JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 45

WIND ENERGY
technologies

Evolution of technologies and materials
used in wind turbine blade manufacturing
In recent decades, there has been a number of rapid improvements
in wind turbine blade manufacturing, driven by costs, cycle time
and quality issues. The value propositions for new and emerging
technology are enabling wind industry evolution. However, when
reviewing the history of wind blade technologies, it is clear that the
small evolutions may turn significantly disruptive to the industry.
To keep up with the trends of the evolving industry, it is crucial
to understand the past developments and identify potential new
technologies arising in the next five to ten years.
JuliEn sElliEr,
Managing Director
samuEl ashton,
Project Engineer
Structeam

S

electing the best available material
technologies, being innovative and
keeping up with industry trends are
critical for material suppliers to become
leaders in the market. This is especially
true when talking about wind energy,
where the majority of the active blade
manufacturers or OEMs have experienced tough financial periods during their
operation. Their success is linked to their
ability to permanently deliver a lower
cost of energy with their current and
new products. Innovation, and reacting
to change, can be approached in different
ways, all contributing to the success (or
failure) of a product or even more crucially, a company.
Harvard Business School professor
Clayton M. Christensen defined the term
disruptive technology. He separates new
technology into two sub-categories: sustaining and disruptive. Sustaining technology relies on incremental improvements
to an already established technology.
Disruptive technology lacks refinement,
often has performance problems because
it is new, appeals to a limited audience and

may not yet have a proven practical application1. Disruption is also associated with
about a 10-fold improvement in any aspect
of the material and technology.
Nevertheless, in recent decades, a number
of material and process evolutions have occurred in rotor blade manufacturing, some
minor, some more significant or some even
decisive for success. Three key technology
developments will be outlined here, and
their level of disruption will be assessed.
Epoxy resin infusion as the main
manufacturing process for blades
For the early years of the industry, the 80s
and early 90s, the main blade manufacturing method was wet lay-up. Resins had been
supplied by local formulators, and given the
niche nature of wind energy applications,
they could handle the low volumes and
provide the associated services to promote
their use. During this time, the use of polyester was typical, but there was a quick shift
to epoxy and, to a lesser extent, vinylester.
The primary reason for the transition was
the enhanced mechanical properties making the higher cost justifiable.
As turbine sizes and numbers increased,
higher volumes became more attractive for
top tier resin companies with back-integrat-

ed supply chains. In the late 90s, epoxy
prepregs and polyester infusion were
seen as the state of the art and these technologies led the market for a number of
years until approximately 2005. However,
as OEMs were driving costs down and
optimising the supply chain, prepreg disappeared from most blade components,
with the exception of spar caps and root
inserts. Instead, epoxy infusion became
dominant in Europe, America and Asia.
Infusion provided an adaptable and
scalable processing method with lower
capital expenditure (CAPEX) and training requirements, a simpler supply chain
(no need to convert into prepregs) and
improved health and safety (Figure 1). In
a growing wind energy industry, this created an opportunity for larger companies
such as the global leader in epoxy, Olin
Corportation(which took over the division from The Dow Chemical Company)
to enter the market and directly supply
blade manufacturers with systems.
Therefore, suppressing a converting
step in the supply chain (prepregs) and
lowering cost significantly compared to
the existing suppliers. It is believed that
(1 )Clayton M. Christensen: "The Innovator's Dilemma," 1997

N°116 October 2017

/ jec composites magazine

45



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017

Cover
Edito
Opinion: Renewable energy
Contents
NEWS
In brief
JEC Asia
Agenda
BUSINESS
Strategy - Airbus strengthens its position in China
Database - The new technical database for composites
MANUFACTURING
NDT - New flexibility in 3D digitalisation and defect detection for batch composite production
Thermoplastics - Development of a carbonthermoplastic hub for the H160 helicopter
Feature Wind energy - An increasingly efficient sector
Market news - TPI Composites agreements with Gamesa and Vestas Wind Systems
Overview - Double digit growth again for the wind energy
Focus - lnside lndia’s wind turbine industry
Testimony - Strong growth in wind energy worldwide
Process - Perfect composite parts, thanks to the «direct infusion» process and resin conditioning
Technologies - Evolution of technologies and materials used in wind turbine blade manufacturing
Resin - New products for longer blades help to cut cost
SOLUTIONS
Aeronautics - lnnovative thermoplastic composite wing rib
Bike - Taking the lead with composites
Motorbike - lnnovative SLS front air inlet made with high-performance materials
Solar energy - Ultra-light photovoltaic panel based on polyamide honeycomb technology
TECHNOLOGY
NDT - Non-destructive evaluation of the mechanical strength of a TA6V4/composite bond using LASAT
Efficiency - Cost-efficient preforming using tailored textiles
Index
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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 68
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Cover
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 2
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Edito
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Opinion: Renewable energy
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 5
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Contents
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 7
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - In brief
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 9
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - JEC Asia
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 11
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 12
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 13
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 14
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 15
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Agenda
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 17
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 18
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Ad1
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Ad2
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Strategy - Airbus strengthens its position in China
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 20
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 21
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Database - The new technical database for composites
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 23
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 24
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - NDT - New flexibility in 3D digitalisation and defect detection for batch composite production
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 26
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 27
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Thermoplastics - Development of a carbonthermoplastic hub for the H160 helicopter
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 29
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 30
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 31
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 32
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 33
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 34
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Market news - TPI Composites agreements with Gamesa and Vestas Wind Systems
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 36
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 37
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Overview - Double digit growth again for the wind energy
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 39
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Focus - lnside lndia’s wind turbine industry
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 41
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Testimony - Strong growth in wind energy worldwide
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 43
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Process - Perfect composite parts, thanks to the «direct infusion» process and resin conditioning
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Technologies - Evolution of technologies and materials used in wind turbine blade manufacturing
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 46
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 47
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Resin - New products for longer blades help to cut cost
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 49
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 50
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Aeronautics - lnnovative thermoplastic composite wing rib
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Bike - Taking the lead with composites
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 53
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Motorbike - lnnovative SLS front air inlet made with high-performance materials
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 55
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 56
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Solar energy - Ultra-light photovoltaic panel based on polyamide honeycomb technology
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - NDT - Non-destructive evaluation of the mechanical strength of a TA6V4/composite bond using LASAT
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 59
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 60
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 61
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 62
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Efficiency - Cost-efficient preforming using tailored textiles
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 64
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 65
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - Advertisers
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 67
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