SAMPE Journal - November/December 2012 - (Page 30)

Feature Article Polyurethane Composites for Wind Turbine Blades U.E. Younes Bayer MaterialScience LLC Pittsburgh PA F.W. Bradish Molded Fiber Glass Research Company Ashtabula, OH Abstract The wind power industry’s move toward developing and manufacturing longer, larger, more productive wind blades requires advances in composite technologies used in their construction. Bayer MaterialScience, LLC developed a new class of stronger and tougher composite materials for the manufacture of 1.5+ MW turbine wind blades. These new low-viscosity, long-gelling polyurethane systems offer several advantages over epoxy and vinyl ester-based composites. These advantages include: zero VOCs, sustainable raw materials from renewable resources (soy), faster infusion times, and superior tensile fatigue, interlaminar fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth. For example, in tensile fatigue the polyurethane-based composite outperformed VE and epoxy by as much as 9 and 14.8 order of magnitudes. Whereas, at a peak load of 10,000 psi the epoxy fractured at 93,216 cycles and the VE at 57,507 cycles, while the polyurethane fractured only after 849,881 cycles. Additionally, in Interlaminar fracture toughness testing (G1C), the polyurethane composite with its stable delamination G1C value of 3798 J/m² outperformed epoxy by a factor of 2, and the vinyl ester by approximately a factor of 3,. Similarly, the polyurethane outperformed both the epoxy and vinyl ester samples in fatigue crack growth testing at all stress values. In this paper we will discuss the development of this new polyurethane class of resins and its implication in the manufacture of large wind turbine blades, and compare its performance in composite systems to systems made from epoxy and vinyl ester. Introduction As the demand for longer wind turbine blades grows, so does the need to develop stronger, tougher composite materials. Today blades must endure 48 times the hourly fatigue of a commercial aircraft wing1,2 and are expected to log more than eight times its service hours. Thus, advances in blade composite material and process technologies are two of the top five needs of the industry. The development of stronger lightweight composite technology could enable up to a 35% increase in turbine energy output. In addition, new concerns over the carbon footprint of composite materials are emerging. There is a desire to consider composites with low or zero volatile components. Polyurethane-based systems are far superior to incumbent materials in this regard. Technologies using bio-based components are well established in urethanebased composites, which offer the potential to reduce the footprint even further. Another identified need is to improve the ability to monitor blade performance in real time throughout its service life. Semi-conductive fillers such as carbon nanotubes (CNT’s) can be adapted to become passive sensors which provide feedback to operators regarding blade performance under varying environments. Initial investigation into the effect of Carbon nanotubes in neat resin properties was reported3,4. Figure 1. 610 x 610 mm thin, flat plaque infusion set-up. 30 Figure 2. 330 x 2440 mm long flow, thin and thick laminate infusion set-up. SAMPE Journal, Volume 48, No. 6, November/December 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SAMPE Journal - November/December 2012

SAMPE Journal - November/December 2012
Contents
President’s Message
Technical Director’s Corner
SAMPE Journal Editorial Calender
Durability and Reliability of Large Composite Wind Turbine Blades
Corporate Partners
Welcome SAMPE’s Newest Members
SAMPE 2013|Long Beach Call for Papers
Materials & Products
SAMPE LinkedIn Communities
SAMPE Upcoming Events
SAMPE Proceedings
Perspectives
Europe News & Views
SAMPE Europe’s SEICO 2013, Paris, France
Polyurethane Composites for Wind Turbine Blades
Industry News
The SAMPE Foundation
Tech Tidbits
Performance Drivers with Glass Fiber Composites for Wind Turbine Blades
SAMPE Tech 2013|Wichita, KS Call for Papers
Advertiser’s Index
Resource Center
SAMPE Membership Application
SAMPE Books & CD’s Order Form
Industry Events Calendar
Statement to Record Ownership

SAMPE Journal - November/December 2012

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20240304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20240102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20231112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20230910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20230708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20230506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20230304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20230102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20221112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20220910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20220708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20220506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20220304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20220102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20211112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20210910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20210708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20210506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20210304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20210102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20200708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20180102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20170708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20170506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20161112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20150102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20131112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20130910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20130708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20130506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20130304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20130102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20121112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20120910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20120708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20120506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20120304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20120102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20111112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20110910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20110708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20110506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20110304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sampe/journal_20110102
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com