A new design for gigantic blades longer than two football fields could help bring offshore 50-megawatt (MW) wind turbines to the United States and the world.
TPI and Vestas sign wind blade supply agreement for Turkey
TPI Composites, a global supplier of wind turbine blades, has signed a multi-year supply agreement with Vestas Wind Systems A/S. Vestas will provide blades for the V126 wind turbine from TPI’s recently announced second factory in Izmir, Turkey. The factory will be located on a 10-hectare, 30,000 m2 site with the ability to expand in the…
ENERCON announces new low-wind speed turbines
ENERCON is completing its two turbine platforms in the 2-MW and 4-MW power classes by adding the wind class III segment. The E-141 EP4 and E-103 EP2 offer a significant increase in the annual energy yield while maintaining an extremely low-sound power level. With the E-141 EP4, ENERCON is also bringing to market what’s currently the world’s…
Blade Dynamics develops, manufactures advanced wind turbine blades, soon part of GE
GE Wind recently announced that it purchased U.K. blade manufacturer Blade Dynamics. Demand for wind turbine blades exceeding 55m continues to increase and has driven segmented blade technology from a niche application to a commercial necessity. BD is the innovator behind a potentially disruptive modular blade concept that aims to reduce blade weight and increase…
Re-blading promises life-cycle and higher returns
The performance degradation of old wind-farms and decreasing incentive tariffs across Europe for the new projects disappoint small independent wind-farmers. At the same, time large players target asset consolidation to secure long-term portfolios requiring longer asset life-cycle and enhanced returns. Operators can opt for several alternatives to improve projects or assets value. One option is…
Navigant Research report: Drones for wind-turbine inspections expected to hit $6 billon by 2024
Editor’s note: According to a new report from Navigant Research, the cumulative global revenue for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sales and inspection services for wind turbines is expected to reach nearly $6 billion by 2024. Technicians have traditionally relied on visual inspections from the ground or up-turbine by use of ropes or cables. However, UAVs are now…
A new approach to blade repairs
By Louis C. Dorworth Division Manager-Direct Services Abaris Training Resources, Inc. As wind farms age and new turbines grow in height and blade size, the demand for maintenance and repair services is increasing at a rapid rate. Because of this, many new companies have emerged in recent years to meet the demands of wind farm…
Saving time and costs with point-of-use resin heating
Mac Larsen | Director of Application Development | Graco Inc. Demand in the U.S. composites market is expected to grow to $10.3 billion by 2019 at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6%. Along with aerospace and automobiles, the industry can thank wind power for driving this upward trend. High-performance composites consist of carbon, Kevlar, or glass…
How are companies keeping production costs downs as blade sizes increase?
Blades are getting longer as developers demand more power from current turbine platforms. To move the trend along, the Department of Energy recently offered up $1.8 million dollars in funding for the development of 60-m long (or more) wind-turbine blades on turbines that stretch over 120 m from base to hub. The challenge for blade-manufacturing…
New funding opportunity to develop larger wind turbine blades
The Energy Department has announced $1.8 million in funding for the development of larger wind turbine blades that will help capture more power from wind resources and increase the efficiency of wind energy systems. This funding will support the research and development (R&D) of technological innovations to improve the manufacturing, transportation, and assembly of wind…
Is there an equation for blade strength to length to weight?
A reader says: I have got land with a wind density of 140 watts/sq. meter at 50 m up. I’m thinking of installing a 100-kW generator, but using 14-m blades (These were used on 250-kW turbines where wind density is 354 watts/sq. meter) I can get a good capacity factor. However, the strength of the…
Turbine blade factories laying off in Colorado
Vestas has experienced its busiest year ever in the U.S. and Canada by supplying wind turbines to more than 20 new wind power projects. Additionally, Vestas’ factories are filling export orders for customers in Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America. However, the U.S. wind industry has slowed, largely due to the uncertainty of the…
Blade manufacturer molds 1,000th set of 37-m blades
The Molded Fiber Glass Companies (MFG), a manufacturer of wind turbine components, says its company plant in Gainesville, Texas celebrated the shipment of its 1,000th set of 37-meter composite wind blades. Located 60 miles north of Dallas in the wind-farm hotbed of the USA, the 155,000-ft2 facility has been manufacturing wind blades since 1997 and…
Planning Maintenance for Wind Turbine Blades
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…
Wind Turbine Reliability – The Importance of Highly Reliable Pitch Control and Blade Sensing Systems
In this 40 minute webinar, learn how two common hazards can hamper a wind turbine’s production. Wind-turbine owners and operators may experience a significant reduction of generated power, reducing overall turbine efficiency, if they don’t take into account: Blade Icing Failed Slip Rings Issues Increased Reliability In this free webinar, we explore how Moog Blade…
Composite structural sizing software improves with new design and manufacturing features
HyperSizer v6 structural sizing and analysis software can help reduce structure weight while maintaining strength and improving manufacturability, especially for complex composite and metallic designs. Developed and proven at NASA, the software—the first commercialized by the agency—has a track record of 20% weight reduction in high-profile government and commercial aerospace projects. Composites have gained wide…
Materials and design methods look for the 100-m blade
Craig Collier President Collier Research Corp. hypersizer.com Tom Ashwill Technical Leader Wind Energy Technology Department, Sandia National Laboratories windpower.sandia.gov/ Commercial wind-turbine blades have historically relied on fiberglass as a primary material. In 2010, a Sandia National Laboratories’ report estimated annual U.S. industry usage for utility-grade turbine blades at over 70,000 metric tons. As designers build…
Trends in blade maintenance
Blades are the leading edge of a wind turbine so their aerodynamic surfaces carry critical shapes in a fluid (air) that seems bent on removing the shape. Blade tips often hit 180 mph, so it’s no surprise that sand, rain, and hail wear and damage their surfaces. Trends in blade maintenance show up in two…
Longest turbine blades yet
In a recent chat with turbine blade supplier LM Wind Power, I learned that the company will develop what they say is the “longest turbine blades ever produced.” The company is partnering with French Alstom, which provides power generation equipment services, to develop the blade designed to fit its 6-MW turbine for the European offshore market.
Closed-molding demo (think blades) at Composites 2011 show, Feb 3-4
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…