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Materials Today: Proceedings 5 (2018) 2635–2640 www.materialstoday.com/proceedings

ICAMA 2016

Advanced materials for wind turbine blade- A Review

Lijin Thomasa*, Ramachandra Ma
a
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, BMS College of Engineering, Bull Temple Road, Bengaluru, 560019, INDIA

Abstract

Many studies have demonstrated the advantages of advanced materials in the field of wind turbine blades. Materials with certain
desired properties like, low weight to reduce gravitational forces, high strength to withstand wind force and gravitational force of
the blade, high fatigue resistance to withstand cyclic load, high stiffness to ensure stability of the optimal shape, are studied and
reviewed in this paper. It is observed that Composites reinforced with Nano materials exhibit good mechanical properties, Carbon
nanotubes are allotropes of carbon with a nanostructure that can have an aspect ratio greater than 1,000,000. These cylindrical
carbon molecules have special properties that make them potentially useful in wind turbine blades. Carbon nano tubes can be
reinforced with different types of resins to exhibit different properties, which is studied in this work and compared with existing
materials used in wind turbine blades. Therefore, the objective of this study is to find a suitable material for wind turbine blade
application.
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and Peer-review under responsibility of International Conference on Advanced Materials and Applications (ICAMA
2016).

Keywords: Wind turbine blades, Composites, Reinforcement materials, Matrix materials, Carbon Nano Tubes (CNT).

1. Introduction

In present wind turbine industries studies are carried out to increase the efficiency of the wind turbine. This leads
to new innovative wind turbine blade design with advanced material system (Fig. 1), for the development of future
wind turbine blade structure. The alternate material system with better properties such as low density, longer life,
higher performance, ease of processing, capability of recycling, less expensive than the current thermoset
technology is under investigation. The blade structure with this material system leads to an optimal aerodynamic
performances, reduce gravity forces and reduce material degradation during its operational stage, leading to better
life-cycle. To fulfill this need advanced wind blade which possess adequate stiffness, strength and extended fatigue
resistance are desired.
_______
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +91-9448353363
E-mail address: lijinthomas3@gmail.com

2214-7853© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selection and Peer-review under responsibility of International Conference on Advanced Materials and Applications (ICAMA 2016).
2636 Lijin Thomas and Ramachandra M / Materials Today: Proceedings 5 (2018) 2635–2640

Composite materials used for wind turbine blade are fiber reinforced polymers, variation in fiber and polymer
gives the combinations different properties, studies carried out to find the properties of fiber reinforced polymer
with different composition. In present production, fiber used is carbon and glass fibers, and thermoset polymer
because of its strength advantage, but the recycling of these materials makes it complicated issues [1]. Introduction
of advanced materials like natural composites with high specific strength, low material cost, light weight,
recyclability, easy of manufacturing properties makes it a better option than the present synthetic composites [2-10].
Composites with thermoplastic polymer make the material eco-friendly, bio- degradable material, processing of this
material is complex compared to the thermoset polymer composite [11,23]. Combination of one or more fiber
material in one composite makes it a hybrid composite material with additional advanced properties when compare
to single material fiber composite, bonding parameter of these different fibers and resin makes a large influence on
the combination [12-14]. Incorporation of nano materials in the composite, gives the combination an advanced
properties, so nano-composite with light weight, high strength, and other smart properties makes it a desired
material system for wind turbine blade [15-21].
This article focus on the advantages and disadvantages of all the types of material mentioned above, review the
processing criteria, mechanical properties especially static compression and fatigue properties of the material
system. Material system selected for wind turbine blade construction should posses static compression and fatigue
properties more than glass/polyester system.

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram for a wind blade [5]

2. Advanced Material System

The material system used in present wind turbine blade has good mechanical properties but posses non bio-
degradable properties which affects the environment drastically. The recent expansion in wind energy generation
leads to more number of wind turbine across the world, which created a large waste disposal issue due to non bio-
degradability of the material.

R. Cherrington et al. [1] discussed the producer’s responsibility towards waste disposal of wind turbine blade.
Land filled waste disposal is no longer accepted due to its high organic content in blade which is hazardous to the
environment, hence it is required to find an alternate end of life routes. The study suggest that better solution for this
problem is to find a material system with recyclability, in this closed loop recycling the fibers are captured and
processed back to blades. Recycled carbon fiber suppliers face difficulties in sustaining economically in the market,
hence ease of recycling synthetic material is troublesome. The study on economic factor of recycling of CF shows as
the percentage of recyclate CF increases, savings increases until a limit to cost of recycled CF (Fig. 2). More
research on recycling process of carbon fiber need to be carried out to reduce the cost of recyclate CF.
 Lijin Thomas and Ramachandra M / Materials Today: Proceedings 5 (2018) 2635–2640 2637

Incorporating natural fibers and thermoplastic polymers in the present material system helps in recycling
composite material of wind turbine blade with cost effectiveness.

Fig. 2. Potential business cases for replacing a percentage of virgin CF with recycled CF in wind turbine blade [1]

The challenge for a blade designer is to find a suitable material for wind turbine blade, which posses both
performance and weight reduction with cost effectiveness. Advanced material system with high specific mechanical
property, eco-friendly, bio-degradable characteristics are reviewed and its pros and cons are explained in the
upcoming sections.

2.1. Natural Fiber Composite

Natural fiber have become a popular reinforcement for FRP’s, because of its desired properties likes low cost,
fairly mechanical properties, high specific strength, nonabrasive, bio-degradable, and eco-friendly characteristics.
There are different types of natural fibers extracted from plants, animals, and minerals. Fig. 3 shows the
classification of natural fibers.

Fig. 3. Classification of natural fibers [4]

Bamboo is a material with high potential for reinforcement in fiber reinforced polymer, it has 60% of cellulose
with high content of lignin this characteristic property make bamboo fibers a reinforcement in various polymer
matrices. J.W. Holmes et al. [7] compared bamboo and wood vaneer laminate with birch and glass laminate
mechanical property, bamboo and wood vaneer laminate exhibit better strength, fatigue life and fracture resistance,
than birch laminate, and the characteristics were in par with glass reinforced polymer laminate.
2638 Lijin Thomas and Ramachandra M / Materials Today: Proceedings 5 (2018) 2635–2640

Honey Banga et al. [6] demonstrated that 30% of bamboo in the laminate exhibit optimal mechanical property,
and observed particulate filled bamboo reinforced polymer had less water absorption than unfilled bamboo
reinforced polymer. Yinyao Qin et al. [2] studied the properties of bamboo material and experimented life cycle
analysis to compare the performance between bamboo turbine blade and glass fiber turbine blade. The results
concluded bamboo material fulfilled the requirement of wind turbine blade.

Bakri et al. [3] examined the mechanical properties (tensile, impact, shear, flexural and compression strength) of
coir fiber composite, results concluded that its properties are similar to wood properties, but inferior to glass fiber
composite. And observed environmental effect on the coir fiber composite, results shows the diminishing of
mechanical properties of coir fiber composite with increasing weathering time.

Nottingham University, UK developed a Flax fiber wind turbine blade with 3.5 meter long, it was made of
600GSM flax biaxial +/- 45̊. It passed the IEC61400 norm making it a real success [9]. Flax fiber posses high
specific strength compared to other natural fibers, better mechanical properties with combination of polymer [10].
A.A Abdul Nasir et al. [8] analysed the effect of machining on flax fiber, results shows due to high cellulose content
of the flax fiber, Delamination occurs due to fiber brittle fracture, which is a disadvantage of using a natural fiber
composites in wind turbine blade.

Since moisture absorption is a major drawback in this material, reinforcement fiber treatment such as sizing is
required. Sizing improves the wettability of the fiber surface to bond with the polymer, which helps in effective
transfer of stresses between the fiber and resin [5].

2.2. Thermoplastic Composite

Wind turbine industries now a day’s use thermoset polymer because of its high strength, stiffness, ease of
processing characteristics. The drawbacks with these blades include styrene emission while processing, and disposal
issue after life cycle of the blade. Thermoplastic polymers can be recycled and repaired due to its phase changing
property with respect to rise in temperature. K. Vijaya Kumar et al. [11] compared the mechanical properties of fiber
reinforced polypropylene with fiber reinforced epoxy. They concluded that the thermoplastic FRP have 7 to 8 times
less strength compared to thermoset FRP, but use of alternate thermoplastic materials like polyetherimide (PEI),
Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) exhibit better strength properties.

Anionic polyamide-6 (APA-6) possess better static and fatigue properties, which is a major requirement for wind
turbine blade. Other advantages like low cost of resin and recycling make this an economically efficient material for
wind turbine blade application [21].

2.3. Hybrid Composite

For the light weight demand of wind turbine blade, research on hybrid composite materials is prevalent. Pietro
Bortolotti et al. [12] analysed the scope of carbon glass hybrid composites in wind turbine blade application, they
compared the hybrid laminate with carbon and glass laminates, and concludes that hybrid material exhibits positive
behaviour under static tensile and fatigue loads. The disadvantage of this hybrid composite is conversion of high
carbon fiber properties like stiffness, strength and fatigue behaviour to composite properties.

Girisha K.G et al. [14] compared the properties of polyester matrix with epoxy resin matrix, which are reinforced
with hemp and jute natural fibers, the experimental results prove that polyester resin system with hemp and jute
reinforcement have more tensile, flexural and impact strength than epoxy resin matrix system.

Natural fiber reinforced hybrid composites exhibits properties which s suitable for light weight and low load
application. Further treatment can increase the adhesion between the fiber and matrix [13]. Selected area of the
blade should be hybridized with the natural fiber materials due to its low load bearing capacity.
 Lijin Thomas and Ramachandra M / Materials Today: Proceedings 5 (2018) 2635–2640 2639

2.4. Nano Composite

Carbon nanotubes dispersed uniformly in the resin offers advantages like high stiffness and toughness, compared
to pristine resin. Their properties and performance are directly related to the size, structure and interfacial
interactions [18-19]. It exhibits a Young’s moduli of 1TPa and Tensile strength of 200GPa, which makes it a
strongest and stiffest material among the material system [15].CNT tends to agglomerate due to the strong bonds
between the layers, which leads to poor dispersion and instability in the polymer matrix. Methods like sonication,
surface modification, covalent functionalization and non-covalent modification using small molecules and polymer
dispersants are used to overcome poor dispersion and instability.

Marcio Loos et al. [16] studied the mechanical properties of vinyl ester and epoxy resin dispersed with CNT, the
results shows that MWCNT dispersed in vinyl ester possess better properties than epoxy polymer system, they also
found that B60H dispersion agent increases the tensile strength of the CNT in vinyl ester composite, and also resist
CNT agglomerate for a minimum of 50 hours. Long term stable suspension of MWCNT in thermoset resin increases
the use of CNT in wind turbine blade application.

Jingting Yang [15] analysed the effect of MWCNT concentration in vinyl ester polymer system, results shows
vinyl ester composites containing CNT concentration of 0.1% wt, with B60H dispersion agent, and post cured for 6
hours at 90̊ C, exhibit better properties compared to other composition.

Marcio Loos et al. [17] compared pure epoxy with CNT/epoxy composites in static and dynamic test at different
load conditions; they conclude that at 25Mpa load condition CNT/epoxy exhibit better fracture toughness, and
fatigue resistance.

To overcome the disadvantage of poor dispersion Hardhik Bhanushali et al. [20] fabricated a woven glass fiber
composite with aligned carbon nanotubes sheet interlayer’s. Wind turbine blade with CNT reinforced polyurethane
composite have been fabricated and tested, it shows a better result when compared to conventional wind turbine
blade material system.

3. Conclusion

This article presents a critical review of advanced materials used for wind turbine blades. Materials considered in
this article are with advanced properties with respect to wind turbine blade, increase in strength with reduced weight
is the advancement in the field of wind turbine blade. Advantages and disadvantages of these materials are explained
to give the insight properties of the materials. Advancement with respect to environmental factors leads to
thermoplastic and natural bio-composite materials in wind turbine blades. When strength and density factors are
considered CNT reinforced composite optimizes the material system. CNT composites can further be developed
with better properties like hybridization with natural fibers for an eco-friendly material with high strength, low
weight characters which makes it a suitable advanced material for wind turbine blade.

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank TEQIP, Centre of Excellence, BMS College of engineering Bengaluru 560019,
and the concerned faculty for providing assistance in presenting the review.
2640 Lijin Thomas and Ramachandra M / Materials Today: Proceedings 5 (2018) 2635–2640

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