Developer 3B-the fibreglass company is launching HiPer-tex W2020 high performance roving to satisfy OEMs’ needs for longer and lighter rotor blades to meet the challenging offshore and bigger onshore multi-megawatt wind turbines.
Building upon the recently developed sizing technology applied to Advantex SE2020, the HiPer-tex W2020 is also engineered for epoxy polymer systems used in resin infusion or prepreg processes.
3B’s technological expertise and manufacturing know-how delivers a high modulus glass with outstanding mechanical properties providing significantly greater strength and strain-to-failure than traditional E-glass. The HiPer-tex W2020 offers these properties in a typical unidirectional laminate (average glass volume fraction 60%):
- 54 to 56 GPa E-modulus
- 55 to 60 MPa transverse tensile strength
- 10 times longer lifetime in fatigue resistance versus traditional E-glass
Compared to blades manufactured with traditional E-glass, HiPer-tex W2020 achieves up to 10% weight saving for the same blade design and length. Alternatively, blade length can be extended by up to 6% while maintaining the same weight but offering up to 12% more energy output.
The material offers better wet-out therefore a more consistent laminate quality. A significantly improved resin-matrix adhesion provides higher shear strength and substantially greater interfibre strength when compared with existing high modulus fibre glass.
Onur Tokgoz, 3B wind energy global business leader: “3B is collaborating with the whole value chain in the wind industry sector to bring to market new cost competitive and high performance reinforcements which further push the limits of glass fibre-rotor-blade designs.”
3B-the fibreglass company
www.3b-fibreglass.com
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