This article was extracted from the August issue of the Sandia Wind Research Newsletter and published with permission.
Wind turbine blade growth continues to have the largest impact on energy capture and LCOE reduction. While the 40 to 45-m long blade is today’s mainstream segment, it is estimated that blades over 50-m long will be the global norm by 2020, as the industry continues to develop turbines with higher power ratings and intended for lower-wind-speeds. This considerable growth in blade length drives challenging technical and economic demands on blade designers requiring a constantly improving understanding of composite material behavior in realistic wind applications.
To address the continued need, Sandia National Laboratories has partnered with Montana State University since 1989 to test and report key data and trends of fiber-reinforced polymers (composites) and other materials used in the construction of wind turbine blades. As of 2015, researchers at Montana State University have compiled the results of over 16,000 tests on 500 materials into a publically available database along with technical papers explaining key trends to meet this critical industry need.
Recent additions to the blade materials database include:
- Unidirectional and + 45 static and fatigue results for three epoxy resin systems (Hexion 035, 135 and 145) with fiberglass fabrics
- Static and fatigue results for Materia pDCPD and glass fiber composites
- Updated references, contacts, and links to complete reports discussing data.
The latest database (v.24.0) is available for download here.
Sandia National Lab
Sandia.gov
Windpower Engineering & Development
Filed Under: Renewable energy
