Planning Maintenance for Wind Turbine Blades
July 21, 2011 by Windpower Engineering
Filed under Editorial, Maintenance, Maintenance & operations
Like stately giants, utility wind turbines are appearing further afield and offshore. As designers tackle the job of building longer, heavier, higher performing turbine blades, wind-farm operators and owners are faced with a different challenge– keeping aging blades in optimum condition.
Traditionally, less attention has been paid to the repair and upkeep of turbine blades versus other components. Instead, preventive maintenance programs have focused on the internal mechanics of turbines due to the predictability of their maintenance requirements. Typical preventive maintenance plans for internal components fall into 3, 6, and 12-month work schedules. By nature, blade repairs are more difficult to plan. Blade damage can arise in manufacturing, transportation, and tower construction and erection. However, maintenance issues more often occur in the field from leading-edge erosion, weather, and other factors. A lack of predictability and historical data complicates preventive maintenance for blades.
A maintenance technician from Wind Energy Services Company sands the substrate of a blade before applying a surface coat.
Commercial turbines can have tip speeds of over 200 miles per hour. At these speeds, rain drops can take on the impact of small stones, and blowing sand has the erosion power of a plasma cutter. Studies have shown blade roughness and accumulated debris on the blades can reduce wind turbine performance by 5 to 30%. Blades that aren’t working efficiently can also create vibration that contributes to gearbox failures.
While Composites One distributes composites and materials for blades and their repair, those who apply them have an entirely personal and unique perspective to the task–which is worthy of broader exposure. Hence, this article.
To minimize downtime and boost energy-capture efficiency, it’s critical to adopt practices early on, including implementing a preventive maintenance program and identifying problem areas. “Return on investment for wind turbines is a long cycle so any downtime has significant impact on the owner,” says Dave Smith, power generation manager for Composites One. “Repairs must be made quickly and cost effectively.”
Gary Kanaby, director of sales for Texas-based Wind Energy Services Company (WES) agrees. “A planned maintenance program can mean the difference between a small repair and damage that incurs the cost of an outside crew, crane rental, and the loss of energy sales while the turbine is down,” he says. “Leading-edge damage affects air foil and air flow around the blade and can cause up to a 5% energy loss.” Kanaby explains that uncorrected erosion will lead to cracking, splitting of the blade tip, and blade separation. Efficiency can be improved by restoring the leading edge to its original airfoil specs.
Visual inspection is the simplest form of preventive maintenance and can be conducted using a camera with a telescopic lens of at least 400 mm, or high-powered binoculars. Joshua Crayton is blade services manager for Rope Partner, which provides turbine maintenance, repair, and inspection services throughout its locations in California, Texas, Canada, and Germany. He says regular inspections are especially important in windy seasons and following lightning storms. “Operators and owners are inheriting their wind farm assets and the responsibility of maintaining blades that are no longer covered by the OEM warranty,” he says. “Like any business, wind farm owners and operators typically run a lean staff and may not have an experienced maintenance technician in-house. Partnering with a service company can help them design a long-term, post warranty, preventive maintenance plan.”
According to Crayton, a maintenance plan should be initiated before the warranty period expires. “A thorough internal and external blade inspection should be scheduled in the warranty period,” he says. “Once owners and operators take over care of a wind farm, these inspections should take place every two years. Personnel can conduct simple ground inspections while on-site, but there is no substitution for a close, visual examination performed uptower.” Trained personnel using standard rope access systems offer an efficient, cost effective, environmentally friendly approach that enables complete 360° access to the tower, nacelle, and blades.
Crayton says consultation can still offer practical insights for wind-farm owners with the capbility to perform blade inspection and repairs in-house. “There are many different types of blades in the field,” he says. “Each construction type carries its own inherent flaws and issues. Consultants can give wind-farm owners an understanding of what to look for. A defect that may be potentially catastrophic for one type of blade may not be as serious for another.” Water ingress, for example, will not have the same impact on a blade core made from polymer foams as it would a blade built predominantly with a balsa-wood core.
Over the last year Crayton’s crew has begun to see an increase in requests from owners and operators for internal and external blade inspection on a site-wide basis. “When we make repairs we are always trying new products to find more efficient ways to get the turbine up and running faster,” he adds. For small fixes such as minor pitting or cleaning debris off blades, technicians can use a variety of abrasives, cleaning solutions, and fillers.
Structural repairs are more often made in the field. Products, such as the Renuvo line from Gurit, allow for prepreg patching right on the blade.
Jim Sadlo, wind energy market development manager for 3M, says some wind farm owners monitor their blades using high-speed telephoto cameras. “The stop action images offer enough clarity to reveal problem areas such as leading edge erosion and other defects on the blade,” he says. Typically, the next step is a visual blade inspection by a service company who analyzes the scope of work and determines the required materials. Wind farms, especially those in Northern climates, have a short window of opportunity to complete repairs. For example, restoring surface damage can require a number of steps. The crew usually masks off the portion of the blade surrounding the work area. A plastic film attached to masking tape works effectively and is easy to haul uptower, says Sadlo. The defective portion of the blade is cut out and then ground using ceramic grinding abrasives. The area has to be rebuilt with fabric and resin according to OEM criteria for strength, density, and structural soundness. After placing the last layer of fabric, filler helps restore the blade’s aerodynamic shape. Several epoxies and polyurethanes are available in easy-to-handle cartridges that offer short cure times. A repair technician can begin sanding in as little as 30 minutes.
Once the repaired section is sanded and painted, wind protection tape can be applied and the tape’s edges sealed and beveled to create optimal aerodynamic characteristics. Sadlo says the tape can also act as a shock absorber to lessen the impact of flying debris such as bugs or hail. This wind protection tape has a new option that allows for easy installation while the blade is vertical. The center section of the tape’s liner can be removed separately from the rest of the liner, making it easier to align to the blade edge and apply the tape from the middle.
When looking for advice on maintenance or repair products, the following companies can offer both materials and expertise.
Resins that cure quickly with UV light instead of heat also help reduce the time crews have to wait between repair steps. David Cripps, global account manager for Gurit Wind Energy says such resins broaden the window for repairs in colder climates because they can be used at temperatures as low as freezing. Available in a paste or prepreg patch, the resin paste can be used on its own to make small repairs. If a laminate must be restored to its original condition, the resin paste can also be used as a primer or wetting agent to help bond the new prepreg–a relatively dry material–to the blade surface. Once the prepreg patch is applied, additional paste can smooth the surface. “With the prepreg method, the amount of resin in the laminate is highly controlled for an accurate fiber-resin ratio,” he says.
Improved materials, such as coatings, are helping wind farm owners and operators maximize the resistance of their blades to the elements and extend service life. Applied to the blade’s exterior by the OEM, these newer coatings can also be reapplied uptower to facilitate a repair. Martin Schoning, sales manager for Bergolin, says the products are fast drying and environmentally friendly. “The blade’s leading edge takes the brunt of damage from erosion, weather elements, and airborne particulates,” he says. “Re-application of the right coating is a key step to increasing the blade’s resistance to abrasion and erosion.”
The need for products that can be used in the field under less than ideal conditions is a component of preventive maintenance. “Turbine downtime costs a lot of money,” says Alistair Smith, technical sales manager for Mankiewicz. “Paints and top coats offer abrasion resistance and absorb some of the energy from sand, hail or any other element that hits the surface. The products must dry fast and last a long time. Delivery systems also have to make the products easy to handle, transport, and use uptower.”
As the industry grows, regular inspection and maintenance of blades, along with products that can support fast fixes are becoming critical tools for minimizing costs associated with reduced efficiency and downtime. “The blade is really the ‘engine’ of the turbine,” says Smith, “it’s the component that is capturing and producing energy. Planned maintenance can keep blades in peak performance which directly translates to kilowatts sold.”
Marcy Offner
Composites One
Arlington Heights, IL
www.compositesone.com
WPE
Composites distributor presented safety award
July 12, 2011 by Kathleen Zipp
Filed under Mechanical Components, Wind Safety
As a distributor of composite materials for the wind industry, Composites One LLC was presented a Platinum award by Great West Casualty Company as a part of the 2010 National Safety Awards Program. This is the ninth consecutive year that Composites One LLC has been named an award recipient.
The National Safety Awards Program recognizes carriers in similar operations (truckload and less than truckload) with awards based on their year-end preventable accident results. Carriers are eligible to receive a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Participatory award. This past year, the program drew over 800 participants from across the country.
“Composites One is committed to a culture that promotes accident prevention allowing for the safe delivery of its materials year after year,” says Bill Rudersdorf, Director of HS&E for Composites One. “Maintaining safe operations in all aspects of our day-to-day operations is a core value and is part of the company-wide value statement that guides our business.”
Great West Casualty Company is the nation’s leading provider of property and casualty insurance for the trucking industry. With over 50 years of experience, Great West offers risk management, underwriting claims and loss control services exclusively to the trucking industry. Great West is headquartered in South Sioux City, Nebraska, and has regional offices in Meridian, Idaho; Bloomington, Indiana; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Arlington, Texas.
Composites One is the nation’s leading distributor of composite materials serving customers from over 30 locations in North America. Composites One offers composites fabricators and molders thousands of products from over 400 of the industry’s top suppliers through a technical sales and customer service force that is the most knowledgeable in the industry. The company offers a variety of value added services that include closed mold technologies, technical applications reviews, and unmatched regulatory compliance assistance.
Composites One www.compositesone.com
Composite manufacturer to resell polyurethanes
June 21, 2011 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Materials, Wind Power News
Bayer MaterialScience and Composites One say they have reached an agreement in which Composites One will sell Bayer MaterialScience’s polyurethane resins directly to composite-parts manufacturers throughout the United States.
The agreement, effective immediately, covers the distribution and sale of all fully formulated Bayer MaterialScience polyurethanes, particularly those that would be manufactured by pultrusion, resin transfer molding, vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding, resin infusion, and filament winding. The agreement does not include sales of Bayer MaterialScience polyurethane raw materials.
Composites One offers composites fabricators and molders thousands of products from over 500 of the industry’s top suppliers through a technical sales and customer service force that is the most knowledgeable in the industry. The company offers a variety of value-added services that include closed mold technologies, technical applications reviews, and unmatched regulatory compliance assistance.
“There are many opportunities in composites and the market is constantly looking for new materials that offer unique advantages,” says Composites One VP Greg Shymske. “We are involved with customers as they move from open-mold processing to closed-mold techniques and to use low-VOC chemistries. Consistent with these trends, polyurethanes offer performance and environmental benefits over some chemistries traditionally used in the manufacture of composites.”
“Composites One’s network of 32 distribution and stocking centers will provide speedy local delivery and shorter order times to composite part manufacturers,” said Jerry MacCleary, head of the NAFTA Polyurethanes Marketing Business Unit, Bayer MaterialScience LLC. “This agreement will help us all grow, and let Bayer polyurethane systems reach markets that it previously could not.”
Bayer MaterialScience LLC
www.bayermaterialscience.com
Composites One
www.compositesone.com
Closed-molding demo (think blades) at Composites 2011 show, Feb 3-4
January 14, 2011 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Manufacturing, Turbine Blades, Wind Power News
Talk to the mold doctors at COMPOSITES 2011, Feb 3-4, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
The Closed Mold Alliance and over 10 industry partners will host a comprehensive, ongoing demo of closed mold technology – in person, right on the show floor– during COMPOSITES 2011 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. To be held in a specially designed staging area at Booth # 917, presentations will take place throughout the day both Thursday, February 3, and Friday, February 4.
At the event, manufacturers can watch work cells demonstrating three closed-mold processes – Light Resin Transfer Molding (Light RTM), the Vacuum Infusion Process (VIP), and Flex Molding –to produce replica wind turbine blades, a replica nacelle, and other production parts. Highlighting this event will be the latest technologies to enhance closed-mold production.
New this year will be the introduction of Temperature Controlled Molding to the Vacuum Infusion Process. Temperature Controlled Molding manages exotherm temperatures using Controlled Radical Polymerization (CRP) for composites. Temperature Controlled Molding was developed by TCM Composites, Andre Cocquyt, Arkema, and Cook Composites & Polymers.
“With a replica wind blade mold, we’ll demonstrate how Vacuum Infusion and Temperature Controlled Molding are ideal for parts that require superior flow characteristics, faster production times, enhanced physical properties, and extended gel times,” said Composites One Vice President of Marketing, Greg Shymske. “We’ve helped manufacturers see how closed mold is ideal for building a wide range of parts and now they will see system enhancements making it even easier to build parts more efficiently.”
Also new this year, will be Flex Molding Technology, recently introduced by Magnum Venus Plastech at JEC 2010. The program will feature a video demonstration of how to make a silicone bag using the Flex Mold Process. Afterwards a live demo using the same silicone bag will feature production of a replica wind blade. In addition, new Flex Molding Controls will be featured in all work cells. The Light RTM work cell will feature a replica nacelle and 10 to 12 parts will be manufactured daily.
The Lean Mean Closed Mold Machine at COMPOSITES 2011 will also showcase a new micro-infused resin technology that can be used in closed molding. From Australian company MIRteq, the technology uses a resin with a modified polymer structure making it safer for the environment. Access to the technology is available exclusively through Composites One.
All closed mold demonstrations will feature Magnum Venus Plastech (MVP), meter/mix equipment manufacturer with expertise in closed mold and a member of the Closed Mold Alliance. The program will also be presented with assistance Alliance member RTM North Technologies, North America’s leading Light RTM expert. Composites One is also a member of the Closed Mold Alliance.
Throughout the event, industry experts from the Alliance, along with the Composites One Closed Mold Team, will be on hand to answer questions about Light RTM, Flex Molding, VIP, discuss equipment and materials, and help manufacturers learn how to put closed mold to work in their operation. This is the seventh consecutive year that Composites One and its partners have presented live demonstrations of closed mold processes at a major trade show event.
The live demonstrations at COMPOSITES 2011 are the culmination of a joint effort between Composites One, the Closed Mold Alliance and its supplier partners: Airtech Advanced Materials Group, Airex Baltek, Arkema, Cook Composites & Polymers, Chemtrend, Chomarat, ITW Plexus, Kit Concepts, Magnum Venus Plastech, MIRteq, Owens Corning, Progress Plastiques, RTM North, Syrgis, TCM Composites, Vectorply, Wacker Silicones. Composites Manufacturing and Composites Technology are the official media sponsors of the event.
“The support of our suppliers has been crucial in the development of the Closed Mold Alliance,” added Shymske. “As a result Composites One and the Closed Mold Alliance can offer manufacturers a complete turn-key to successful closed mold conversion.”
For more information, visit the demo at booth #917 at COMPOSITES 2011.
Composites One
And the winner is…
August 25, 2010 by Kathleen Zipp
Filed under Wind Power News, Wind Safety
The National Safety Council has given the 2010 Industry Leader Award to Composites One. This award is given every year to the company who achieves the best safety performance within its industry. In all, 81 companies received the award.
Winners are selected based on NAICS code, lowest total incidence rate, and employee work hours. The awards recognizes the top 5% of member companies, units, and facilities that have met the criteria and qualified for the National Safety Council’s 2010 Occupational Excellence Achievement Award (based on 2009 data).
“This is the first year we have been recognized with this award,” President of Composites One Leon Garoufalis says. “An award like this further demonstrates the Composites One commitment to safety.”
The National Safety Council is a nonprofit, international public service and membership organization educating and influencing people to prevent accidental injuries and deaths. Composites One is a distributor of composite materials.
Composites One www.compositesone.com
The National Safety Council www.nsc.org
Composites One to distribute MIRteq materials and production methods in N.A.
August 20, 2010 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Manufacturing, Materials, Wind Watch
The tooling demo, available at the MIRteq media website, shows a mill shaping a block of polyester resin. On conventional material, milling generates dust into the air. Here it produces chips that are more easily vacuumed. In addition, the edges are sharp, whereas normal fiberglass chips at the edge.
MIRteq of Newcastle, Australia, says it has appointed Composites One as its exclusive distributor in the U.S. and British Columbia. Interest has been on MIRteq’s (Microfiber Infusion Resin) tooling resin, closed molding, and fire retardant systems because they deliver substantial commercial and environmental savings.
MIRteq’s technology provides a foundation for its proprietary chemicals and processes to treat and modify the surface of the fibreglass which creates a chemical bond between the glass and a compatible resin matrix. This process substitutes standard fibreglass textile reinforcing with short micro-fibres.
MIRteq says its polymerisable liquid composites can be poured, pumped or sprayed, and after curing, they can be drilled, tapped, and CNC machined. In addition, the predictable properties of Micro-Fibre Infused Resin composites allows for computational engineering for strength, aesthetics, and for the design of more complex shaped components. Several videos demonstrating company developments are available at http://mirteq.com/media-centre.htm.
The company’s scientific development provides a platform that will transform many existing fibreglass manufacturing processes, deliver improved economic and environmental outcomes, and open a range of opportunities for new composite products and applications.
Composites One distributes composite materials through 30 locations in North America. It supplies composites fabricators and molders thousands of products from over 400 of the industry’s top suppliers, has in excess of 8,000 customers. The company is supported by a technical sales and customer service force that is among the most knowledgeable in the industry. This distributor appointment is the first by MIRteq anywhere. It provides the company with a broad access to market and an ability to service its early adopters.
“We have worked with MIRteq over the last six months and have invested in the technology’s deployment because we expect it to expand the composites industry”, says Greg Shymske, Composites One Marketing VP. “Furthermore, MIRteq’s versatile technology can be used in many applications. It simplifies many fibreglass processes, improves economic efficiencies, and fits well within our growing closed molding initiatives as it delivers compelling environmental and safety benefits.”
“The MIRteq value proposition is reaching the market at the right time. Manufacturing is recovering and people are looking for new applications to deliver economic savings and expand their product suite,” says MIRteq CEO Kieth Mackenzie.
MIRteq
Composites One
Composite company receives safety award
June 8, 2010 by Kathleen Zipp
Filed under Wind Power News, Wind Safety
Lakeland, Florida distribution center
As a distributor of composite material, Composites One has received the Platinum award at the 2009 National Safety Awards Program. The program is sponsored by Great West Casualty Company, an insurance company for the trucking industry. This is the eighth consecutive year Composites One has received the award.
The National Safety Awards Program recognizes carriers in similar industries based on their preventable accident results at the end of the year. Carriers are eligible to receive a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Participatory award. This year, more than 800 participated from across the country.
Composites One was also named the number one carrier in the Great West Elite Fleet Program by meeting certain safety criteria throughout the year.
Composite distributor and materials supplier form distribution agreement
June 8, 2010 by Kathleen Zipp
Filed under Materials
Composites One and Zyvex Performance Materials have agreed to distribute carbon nanotube epoxies, adhesives, and prepregs. Composites One distrubutes through North America from their office in Columbus, Ohio. Zyvex also works out of Columbus to produce nano-enhanced products such as Epovex and Arovex.
Epovex adhesive
Epovex, a new line of liquid epoxy resins, comes in both bisphenol-A and bisphenol-F types. The resin is suitable for composite manufacturing processes such as filament winding, pultrustion, and hand lay-up. It can be used with most types of reinforcing fibers such as carbon, glass, aramid, and in adhesive and coatings with an appropriate curing agent.
Arovex, a prepreg that uses Epovex resin, comes in standard, intermediate, and high modulus carbon fibers, glass, and unidirectional, woven, or knitted material.
Arovex prepreg
Composites One
Zyvex Performance Materials
Composites One and 3M Renewable Energy Division Form Alliance
June 3, 2010 by Windpower Engineering
Filed under Materials, Turbine Design
Arlington Heights, IL – Composites One announced that it has formed an important alliance with the 3M’s Renewable Energy Division. This agreement will allow Composites One and 3M to continue to penetrate the emerging wind energy industry with products geared specifically toward wind turbine manufacturers. It will also further enhance the partnership Composites One already shares with 3M.
3M Renewable Energy will offer to the market a mix of sophisticated product solutions, including a variety of tapes, adhesives, and fillers that enhance reliability, improve performance, and provide protection against weathering and harsh environments. Customers will also benefit from direct interaction with both 3M and Composites One as they work together to develop custom product solutions based on their material and manufacturing needs.
In today’s wind industry, 3M already has a solid reputation by offering multiple solutions used to enhance manufacturing efficiency and safety. The 3M Renewable Energy product line will only solidify that reputation as a leader in product development for the wind energy market.
Composites One
www.compositesone.com
Alliance lets team develop products for wind industry
May 25, 2010 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Wind Watch
Composites One says it has formed an alliance with the 3M’s Renewable Energy Division that will let both companies continue penetrating the emerging wind-energy industry with products geared toward wind-turbine manufacturers. 3M Renewable Energy in Booth 7004 will offer to the market a mix of sophisticated products, including a variety of tapes, adhesives, and fillers that enhance reliability, improve performance, and provide protection against weathering and harsh environments. Customers will also benefit from direct interaction with 3M and Composites One (in Booth 5822) as they work to develop custom products based on their material and manufacturing needs.
“This alliance with 3M lets us offer cutting-edge 3M products to customers as well as all the other process consumables and composite materials they might need,” says Dave Smith, Composites One Power Generation Market Manager. Composites One distributes composite materials serving users from over 30 locations in North America. The company offers composite fabricators and molders thousands of products from the industry’s top suppliers through a knowledgeable technical sales and customer service force. The company offers a variety of value-added services that include closed mold technologies, technical applications reviews, and regulatory compliance assistance.
