

Archived; click post to view.
Excerpt: Bladeskyn, a blade surfacing material for wind turbines, from Blade Dynamics in the U.K. and soon of New Orleans, is said to deliver new levels of coating protection, using fluoropolymers in an innovative film application format. The company says its advantages include 20-year performance, assured q …

American company buys stake in U.K. blade maker

Archived; click post to view.
Excerpt: American Superconductor Corp. says it has acquired a 25% ownership ($8 million) in Blade Dynamics Ltd., a designer and manufacturer of advanced wind turbine blades based on proprietary materials and structural technologies. Founded in the United Kingdom in 2007, Blade Dynamics designs and develops w …

Foams from plant-based resins

Archived; click post to view.
Excerpt: Málama Composites Corporation manufactures rigid polyurethane foams made from plant-based resins. By utilizing polyols derived from soy, castor, jatropha, or even algae, they produce core materials that are strong, light-weight, cost competitive, and far more environmentally sustainable than pe …

Manufacturing lessons from the wind industry in Spain

Archived; click post to view.
Excerpt: One trend in manufacturing is to procure more than an unfinished component from a supplier. The idea of one-stop shopping has reached manufacturing firms for a good reason: OEMs want shorter supply chains. The fewer shops a part must visit on its way to a finished machine, the more likely it wil …

Wind lens could boost turbine output

Archived; click post to view.
Excerpt: A new kind of turbine design was on display at Yokohama’s Renewable Energy International Exhibition 2010. The Wind Lens, an idea developed by Professor Yuji Ohya at Kyushu University would have a 112-m dia. and focus the wind into the rotor by means of a hoop. Capturing higher speed wind would me …

An intro to torque multipliers

Archived; click post to view.
Excerpt: Or, how a small push can generate high torque There is not much room to maneuver in a nacelle 60m up so when bolt tightening is the task at hand, Norbar Torque Tools, Inc., of Willoughby, Ohio says a torque multiplier can be a better and safer alternative to a long wrench. A torque multiplier i …

Eaton expands in China with $1.5M wind power agreement

Archived; click post to view.
Excerpt: Industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation says it will provide key wind-power technologies to Guodian United Power Technology Co. Ltd., a wind turbine manufacturer in China. The agreement will generate about $1.5 million in revenues annually for the U.S. firm. Eaton’s Hydraulics Group based …

Aeronautica launches U.S. production of 225 and 750 kW turbines

Archived; click post to view.
Excerpt: To celebrate the inaugural American-made commercial wind turbines coming off the production floor this year, Aeronautica Windpower, Plymouth, Mass.,has decided to buck the trend of plain white towers and show off the stars and stripes instead. “The symbolism goes deeper than a paint job,” sa …