For large off-shore wind turbines, blades with relative low blade mass are becoming more important. The economic use of large-tow carbon fibers can help achieve lower blade masses. Basic material design data have been established for two promising material combinations, including the fatigue properties for Panex33/epoxy. Blade root joints have been developed in a carbon/glass combination, resulting in a better price performance ratio. The initial cost assessment on a blade dominated by severe fatigue loads shows that application of carbon fibers in the spar leads to cost reductions.

Issue Section:
Technical Papers
Keywords:
wind turbines, carbon fibre reinforced plastics, fatigue testing
Topics:
Blades, Carbon fibers, Epoxy resins, Fatigue, Glass, Carbon, Design, Stress, Epoxy adhesives
1.
Joosse, P.A. et al., 2000, “Economic Use of Carbon Fibers in Large Wind Turbine Blades?” Proc. of 19th ASME Wind Energy Symp., Paper No. AIAA-2000-0058, Reno, NV, pp. 367–374.
2.
Schutz, D., Gerharz, J.J., and Alschweig, E., 1981, “Fatigue Properties of Unnotched, Notched and Jointed Specimens of a Graphite/Epoxy Composite,” Fatigue of Fibrous Composite Materials, ASTM STP 723, pp. 31–47.
3.
Kensche, Ch.W., 1985, “Fatigue of Composite Materials in Sailplanes and Rotor Blades,” XIX OSTIV-Congress, Publ. XVIII, Rieti, Italy, pp. 57–62.
4.
Dutton, A.G. et al., 2001, “The Potential of Sectional Wind Turbine Blades,” EWEC 2001, Copenhagen, Denmark, pp. 310–313.
5.
Bulder, B. et al., 2001, “Theory and User Manual Bladopt,” ECN Report ECN-C-01-011.
Copyright © 2002
 by ASME
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