WT2013

2013
WIND ENERGY MARKET UPDATE BLADE REINFORCEMENT TRENDS ANALYSING CORE PROPERTIES JEC 2013 EXHIBITION PREVIEW
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contents
04 News
PAGE 4
08 Wind market pauses for breath

Wind energy experts predict the big wind markets of Europe, the US and China will all see slowing installation rates during 2013. But the outlook remains bright for this leading renewable technology.
16 Fibre makers prepare for a big future

PAGE 6
Bigger means better for developers of wind blade reinforcements. Peter Mapleston discovers how the leading players are responding to increasingly tough demands from blade designers.
25 SSP sets new record with 83.5m blade

SSP Technology recently delivered a record-breaking 83.5m offshore prototype turbine blade for testing. Chris Smith takes a closer look at the development and manufacturing project.
PAGE 8
28 Understanding the core properties

Resin penetration into blade core materials during infusion can provide additional stiffness. A test programme at Gurit has attempted to quantify the mechanical improvement for blade modelling.
34 Fibre optic blade strain monitoring

PAGE 25
Operation and maintenance is a key cost in offshore wind installations. Optical strain gauge technology can allow continuous and remote monitoring, says Luc Rademakers.
39 The forum for blade innovation

Investment activity in wind energy may have slowed but technical innovations continue apace. We report from the Wind Turbine Blade Manufacture conference.
44 Composites blow into Paris

PAGE 28
Wind energy will once again be a key element within the JEC Europe exhibition in Paris. We take a look at some of the new products and technologies that will be on show.
48 Product update
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2013 | WIND TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURING 3
news
Alstom upgrades its ECO 100 platform

Alstom has completed an upgrade of the 3MW ECO 100 turbine installed at the US Department of Energys NREL centre in Colorado to ECO 110 specication by installing new larger 53.5m long blades. The rotor exchange is part of a project designed to maximise power outputs for intermediate wind speeds (IEC Class II). There is great potential for developing medium wind speed resources throughout the US and Canada, said Albert Fisas, director of innovation for Alstoms North American wind business. With this upgrade complete, Alstom and NREL will launch a commissioning and testing program to certify the performance of the new rotor conguration for use in North America and worldwide. Alstom claims to have 900MW of capacity in operation or under construction worldwide based on its 3MW ECO 100 platform. Last month, it announced an upgrade of the design to ECO 122 specication, which is said to be suitable for IEC Class III sites and capable of providing a net capacity increase of 48%.
Installation of the larger blades at NERL
www.alstom.com
3A invests in balsa stocks

Switzerlands 3A Composites has announced a 20% expansion in its balsa plantation base in Ecuador, taking its total ownership to 10,000 hectares. The company, which claims to be the global leader in balsa core materials, says the move will secure supply of its FSC-certied Baltek product for its customers. The investment also includes new balsa processing machinery. The strength and stiffness of balsa makes it a preferred core option in applications such as wind blades. Ecuador is the worlds leading balsa producer.
Dong to build E1bn Rough farm

Dong Energy is to build a 210MW offshore wind farm 8km off the coast of Holderness in the UK using 35 6MW turbines from Siemens. Construction of the Westermost Rough wind farm will commence next year with the facility coming on line in the rst half of 2015. According to Dong, it will be the rst large installation to use this latest Siemens turbine. The project represents an investment of around E1bn, including the required transmission infrastructure of inter-arrays, export cables and offshore sub-station. We are excited about the potential of this new technology and deploying the 6MW turbine on this scale. We are committed to reducing the cost of energy through the deployment of new technologies, and Westermost Rough will provide a tangible example of how we are doing just that,said Benj Sykes, Dong Energy Wind Power UK country manager. The Westermost Rough wind farm will cover 35km2. It is wholly owned by Dong Energy
www.dongenergy.co.uk
GE supplies giant project in Romania

The CEZ Group wind park at Dobogrea in Romania, which came on line late last year with 600MW of generating capacity, is claimed to be Europes largest onshore scheme. The project uses 240 2.5MW turbines with 50m rotor blades supplied by GE Worldwide. The company claims its 2.5MW design provides high levels of efciency and reliability under a wide range of weather conditions. CEZ Group, which owns and operates the Dobogrea park, is Central Europes largest utility rm. GEs general manager for renewable energy in Europe, Stephen Ritter said the project represented a considerable logistical challenge, with 12 modes of transport required to move the component parts from the Black Sea port of Constanta to Dobogrea and as many as 25 cranes in use on the site at one time. GE says it has supplied more than 1,000 turbines of this design to date.
www.3acomposites.com
4
www.ge.com
WIND TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURING | 2013
news
Siemens wins E700m offshore contract

Germanys WPD Group has awarded a E700m contract to Siemens to supply and service 80 wind turbines for the 288MW Butendiek offshore wind power plant in the North Sea. The Butendiek wind energy facility is located around 32 km west of the island of Sylt near the German-Danish border and is expected to come on line in 2015. The Siemens contract includes a 10-year maintenance element. By 2020, we estimate that 500GW of wind power will be installed worldwide. Offshore wind power plants constitute by far the fastest growing segment of this market, said Felix Ferlemann, CEO of Siemens Energys Wind Power Division. Maritime wind power is playing a key role in Germanys energy turnaround efforts. Its broad acceptance among the general public and signicantly higher energy capture than onshore installations are particular points in its favour, he said.
news in brief
Gamesa has secured a
three-year contract to provide operation and maintenance services at 13 wind farms owned by EDP Renewables. The contract covers 400MW of capacity in France, Spain and Portugal. It includes maintenance of 402 Gamesa turbines and technical assistance for a further 179 units.
www.gamesa.es Dow Formulated Systems

has opened a Global Wind Application Centre in Switzerland. The 800m2 facility is located at Freinenbach near Zurich and includes resin formulation and testing capabilities for development of Dows Airstone adhesive bonding, vacuum bagging and vacuum
www.siemens.com
Suzlon wins Cookhouse wind order

Indias Suzlon Group has secured a contract to supply and service 66 of its S-88 2.1MW wind turbines for the Cookhouse Wind Farm, which is to be constructed in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The Cookhouse farm is the largest renewable energy project to be selected within the South African Department of Energys Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme. Construction started in January of this year.
BASF launches into PET blade cores

BASF will introduce its rst PET-based foam core material for the wind energy market at this months JEC Europe show in Paris, France. The company claims that the Kerdyn PET foam provides a very good combination of light weight and mechanical properties and is compatible with a wide range of processing technologies used in the wind energy marketplace. BASF will also show its latest low viscocity Baxxodur System 5100 epoxy resin system for vacuum infusion processing and the new GL-certied Baxxodur 4100 fast bonding adhesive system. l Turn to page 42 for details of more new production and technology introductions to be unveiled at JEC Europe. BASFs Kerdyn PET core foam
infusion resin systems.
www.dowwindenergy.com Siemens Energy completed

its rst onshore wind project with Shanghai Electric at the end of last year. The Guangrao power project has a capacity of 50MW and includes 20 SWT-2.5-108 turbines, each of which provides 2.5Mw capacity and uses 108m diameter rotors.
www.siemens.com Denmarks DTU has

inaugurated its wind turbine test centre at sterild, which is claimed to be able to accommodate turbines up to 250m high. The site has seven test stands; Vestas and Siemens have each bought two and Chinas Envision Energy is leasing one.
www.suzlon.com
www.basf.com
www.dtu.dk
5
2013 | WIND TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURING
news
UK-based ETI invests 15.5m in large offshore blade project

The UK-based Energy Technology Institute (ETI) has announced a 15.5m project to develop a new generation of wind turbine blades up to 100m long with Isle of Wight based blade designer and manufacturer Blade Dynamics. The project, which sees ETI take an equity stake in Blade Dynamics, aims to design and manufacture a number of prototype blades in the 80-100m size range suitable for off-shore application. Blade Dynamics will develop the designs in conjunction with an as yet unidentied turbine manufacturer. According to ETI, the intention is to have prototype blades ready for production by the end of 2014. Structural testing will be carried out in the UK. Offshore wind has the potential to be a much larger contributor to the UK energy system if todays costs can be signicantly reduced. Investing in this project to develop larger, more efcient blades is a key step for the whole industry in paving the way for more efcient turbines, which will in turn help bring the costs of generating electricity down, said ETI offshore wind project manager Paul Trinick. The blades are being designed for use on the next generation of offshore wind turbines, which are expected to provide generating capacities of 8-10MW. The blades will utilise the modular construction technology developed by Blade Dynamics and will use carbon bre reinforcement to enable weight to be kept to the minimum. Blade Dynamics gained GL certication early last year for its 49m long glass/carbon reinforced Dynamic 49 design, which weighs just 6,150kg. While carbon reinforcement is more costly than glass, the reduced blade mass is expected to allow turbine designers to save money in the remainder of the turbine design and will contribute to a reduced energy production cost, according to ETI. Our investment strategy here is to provide nancial support to allow [Blade Dynamics] to develop its technology further, to accelerate and expand the testing of this UK technology, and to identify the large-scale development opportunity of this design approach, said Trinick. The rst stage of the project will develop a blade design and test detailed design and manufacturing technologies. The second stage will establish and demonstrate the proposed manufacturing processes on a blade for a 6MW turbine. The nal stage will be to develop, test and verify a blade for a turbine in the 8-10MW range. ETI is a private-public partnership between BP, Caterpillar, EDF, E.ON, Rolls-Royce, Shell and the UK government. Its focus is to speed up development of affordable and secure lowcarbon energy technologies. Blade Dynamics 49m long Dynamic 49 blade uses glass and carbon bre and modular construction techniques to keep weight to 6,150kg. The new ETI-funded project aims to extend these technologies to the 80-100m size range
www.eti.co.uk www.bladedynamics.com
More bre capacity for PPG/Nan Ya China JV

China-based PFG Fiber Glass (Kunshan), a 50:50 joint venture between PPG Industries and Nan Ya Plastics, has started up a fourth furnace lifting its total annual capacity to 144,000 tonnes. This furnace features innovative, state-of-the-art technology, said Terry
6
Fry, PPG general manager of global electronics and the companys regional bre glass business. The technological advancements of its manufacturing operation enable us to maximise process efciency while saving energy and reducing emissions.
PFG Fiber Glass was established in 2001 to supply glass bre yarns for electronics applications such as PCBs but also produces reinforcement grades. The JV partners also operate a 90,000 tonnes/ year PFG plant in Taiwan.
www.ppg.com
feature | Market report
Wind market pauses for breath
Wind energy experts predict Europe, the US and China will all see slowing installation rates this year. But the outlook for this leading renewable technology remains bright
Global wind energy capacity has expanded at an impressive rate over the past decade, with installed capacity building consistently year-on-year (see gure 1). Even in the immediate aftermath of the nancial crisis, the industry saw modest year-on-year gigawatt gains. However, activity is set to slow this year as each of the major wind energy-producing regions - the US, China and Europe falls short of recent installation rates. While most analysts predict this is a temporary blip, 2013 will without doubt be a tough year for many. We are seeing a big change this year, says Dan
8 WIND TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURING | 2013
Shurey, a wind industry analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) in London. Last year, an estimated 44GW of wind capacity was installed worldwide, but BNEF is predicting just 39GW this year. According to Shurey: 2013 and 2014 will represent the low point of the industry, but it should slowly recover in the following few years.
Politics hits hard in the US

The biggest downturn is likely to be seen in the US, where the wind industry has fallen victim to the countrys large budget decit and the political gridlock in its legislature. Some 13GW of wind generating capacity was installed in 2012, but BNEF predicts this will slump to just 3GW for 2013. Most of the blame for this can be laid with a government that simply took too long to renew the key federal subsidy - the production tax credit (PTC) - which incentivises project developers by allowing them to offset their federal income tax bill by $22 per megawatt-hour (MWh) of energy produced. Historically, the US Congress has only granted the PTC for one or two-year periods and the process of
PHOTO: LM WIND POWER
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Changes to the US PTC system may reduce the boom-bust investment tendency in wind
renewing it has often been delayed until the last minute, causing havoc for developers planning. This year, that situation was played out again, as the PTC for 2013 was entwined in the fractious US budget debate and was only nally conrmed on 1 January. A boom in 2012 ahead of the deadline has now turned to bust. The uncertainty over renewal has put a dampener on activity, says Arnaud Bouill, a director in the renewable energy team at Ernst & Young in London. Some players will have kept momentum with projects, but others will have stopped activities while awaiting regulatory certainty. However, along with the one-year renewal, the industry did secure an important change. Eligibility for the PTC now starts when construction begins on a new project, whereas previously it was when the scheme began generating. This is likely to help ameliorate some of the boom-bust tendency, according to analysts. US renewables developers also have access to a second federal-level subsidy the investment tax credit (ITC). This offers a 30% tax relief to investors and can be
used as an alternative to the PTC scheme. Meanwhile, further incentives are available at a state level, such as sales tax exemptions, state-level tax credits, and renewable energy targets. More than half of all US states have a policy known as a renewables portfolio standard (RPS) that requires utilities to deliver a certain proportion of energy from renewable sources. Californias RPS scheme, for example, targets generating 33% of energy from renewables by 2020 and, in addition, has a carbon-trading programme that penalises fossil fuel generation. Small projects of less than 3MW capacity can access a feed-in tariff - a direct per-MWh subsidy paid to developers - and were previously able to receive cash grants. States furthest from meeting their RPS targets include Maine, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah and Hawaii, according to Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind, a developer based in Boston, Massachusetts.
Renewable resolve weakens in Europe

In Europe, the EC has set a target to produce 20% of energy from renewables by 2020 and wind will contribute the largest part of this. According to the European Renewable Energy Council, wind turbines will supply more than 14% of total European electricity consumption in 2020, requiring over 213GW of capacity (of which 43GW will be offshore). This is double the 100GW or so currently installed and points to a healthy combined average annual growth rate of some 10%. But headwinds are growing stronger. European governments have been pulling back on some of the most generous wind subsidies as they attempt to plug huge budget decits, with the result that renewable energy targets are at risk of being ignored. Spain, Europes second-biggest wind energy market with more than 22GW installed, last year froze its feed-in tariff so that any projects built after the end of 2012 would not qualify. It also slapped a new 7% tax on wind farm
250 200 150 100 50 0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Figure 1: Total global installed wind energy generation capacity (GW) by year, Source: Ren21 1996-2012
10
Market report | feature
operators. Few, if any, wind farms are expected to break ground in Spain this year, says BNEFs Shurey. Italy has changed its support for wind from a green certicate system - where developers are given tradable certicates in proportion to the energy they generate which are then sold to utilities as evidence they have delivered a certain amount of renewable energy to customers - to a process where developers must bid in a competitive auction to obtain a feed-in tariff. However, the government is only inviting bids for 500MW of capacity this year, about half of the countrys recent average annual installation rate. If the bugbear of US wind developers is the PTC, then for their European counterparts it is the price placed on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The EUs pioneering emissions trading system, launched in 2005, was intended to penalise coal and gas-red power generation and to encourage renewables. Unfortunately, too many emissions permits were given away for free to industry, whose output slumped with the nancial crisis, leading to a massive oversupply in the carbon market. CO2 prices were sitting at less than 5/tonne in mid-January, far from the E15-20/tonne analysts estimate is needed to move generators away from coal generation. Attempts to modify the carbon market in favour of renewables have run into erce opposition from industry.
Figure 2: Wind energy investment attractive index by country (at November 2012)
Rank 1 2 3 3 5 5 7 8 8 10 Previous rank 1 2 3 6 3 3 7 9 10 11 Country China Germany India Canada UK US* France Sweden Poland Romania Wind 76 68 63 63 62 62 58 55 55 54 Onshore 77 65 69 66 59 64 59 55 57 57 Offshore 69 78 40 46 78 55 54 53 44 44
* represents US states with RPS and favourable renewable energy regimes

Indices reect regulatory/political risk, ease of planning and grid connection, access to nance, resource quality, growth potential, current installed base, situation for power offtake, tax Source: Ernst & Young
Figure 3: Installed wind energy capacity (GW) by country 2012

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Country China US Germany Spain India Italy France UK Canada Portugal Total capacity by June 2012 67.8 49.8 30 22.1 17.4 7.3 7.2 6.8 5.5 4.4 Capacity added in rst half 2012 5.4 2.9 0.9 0.4 1.5 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.2 0.02
Repowering gains in Germany

Germany Europes largest wind market with 30GW installed was looking relatively stable thanks to its governments decision to phase-out nuclear energy in favour of renewables following the Fukushima disaster. The country installed around 2GW of wind generating capacity last year and has been a leader in repowering the process of replacing existing turbines with newer, larger units which already represents about 10% of the annual capacity added in Germany. The countrys government has operated a special repowering incentive of E5/MWh, on top of the E48/MWh basic rate. However, consumers have been angered by rising electricity bills and the pressure has been felt by the politicians. With an eye on September elections, the government in mid-February proposed changes to its renewable energy law that would essentially halt repowering and reduce the build-out of new projects. The proposal will cast a new wave of uncertainty over the traditionally stable market, says BNEFs Shurey. In any event, repowering is not always straightforward. Turbines being developed today are much larger and they may not sit well on the site thats to be repowered. There might be some acceptability [planning] issues around larger turbines being installed and in
Source: WWEA. Italy gures to end of May 2012, France gures to end of April 2012
Figure 4: Operational and planned offshore wind projects and capacities by region
Operational projects (number) Europe Americas Asia 61 0 14 Operational capacity (GW) 4.1 0 0.8 Planned projects (number) 347 139 107 Planned capacity (GW) 123 42.5 24.4
Source: Arthur D Little
physically getting them to the site, says E&Ys Bouill. Meanwhile, the wind investment picture looks quite bright in some other European markets. Shurey describes the UK as a very favourable market with bold targets, despite some uncertainties created by the persistently evolving subsidy structure. Feed-in tariffs
PhOtO: DOng EnergY
or green certicates are available to developers of large-scale projects, but the UK government is due to introduce a contracts for difference system in the future that aims to provide stable revenues for wind investors while not over-compensating them if energy prices soar or turbine costs fall. Meanwhile, emerging European markets such as Romania, Bulgaria and Finland are, in terms of percentage growth gures, looking to be real hotspots. However, these countries are starting from very small base levels and growth is unlikely to be sufcient to make up for the decline in the bigger markets of Europe.
China retains its leading place

Worldwide, it is a similar picture, with relative newcomers such as Brazil, Chile and Mexico making the biggest gains. China, however, remains the global leader (see
The challenge in offshore wind

As a relatively new technology that has to face some very challenging environmental conditions, offshore wind farms are having their fair share of troubles and a number of country installation targets are unlikely to be met. In Europe, the only region with signicant experience in building and operating offshore wind farms (see gure 4), cost overruns and delays are common. Immature supply chains have also led to shortages of critical items, for example in specialist installation vessels. Grid connections seem particularly problematic, with German offshore sites stymied by the unavailability of high-voltage DC transmission equipment. Installation is also difcult. According to the insurance broker Marsh, damage to cables accounts for more than half of all insurance claims from offshore wind projects. Given these challenges, Europes ambition to have more than 40MW of offshore wind generating capacity in operation seems optimistic at the current time. Chinas offshore target is for 3GW of offshore capacity by 2015 and 30GW by 2020, but judging by the present delays this is looking difcult to achieve, says Liming Qiao, China director of the Global Wind Energy Council. The particular challenge in China has been coordination between the various government agencies involved, she notes. Installation of offshore capacity is, however, running at around 7.5GW/ year globally. That may be small compared to the 30-40GW of onshore wind, but offshore is growing fast. The sector also attracts a very different type of investor due to its scale; offshore wind requires billions of dollars of nancing which puts them in the class of large infrastructure projects. Huge utilities are throwing their balance sheets at offshore wind, and theres increasing interest from pension funds, says Dan Shurey, wind industry analyst at BNEF.
gure 3), with a preliminary estimate of 14GW of new capacity installed in 2012. This impressive achievement just beat the US into second place and brought Chinas total wind generating capacity to 76GW. Even so, last years installation rate was a signicant reduction on 2011s 17.6GW as nancing and grid capacity issues took hold. And although the National Energy Bureau is reportedly eyeing 18GW of new Chinese capacity this year, analysts expect installation gures of about 15-17GW/year in the medium term. Chinas 12th ve-year plan calls for 150GW of wind generation capacity to be installed by 2020 - a target that looks eminently achievable if the current installation rate continues. The history of the wind sector in China is they always overshoot the target, says Liming Qiao, China director of the Global Wind Energy Council. But we have some problems that started to emerge in 2011 and 2012. Wind energy generators are experiencing more and more difculty in delivering power to Chinas underdeveloped grid, which becomes overloaded during windy periods. The average curtailment rate - the proportion of energy that could not be produced because of shut-downs demanded by the grid operator - is currently around 16% and as high as 20% in some regions, Qiao says, compared to less than 10% in Europe. Major cross-provincial transmissions lines are being built, but projects are being held up while grid issues are solved, she says. There have also been nancing issues in China. The fund that awards the feed-in tariff to wind farm developers is under-capitalised and suffering from administrative problems, which has resulted in problems for wind farm developers. A lot of wind farms were not paid, Qiao says. Sometimes [the developers] had problems
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Shurey, and the capacity factor - the actual production over the potential production - has also improved as taller turbines sit in faster air. All these changes have helped improve winds competitiveness and, even though other renewables technologies - notably solar - have also seen dramatic falls in their per-MW cost, wind remains the cheapest route to renewable generation. E&Ys Bouill says that onshore wind is even becoming a cost-viable solution without subsidies in places where the wind regime is exceptional and where access to the grid is not too costly. However, he points out that such a combination of circumstances occurs only very rarely and typically a wind farm will still cost about 50% more than a fossil fuel power station of similar capacity.
The challenge of shale gas

Where wind faces a very real threat is in the competition in energy pricing resulting from the boom in production of cheap shale gas. The slump in US natural gas prices is putting a whole new spin on the economic viability of wind in the US, and the same rationale applies to the rest of the world, according to Bouill. Long-term power purchase agreements, often necessary to obtain nancing for wind farms, have become harder to obtain as a result. However, some Low cost shale gas could help wind gain ground in more liberalised energy markets paying the turbine manufacturers, and the manufacturers had problems paying their suppliers. In acknowledgement of these problems, the feed-in tariff in China has remained unchanged since 2009, despite falling turbine costs. Given the fact that curtailment is high, its not fair to reduce the feed-in tariff, Qiao adds. observers doubt that the US shale gas revolution will be replicated in other parts of the world and, in developing countries where demand for power is climbing, still see wind playing a very signicant role. It is also possible that the boom in gas could benet the wind sector. One of the problems with wind energy is that its production is unpredictable, only being available when the wind blows. In liberalised energy markets with lots of wind farms, such as in Germany, breezy conditions have combined with moments of low power demand to force spot electricity prices below zero. In such circumstances anyone delivering power to the grid is penalised and generators are incentivized to stop producing power. Bouill describes this as a critical issue and says it is one with only a handful of solutions. One is much better grid integration to enable power to be delivered further aeld. This is a solution that is being actively pursued, with the recent link between the UK and Ireland an example. Demand-side management is also an option but is very complicated to achieve in reality, he says. However, wind in combination with a cheap dispatchable power source such as natural gas could provide a very effective combination for meeting low-carbon energy needs - assuming that markets and incentives can be appropriately designed.
Wind closes the cost gap

How much longer wind will need government support is a difcult question to answer. Wind power generation is certainly becoming more competitive with conventional power. For example, the costs of wind turbines have fallen by about 20-25% over the last three to four years, according to BNEFs Shurey. Since turbines represent 60-65% of a projects capital expenditure, this makes a big difference to installation costs. However, Shurey notes there is a growing divergence between the cost of old and new technologies. The newer 2MW-plus, 100m-high turbines are holding at a price of more than E1m/MW as producers try to preserve margins. But smaller, older turbine designs are continuing to fall in cost, albeit less steeply than previously. Fierce competition between providers has also helped reduce the cost of operation and maintenance by around 40% over the past three or four years, says
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materials | Reinforcements
Fibre reinforcement makers prepare for a bigger future

Bigger means better for developers of wind blade reinforcements. Peter Mapleston hears how the leading players are responding to increasingly tough demands from blade designers
If installation costs can be contained, prospects for offshore turbines are good. That will fuel demand for high performance bres Wind power gures large in the composites industry with around 10% of all glass bre available for composites ending up in wind turbine blades. Todays wind blades are already among the largest parts currently made in composites. But for wind energy to be competitive with traditional energy options, turbines need to be even bigger. And that places increasingly tough demands on designers and on the material supply chain. The rationale, of course, is simple - bigger blades catch more of the wind. Swept area is critical, says Cheryl Richards, global market development manager for wind energy at glass bre producer PPG Industries.
Power is proportional to the square of the radius. However, as the blade gets bigger, it gets heavier, and the stresses on it increase. Blade weight rises with the cube of the radius. So if current E-glass bres are used to produce 10-20% longer blades, a 33-73% increase in the blade weight would be expected. Heavier blades increase the overall cost in the wind turbine system operation. Thats where the challenge is, says Richards. Theres a lot of interest in new materials that can make the blades longer without a large increase in weight. E-glass accounts for a large part of the wind turbine blade market. E-glass is dened by its chemical composition (it is primarily composed of CaO, Al2O3, and SiO2) and the chemical composition denes its performance. Numerous glass bre companies are developing grades with mechanical properties better than those of E-glass, but always with an eye on the costs. PPGs work in this area has led to the development of Innober XM bre glass. The chemical composition of Innober XM falls outside the specication for E-glass, delivering properties associated more with higher performance R-glass (alumino silicate glass with no
PHOTO: BASF
BLADE MANUFACTURE 2013

The international conference on MW wind blades looking at design, composites manufacturing and performance
WIND TURBINE
3-5 December 2013 Maritim Hotel, Dsseldorf, Germany

For More inforMaTion aBoUT The ConferenCe, CliCK here
The wind power industry is expanding into new countries across the globe and new companies are moving into this marketplace. The key to viability is highly efficient electricity generation, long-term integrity and good economics. These factors are dependent on the blade design and structure. The 4th AMI international Wind Turbine Blade Manufacture conference will again provide the forum to debate the latest designs, manufacturing technologies and performance of wind turbine blade composite structures, including causes of failure and solutions to challenges such as lightning strike, icing, and offshore sea exposure. Wind Turbine Blade Manufacture 2013 will bring together energy companies, wind turbine producers, blade manufacturers, design engineers, composites manufacturing experts, researchers, developers, materials and equipment suppliers to discuss the technology and costs of producing reliable year-round wind energy, focusing on the key component, the rotor.
AttENDING, EXHIbItING aND SPONsORING

If you would like to attend this highly valued learning and networking event, or wish to book a tabletop exhibition space or sponsor the conference, please contact Rocio Martinez, rmm@amiplastics.com Tel: +44 117 924 9442.
THE CaLL FOR PaPERs Is NOw OPEN
Would you like to speak at this leading industry event? The call for papers is now open. If you would like to give a 25 minute presentation, please send a short summary and title for your topic to Dr Sally Humphreys, sh@amiplastics.com. The deadline for submissions is 17th May 2013. It is free to attend the conference as a speaker. Previous attendees at this event include senior specialists from across the wind power sector. CLICK HERE to find out more
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MgO and CaO). On paper, the differences between regular E-glass and Innober XM do not appear major both are alkaline earth aluminosilicates but Innober XM has rather more magnesium oxide in it, less calcium and zero boron. More importantly for turbine blade makers is the fact there are signicant differences in the mechanical properties. Innober XM has strength and modulus that are 10-15% higher than E-glass, and these improvements are also carried through into fabrics and prepregs. PPG has carried out various tests by substituting E-glass with Innober XM in the spar cap on 33m blades designed by the US Department of Energy to validate its results (see diagram). The model shows we can increase energy output, Richards says, recognizing that blade makers themselves could get even better results. Whats exciting for us is that the wind energy industry is big enough to merit the development of new bres, says Richards. Its large enough to support [our investment in] their commercial production. The wind industry is actually in a position to drive a whole new area of composites. You will eventually see these bres migrate into other high-performance composite applications, such as automotive and aerospace. Richards colleague at PPG Hong Li, who invented Innober XM, says there are now several high modulus bres available for making stiffer lightweight wind blades. For example, carbon bre has a substantially high modulus (150 GPa) and signicantly lower density (1.78 g/cm3) than glass bre. However, the high cost of carbon bre prohibits its use as a full replacement for glass bre. S-Glass bre is another potential solution, Li notes. But he says its melting and bre forming temperatures are extremely high, so manufacturing is limited to a small scale manufacturing platform. Throughput is at least 1000 times lower than that of a commercial E-glass bre production platform, Li says. Last year, 3B (which calls itself 3B-the breglass company), followed up on its Advantex SE2020 E-glass roving for turbine blades with an R-glass, HiPer-tex W2020. Both are specically engineered for epoxy polymer systems used in resin infusion or prepreg processes. 3B says HiPer-tex W2020 has signicantly greater strength and strain-to-failure than traditional E-glass. In a typical unidirectional laminate made with HiPer-tex W2020 R-glass (average glass volume fraction 60%), E-modulus is 54-56 GPa, transverse tensile strength is 55-60 MPa, and fatigue resistance is ten times better than a traditional E-glass laminate. HiPer-tex W2020 combines an optimised glass composition with proprietary sizing technology for epoxy systems, says Luc Peters, 3B wind technical leader. It is said to offer improved wet-out for a more consistent laminate quality. The signicantly improved resin matrix adhesion provides higher shear strength and substantially greater interbre strength when compared with existing high modulus bre glass in the market place, he claims. Peters says the main objectives of the new glass formulation development were to increase the E modulus by 10% versus the best E glass while maintaining the strain to failure (which means a minimum 10% increase of tensile strength) and keeping manufacturing costs under control by lowering the bre forming temperature. Onur Tokgoz, 3B wind energy global business leader, Figure 3: 3B says it achieved its aim of developing a glass bre with better mechanical properties that has a forming temperature below most other speciality glass bres says the company 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 pushes the limits of glass bre rotor Figure 2: Comparison of modulus values in epoxy unidirectional laminates containing different bres and Source: 3B sizing
18
Reinforcements | materials
Table 1. Summary of representative compositions, Youngs modulus, and melt properties of selected high modulus glasses (in comparison with E-glass)
Glass bre type E-glass (generic) S-glass (generic) R-glass (generic) HiPer-tex [1] H-Glass
[2]
Property density g/cm2 2.602.65 2.46- 2.55 2.55 2.61 2.58 2.77 2.49 2.53 E modulus GPa 72-80 88-91 86 90 87 88 93 88 84 TL C 1470 1410 1280 1198 1207 1300 1210 TF C 1571 1330 1351 1268 1273 1342 1240 1400
SiO2 content % 52-62 64-66 60 60.6 60.0 60.8 48-54 56

[4]
Al2O3 MgO CaO B2O3 R2O content % content % content % content % content % 12-16 24-25 25 19.9 15.7 15.2 16-22 16 14-16.4 0-5 9.5-10 6 10.3 8.4 6.8 18-23 8 4-6 16-25 0-0.1 9 8.7 13.7 15.5 - 14 10-12 0-10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0-0.3 - 1.1 1.3 0.8 - < 1 0.6
<1155 <1210
Innober XM M2 [2] T [3] PohriS
62-66
Source: PPG [1] Product of 3B-the breglass company [2] Product of Owens Corning Vetrotex [3] From Study on Preparation and Properties of New High Strength Glass Fibers. Functional Materials 2010 41; J. Liu, J. Zhu, Q. Zu. [4] From U.S. Patent US20110236684, Thermal Resistant Glass Fibers. R. Teschner, K. Richter, H.P. Richter. S.D.R. Biotec Verfahrenstechnik GmbH
blade designs. Chinese company Jushi is another glass bre supplier now making R-glass, in its case under the ViPro banner. Jushi says its 398 grade made using ViPro technology is 13% stronger than a corresponding E-glass, while modulus is 11% higher. The tensiontension fatigue resistance of laminates made from ViPro-based 398 is 16% higher than those made from E6-based counterparts (one million cycles, stress ratio R 0.1), and the ViPro-based product has a fatigue life ve times longer under the same load, the company claims. Owens Cornings WindStrand H R-glass roving family is, not surprisingly, specically for turbine blades. It claims grades provide blade component weight savings of up to 20% versus conventional E-glass blades of similar design, depending on the size of the blade. The company notes that the glass formulation is designed
for excellent mechanical properties (tensile strength and modulus) and offers signicantly better thermal and corrosion resistance properties than E-glass. The roving consists of continuous laments gathered in a single-end roving without mechanical twist and treated with specically developed sizings for the weaving & knitting, prepreg and infusion processes typically used in the wind turbine industry. The rst grade in the family, WindStrand H EPW17, was developed for composites based on epoxy resin systems. Tensile modulus is 52.5 GPa. AGY, which claims to have the largest portfolio of glass chemistries of any glass bre manufacturer (with various types of E-Glass and S-Glass), recently added S-1 rovings, aimed directly at demanding wind turbine applications. It says that S-1 HM rovings are designed to give the highest mechanical properties while meeting
Figure 1: Substituting E-glass with speciality glass can have an important effect on turbine energy output
Source, PPG
19
Blade Dynamics adopts a mix of bres

This trafc-stopping blade made by Blade Dynamics is 49 m long and weighs 6,150 kg. It uses a mix of glass and carbon bre reinforcement, and has a modular construction that the company says further helps keep weight down. Blade Dynamics says it has several blades larger than this, but they are not yet in production. The company is in pre-volume production with the D49. We are working on blade designs up to 100m, but for most onshore applications for current turbines, the maximum likely size is around 70-75m, says David Cripps, senior technical manager at the blade developer. Our approach to making blades from smaller mouldings allows us to use quite different types of materials in different parts of the blade, Cripps says. We are therefore always open to new bres and fabrics that can reduce costs or improve performance. Since we are specialising in low mass blades, carbon is a particularly important material to us. Higher cost-specic bre properties in the laminate (meaning lower $/modulus or $/unit of compressive strength) are of great interest to us.
www.bladedynamics.com
the economic needs for the reinforcement market. The S-1 HM glass bre has a density of 2.55 g/cm3, which is lower than typical E- and R-glass, and a tensile modulus of 90 GPa (vs. 83 and 73 respectively). That gives it a specic tensile modulus close to 25% higher than that of E-glass. Specic tensile strength is said to be 50% better, and fatigue strength is said to be ten times better. AGY says S-1 HM bre is for use in specic areas of the blade such as the root sections and spar caps, allowing manufacturers to reduce weight in a given design or allow a blade to be longer for any given weight. Obviously the reduction in weight will affect the lifetime of other components in the wind turbine and the turbine structure and reduce overall production cycles of the blades as less glass into the blade requires less time to position and may reduce misalignment of fabrics etc. in layup processing, the company says. According to the AGY, the S-1 HM glass formulation was developed as a cheaper solution than traditional S Glass family solutions by closely understanding which properties the customers would like to enhance and which properties were available to be compromised in this effort. It says its scientists ensured the glass was capable of being produced in a furnace over a long period of time. It has melting and thermal characteristics much like those of E-glass products. Johns Manville says its StarRov 086 and 076 E-glass rovings have recently been GL approved (Germanisches
Lloyd), which is an essential requirement for materials to be qualied for wind blade applications. If cost was not an issue, it is quite possible that carbon bres would be far more prevalent in wind turbine blades than they are today. But carbon bres are still too expensive to use for the entire blade. So they are used where they have the most impact in structural parts such as the spar cap system. However, even using carbon bre only in these areas can bring the total weight of the blade down by 15-20%, and possibly even more, says Phil Schell, executive vice president, wind energy, at major carbon bre producer Zoltek Companies. Schell says that to get the right bending characteristics in a turbine blade using glass reinforcement alone you need a much thicker blade than with a combination of glass and carbon. Thicker sections result in a much less dynamically efcient blade. Carbon bre provides the blade designer with more latitude to obtain the best aerodynamics and the best weight, he says. Use of carbon bre starts to make sound sense at a blade length of around 45m. The longer the blade, the more compelling is the argument for carbon bre, according to Zoltek. Two of the leading users of carbon bres in turbine blades are Vestas Wind Systems (headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark) and Gamesa Technology (Zamudio, Spain). These two companies each now have more than seven years experience in using carbon bre compos-
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ites in their blades. But the number of companies following in their wake is increasing. Schell estimates that as many as ten leading energy companies are now using carbon bres in their turbine blades. GE started making blades containing carbon bre in 2012. Even so, most turbine blades are still made with 100% glass bre reinforcement. And even some of the longest blades around Alstoms 70m blade for example have no carbon bre in them. Schell says total annual wind installations amount to around 45GW and he estimates that at least 7GW, and possibly as much as 12GW, is generated by turbines using blades containing carbon bre. Zoltek is selling a signicant amount of carbon bre for wind turbine blades every year, with around half of its total revenues coming from the sector. At the moment, Asia accounts for around 20% of carbon bre consumption in wind blades and growth there is the highest of all the worlds regions. Chinese company GuoDian late last year installed its rst 6MW turbine incorporating blades made with some carbon bre. This turbine has the biggest name-plate capacity and largest rotor swept area of any wind turbine in mainland China. Korea is also an emerging market for carbon bre. Looking ahead, Schell says the big question is how much the offshore wind industry will develop. He envisages offshore turbines rated at possibly as much as 15MW and using blades 100 m long. Most people will
PHOTO: OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY
agree that carbon bre will have to be used for such long blades. If the installation costs can be reduced, it should be very big, he predicts. But if installation costs stick at two to four times those of land-based turbines, it may be a bit more difcult. But in any case, it is likely turbines will get bigger. The norm has already shifted from under 1MW to around 2MW and it continues to rise. At the end of January, Gamesa announced it had begun installation of its rst G128 (128-m diameter) 5.0 MW offshore prototype, and will start operating the turbine in the second quarter of this year; the rst machines are set to be erected at wind farms in 2014. Gamesa says it utilises carbon bre in a variety of manufacturing systems: prepreg, infusion and a mix of both. The prototype is being installed on the island of Gran Canaria near Spain, and Gamesa expects to start commissioning in the second quarter, with the aim of securing certication in early 2014. The company says it will concentrate its resources in coming years on developing two new turbine systems, with nominal capacity of 2.5 MW and 5.5 MW, the latter suitable for both onshore and offshore use. It says it foresees higher-capacity offshore turbines (7 MW-8 MW) in the medium to long term. Of course, Zoltek is not the only carbon bre supplier with its eye on the wind turbine market. SGL is another major player, making not only the bres but also, at its SGL Rotec subsidiary, some of the biggest blades in the world (using glass as well as carbon) for multi-megawatt turbines. Major chemical companies are also increasingly involved. Mitsubishi Rayon recently formed a business alliance with SK Chemicals to develop and expand the carbon bre prepreg business (for various applications, not just wind) in Asian countries. Mitsubishi Rayon will supply carbon bers to SK, which will use them to make prepregs in Ulsan, Korea and Qingdao, China. Commercial production of heavy-weight prepreg for wind energy blades will begin at SKs Ulsan plant. Other Japanese carbon bre suppliers include Toho and Toray. In 2011, Sabic took out a licence for carbon bre technology from Montebre, which it will use it for a new plant to be built in Saudi Arabia and scheduled to go into commercial operation around the end of 2015. Sabic wants to serve various fast-growing markets, including wind energy. The two companies are also
The US Department of Energy has obtained promising results from research into making carbon bres from polyethylene. Surface geometries ranging from circular to hollow gear-shaped have been achieved. It says the resulting carbon bres properties are dependent on processing conditions, rendering them highly amenable to myriad applications. If the technology can be commercialised, prices could fall considerably.
considering a plant in Spain to be integrated into Montebres existing acrylic bre production site; if approved, this could be making product before 2015. Last year, Dow Chemical and Turkish acrylic bre company Aksa Akrilik Kimya formed DowAksa Advanced Composites Holdings to manufacture and commercialise
22
Reinforcements | materials
cost-effective solutions to industrial market applications for energy, transportation, and infrastructure globally. Aksa has been making carbon bre since 2009.
The cost of carbon

What can carbon bre producers do to make their products more competitive against glass? Carbon bre processors are striving to reduce the price gap but they may never close it completely. Raw material costs for glass are measured in cents per kilo but polyacrylonitrile for carbon bre costs around $2.50 per kilo. If the cost of acrylonitrile came down to a more reasonable level - and we expect it to eventually we could see a price reduction in carbon bre, says Zolteks Schell. Or maybe an alternative feedstock could be found. Last year, the US Department of Energys Oak Ridge National Laboratory announced that a team of scientists there demonstrated that, using a combination of multi-component bre spinning and a sulphonation technique they developed, they could make polyethylenebase carbon bres with tunable porosity (see photos). Our results represent what we believe will one day provide industry with a exible technique for producing technologically innovative bres in myriad congurations such as bre bundle or non-woven mat assemblies, says team leader Amit Naskar. In our lab we have demonstrated 200 ksi [1.38 GPa] strength and 20 Msi [138 GPa] modulus and we know it can be improved further. Naskar notes that for wind energy application it would require stronger bre or at least better compressive resistance. Such analyses are being done and we Click on the links for more information: are cautiously optimistic. He also says his team is currently working with an industrial partner to develop the carbon bre beyond what we know today. The process economy analysis is also underway. We have seen the carbon yield can be 60% or higher, whereas PAN gives carbon yield of only 50% or less. On shore wind installation by LM Wind Power
S www.ppg.com S www.jushi.com S www.owenscorning.com S www.agy.com S www.jmbers.com S www.zoltek.com S www.sglgroup.com S www.dowaksa.com S www.mrc.co.jp S www.sabic.com
AMI Strategy Seminars

These one-day seminars are given by an AMI director and provide invaluable insights into market trends and industry strategies. They are held in small groups and provide ample opportunities for questions and discussions.
21 March 2013: Singapore 14 May 2013: Vienna, Austria

Contact: Katy Cheng kb@amiplastics.com, +44 117 924 9442 www.amiplastics.com/seminars
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carbon bre and derivatives. Emphasis will be on bringing
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Offshore blades | project study
SSP recently delivered an 83.5m prototype blade for testing. Developed for Samsungs 7MW offshore wind turbine, the giant blade is the longest built to date. Chris Smith reports
SSP sets new record for offshore blade at 83.5m

In late October last year an 83.5m long wind turbine blade left SSP Technologys production unit at Kirkeby in Denmark to begin its 170km journey by road to the port of Esbjerg and then on by sea to Fraunhofer Instituts Wind Energy & Energy System Technology (IWES) test facility at Bremerhaven in Germany. The blade the length of 10 London buses and at the time of writing the worlds largest is a joint development between SSP Technology and Samsung Heavy Industries. It is part of the South Korean companys project to develop a 7MW offshore wind turbine with a 171.2m diameter rotor. Samsung is reported to have partnered with Korea Southern Power Corporation to develop an 84MW offshore installation off the coast of Jeju Island in the Korea Straits using the new turbine design. The project, which will use 12 of the 7MW units, is targeted for a 2015 start-up and will be South Koreas rst offshore wind energy installation. Design and manufacturing of the prototype blade took 15 months. The completed prototype is now undergoing testing and evaluation at the Bremerhaven IWES facility to prove the SPP-developed spar box and root design. Opened in 2011, the IWES facility is equipped with a test stand capable of handling blades up to 90m long. It claims to be the only facility worldwide to be able to test complete blades of this size to the IEC 61400-23 specication for full-scale structural testing of wind turbine blades. With the rst blade in position for testing, we will now use the time that follows for evaluation of the rst part of the project. As soon as the testing of the blade is successfully completed, we will start up the production of the remaining three prototype blades, says Flemming Srensen, co-founder and chief technology ofcer at SSP Technology. At the time of writing, SSP Technology said the blade has passed the extreme ap and edge tests at IWES and fatigue testing is underway. Fatigue tests are expected to be completed before the end of the year (the lower natural frequency of such long blades extends fatigue testing durations). SSP Technology is no newcomer to the large blade arena, having completed many blade projects ranging from 1.5 MW to 7.0MW turbines. It also has two turnkey projects in progress requiring 58m and 59m blades for
Above: The 83.5m long SSP rotor blade arriving at Bremerhaven in Germany
project study | Offshore blades
Right: The giant blade being unloaded at the port of Bremerhaven
turbines of 2.3MW and 3.0MW capacity respectively, has developed a prototype mould for a sectionalised 63m blade design for a 4.5MW installation incorporating carbon spar caps, and has produced the root design for a 61m blade for installation on a 6.0MW turbine. Development of any wind turbine blade involves identifying the optimal combination of load capacity, aerodynamics, structural performance and process/ material options. According to SSP Technologys head of blade design Claus Burchardt, a critically important driver for development of very large blades is tooling and testing. We dont bring anything into a blade of this size unless it has been tested and tested and tested, he says. Today, these designs involve a lot of iterations. There are compromises on aerodynamics and structures and materials and it may be that the nal result is not the best in terms of aerodynamics, he says. For the Samsung project SSP used aerodynamic and 3D CAD modelling to develop the blade geometry. Loadings were determined and this data was employed to determine a blade structure that would meet the required 25-year fatigue lifetime and provide the necessary static strength, buckling and deection resistance, and natural frequency. Burchardt says pre-design work for a blade of this size takes around 12-14 weeks but it is production of the plug and mould and manufacturing of the prototype that determines the overall project timeline. The development team opted for a at-back blade design for the 83.5m long blade, incorporating exible which due to their location can operate with tip speeds that would be considered too noisy in an onshore environment. Burchardt says the higher tip speeds also have an impact on blade chord and twist and special considerations were made in the blade design to avoid undue utter. Carbon bre is used in the spar for its stiffness and ability to keep the weight of the blade down. Placement of the carbon bre is based on a combination of structural demands and complexity in the blade geometry. No carbon is used in the tip section in order to reduce the risk of damage caused by lightning strikes. Lightning damage risk is increased with larger turbine blades and in offshore installations. Using glass reinforcement only in the tip section of the spar means it is not necessary to incorporate a copper mesh and there is no need to change the side or tip lightning receptors in the Samsung design, says Burchardt. The company has used some elements of its SSP Load Carrying Spar concept in the blade design. However, Burchardt says a number of new features have been incorporated with the prime goal of improving quality management during production. In particular, the system adopted for the Samsung blade allows for full checking of all bond-lines. Each blade skin was produced in a female mould using a combination of VARTM (vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding) pre-preg and hand lamination. This allows simple visual inspection of the construction and
Below: The 83.5m blade leaves the SSP facility at Kirkeby
tips and a carbon and glass bre hybrid spar construction. The at-back prole was selected for the simplied handling it offers during transportation. The blade features the slim tip and thick, truncated airfoil section that characterises large offshore blades,
26
Offshore blades | project study
achieves high repeatability and minimal weight variation. The blade is assembled using automated glue line control. SSP uses its own root joint system, which integrates threaded female bushings into the blade during manufacture. It claims this approach provides high levels of reliability and repeatability. It also avoids the need to retighten the blade xings bolts after installation. SSP Technology also developed a new leading edge protection system for the Samsung blade that is better able to cope with the higher tip velocities. This uses paint beneath a protective tape system. The concept, according to Burchardt, is that if the tape begins to peel or suffers mechanical damage during operation the underlying paint provides a second level of protection, allowing repairs to be scheduled for a convenient time to avoid unplanned turbine downtime. Maintenance is a key consideration in off-shore projects. This new protection system has successfully completed helicopter testing at twice the predicted blade tip velocities, says Burchardt, who says the precise details of the testing speeds and materials used cannot be disclosed at this stage. Samsung hopes to begin testing a working prototype 7MW wind turbine at the Fife Energy Park in Scotland in April this year. Work on production of the rst three blades for this test turbine installation is already underway at SSP Technology, with the intention to nalise the processes before the summer. Burchardt says a manufacturer has also been appointed to take on serial production of the blades and is already working on the required technology transfer. Above: On route to the Fraunhofer IWES test facility
www.ssptech.com
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technical feature | Core materials
Resin penetration into blade core materials during infusion provides additional stiffness. Richard Evans details a series of tests carried out at Gurit to quantify the mechanical improvement and to determine if it can be modelled in blade designs
Understanding core properties

The construction of a typical resin-infused wind turbine blade contains large areas of composite sandwich panels with foam or balsa core materials. To aid manufacture of the blades the core material contained within these sandwich panels is normally machined with a combination of holes, slits and slots to improve the conformance of the core material to the curved blade mould and also to allow the infusion resin to permeate quickly and comprehensively throughout the structure. For wind turbine blades the most widely used core materials are PVC (polyvinylchloride), PET(polyethylene terephthalate), SAN (styrene acrylonitrile) and end-grain balsa. All are much more exible than infusion resins, as can be seen from the shear modulus values in Table 1. After infusion with resin, the core will be stiffened to some extent. Whether the increased mechanical properties of the core due to the infusion resin can be used for the structural design calculations of the blade is unclear, with some blade designers taking advantage of the benet while others are doubtful whether the local stiffening effect of the resin channels really inhibits all the possible failure modes. At Gurit, a programme of work was carried out to measure the effect of infusion resin contained within the core slits on the gross properties of the core material and to determine whether any improvements in gross properties translates into the anticipated increase in failure loads that would be predicted by theory. Simplistically looking at the structure of a wind turbine blade, the load bearing areas such as the spar cap and blade root (the orange sections in Figure 1) require thick laminates for strength reasons, whereas the remainder of the structure, such as the blade shells and shear webs (indicated in green in Figure 1), is relatively lightly loaded. The design of the more lightly loaded panels is driven by the requirement for the thin laminates to be stable and to not buckle under compression or shear loading. This requires a high bending stiffness. A very efcient method of achieving this within composites is to use a sandwich construction, Shear modulus, MPa 800-1600 13-70 150-220 where a lightweight core material is inserted into the centre of the laminate to increase the panel thickness and consequently the bending stiffness with minimal additional weight. This can inhibit the classical Euler buckling mode of the panels as shown in Figure 2. However, because the core is much weaker and less
Table 1: Typical mechanical properties of blade infusion resins and core materials
Mechanical Properties Density, kg/m3 Resin Matrix Foam core Balsa core 1000-1300 45-135 100-250 Compressive modulus, MPa 2000-4000 40-180 3000-5200
28
Figure 1 (left) shows high and low blade load areas Figure 2 (right) shows a classical Euler buckling mode
stiff than the laminate skins, the design of a sandwich panel also has to take into consideration additional failure modes. Those normally considered during the design of a wind turbine are shear crimping and skin wrinkling. G Shear crimping If the shear stiffness of the core material is insufcient a sandwich panel can buckle due to excessive shear deformation of the core rather than the more common Euler buckling (bending of the panel) as can be seen in Figure 3. The shear crimping failure load can be expressed by the following equation:
referred to as skin wrinkling. This is shown schematically in Figure 4 and the failure stress for skin wrinkling can be expressed as:
Failure Stress, skin wrinkling = C
E G E
C C
sk
Where EC is the compressive modulus of the core, Esk is the longitudinal modulus of the laminate skins and the empirical factor C can have a value between 0.60-0.91. It can be seen that in the case of skin wrinkling, failure is determined by the core shear stiffness and longitudinal modulus.
Failure Loadshear crimp =
Gc. t 2 sw tc
The test programme

To measure the effect of the infusion resin on the sandwich failure modes, a number of sets of mechanical tests were performed, combined with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and conventional engineering calculations. Firstly, the shear modulus of the infused core was measured, using G-PET 110 (PET based) and Corecell T400 (SAN based) cores. These two core materials have similar mechanical properties, although the PET is more dense. To rationalise the testing PVC was not tested due to its relative similarity to SAN. Balsa was excluded from the test programme because experience shows it is generally stiff enough not to be susceptible to shear crimping or skin wrinkling. Secondly, test coupons were designed to fail in the required failure mode for panels built from both plain and slit cores. The design of the coupons was based on theoretically derived equations, but also validated using FEA to conrm the anticipated failure mode. For all the tests, a core thickness of 15mm was used with 40mm wide specimens that contained longitudinal, full-depth slits spaced 20mm apart (so two slits per coupon). Coupons were designed to fail in each of the three signicant failure modes.
where Gc is the shear modulus of the core, tsw is the thickness of the sandwich panel measured between the mid planes of the skins and tc is the thickness of the core material. It can be seen that in this failure mode the critical property of the core is its shear modulus. G Skin wrinkling If the stiffness of the core is too low there is insufcient lateral support for the laminate skins which carry the bulk of the load, allowing them to buckle independently. As the independent buckling of the skins occurs over a relatively short length scale it is
Block shear results

Figure 3 (left) shear crimping, Figure 4 (right) skin wrinkling The increase in shear strength of the core material due to the infusion resin was quantied by block shear testing to ASTM C273. The results from the block shear
Core materials | technical feature
Figure 5: Block shear test results
Figure 6: Bending buckling failure results
testing showed an increase in the shear stiffness for both of the cores, with a remarkably similar increase of 69% in shear modulus due to the resin, as can be seen in Figure 5. One notable difference found from the testing was the amount of resin absorbed by the slits in the two cores. The G-PET 110 absorbed less resin into the core slits than the T400, implying that it makes better use of the resin to improve the shear modulus of the core. This can be attributed to the anisotropy of the core (the cells are elongated in the through-thickness direction, so fewer cells are cut per unit area of slit). The two bars on the right in Figure 5 show the increase in modulus that would be expected if all of the resin absorbed into the core was structurally benecial. Once the shear stiffness of the infused cores was characterised, the design of test coupons was completed using the theoretical equations described earlier and FE models. Coupon length and skin thickness were varied for each coupon so as to favour one of the three failure mode and inhibit the other two. For all coupons, with plain and slit core, the measured failure load was lower than predicted by FEA or theory, reinforcing the need for safety factors in design. However, even the largest difference between test data and theory was smaller than the safety factors commonly used in blade design (e.g. GL Guidelines for Certication of Wind Turbines 2010), which suggests that those factors are adequate.
provided by the composite skins. The test results showed a greater improvement due to the infused resin slits with 24% and 29% improvement measured for the GPET110 and T400 respectively. These results were tempered by the test failure loads generally being at a lower level than predicted, which was found to be due to some initial curvature of the test specimens as shown in Figure 7.
Shear crimping results

For shear crimping, the predicted failure loads calculated by the two different methods correlated very well and predicted just over a 50% increase in the failure load due to the infused resin slits (Figure 8). This improvement in failure load is lower than the 69% increase in shear modulus found during the block Figure 7: Some initial curvature was evident in the test specimens, which has a small effect on failure load results
Bending buckling results

For the sandwich panel instability due to the bending stiffness of the panel, the predicted improvement due to the infused resin slits is relatively modest. Data shows the improvement to amount to approximately 11% for both core types and shows good correlation between the theoretical and FE predicted failure loads (Figure 6). This is not surprising as the bulk of the bending stiffness is
Figure 8: Shear crimping failure results
Figure 9: Skin wrinkling failure results
shear testing due to the thick laminate skins having a constant inuence on the failure loads for both the plain and infused coupons. The measured test results were variable and inuenced by some of the loading faces of the coupons not being square, but once again the testing showed that the infused resin slits improved the failure load of the test coupons by at least as much as the theory predicted.
change in mode shape being more benecial for the softer T400 core.
Summary and conclusions

The testing of the two core materials showed that for the particular core slit pattern used, a 69% improvement in shear modulus was measured for both the T400 and G-PET 110 core materials. When the infused slit core was tested, the measured improvement compared to plain core was higher than that derived from theoretical calculations and FE models based on the increased shear modulus. Therefore, it may well be valid to make use of the higher tested shear modulus of infused slit core when designing blades, allowing potential weight and cost savings to be made providing that the usual safety factors are applied. Gurit now plans to expand its database to include additional core material types and cut patterns.
Skin wrinkling results

For the nal failure mode, skin wrinkling, FE models predicted a higher failure load than the theoretical/ empirical equations. For the infused resin slits, FEA predicted a 20% improvement for the infused resin slits as well as a change in the mode shape of the failure due to the infused resin slits restraining the deection of the sandwich skins (Figure 9). The measured improvement for the cores due to the infused resin was found to be 23% and 88% for the GPET 110 and T400 respectively. The much greater improvement for the T400 was believed to be due to the
Richard Evans is a design engineer at Gurit UK. Email: richard.evans@gurit.com S www.gurit.com
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HYBRID ANISOTROPIC MATERIALS FOR WIND POWER TURBINE BLADES
2012, by Golfman, 95.00 or 80.00 or $130.00 New in 2012. Latest developments in materials, manufacturing and testing. More info/Buy here
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WIND POWER PLANTS: FUNDAMENTALS, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

2012, by Gasch & Twele, 78.00 or 65.00 or $99.00 2nd edition. Comprehensive examination translated from a standard German text. More info/Buy here
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technical feature | Strain measurement
Operation and maintenance is a key cost in offshore wind turbine installations. Optical strain gauge technology can allow continuous and remote monitoring of blade condition, says Luc Rademakers
Fibre optic blade strain monitoring
Operation and maintenance (O&M) of offshore wind turbines is one of the main cost drivers for offshore wind energy, where site visits can be very expensive. At present, OPEX cost contributes approximately 25% to the Levelised Cost Of Energy (LCOE). Condition based maintenance presents an attractive means to control the O&M costs of wind turbines and compared to corrective maintenance can reduce downtime, minimise the consequences of damage, improve planning of activities, and enable better use of resources and equipment. The result is an overall reduction in cost. A number of systems are already available to monitor the condition of wind turbine components. SCADA data, drive train monitoring, visual inspections and oil sampling are commonly used and have all proven their value. However, these techniques only start to provide useful information when the components are already exhibiting evidence of degradation or failure. On the basis that degradation of a component is strongly related to the loads acting on it, the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) has been
developing a bre optic system capable of accurately monitoring the mechanical loads in the rotor blades, where most of the loads are introduced. It has developed a low cost method that monitors blade root bending moments and processes the data in such a way that turbine operators can decide if and which maintenance action is required. This information can be used to prevent failures, to postpone or prioritise visits, or to decide on extension of the turbine life. The specications for the bre optic load monitoring system are based on ECNs previous experience in measurement of wind turbine characteristics and its understanding of the shortcomings of electrical strain measurements. The procedures for data processing, analysis and reporting are in line with IEC standards for wind turbines. The system consists of: l A patented easy to install sensor assembly with bre Bragg gratings, that requires no calibration, and provides reliable, accurate and reproducible strain data over a very long period (four assemblies per blade);
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Right: Strain gauge mounted in its protective case. Far right: Detailed view of one of the mounting studs.
G A commercially available interrogator to read out the data from the bre optic sensors; G A measurement computer that derives load data from strain data and combines the blade load data with turbine PLC data; G Wireless-LAN to enable communication between the rotor and the turbine base; G Software for data processing that lters and cleans up the time series, categorises the data per design load case, and provides key gures, statistics, and graphs to the operator for O&M optimisation; G Additional software that combines measured blade root bending moments with SCADA data and also Schematic showing a typical optical strain monitoring system set-up generates loads for other main components like drive train and tower top.
technicians with no special skills on bre optics (plug-and-play). System installation in less than two days was the target. Key design considerations included the ability to accurately measure the average strain over a well-known distance to avoid the effects of non-homogeneities in the blade, elimination of on-site calibration, and the ability to provide the same working lifetime as the blade itself. The following technical specication was determined: Strain resolution Maximum strain level Long term drift Temperature range Long life time : 1 : -1000 .+1000 : less than 5 in one year : -20+40 oC : > 107 cycles @ 1000 Strain accuracy / stability : better than 5
The resulting sensor consists of a bre with a Bragg
Sensor assembly
The sensor assembly is intended to be easy to install and replace by regular wind turbine maintenance
grating mounted between two studs via a carrier. The studs are mounted at a mutual distance of 100 mm to the inner side of the blade root. The carrier ensures that the bre follows the displacements of the studs and with this approach the strain in the blade root is measured over a sufcient length to avoid local effects of the blade material. The carrier protects the bre from sharp bending and also accommodates a second Bragg grating for temperature compensation. Since each strain sensor is compensated by a local temperature sensor, the effects of temperature differences over the blade can be detected. The bre is manufactured with draw tower grating technology from FBGS International and has proven to have a very high ultimate strain (up to 6%). The assembly can easily survive the life time of the turbine.
Installation Aspects
The sensor is suitable for applications in both existing turbines (retrot) and new blades. Since all assemblies are calibrated after production under well-dened conditions, on-site calibration after repair is not necessary, which keeps downtime to a minimum.
Strain measurement | technical feature
Technicians are provided with a dedicated battery operated tool that allows quick mounting, accurate mutual positioning and glueing of the studs on the surface of the blade. Prior to bonding of the studs, the specic areas of the blade are ground. An adhesive with a short curing time (15 minutes at 20oC) and which can survive the dynamic loads is used to secure the studs. The complete mounting time takes just 20 minutes including curing time. A dedicated sensor housing is also mounted during the curing of the stud connection. This includes a base plate and removable cover and enables simple installation, inspection, and replacement of the sensor. Finally, the technicians mount the carriers on the studs, using only four bolts for rigid connection, and plug-in the patch cables into the two E2000 connectors. The protective covers are attached to the base plates to shield the sensors from moisture and impact. After the sensors are installed, the interrogator is mounted in the hub, the PC is installed elsewhere in the turbine, and all devices are connected with electrical cables and optical bres. The entire measurement system is designed to limit the amount of onsite work most of the preparatory work can be done in the workshop - and rst runs have shown that the tight installation schedule of less than two days can be met. modes) present in the time series, possibly splits the 10 minute time series into single mode les, and stores the data with statistics of the single mode les into the relevant database eld. The identication of the load cases is performed based on turbine PLC signals such as power, nacelle wind speed, rotational speed, etc. ECN has also developed software that reads out the database contents and generates reports, plots, and key gures that the operator can use to make sound decisions for operation and maintenance. The data processing software contains two main processes: G An on-line module which continuously collects and processes the relevant data from the measurement system and subsequently stores the results in a database; G A reporting module, which provides online access to the database and generates periodic reports. Both processes function independently with a database as the interface between the two parts. Once the measurement campaign is running, the software Frequency plots (av. power density). Example of APSD of edgewise and apwise bending
Read-out Unit (Interrogator)

Specications for the read-out unit for wind turbine applications are: a minimum wavelength range of 1520-1580 nm, strain resolution of 1 , strain accuracy/stability of better than 5 , sensor readout frequency of greater than16 Hz, and ability to support eight Fibre Bragg Gratings per blade (four strain and four temperature). Various suppliers provide interrogators that meet these general specications. At present ECN uses the WindMeter from FibreSensing. This device is based on WDM technology for readout of the sensors and is especially designed for wind turbine applications. It has three channels, is available in a robust housing and has a minimal power consumption. The maximum frequency readout frequency for the sensors is 100 Hz.
Software for Data Analysis and Reporting

ECNs software automatically analyses the large amounts of raw data and provides information to operators about accumulated loads, extreme loads, dynamic behaviour and vulnerable spots. The software contains an algorithm that rst cleans and lters the data and removes spikes. The software detects the load cases (operational Comparison of 10 minute values for optical (red) and electrical (blue) strain measurement, with difference (green)
37
Equivalent loads: Example of plots with the equivalent load as a function of wind speed (10 minute average) during normal operation
determines every 10 minutes which load cases have occurred (normal operation, start-up, shutdown, emergency shutdown, etc.) and lters out erroneous data. Then the software determines statistical data, updates the load spectra plots, and analyses the frequencies. Finally, the software is able to generate monthly reports which provide information about captured data, deviations with respect to the long term statistics, and comparison with nger print data.
The system has shown to be stable over a long period of time and operate within the required accuracies. Fatigue and ultimate tests have shown that the sensor system meets the design specications. The software for data analysis has also proven to work well. ECN is about to install the rst system in a commercially available turbine. Compared to electrical strain guages and patches with optical sensors that are glued directly onto the blade (or are integrated with the blade), the ECN sensor design has a number of benets: G Mounting the sensor assembly is on two studs positioned 10 cm apart means measured strains avoid the local inuences of in-homogeneities, small gaps, and/or stress concentrations that can occur in reinforced plastics. G Sensors installed during blade manufacturing can be removed during blade transport and installation to minimize the risk of damage. G Installation of the sensors does not require any changes to the blade manufacturing process, allowing it to be offered as a simple option to clients. G The optical-based solutions is insensitive to EMC and can be used in ammable and explosive conditions. Click on the links for more information:
User experience
The bre optic load monitoring system has been developed as a device to measure blade root bending moments in operating wind turbines over a long period of time with high accuracy and long term stability. It has been operating for several years in one of ECNs test turbines and many eld and laboratory tests have been Illustration showing the location of key components in ECNs test turbine carried out and comparisons have been made with strain gauge measurements. While the ECN system can be supplied as a complete solution, the component parts including the software can also be supplied for integration into an existing monitoring system.
S www.ecn.nl S www.fbgs.com S www.bersensing.com
About the author:

Luc Rademakers is manager of operations and condition monitoring in the Wind Energy division of the Netherlands-based research centre ECN. Tel: +31 224 56 4943, Email: rademakers@ecn.nl S www.ecn.nl
Conference report | feature
The forum for blade innovation

The wind energy industry has certainly felt the impact of the global downturn, and this has had an inevitable impact on investment funding and government incentives in all regions of the world. However, it was clear from the presentations and discussion at AMIs third Wind Turbine Blade Manufacture conference in Dusseldorf, Germany, last year that innovation has not slowed. Blade manufacturers continue to develop the new technologies and designs that will help operators cut investment and operating costs. LM Wind Power director of system engineering Lars Fuglsang described the companys latest GloBlade concept as a new way to do business in the wind energy market. The idea behind the GloBlade concept is to offer a highly customised blade design built around a set of standardised elements. Parts of the blade are standard the structure but parts can be customised. In the tip we can change the design and the aerodynamic features, he said. Fugslang said as much as 85% of the material and tooling is reusable across variants, which enables economies of scale to be realised while still allowing considerable customisation potential. The GloBlade concept is already available for the 1.5MW segment in the GloBlade 1 and GloBlade 2 variants. Fugslang said the company is now extending the concept into the 3MW range. The 58.7m GloBlade 3 LM58.7P and 61.2m GloBlade 3L LM61.2P are designed to t a broad range of 3.0MW turbines and are claimed to be able to improve annual energy production by as much as 14% over standard designs. Fugslang said serial production of the 58.7m GloBlade 3 will commence later this year. Siemens Wind Powers rotor design team leader Peter Fugslang said the companys largest installed system to date the 6.0MW SWP-154 has a rotor
Investment activity in wind energy may have slowed but technical innovations continue. We report from the Wind Turbine Blade Manufacture conference, held in Germany at the end of last year
PHOTO: LONDON ARRAY
feature | Conference report
Figure 1: Annual Energy Production versus Sound Power Level
Figure 2: Annual Energy Production versus Rotor Diameter
Source: Siemens Wind Power
Source: Siemens Wind Power
diameter of 154m, dwarng the wing span of an Airbus A380 aircraft. There should be no doubt that it is the growth in size that is driving our business today, he said. The driver for increased size is the requirement to maximise annual energy production. Fugslang said a 10% increase in rotor area approximates to a 12% increase in energy generation (Figure 2). However, other factors also come into play with larger blades, such as the potential for increased noise. Fugslang said noise increases with rotor diameters and tip speeds, effectively imposing limits on annual energy production (AEP). It is a critical issue to master, he said, as engineering a 1dB(A) reduction in noise is worth 3-4% in AEP assuming the rotor diameter is increased to the same rated power (Figure 1). Figure 3: Design scorecard for different 100m blade constructions performance and weight (based on three blade rotor set)
Source: Sandia National Laboratories
ble 100m blade design was detailed by Dr Todd Grifth, offshore wind technical lead within the organisations Wind and Water Power Technologies Department. The SNL100-00 project is now at a stage where the development team is beginning to look at weight optimisation and compliance with GL and IEC certications. The current non-optimised SNL100-00 design is based on all glass bre reinforcement with three shear webs and weighs in at 114 tonnes for a three blade rotor. Grifth said the study has shown that utter could be a real problem in the future with large blade designs, prompting it to consider a lighter design with some carbon bre content. It has modelled SNL100-01 variants with carbon in the spar cap only, in the trailing edge only and in both spar cap and trailing edge. Estimated rotor set weight could be reduced to as little as 78 tonnes, he said, although more work is required before a design can be nalised (Figure 3). Gamesa Innovations G128 modular blade project manager Eneko Sanz Pascual spoke about this latest addition to the companys G10X portfolio. The 62.5m long G128 blade is a modular design produced in a combination of glass and carbon bre and is intended for use on the companys latest 4.5MW turbine. The sectionalised design is said to keep manufacturing cost down while simplifying transportation. Gamesa has selected a bolted joint over the alternative of bonding because, while heavier, it is more robust and can be easily assembled on site. Sanz Pascual said that the additional cost of the connection in the region of 10% of the total blade cost can be offset by transport savings. Prototype testing of the G128 design was completed in 2011 and the rst wind farm is currently under construction. Sanz Pascual said the G128 design is around 40% lighter than current multi-megawatt blades, weighing in at around 15 tonnes. He said the company expects to be producing between 50 and 60 G128 rotor sets a month once full production is underway.
Developments in blade design over the past 30 years have focused on blade shape. Solidity has reduced from around 10% to 5% while planform design has evolved from a linear chord to a non-linear load optimised style. Airfoils are also now wind industry specic. Fugslang said attention is now being focused on add-ons such as tip winglets, inboard and outboard vortex generators, modied trailing edges and spoilers. A project carried out at Sandia National Laboratories in the US to develop a theoretical, publicly-availa-
40
Figure 4: Real energy production per week with and without anti-icing technology
Source: Nordex Energy
Ice build up on turbine blades in cold climates is a major issue for the industry. Nordex Energys deputy head of blade system department, central engineering, Dr Astrid Lwe spoke about the companys experience with electric de-icing technology, which it has been investigating since 2010. The pro-active system continually monitors icing conditions, using energy from the turbine itself to heat the aerodynamically relevant blade surfaces only as required. In tests carried out over the winters of 2010/11 and 2011/12 at three sites in Sweden, Lwe said turbines tted with anti-icing turbine technology were shown to generate considerably more energy during the winter months than reference turbines without any de-icing technology. In one example, the gains in monthly energy production for December 2010 and January and February of 2011 were measured at 126, 43 and 83% respectively (Figure 4). However, Lwe pointed out that the ability to realise these gains in practice depends on the turbine location. The anti-icing technology does not keep the complete blade surface free of ice, which means that falling ice will still present a safety risk if turbines are located in areas with nearby human activity, such as within ski resorts. Lightning strike presents a real risk of damage to wind turbines and this risk is increasing with the introduction of high performance materials such as carbon bre. Manchester University knowledge
transfer fellow Dr Vidyadhar Peesapati said that a typical 160m diameter turbine tip is likely to be hit by lightning 1.4 times a year, even in a low lightning risk area such as the North Sea. Peesapati said current lightning protection systems based on the placement of receptors (which channel streamers to ground) are effective in glass reinforced blades but that effectiveness reduces with the introduction of conductive materials, whether that is in the form of carbon bre laminates, anti-icing systems or radar cross section (RCS) reduction technologies. The addition of conductive materials within the blade changes the electric eld and puts the rest of the blade at risk as the conductive areas begin to emit streamers, he said. Overcoming this challenge will require very careful design of the receptor system and careful consideration before placing conductive materials in the tips, he said. Leading edge erosion is also a major contributor to blade operating and maintenance costs. According to 3Ms business manager for wind energy Christian Claus, leading edge damage can result in an up to 20% decline in energy output. The companys latest development for the wind market is a new PU-based coating. The two-component brush-on W4600 product has been developed to meet the demands of the offshore sector, where tip speeds are increasing (tip speed is a key factor in leading edge erosion). Claus said rain erosion tests (125-150m/s
feature | Conference report
Source: TPI Composites
Figure 5: Scorecard showing processing cycle time reductions achieved within the US Department of Energy supported Advanced Manufacturing Initiative
rotational speeds and 1-2mm droplet size) have shown no breakthrough on the W4600 after 9 hours, while typical topcoats and leading edge coatings show breakthrough at 60-90 mins. TPI Composites has been part of a US Department of Energy funded project to explore advanced automated manufacturing processes with a target of cutting cycle time by 35%. Principal engineer and senior director of innovation and technology Stephen Nolet said wind blade manufacturing did not justify the investment in automated pattern cutting and layup technology that is commonplace in the aerospace sector because of the much lower value of the products he estimated blade values in the $5-10 per pound compared to $200-700 per pound in aerospace. However, Nolet said there was still considerable scope to make savings in the downstream activities. The Advanced Manufacturing Initiative (AMI) project is looking at prefabrication of elements such as trailing edges, use of laser-assisted reinforcement placement tools (developed at Iowa State University and explained
in detail by Dr Frank Peters at the conference), improved heating technology and use of rotating carts to simplify blade handling. To date, the team has realised a 36% reduction in cycle time by applying these concepts in production of 9m blades (Figure 5). Iowa State University also contributed its expertise in ultrasonic evaluation techniques to the AMI programme. Automation is also a key focus in the work carried out at the Fraunhofer IWES research institute in Germany. Group manager Florian Sayer presented some IWES estimates for the cost of manufacturing a 55m blade using typical current manufacturing methods. These show that labour accounts for more than 40% of the estimated 157,000 total manufacturing cost of the blade (Figure 6). Sayer said IWES had come to the same conclusion as TPI Composites that automated bre placement was not an affordable option for blade surface production but could possibly be utilised in spar cap production. The latest ndings in a study of compatibility
Figure 6: Estimated manufacturing cost breakdown for a typical 55m blade manufactured using current technology
Source: Fraunhofer IWES
42
composite cores business Philipp Angst said absorption of resin into the core during the infusion process was essential to achieve a strong bond, but high absorption rates mean increased material cost. He said the companys Airex T92 SealX products provide a typical resin uptake of around 0.5 kg/m2 compared to around 1.0 kg/m2 for PVC core foam (60 kg/m ), 1.6 kg/m for PET core (100
3 2
Figure 7: Core resin uptake comparisons for a 47m rotor blade Airex SealX PET against standard alternatives Source: 3A Composites
kg/m3) and around 2.4 kg/m2 for balsa (Figure 7). The conference closed with a look at some of the latest thinking in blade recycling. Professor Henning Albers, institute director at the Bremen University of Applied Science, is studying end of life options for wind turbine blades, which include reconditioning and re-use for intact blades and energy recovery with residual between the component materials used in the wind blade sector were presented by Dr Gergor Daun, global business manager epoxy systems at BASF. In one chemical compatibility study, it was found that the epoxy resin coloured PVC foam core materials but had no effect on balsa, PET or SAN. Daun says this was attributed to formation of conjugated double bonds at the surface. The trials also showed how the epoxy to bre bond could be optimised by sizing selection and how temperature could have a signicant impact on gel coat adhesion. As the size and mass of wind turbine blades increases so does the loading on the root joint. Owens Cornings global wind energy technical marketing leader Georg Adolphs explained how its latest Ultrablade E-glass bre fabrics could be used in root designs to improve performance and reduce cost. He cited the example of a 60m blade design study where redesigning the root around the Ultrablade fabrics rather than the current Advantex type had resulted in a 12% material saving. Core systems developer 3A Composites presented data on the low resin uptake on its latest PET foam product. Director of product management for the waste in an incinerator, for example in cement kilns. He said increasingly strict waste management regulations, together with growing volumes of blades reaching the end of their service life, would drive demand for an effective waste solution (Figure 8). He highlighted the ReFiber process as one option. This involves crushing the material to 25cm pieces, pyrolysis at 600C, and separation into glass bre and lling material. The recovered glass shows a 50% loss of strength but is suitable for use in insulation.
The Wind Turbine Blade Manufacture 2012 conference took place in Dusseldorf on 27-29 November 2012. The full conference proceedings can be purchased from the PID bookstore here. The next Wind Turbine Blade Manufacture conference will take place on 3-5 December 2013 at the Maritim Hotel in Dusseldorf, Germany. More information can be found at the conference website. AMI is currently inviting presentation submissions for the 2013 conference (the deadline is 17 May 2013). For more information about speaking at the event, contact Dr Sally Humphreys: sh@amiplastics.com.
Figure 8: Wind turbine material mass available for recycling in Germany (assuming 10-15 year repowering cycle)
Source: Wessels (2011), University of Applied Science, Bremen
43
show preview | JEC Composites Europe
The worlds biggest composites show takes place in Paris, France on 12-14 March this year. JEC Composites Europe is expected to draw more than 30,000 visitors to Pavilion 1 at the Porte de Versailles Paris Expo centre. Wind energy is a key part of the show, accounting for around 10% of exhibitors. Over the next two and a half pages we take a look at some of the innovations on show for this demanding industrial sector.
Composites blow into Paris

Airtech
www.airtech.lu
Airtech Advanced Materials Group will show its Vac-Ric LT and HT resin infusion connectors, which are designed to provide effective through-bag connection to the vacuum manifold and resin feed lines for low and high temperature applications. The company will also show its resin infusion adapter and Sil-Tube exible heat and chemical resistant tubing products, together with the latest additions to its Airseal sealant tape range. These include the Airseal 2 ST cost optimised tape for use at up to 150C and the Airseal 2 HT Twin tape for double bagging applications.
Duratek
www.duratek.com.tr
Turkish resin producer Duratek will present its new GL-approved epoxy lamination system for infusion production of turbine blades. The 1200 system is said to be the result of three years of development. With a room temperature viscosity of 300-350 mPas and low exotherm, the resin system is said to be well suited to production of spar caps and thicker laminates. The system is designed for room temperature curing applications. However, the company says it exceeds the industry standard HDT and Tg values when post-cured at 60-70C.
Dow
www.dow.com www.dowaksa.com
Dow Formulated Systems will introduce an enhanced infusion system with a new adhesion technology as part of its Airstone product line for wind turbine blade composites. The company will also promote the range of carbon bre products and derivatives that have come out of the DowAksa joint venture, which the company set up last year with Turkish acrylic bre producer Aksa Akrilik Kimya Sanayii.
Extended Structured Composites

www.escomposite.com
Germany-based Extended Structured Composites (ESC) will display its 3D-Core product line, which it claims can help to improve resin ow and optimise structural stability and weight of composite parts. Available as an expanded PET, XPS, PUR and SAN foam, 3D-Core foams incorporate a hexagonal module structure that allows the materials to easily follow contours in the mould. The company claims the structured foam core materials can provide a 50% increase in
JEC Composites Europe | show preview
with HexPly M79. For a very low temperature cure, a cycle of 10 hours at 70C is recommended. This enables lower cost tooling and associated materials to be used and results in energy savings, creating a highly competitive cost environment. If a more rapid cure cycle is required then HexPly M79 cures in 8 hours at 75C and in only 4-6 hours at 80C. This provides a signicant time-saving over established industry prepregs, where a typical cure cycle for an 80C curing resin matrix is 10 hours. According to Hexcel, using the HexPly M79 product also means less risk of an exothermic reaction. It says the new grade provides a 60% reduction over its standard M9G prepregs. However, the new prepreg is still based on the standard epoxy chemistry that has over 20 years of proven performance in wind blade manufacture. HexPly M79 also has a very long outlife at room temperature of at least 2 months. The low cure temperature of HexPly M79 also means the system is compatible with any liquid epoxy resin used for infusion processing, allowing prepreg and infusion processes to be combined in the same blade. The ultimate performance for wind blades is achieved production efciency and 250% gain in shear strength. when HexPly M79 is reinforced with carbon bre. For the next generation of super-size blades, Hexcel offers patented carbon UD materials that allow very thick carbon UD laminates to be manufactured by vacuum bag technology. Hexcels HexPly carbon bre UD prepregs with Grid Technology have been certied by Germanischer Lloyd for use in wind energy applications.
Gurit
www.gurit.com
Gurit will be promoting its latest G-PET FR re retardant PET foam and its new core sealing technology for balsa Uvotech. This is said to signicantly reduce resin uptake while retaining core-laminate adhesion and durability. The company will also show its sealing technology for PET. Gurit will display its Airstream specialised prepreg, which has been developed to enable economical manufacturing of very high quality unidirectional carbon spar caps without the need for a temperature controlled factory. Other new introductions include the companys next generation of automotive materials for high volume body panel production, which use rapid press moulding techniques to produce a Class-A nish capable of high temperature paint-line processing.
Johns Manville
www.jm.com
The newest introduction on the Johns Manville stand will be its latest glass products for reinforcement of thermoplastic composites. StarRov RXN886 has been developed specically for in-mould caprolactum polymerisation processes. The company will also present its StarRov 076 glass, which was granted GL approval for wind energy applications last year. Manufactured by direct winding of
Hexcel
www.hexcel.com
Hexcel will display its HexPly M79 prepreg, which is designed to provide wind blade manufacturers currently using infusion techniques with a simple option to transfer to prepreg production methods. HexPly M79 has been developed to meet industry demands for a lower temperature curing prepreg that cures more quickly than products currently on the market. A number of cure cycle options are possible
JEC 2013
Dates: 12-14 March 2013 Venue: Pavilion 1, Paris Expo, Hours: 09:00 18:00 daily Admission: Daily ticket advance purchase 20 ( 35 on site). Multi-day ticket advance purchase 35 ( 55 on site) Organiser: JEC Composites. Tel: +33 (0)1 58 36 15 01 Website: www.jeccomposites.com
PARlS MARCH l2, l3, l4, 20l3
Place de la Porte de Versailles, 75015 Paris, France
45
show preview | JEC Composites Europe
claimed to reduce total styrene emissions by more than 55%. The new gelcoat has been tested by Denmarks LM Wind Power, which uses the system at its production plants around the world. We have seen a major reduction of more than 50% in styrene emissions during spray gelcoat application, without any loss of performance and using the same standard spray equipment and catalysts as with conventional gelcoats, says LM Wind Power global equipment engineering senior manager Dan Lindvang. The company will also show its Crestapol acrylic resin range, including the 1250LV grade developed to function well with standard sized carbon bre reinforcecontinuous glass bres and carrying a silane sizing, the roving is said to provide very good fatigue performance in both epoxy and polyester matrix applications. ment. This will be shown as part of a wind blade component. Other new introductions include the vinyl ester Crystic Gelcoat 15PA spray tooling gelcoat, which offers superior gloss retention. The 15PA is the latest addition to Scott Baders proven Crystic matched tooling system and offers mould makers a brush tooling gelcoat option, a VE skincoat and a choice of standard or rapid tooling back up resins.
Scott Bader
www.scottbader.com
Scott Bader will be launching a number of new gelcoat products at JEC Europe, including its ultralow styrene content Crystic Ecogel S1PA spray product. This is
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Composite joints and connections: principles, modelling and testing, 2011, Composite Materials: Science and Engineering, 2012, Epoxy Polymers: New Materials and Innovations, 2010, Introduction to Composite Materials Design, Second Edition, 2010, Polymer Matrix Composites and Technology, 2011, Principles of Composite Material Mechanics, Third Edition, 2011, Process Modeling in Composites Manufacturing, Second Edition, 2010,
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Advances in Composite Materials: Vol.1, Dynamic Effects in Composites, 2012, Ageing of composites, 2008, Creep and Fatigue in Polymer Matrix Composites, 2010, Delamination behaviour of composites, 2008, Environmental Degradation in Industrial Composites, 2005, Failure Mechanisms in polymer matrix composites, 2012, Long-Term Durability of Polymeric Matrix Composites, 2011,
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Order online or by telephone, fax or email. Contact Matt Wherlock, Tel: +44 (0)117 924 9442 Fax: +44 (0)117 9892128 email: mjw@amiplastics.com All prices are correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change. Please check the Plastics Information Direct website for current prices and shipping charges.
products | Additives
ReSIN SYSTeMS
Extended work time epoxy eases infusion processing

Epotec Infusion system YDL590/TH7675 is a new introduction from the epoxy resins division of Thailands Aditya Birla Chemicals that the company says is designed to ease production of todays larger wind turbine blades. The new system is based on the companys Epotec YDL590 resin and TH7657 curing agent and is said to offer an optimum combination of process and performance properties. The new system is approved by Germanischer Lloyd. Benets of the resin system include a high degree of latency at ambient conditions, with a resulting slow viscosity development, extended working time and lower exothermic heat of reaction. The system also provides a faster strength build up during cure. This opens the way to processing cycle time reductions, according to the company. Aditya Birla claims that, due to the combination of being able to start mould heating immediately after infusion is complete and the potential to cure at higher temperatures, manufacturers can reduce cycle times by 20-25% when the new resin system is used in conjunction with the companys YD1533G/ TH7257G structural adhesive. According to the company, the slow viscosity build up also eases penetration of the reinforcement, reducing the chance of defects such as dry areas or wrinkling.
Intelligent approach to measuring from GLPS

Global Lightning Protection Services (GLPS) says its GLPS-ILMS standalone lightning CMS system is capable of measuring lightning currents in up to three positions (current paths) and can process the lightning current waveform into peak current, maximum rise time, specic energy and charge content. The compact system the processor unit measures just 400mm by 400mm by 200mm and weighs 5kg is simple to integrate into the rotor blade and provides operation over a temperature range from -25C to +55C. The system measures the entire waveform - including rst, subsequent and long duration stroke on each channel independently. Storage is provided for the previous 100 events.
ceRTIFIcaTION
www.epotec.info
www.glps.dk
ReINFORceMeNT
CTG to make AGYs S-1 HM wind rovings

US-based AGY has signed an agreement with Chinas CTG/ Taishan Fiberglass under which the Chinese rm will manufacture AGYs S-1 HM high performance glass rovings for wind energy applications. The S-1 HM roving products will be sold by both compa48
nies. AGY will focus on the US and European markets while CTG/Taishan Fiberglass will sell to the Asia Pacic and African regions. S-1 HM rovings are said to provide higher tensile modulus 90GPa - and enhanced fatigue performance compared to traditional E-glass products.
According to AGY, the products are specically aimed at use in areas of the blade requiring enhanced performance, such as spars and spar caps and blade root sections. l AGY also recently launched a glass bre with a tensile modulus of 99GPa, some 40% above that of traditional
E-glass. The S-1 UHM ultra high modulus glass is manufactured using the companys Modular Direct Melt technology and is claimed to deliver enhanced modulus without sacricing performance.
www.agy.com www.ctfg.com
This months free brochure downloads

Simply click on the brochure cover or link to download a PDF of the full publication
3A Composites: Core products

Europe / Middle East / India / Africa: Airex AG 5643 Sins, Switzerland Tel +41 41 789 66 00 Fax +41 41 789 66 60 corematerials@3AComposites.com North America / South America: Baltek Inc. High Point, NC 27261, USA Tel +1 336 398 1900 Fax +1 336 398 1901 corematerials.americas@3AComposites.com Asia / Australia / New Zealand: 3A Composites (China) Ltd. 201201 Shanghai, China Tel +86 21 585 86 006 Fax +86 21 338 27 298 corematerials.asia@3AComposites.com
GLPS: Lightning protection

EWEA 2013 LIGHTNING PROTECTION AS A NATURAL PART OF WIND TURBINE DESIGNS Sren Find Madsen, Kim Bertelsen & Thomas Holm Krogh Global Lightning Protection Services A/S, HI Park 445, 7400 Herning, Denmark E-mail: sfm@glps.dk Phone: +45 6081 5049 Summary The present paper discusses the necessity of including lightning protection of wind turbines in the early design phases, to ensure a robust and functional system throughout the lifetime of the turbine. In this sense it is important to emphasize that a modern wind turbine should withstand lightning strikes without suffering unacceptable damages. The paper presents different topics as risk assessment, engineering design tools and lightning verification tests, all to be employed in the natural and proactive wind turbine design process. 1 INTRODUCTION protection engineers adapt the requirements and restrictions posed for mechanical and structural reasons, but also that mechanical design engineers and engineers working with traditional power and control system installations realise that lightning strikes are a real threat against safe and reliable operation. The final step to ensure an efficient and robust design is the verification process, where tests are required both for certification purposes and to confirm the intended design ideas and principles. The standard IEC 61400-24 [1] concerning lightning protection of wind turbines recommends a set of verification tests, comprising High Voltage strike attachment tests, High Current physical damage tests along with several others, which are all used to stress the construction in a similar manner as found during real lightning exposure. The overall aim is of course not only to obtain a certificate from one of the independent certifiers, but to design a rigid and efficient system that will in fact stay in operation for as many years as guaranteed by the manufacturer. Lightning occurrence can no longer be treated as force majeure, since lightning strikes are something that is to be foreseen and that should be expected to all modern wind turbines. Lightning is something governed by laws of physics and described by engineering tools, just as structural strength and fatigue for the mechanical parts of the wind turbine.
www.corematerials.3AComposites.com
New AIREX T92 Seal X

Save resin to the Max!
Find out how Airex T92 SealX PET core foams can help you reduce resin usage during infusion. This two page brochure compares resin uptakes and penetration of conventional and SealX PET core materials.
Lightning damages to wind turbines are adding a significant cost to the O&M concerning blades, the nacelle, the overall control system etc. However, if the lightning protection standards as IEC 61400-24 [1] are applied correctly, and the solutions are engineered according to the most recent findings damages should not occur or be accepted. The performance criterion is that the turbine should be able to receive high level lightning strikes without structural damage that would impair the functioning of the system. The turbine should be continuous operational until next scheduled maintenance and inspection, meaning that a lightning strike should not require special inspection and repair. Initially a risk assessment of the lightning exposure and consequences to the wind turbine is conducted, which defines the baseline for the protection system. Typically lightning protection level one (LPL1) is chosen, which then sets the design inputs in terms of lightning frequency, lightning attachment points, lightning strike immunity, requirements to electronic systems, lifetime issues related to lightning damages etc. Once the exposure rate and the overall expectations to the turbine performance are fixed, the protection measures can be designed into the mechanical and the electrical design concept of blades, nacelle, tower installation, earthing systems, etc. This requires that the responsible lightning
This 10-page technical article explains how to integrate effective lightning protection into wind turbine blades. It discusses risk assessment, engineering design tools and verication tests.
Click here to download
Aditya Birla: Resin systems

Epotec Systems for Wind Energy Applications
Epotec epoxy systems for Wind Energy Applications are designed to meet stringent process and application requirements and offer a unique combination of performance and cost effectivenes. The Company offers a wide range of Germanischer Lloyd (GL) certified systems with product portfolio consisting of Tooling Resin Systems, Gel Coats, Resin Infusion System, Resin Systems for Prepegs, Expandable Epoxy Systems, Adhesive Systems and Hand-Lay up Systems.
2013 conference update

WIND TURBINE
BLADE MANUFACTURE
Features: Versatile to different processes and blade designs. Provide optimum combination of properties under static & dynamic loading conditions. Robust systems Designed to manage process and environmental variations.
Tooling Resin Systems

Epotec Tooling Systems allow manufacturing of customized tools for specific uses and include systems suitable for hand lamination as well as infusion process. Low curing shrinkage enables manufacturing of precise composite tools in most complex shapes quickly and easily. The tools offer low thermal expansion and provide excellent strength to weight ratio.
Epotec System
YD595/TH7295 YD535LV/TH7353 YDL574/TH7363 (RI: <20m. molds) YDL594/TH7365 (RI: >20 m. molds)
1Part
Mixing Ratio1
100:30 100:25 100:30 100:35
Mix viscosity2
500 - 1000 350 - 400 250 - 300 200 - 300
Tg3 Features
115 - 125 130 - 140 115 - 125 115 - 125 Moderate reactivity and temperature resistance Moderate reactivity, high temperature resistance Low viscosity, Moderate reactivity and temperature resistance Low viscosity, Slow reactivity and moderate temperature resistance
by weight (pbw), 2 Brookfield Viscosity @ 25oC, 3 Glass transition temperature oC
This three-page document takes the reader through the full range of Aditya Birla Epotec resin systems for the wind energy market, including tooling, gel coat, resin infusion,adhesive and hand-lay products.
2013
The international conference on MW wind blades looking at design, composites manufacturing and performance
3-5 December 2013 Maritim Hotel, Dsseldorf, Germany

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONFERENCE, CLICK HERE
The wind power industry is expanding into new countries across the globe and new companies are moving into this marketplace. The key to viability is highly efficient electricity generation, long-term integrity and good economics. These factors are dependent on the blade design and structure. The 4th AMI international Wind Turbine Blade Manufacture conference will again provide the forum to debate the latest designs, manufacturing technologies and performance of wind turbine blade composite structures, including causes of failure and solutions to challenges such as lightning strike, icing, and offshore sea exposure. Wind Turbine Blade Manufacture 2013 will bring together energy companies, wind turbine producers, blade manufacturers, design engineers, composites manufacturing experts, researchers, developers, materials and equipment suppliers to discuss the technology and costs of producing reliable year-round wind energy, focusing on the key component, the rotor.
ATTENDING, EXHIBITING AND SPONSORING

If you would like to attend this highly valued learning and networking event, or wish to book a tabletop exhibition space or sponsor the conference, please contact Rocio Martinez, rmm@amiplastics.com Tel: +44 117 924 9442.
The 4th Wind Turbine Blade Manufacture conference takes place in Dusseldorf, Germany, on 3-5 December 2013. Download the conference yer to nd out more about speaking at or attending the event.
Gel Coats
Epotec Surface / Gel Coat Systems are designed to provide optimum tack free time and excellent surface finish after curing process.
THE CALL FOR PAPERS IS NOW OPEN
Epotec System
YDGC 1651/TH 8266 YDGC 1651 / TH 8267 YDGC 1652 / TH 8268 (pigmented) YDGC 1653 / TH 8269 (pigmented)
1Part
Mixing Ratio1
100:45 100:45 100:15 100:40
TFT2
2-3 4-5 1-2 2-3
Tg3
65 - 75 65 - 75 125 - 135 80 - 90
Features
Clear, moderate reactivity. reactivity Clear, slow reactivity. reactivity Fast reactivity designed for repair applications. applications Cycloaliphatic, moderate reactivity and temperature resistance. resistance
Would you like to speak at this leading industry event? The call for papers is now open. If you would like to give a 25 minute presentation, please send a short summary and title for your topic to Dr Sally Humphreys, sh@amiplastics.com. The deadline for submissions is 17th May 2013. It is free to attend the conference as a speaker. Previous attendees at this event include senior specialists from across the wind power sector. CLICK HERE to find out more
HEADLINE SPONSOR
by weight (pbw), 2Tack Free Time @ 25oC in hours, 3Glass transition temperature oC
Also sponsored by:
Media supporter:
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AMI: Plastics data specialists

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Advertise in this magazine

About Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing magazine
FEBRUARY 2013
Europe America Asia Middle East
AMI DATABASES AND REPORTS

Applied Market Information Ltd. provides market information on all aspects of the thermoplastics industry E S S E N T I A L D ATA O N K E Y P L AY E R S & P L A S T I C S M A R K E TS The AMI publications bring you essential market data, in three types of publications:
Statistical analysis of the plastics markets Capacity/demand for all commodity and engineering polymers End use applications and country analysis Review of the structure of the industry by process Top 50 players in key markets Business overviews of the 50 leaders groups in each processing sector, including key production, strategic and nancial information. Directories & databases Location and production details of 20,000 plastics processors worldwide with information on the polymer and machinery they use as well as their full location and managerial contacts.
Formats Most of the data is available electronically either as a PDF or as a database, typically supplied on CD. The Gold database is a superior product with extra information.
E U RO P E
Market Data / Statistics

A M I s b e s t s e l l e r
AMIs 2013 European Plastics Industry Report Edition: 12 To be published: May 2013 Book: 555 $720 PDF: 655 $850
NEW
SECTION 7 THE MARKET FOR EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE ................................ 96 Definition of material .............................................................................................................. 96 Market development............................................................................................................... 96 The market in 2010-2011 ....................................................................................................... 99 End use applications ications ............................................................................................................ 101 Producers of EPS ................................................................................................................. 102 Future prospects .................................................................................................................. 105 SECTION 8 THE MARKET FOR PET ........................................................................... 105 Future prospects .................................................................................................................. 105 SECTION 15 THE Definition of material ............................................................................................................ 105 THERMOPLASTICS COMPOUNDING INDUSTRY .................. 176 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 176 Market development............................................................................................................. 105 The production of thermoplastics compounds ..................................................................... 176 The market in 2010-2011 ..................................................................................................... 108 Colour compounds End use applications ications ............................................................................................................ 109............................................................................................................... 177 Masterbatch ......................................................................................................................... 178 Producers of PET ................................................................................................................. 112 PVC compounds .................................................................................................................. 179 Future prospects .................................................................................................................. 115 Technical polyolefins ............................................................................................................ 180 Engineering compounds ...................................................................................................... 181 SECTION 9 THE MARKET FOR ABS/SAN................................................................. 117 Industry structure ................................................................................................................. 181 119 EXPLANATORY NOTES .................................................................................................. 14 Definition of material ............................................................................................................ Units of measure .................................................................................................................... 14 Market development............................................................................................................. 119 .............................................................................................................. SECTION 16 THE 121 FILM EXTRUSION INDUSTRY ..................................................... 185 Source of data ........................................................................................................................ 14 The market in 2010-2011 ..................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................ Definition of process ications ............................................................................................................ 123 ............................................................................................................. 185 Abbreviations 14 End use applications tions ......................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................. Market development Producers of ABS/SAN ........................................................................................................ 125 ............................................................................................................. 185
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 13
Table of contents
The market in 2010-2011 ..................................................................................................... 187 SECTION 1 THE EUROPEAN PLASTICS INDUSTRY ............................................... 17 Future prospects .................................................................................................................. 127 Polymer demand .................................................................................................................. 188 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 17 .................................................................................................................. End use applications Market development............................................................................................................... 18 SECTION 10 THE MARKET FOR POLYAMIDE......................................................... 129 ............................................................................................................ 191 The market in 2010-2011 ....................................................................................................... 20 Definition of material ............................................................................................................ Structure of the 129 industry ....................................................................................................... 193 End use applications ications .............................................................................................................. .......................................................................................................... 25 Market development............................................................................................................. Future prospects .................................................................................................................. 196 129 Polymer supply 27 The market in 2010-11 ......................................................................................................... 131 pply ....................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................ Structure of the processing sing industry ...................................................................................... 32 End use applications SECTION 17 THE ications ............................................................................................................ 133 PIPE AND PROFILE EXTRUSION INDUSTRY ......................... 198 Future prospects .................................................................................................................... 34 .............................................................................................................. Definition of process ............................................................................................................. 198 139 SECTION 2 THE MARKET FOR LINEAR AND LOW DENSITY POLYETHYLENE..... 37 Future prospects .................................................................................................................. The market in 2010-2011 ..................................................................................................... 202 Definition of material .............................................................................................................. 37 ........................................................................................................ Polymer demand .................................................................................................................. 203 Market development............................................................................................................... 37 SECTION 11 THE MARKET FOR PBT ........................................................................ 139 End use applications 141 ............................................................................................................ 206 The market in 2010-2011 ....................................................................................................... 39 Definition of material ............................................................................................................ Structure of the 141 industry ....................................................................................................... 209 End use applications ications .............................................................................................................. .......................................................................................................... 41 Market development............................................................................................................. Future prospects .................................................................................................................. 213 142 Producers of LL/LDPE ........................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................... 44 The market in 2010-2011 ..................................................................................................... ications ............................................................................................................ 143 Future prospects .................................................................................................................... 47 End use applications .............................................................................................................. Producers of polyamide ....................................................................................................... 136 Market development............................................................................................................. 198
Definition of process 146 ............................................................................................................. 215 SECTION 3 THE MARKET FOR HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE ....................... 49 Future prospects .................................................................................................................. Market development............................................................................................................. 215 Definition of material .............................................................................................................. 49 ........................................................................................................ The market in 2010-2011 ..................................................................................................... 216 149 Market development............................................................................................................... 49 SECTION 12 THE MARKET FOR POLYCARBONATE ............................................ Polymer demand .................................................................................................................. 217 The market in 2010-2011 ....................................................................................................... 51 Definition of material ............................................................................................................ 149 End use applications End use applications ications .............................................................................................................. .......................................................................................................... 53 Market development............................................................................................................. 149 ............................................................................................................ 220 Structure of the 151 industry ....................................................................................................... 221 Producers of HDPE ................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................. 55 The market in 2010-2011 ..................................................................................................... Future prospects .................................................................................................................... 58 End use applications .............................................................................................................. Future prospects .................................................................................................................. 224 ications ............................................................................................................ 152
SECTION 18 THE Producers of PBT ................................................................................................................. 145 RIGID FILM AND SHEET INDUSTRY ......................................... 215
AMIs 2013 European Plastics Industry Report is considered by the industry as the most comprehensive and best value market report on the plastics industry. It provides a wealth of information with key gures and graphs on polymer capacity and demand.
SECTION 4 THE MARKET FOR POLYPROPYLENE. ................................................ 60 Future prospects .................................................................................................................. SECTION 19 THE 157 INJECTION MOULDING INDUSTRY .......................................... 226 ........................................................................................................ Definition of material .............................................................................................................. 60 Definition of process ............................................................................................................. 226 Market development............................................................................................................... 60 Market development SECTION 13 THE MARKET FOR PMMA .................................................................... 159 ............................................................................................................. 226 The market in 2010-2011 ....................................................................................................... 62 The market in 2010-2011 ..................................................................................................... 229 Definition of material ............................................................................................................ 159 End use applications ications .............................................................................................................. .......................................................................................................... 64 Polymer demand .................................................................................................................. 230 159 Producers of polypropylene ypropylene ................................................................................................... 67 Market development............................................................................................................. End use applications ............................................................................................................ 232 Future prospects .................................................................................................................... 70 The market in 2010-2011 ..................................................................................................... 160 ..............................................................................................................
Future prospects .................................................................................................................. 241 163 SECTION 5 THE MARKET FOR PVC ............................................................................ 72 Producers of pmma .............................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................ Definition of material .............................................................................................................. 72 Future prospects .................................................................................................................. 166 SECTION 20 THE BLOW MOULDING INDUSTRY.................................................... 243 Market development............................................................................................................... 72 Definition of process 168 ............................................................................................................. 243 The market in 2010-2011 ....................................................................................................... 75 SECTION 14 THE MARKET FOR ACETAL ............................................................... Market development 168 ............................................................................................................. 243 End use applications ications .............................................................................................................. .......................................................................................................... 77 Definition of material ............................................................................................................ The market in 2010-2011 ..................................................................................................... 246 Producers of PVC .................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................. 79 Market development............................................................................................................. 168 Polymer demand .................................................................................................................. 247 Future prospects .................................................................................................................... 82 The market in 2010-2011 ..................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................. 170 Structure of the 161 industry ....................................................................................................... 235 End use applications ications ............................................................................................................
Producers of polycarbonate ycarbonate ................................................................................................. 156
SECTION 6 THE MARKET FOR GP-HI POLYSTYRENE ........................................... 84 Producers of acetal .............................................................................................................. Structure of the 173 industry ....................................................................................................... 252 Definition of material .............................................................................................................. 84 Future prospects .................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................ Future prospects .................................................................................................................. 255 174 Market development............................................................................................................... 84 The market in 2010-2011 ....................................................................................................... 87 APPENDIX ......................................................................................................................... 257 End use applications ications .............................................................................................................. .......................................................................................................... 89 Data coverage ...................................................................................................................... 257 Producers of GP-HI polystyrene ............................................................................................ 92 Country coverage ................................................................................................................. 257 Future prospects .................................................................................................................... 93 .............................................................................................................. The plastics industry in France ............................................................................................ 258
The plastics industry in Germany ............................................................................................... The plastics industry in Italy ....................................................................................................... The plastics industry in the United Kingdom .............................................................................. The plastics industry in Belgium ................................................................................................
End use applications End use applications ications ............................................................................................................ 171 ............................................................................................................ 250
AMI also provides statistical analysis of plastics markets for other regions of the world, please contact us for more details.
AMI publishes a wide range of databases and reports for the worldwide plastics industry, including Europe, North and South America, and Asia . Find out about our current products in this six-page catalogue.
UPDATE: BLADE PRODUCTION INNOVATIONS IN MATERIALS PERFORMANCE MONITORING TRENDS IN REINFORCEMENTS
Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing is a new digital magazine from Applied Market Information (AMI), the company behind the highly successful Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing series of international conferences
Reaching a global market

The brand new Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing magazine is distributed electronically to a global audience of 7,394 key decision makers in the international wind turbine blade industry and supply chain. This circulation includes all participants in AMIs 2010, 2011 and 2012 Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing conferences, plus our extensive database of senior industry decision makers. Readers can access the magazine free-of charge and are encouraged to share it with colleagues, further enhancing this highly targeted circulation. Anyone that has attended one of AMIs Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing conferences will be fully aware of the quality and international nature of the audience they attract. This international attendance underline AMIs understanding of this marketplace and the strength of our database of key players across the entire supply chain. Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing magazine will provide a unique and highly cost effective means to promote your products, expertise and services to the global blade manufacturing industry. Prime advertisement places within the magazine will be sold on a strictly rst-come, rst-served basis. To book your place, contact our advertisement manager Claire Bishop: (Claire@amimagazines.com Tel: +44 20 8686 8139).
Quality editorial content

Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing magazine is produced using the state-of-the-art on-line publishing platform developed for AMIs highly successful portfolio of digital plastics magazines, which includes Compounding World, Injection World, and Film and Sheet Extrusion. The magazine can be viewed on a desktop or laptop computer using any web browser. Readers can also download it as a PDF to read ofine, print or archive and can email web-links to the edition or to individual pages to colleagues or customers. AMI is setting the standard in digital magazine publishing for the polymer sector, harnessing the opportunity provided by the web to deliver valuable and highly targeted technology information to a global audience. Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing is produced to the same high editorial and design standards as AMIs other digital magazines. It is edited by Chris Smith, who is a materials science graduate and a highly experienced industry journalist with more than 20 years experience in the plastics processing sector. Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing will cover the latest business and project news of relevance to this fast moving industry, it will explore new market and technology trends, and will report on the latest material and equipment innovations and product launches. This new magazine will be an essential read for senior managers throughout the industrys supply chain.
Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing Features G February 2013 Advanced blade manufacturing Material innovation Lifetime prediction Recycling JEC 2013 Preview If you wish to submit news stories or articles for consideration for the magazine, please contact Chris Smith: cs@amiplastics.com. Tel: +44 117 924 9442 See over for circulation breakdown, advertising rates and data
Published FREE on the web to 7,394 key decision makers.
Table of contents from: AMIs 2013 European Plastics Industry Report
Compounding / Masterbatch
The Thermoplastics Compounding Industry in Europe - AMIs Guide Edition: 11.0 Published: 2011 Sites: 670 Book: 255 $330 Database: 650 $845 Gold database: 975 $1270
AMIs Guide to THE THERMOPLASTICS COMPOUNDING INDUSTRY IN EUROPE
edition
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Europe Europe
PVC compounders - A Review of Europes 50 Largest Players Edition 4.0 Published: 2009 Book: 455 $590 PDF: 540 $700
Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing provides a low cost means to market your products and services to the global blade manufacturing industry. Find out about the publication and advertising rates in our media pack.
E 13 U 20 LOG TA CA
edition
Technical Compounders in Europe - A Review of Europes 50 Largest Players Edition: 3.0 Published: 2011 Book: 455 $590 PDF: 540 $700
Masterbatch Producers - A Review of Europes 50 Largest Players Edition: 3.0 Published: 2012 Book: 455 $590 PDF: 540 $700
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If you would like your brochure to be included on this page, please contact Claire Bishop. claire@amimagazines.com. Tel: +44 (0)20 8686 8139
AMIs conferences making the right connections

AMI is a leading organiser of conferences for the plastics industry around the world. We run more than 30 events in Europe, America, The Middle East and Asia each year, featuring more than 500 expert presentations and attracting well over 3,000 plastics industry professionals. Focused on specic subjects, our conferences bring together international audiences including inuential players from throughout the supply chain. In particular, the events typically attract a high proportion of processors and end-users. Our events provide a perfect environment for attendees to learn about the latest market and technology trends in their chosen subject. They also offer excellent opportunities for making new contacts with plenty of time set aside for networking. AMIs conferences also provide highly effective marketing opportunities. We have a range of sponsorship packages available for each event as well as table-top exhibitions. Click here for details of these packages. Our highly experienced conference teams ensure that our events run professionally and smoothly. All delegates receive comprehensive documentation including printed and electronic proceedings featuring the presentations given at the event. To nd out more about AMIs Conferences, contact: Adele Brown (ab@amiplastics.com) +44 117 924 9442). www.amiconferences.com
AMIs European Conference Team These are just some of the topics covered by our international conferences and we are adding new events all the time....
Agricultural lm Articial grass BOPP lm Cable applications End of life plastics Fire retardants Flexible packaging Green chemistry Masterbatch Medical applications Minerals in compounding Multi-Layer packaging lms Oileld engineering with polymers Photovoltaics Pipeline coating Plastic closure innovations Plastic pipes Polymer foam Polymer sourcing and distribution Polyolen additives Proles PVC formulation Stretch and shrink lm Thin wall packaging Waterproof membranes Wind turbine blade manufacture Wood-plastic composites We hold our conferences in the following regions: - Europe - Asia - Middle East - United States
For an up-to-date list of our forthcoming conferences visit www.amiconferences.com
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2013

New AIREX T92 Seal X

IES PRO P ERT

08 Wind market pauses for breath

16 Fibre makers prepare for a big future

25 SSP sets new record with 83.5m blade

28 Understanding the core properties

34 Fibre optic blade strain monitoring

39 The forum for blade innovation

44 Composites blow into Paris

Alstom upgrades its ECO 100 platform

Installation of the larger blades at NERL

3A invests in balsa stocks

Dong to build E1bn Rough farm

GE supplies giant project in Romania

WIND TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURING | 2013

Siemens wins E700m offshore contract

www.gamesa.es Dow Formulated Systems

Suzlon wins Cookhouse wind order

BASF launches into PET blade cores

infusion resin systems.

www.dowwindenergy.com Siemens Energy completed

www.siemens.com Denmarks DTU has

2013 | WIND TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURING

UK-based ETI invests 15.5m in large offshore blade project

More bre capacity for PPG/Nan Ya China JV

WIND TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURING | 2013

feature | Market report

Wind market pauses for breath

Politics hits hard in the US

PHOTO: LM WIND POWER

Innovating Epoxies for a Better World

The only accredited Mechanical & Analytical Test laboratory in Asia

Winner of JEC Innovation Award 2012 - Asia

Wide Product Portfolio for all your needs

Aditya Birla Chemicals (Thailand) Ltd.

feature | Market report

PHOTO: DONG ENERGY

Renewable resolve weakens in Europe

250 200 150 100 50 0

WIND TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURING | 2013

Market report | feature

* represents US states with RPS and favourable renewable energy regimes

Figure 3: Installed wind energy capacity (GW) by country 2012

Repowering gains in Germany

Source: Arthur D Little

feature | Market report

PhOtO: DOng EnergY

China retains its leading place

The challenge in offshore wind

Delivering a Total Solution

COME AND VISIT US IN PAVILION 1/ STAND D17

feature | Market report

The challenge of shale gas

Wind closes the cost gap

Fibre reinforcement makers prepare for a bigger future

BLADE MANUFACTURE 2013

3-5 December 2013 Maritim Hotel, Dsseldorf, Germany

AttENDING, EXHIbItING aND SPONsORING

THE CaLL FOR PaPERs Is NOw OPEN

Organised by: Applied Market Information Ltd.

Also sponsored by:

WIND TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURING | 2013

SiO2 content % 52-62 64-66 60 60.6 60.0 60.8 48-54 56