Wind turbine blade repair materials

What are the main repair techniques for wind turbine blades?

A short overview of main repair techniques for wind turbine blades and the related problems of computational mechanics is presented. Computational models of the leading edge erosion of wind turbine blades, injection repair and viscous flow, patch/scarf repair as well as curing and adhesive development are reviewed.

What materials are used for wind turbine blades?

Requirements toward the wind turbine materials, loads, as well as available materials are reviewed. Apart from the traditional composites for wind turbine blades (glass fibers/epoxy matrix composites), natural composites, hybrid and nanoengineered composites are discussed.

Can wind turbine blades be repaired?

Ageing fleets lead to increased repair requirements. Wind turbine service companies and wind-park owners face a large choice of technologies for the blade repair. In this work, the authors sought to compare and evaluate available blade repair technologies, using the materials testing and microscopy analysis of repaired samples.

Can new generation wind turbine blades be recycled?

The wind turbines of the new generation are subject to extreme mechanical and physical loading, can be damaged during service time, and will require maintenance and repair. In this paper, technologies for the repair and recycling of the new generation of materials for wind turbine blades are reviewed.

Can thermoplastic resins improve wind turbine blades?

Thermoplastic resins, combined with thermal welding techniques pioneered by NREL and partners, offer the potential for stronger, less expensive, and longer wind turbine blades, increasing energy capture, decreasing energy and transportation costs, and increasing blade reliability—critical to advancing the wind energy market.

Why is quality of wind turbine blade repair important?

The quality of blade repair is very important for the post-repair time of wind turbine blades [ 9, 11 ]. Low quality repair can lead to an eccentric load path, bending in the patch, and stresses in the adhesive and composite. One of the common defects in composites and repaired composites are voids.