Wind turbine service company Liftra launched the Blade Way in 2017 and introduced it at AWEA’s recent Windpower 2018 conference, as a way to remove and replace wind turbine blades without the time and cost expense of a high-reach crane. Blade Way has a rated capacity of 14.6 tons, and it can work at peak…
What researchers have learned from fractured wind turbine blades
Xiao Chen / Researcher / DTU Wind Energy Introduction To make wind energy more competitive with traditional fossil fuels, wind turbines should operate as continuously as possible with minimal unscheduled downtime during their intended design lifetime. One of the main challenges to achieving this goal is component failure, which can lead to considerably long stoppages…
XL’s BladeMate Flip Extension helps haul longer turbine blades
XL Specialized Trailers has designed a new device for hauling longer wind-turbine blades: its new patent-pending BladeMate Flip Extension. The Extension is designed to provide significant cost savings to haulers over purchasing a new trailer. “As turbines get taller and the blades get longer, transporting them becomes even a greater challenge,” said Rodney Crim, vice president…
Registration open for Composites One ‘Advances in Wind Energy’ training
Composites One and the Closed Mold Alliance are offering a two-day workshop on advanced materials, manufacturing processes, and repair techniques for wind-energy applications. The workshop, Advances in Wind Energy, is held in conjunction with Magnum Venus Products and IACMI–The Composites Institute, and will feature hands-on demos and dynamic presentations led by leading wind-energy professionals. The course will take…
Canadian composite manufacturing company establishes U.S. facility
Sigma Industries Inc., a manufacturing company specializing in the production of composite components, announced that it is expanding its operations in the U.S. with the acquisition of a 70,000 square foot facility in Surgoinsville, Tennessee. Sigma is currently involved in the heavy-duty truck, transit, machinery and wind-power markets. The new facility will produce composite parts for…
Finally, an inexpensive vibration sensor that signals blade problems
A CLEVERLY SIMPLE VIBRATION SENSOR made of a loop of thin fiber-optic cable and a fixed wavelength laser promises to take cost out of turbine-blade maintenance by letting owners spot problems as they occur. The device, already with two patents, won $150,000 for further development in New York’s PowerBridge competition. “This will let us form the…
Senvion to power its largest turbine blade manufacturing facility with wind
Senvion says it is fully committed to helping with climate change, and is taking its environmental responsibility a step further. The company will install a 3.6-MW wind turbine at its RiaBlades production facility in Portugal — ensuring the site is self-sustainable. RiaBlades in Vagos, Portugal is Senvion’s biggest plant in the world. After the extension…
DOE seeks information on supersized blade manufacturing and transport
To maximize future wind energy cost reductions, wind plants will require substantially larger turbine blades to increase energy production, capacity factors, and plant efficiencies — particularly at sites with low to moderate wind speeds. However, current U.S. transportation limitations, manufacturing and assembly methods, and materials all impart limitations into the design of land-based wind turbine…
GEV Wind Power to showcase cost saving innovations at AWEA WINDPOWER 2018
Texas-based, wind turbine blade maintenance specialists, GEV Wind Power is to showcase its unique Blade247 Preventative Maintenance Package and other industry-leading innovations at the Chicago AWEA Wind Power Expo in Booth 1647. GEV Wind Power’s Blade247 (www.blade247.com) provides a tiered preventative maintenance package to suit the risk appetite and cost profile of its clients. Blade247…
Wind turbine composite materials market forecasted more than $12 billion by 2023, says Acumen Research and Consulting
The wind turbine composite materials market is segmented based on type, application, manufacturing process and geography.
Gaining an edge on blade maintenance
Daniel Petherbridge / Technical Service Engineer / Belzona Polymerics Ltd. The rapidly increasing size, efficiency and number of wind turbines is making wind a lucrative method for substantial power generation. The high cost of operations and maintenance (O&M), however, continue to impact the profitability of windpower on a large scale. A variety of studies have investigated…
No time to look for a special filter or need a turbine manual? Online market may have you covered
The Netherlands-based Spares in Motion took another approach with a cleverly simple idea: It started business connecting buyers with the sellers of spare parts for wind turbines.
WindESCo awarded InnovateMass grant from MassCEC
WeSense
WindESCo’s platform revolutionizes how wind farm operators measure and utilize the wind to maximize performance while protecting expensive wind energy equipment. At the heart of the WindESCo offering is our intelligent rotor monitoring system, WeSense.
Altitec’s blade technician training receives DNV GL certification
Altitec, a blade repair and inspection specialist, has been issued with a Training System Certificate, after a successful assessment by DNV GL, the world’s largest resource of independent energy experts and certification body. Certification of the Altitec Academy’s “Rotor Blade Repair and Inspection Training” course (according to DNV GL guidelines for the certification of training…
Roemheld’s Rotorlock locking system now rated for transverse forces of up to 7,500 kN and on wind turbines up to 7 MW
With a transverse force absorption of up to 7,500 kN, the Rotorlick systems reliably and safely lock rotors with a maximum capacity of 7 MW.
Suzlon produces India’s longest wind-turbine blade
Suzlon Group, India’s largest renewable energy solutions provider, has designed and manufactured the country’s longest wind-turbine blade at its Padubidri Rotor Blade Unit. The advanced blade (SB 63) measures 63 meters in length and has been specifically developed for Suzlon’s new S128 wind-turbine family. The blade has a rotor diameter of 128 meters, which is…
Vestas signs multi-year blade deal with TPI Composites
Vestas has announced a new multi-year supply agreement with TPI Composites, an Arizona-based manufacturer of composite wind blades. The agreement includes producing V150-4.2 MW turbine blades, primarily for Asian markets, but also globally. TPI plans to set up four manufacturing lines at their new factory in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China, offering a competitive base for worldwide…
Liftra blade handling device tilts big blades for easier turbine assembly
The photos show the Liftra LT5002 installing the 73.5 m blades on a Haliade 150-6MW turbine, an operation that went smoothly on all accounts.
Turbine blades that bend & twist can improve their power output
The 20-meter-long test blade can rotate slightly around its own axis should strong gusts occur in order to mitigate the wind pressure to a certain degree.
Hexion to introduce new products for wind energy rotor blade manufacturing At JEC
Hexion Inc. is introducing a new tackifying spray system as well as new epoxy bonding paste and resin repair kits for use in rotor blade maintenance, all with enhanced environmental and performance characteristics.