Accelerating Very Long Blade Development
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)
Blade Dynamics
- Project to develop a technology platform to build blades in excess of 100 metres
- Use of carbon fibre in manufacture enabled longer blades with increased swept area to be built
- Manufactured through smaller component pieces rather than full-length mouldings
The ETI commissioned Isle of Wight SME Blade Dynamics to develop a technology platform to build blades in excess of 100m for use on the next generation of large offshore wind turbines with a capacity of 6MW.
New design techniques were used incorporating carbon fibre along with other composite materials.This created blades weighing up to 40% less and allowed for cost savings in the overall blade, turbine and tower structure to be made, when the system is designed as a matched unit. This helps reduce the cost of energy.
The manufacturing process sees the blades constructed through the assembly of smaller, more accurate and easily manufactured component pieces as opposed to the traditional large and expensive full-length mouldings.
In October 2015, Blade Dynamics was acquired by GE.The acquisition by one of the world largest companies and the resources and market reach they bring with them should enable the technology to progress quickly and reach a wide global market.
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