AnOverviewofCompositeWind An Overview of Composite Wind TurbineBladeManufacturing

by DanielWalczyk WorkshoponNextGenerationWindPower p Wednesday,May12,2010 RensselaerPolytechnicInstitute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Referencessitesusedinpreparing thispresentation h
htt // http://www.ptonline.com/articles/200810fa2.html t li / ti l /200810f 2 ht l http://www.iawind.org/presentations/nolet.pdf

Outline
Co pos te Use CompositeUseinWindTurbines d u b es TurbineBladeConstruction AdvancedComposites Advanced Composites BladeManufacturing
ResinInfusionofComposites es us o o Co pos tes Assembly PostProcessing FutureManufacturingProcesses

Summary

WhereareCompositesUsedin WindTurbines? d b ?
Blades Nacelle Hub

http://blog.rossmcdonald.com/images/WindTurbine.jpg

TurbineBladeConstruction
Windturbinebladesare subjectedtostaticanddynamic j y lift,dragandinertialloadsovera widerangeoftemperaturesand othersevereenvironmental conditions(e.g.,UV,rain,hail, birdstrikes)duringatypical20 bird strikes) during a typical 20 yearservicelife. Blades must be possess Bladesmustbepossess
Lowweightandrotationalinertia High rigidity Highrigidity Resistancetofatigueandwear
http://www.barmoorecology.co.uk/raptor.html

 Theserequirementsscalewithsizeofthe blades.Note:Astandard35 to40meter bladefora1.5MWturbine weighs6to7tons. weighs 6 to 7 tons A t i l bl d Atypicalbladeconstructionconsistsofouter t ti it f t skinssupportedbyamainspar.

 Complete blade construction Completebladeconstruction

AdvancedCompositesUsedinWind Turbines b
Because of the unique requirements for large scale Becauseoftheuniquerequirementsforlargescale windturbineblades,advancedcompositesarethe materialsofchoice. Compositefibersusedasreinforcementsinblade construction: TraditionalEglassfiber(7075%byweight) bondedwithepoxyorunsaturatedpolyesterresin (mostcommon) (most common) Carbonfiberbondedwithsameresins(less common,althoughprovideshighstiffnessandless weightforlongerturbineblades)

 Compositeresinsusedinbladeconstruction: p Epoxywaspreferredmatrixasbladesgrewlonger sinceitoffersbettermechanicalperformance particularlytensileandflexuralstrength particularly tensile and flexural strength Polyesteriseasiertoprocess(needsnopostcuring) andislessexpensive Vi l t (li it d Vinylester(limiteduse,butgrowing) b t i )

Corematerialsusedprimarilyforlargearea unsupportedstabilityinlead/trailingedgepanelsand pp y / g g p shearwebs Balsa(lowcost,goodshearproperties,higher weight) Foamcores(PVC,Urethane,PET) Engineeredcorematerials(Webcore TYCOR, g ( , NexCore)

PrimeronAdvancedCompositeParts &Materials & Materials

A composite material consists of two or more Acomposite materialconsistsoftwoormore materials:areinforcingagent(fiber)anda compatibleresinbinder(matrix)toobtainspecific characteristicsandproperties. PolymerMatrixComposites,alsocalledadvanced composites,consistofapolymerresinmatrixthat encapsulateshighstrength,highmodulusfibers (usuallycontinuous). (usually continuous)
FromRufe,P.D.(Editor),FundamentalsofManufacturing,2nd Ed.,Societyof ManufacturingEngineers,2002.

Fibers
Advancedcompositesuseverystiffandstrong,yet lightweightfibersofglass,carbon/graphite,boron, Kevlar(aramid),otherorganicmaterials,andhybrid fibermixes. Commonformsofreinforcingfibersareshownbelow:

 The strengthening effect of the fiber reinforcements Thestrengtheningeffectofthefiberreinforcements inadvancedcompositesdependonthe: Percentage offibers(fibervolumefraction) g ( ) Type offibersand Orientation with respect to the direction of the withrespecttothedirectionofthe loads Bondstrengthbetweenfiberandmatrix. g

PolymerResinMatrix
Thetwomainclassesofpolymerresinmatricesare thermoset andthermoplastic. p Thermoset resinsincludeepoxy,phenolic, bismaleimide,andpolyimide. , p y Thermoplastic resinsincludenylon(polyamide), polysulfone,polyphenylene sulfide,and polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Thematrixholdsthefibersinplace andunderanappliedload,deforms anddistributesthestresstothefibers.

AdvancedCompositeCategories p g
Compositescanbedividedintolaminatesand sandwiches. d i h Laminates layers(plies)ofcompositematerials bondedtogether b d d t th

 Sandwiches multiplelayercompositestructure consistingofalowdensitycorebetweenthin faces(skins)ofcompositematerials.

WindTurbineBladeManufacturing g
Barrierstoentryforwindblademanufacturingare formidable: Physicalscaleoftheparts Needforcompetitivetechnologyand manufacturingknowhow Goodsupplybase Globalpresence Heavyinvestment.

 Of the 12 global wind turbine suppliers, the top four Ofthe12globalwindturbinesuppliers,thetopfour holdabout3/4th ofthemarket DenmarksVestas Wind SystemsA/S GEEnergy SpainsGamesa GermanysEnercon y
http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/wind turbinebladesbigandgettingbigger

OtherthanGEwhichoutsources,theothersmake theirbladesinhouse.

ResinInfusionMethodsfor BladeSkinsandSpars Bl d Ski dS

Mostblademanufacturers useresininfusionmethods tomakebladeskins including: Resintransfermolding SCRIMP (Seemans SCRIMP(Seeman s CompositeResin InfusionMolding Process) Resinfilminfusion

 Laying up glass mat for Layingupglassmatfor resininfusionofawind turbineblade.Thetrendis togreaterautomationin blademanufacturing.

ERheatingofepoxy/glass bladeskin

ResinInfusion ResinTransfer Molding(RTM) ld ( )

Process:Fabricsarelaidupasadrystackofmaterials. Thesefabricsaresometimesprepressedtothemould shape,andheldtogetherbyabinder.These'preforms' arethenmoreeasilylaidintothemoldtool.Asecond th il l id i t th ld t l A d moldtoolisthenclampedoverthefirst,andresinis injectedintothecavity.Vacuumcanalsobeappliedto injected into the cavity. Vacuum can also be applied to themouldcavitytoassistresininbeingdrawnintothe fabrics.ThisisknownasVacuumAssistedResin TransferMolding(VARTM).Onceallthefabriciswet out,theresininletsareclosed,andthelaminateis allowedtocure.Bothinjectionandcurecantakeplace allowed to cure Both injection and cure can take place ateitherambientorelevatedtemperature.

 M t i l O ti MaterialsOptions:
Resins:Generallyepoxy,polyester,vinylester andphenolic, althoughhightemperatureresinssuchasbismaleimides although high temperature resins such as bismaleimides canbeusedatelevatedprocesstemperatures. Fibers:Any.Stitchedmaterialsworkwellinthisprocess sincethegapsallowrapidresintransport.Somespecially developedfabricscanassistwithresinflow. Cores: Not honeycombs since cells would fill with resin Cores:Nothoneycombs,sincecellswouldfillwithresin, andpressuresinvolvedcancrushsomefoams.

 MainAdvantages:
High fiber volume laminates can be obtained with Highfibervolumelaminatescanbeobtainedwith verylowvoidcontents. Goodhealthandsafety,andenvironmentalcontrol duetoenclosureofresin. due to enclosure of resin Possiblelaborreductions Bothsidesofthecomponenthaveamoldedsurface.

MainDisadvantages:
Matchedtoolingisexpensive,andheavyinorderto withstandpressures. withstand pressures Generallylimitedtosmallercomponents. Unimpregnated areascanoccurresultinginvery expensivescrapparts.

OtherApplications:
Small complex aircraft and automotive components Smallcomplexaircraftandautomotivecomponents, trainseats.

ResinInfusion SCRIMPorRTMLite Resin Infusion SCRIMP or RTM Lite

Process:WithSCRIMPorRTMLite,fabricsarelaidup p asadrystackofmaterialsinanopenmoldasin RTM.Thefiberstackisthencoveredwithpeelply andaknittedtypeofnonstructuralfabric.The wholedrystackisthenvacuumbagged,andonce bagleakshavebeeneliminated,resinisallowedto bag leaks have been eliminated resin is allowed to flowintothelaminate.Theresindistributionover thewholelaminateisaidedbyresinflowingeasily y g y throughthenonstructuralfabric,andwettingthe fabricoutfromabove.

 MaterialsOptions: Resins: Generally epoxy, polyester and vinylester. Resins:Generallyepoxy,polyesterandvinylester. Fibers:Anyconventionalfabrics.Stitched materialsworkwellinthisprocesssincethegaps p g p allowrapidresintransport. Cores:Anyexcepthoneycombs. y p y

 MainAdvantages: d SameasRTM,exceptonlyonesideofthe componenthasamoldedfinish. th ld d fi i h Muchlowertoolingcostduetoonehalfofthe toolbeingavacuumbag,andlessstrengthbeing tool being a vacuum bag and less strength being requiredinthemaintool. Large components can be fabricated Largecomponentscanbefabricated. Standardwetlayuptoolsmaybeabletobe modifiedforthisprocess. modified for this process Coredstructurescanbeproducedinone operation.

 M i Di d t MainDisadvantages: Relativelycomplexprocesstoperformwell. Resins m st be er lo in iscosit th s Resinsmustbeverylowinviscosity,thus comprisingmechanicalproperties. Unimpregnated areas can occur resulting in very areascanoccurresultinginvery expensivescrapparts. Someelementsofthisprocessarecoveredby patents(SCRIMP). OtherApplications: Semiproductionsmallyachts(seepicture),train andtruckbodypanels.

ResinInfusion ResinFilmInfusion
Process:Dryfabricsarelaidupinterleavedwith layersofsemisolidresinfilmsuppliedonarelease layers of semi solid resin film supplied on a release paper.Thelayupisvacuumbaggedtoremoveair throughthedryfabrics,andthenheatedtoallowthe through the dry fabrics, and then heated to allow the resintofirstmeltandflowintotheairfreefabrics, andthenafteracertaintime,tocure.

 MaterialsOptions: p
Resins:Generallyepoxyonly. Fibers:Any. C Cores:Most,althoughPVCfoamneedsspecial M lh h PVC f d i l proceduresduetotheelevatedtemperaturesinvolved intheprocess.

MainAdvantages:
Highfibervolumescanbeaccuratelyachievedwith lowvoidcontents. low void contents Goodhealthandsafetyandacleanlayup,like prepreg. Hi h i Highresinmechanicalpropertiesduetosolidstateof h i l ti d t lid t t f initialpolymermaterialandelevatedtemperature cure. Potentiallylowercostthanprepreg,withmostofthe ll l h h f h advantages.

 MainDisadvantages: Notwidelyprovenoutsidetheaerospaceindustry. Anovenandvacuumbaggingsystemisrequiredto curethecomponentasforprepreg,althoughthe cure the component as for prepreg although the autoclavesystemsusedbytheaerospaceindustryare notalwaysrequired. Toolingneedstobeabletowithstandtheprocess temperaturesoftheresinfilm(whichifusingsimilar resintothoseinlowtemperaturecuringprepregs,is typically60100C). Core materials need to be able to withstand the Corematerialsneedtobeabletowithstandthe processtemperaturesandpressures. Other Applications: OtherApplications: Aircraftradomes andsubmarinesonardomes.

ComponentAssembly Component Assembly

Composite wind blades are usually molded in two Compositewindbladesareusuallymoldedintwo halvesandthenbondedtogetherwithanepoxy adhesive.

PostProcessing Post Processing

Sandingandfinishingarelaborintensivestepsin windblademanufacturingthatcanbereducedwith g automationorimprovedmaterialsandprocesses.

Awindbladeistypicallysurfacedwitheitheranin moldgelcoat,oraninmoldprimerfollowedby mold gel coat or an in mold primer followed by postmold painting.

TheFutureofBladeManufacturing

OpenMolding Prepreg HandLayUp +VacuumBagging+Curing

Process:Prepreg isstoredatcoldtemperatures, p g p , keepingthecatalystlargelylatentuntilthawed out.Theresinisusuallyanearsolidatambient temperatures,andsotheprepregs havealight temperatures and so the prepregs have a light stickyfeeltothem,suchasthatofadhesivetape. Theprepregs arelaidupbyhandonamold surface,vacuumbagged,andthenheatedto f b d d th h t d t typically120180C.Thisallowstheresinto initiallyreflowandeventuallytocure.Additional y y pressureforthemoldingisusuallyprovidedbyan autoclave(effectivelyapressurizedoven)which canapplyupto5atmospherestothelaminate. can apply up to 5 atmospheres to the laminate Otherwise,asimplecuringovenisused.

 Detailsofavacuumbaglayupforpartwithout andwithcorematerial d ih i l

 Consumablesforvacuumbaglayup
R l Releaseagent allowsreleaseofcuredpartfromtool ll l f d f l Peelply(optional) easilyremovedlayerthatallows freepassageofvolatilesandexcessmatrix Bleederfabric(feltorglassfabric) absorbsthe excessmatrix;canbesizedtoproducepartsofknown fibervolume. Releasefilm preventsfurtherflowofmatrixandcan beslightlyporous(seriesofholes)toallowpassageof volatilesandairtobreatherlayer volatiles and air to breather layer Breatherfabric providesmeanstoapplyuniform vacuumandremoveairandvolatilesfromthewhole layup.Thicknessincreaseswithincreasingautoclave layup Thickness increases with increasing autoclave pressure. Vacuumbag/sealanttape providesasealedbagto formthevacuumbag form the vacuum bag

 ProcessSchematicforAutoclaving

 ProcessSchematicforOvenCuring

 Materials Options: MaterialsOptions:

Resins:Generallyepoxy,polyester,phenolic andhigh temperatureresinssuchaspolyimides,cyanate estersand bismaleimides. Fibers:Any.Usedeitherdirectfromacreelorasanytypeof fabric. Cores:Any,althoughspecialtypesoffoamneedtobeused duetotheelevatedtemperaturesinvolvedintheprocess.

 MainAdvantages:
Resin/catalystlevelsandtheresincontentinthefiber areaccuratelysetbythematerialsmanufacturer.High fibervolumescanbesafelyachieved. fiber volumes can be safely achieved. Thematerialshaveexcellenthealthandsafety characteristicsandarecleantoworkwith. Fibercostisminimizedinunidirectionaltapessince thereisnosecondaryprocesstoconvertfiberinto fabricpriortouse. fabric prior to use. Resinchemistrycanbeoptimizedformechanicaland thermalperformance,withthehighviscosityresins beingimpregnableduetothemanufacturingprocess. b i i bl d t th f t i Theextendedworkingtimesmeansthatstructurally optimized,complexlayupscanbereadilyachieved. p , p y p y Potentialforautomationandlaborsaving.

 MainDisadvantages:
Materialscostishigherforpreimpregnated fabrics. A Autoclavesareusuallyrequiredtocurethe l ll i d h component.Theseareexpensive,slowtooperateand limitedinsize. Toolingneedstobeabletowithstandtheprocess temperaturesandpressuresinvolved Corematerialsneedtobeabletowithstandthe processtemperaturesandpressures.

TypicalApplications:
Ai Aircraftstructuralcomponents(e.g.wingsandtail ft t t l t ( i d t il sections),racecars,sportinggoodssuchastennis racquetsandskis.

OpenMolding Alterna tives toHandLayup

Automated Tape Laying (ATL) AutomatedTapeLaying (ATL) equipmentinvolvestheuseof multiaxisroboticequipment withacustombuiltendeffector thatappliesasingle,wide, unidirectionally reinforced,slit idi ti ll i f d lit prepreg tapetolayupsimple, gentlecontoursonarigidtool gentle contours on a rigid tool orflatparts.

http://www.automateddynamics.com/

RapidDoubleDiaphragmForming(RDDF)of ThermosetCompositePrepregWorkpieces Thermoset Composite Prepreg Workpieces

ThermalPressing(patentpending)

Summary
CompositeUseinWindTurbines Composite Use in Wind Turbines TurbineBladeConstruction AdvancedComposites Advanced Composites BladeManufacturing Resin Infusion of Composites ResinInfusionofComposites Assembly Post Processing PostProcessing FutureManufacturingProcesses

Questions?