Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Delft
University of
Technology
Introduction
WIND ENERGY:
Promising renewable energy
source
Fast growing market share in
energy supply
WIND TURBINE BLADES:
Length > 50 m
Life expectancy 20 years
Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
mblade (Rblade) 3
2.35
Material:
Glass fibres (NCFs)
Thermoset resin
Material
Process
Process:
Vacuum infusion
Prepregging
Design:
2 skins and 1 spar
Structural bonding
Why thermoplastics?
Processing:
Forming
Assembly by welding
Rubber die
Pre-cut laminate
sheet material
Metal die
Infra red
heating panels
Final thermoplastic
composite part
Properties:
Rubber press
Heating element
Clamp
connection
Welded
parts
Life cycle:
Ampmeter
Voltmeter
Costs:
Technology costs:
New technologies and expensive equipment
Material costs:
Need for intermediates
Processing:
T
Th rad
er iti
m on
op al
la P
st r o
i c ce
C ss
om in
po g o
si f
te
s
Polymer
Granules
Powder
Film
Solution
Laminate
Prepreg
Final
product
Properties:
Fatigue performance:
Weak fiber-to-matrix bond
Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Properties:
Improved fibre-to-matrix bond
Low processing
temperature (150-180C)
Low viscosity (10 mPa.s)
Low price/performance
(2-3/kg)
10000
PA-12
1000
Melt processing of
thermoplastic polymers
PEKK
PA-6
PEI
PBT
100
PPS
Reactive processing
of thermoset resins
10
vinylester
epoxy
PC
ETPU
polyester
0,1
PMMA
Anionic Polyamide-6:
AP-Nylon
World wide availability
PES PEEK
PMMA
Selection of resin:
100000
PA-6
0,01
PEK
PBT
PA-12
Reactive processing of
thermoplastic resins
0,001
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
10
Composite properties
Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
11
Resin composition
100
80
cure
CAPROLACTAM
60
40
ACTIVATOR C20
Fast system
infusion
20
INITIATOR C1
Slow system
0
0
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
time [min]
12
160C
temperature [C]
200
140C
150C
150
100
pue CL, 140C, 1.measur.
140C, 1.measurement
150C, 1.measurement
160C, 1.measurement
pure CL, 150C, 1.measur.
pure CL, 160C, 1.measur.
50
0
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
time [s]
13
2000
Resin constitution
Identify important parameters
Understand & simulate the reaction
Characterise the properties
Comparison with currently used material
1
0.1 0.2
Condition
23C, dry
23C, 50% RH
80C, dry
Youngs modulus
[GPa]
4.2 (+ 41%)
2.1 (+ 59%)
1.6 (+ 65%)
Maximum strength
[MPa]
96 (+ 14%)
61 (+ 4%)
51 (+ 32%)
Strain at failure
[%]
9 (-)
28 (-)
29 (-)
14
UD
Glass
110C
160-180C
60 minutes
110C
250 mbar
15
45
170
40
35
30
160
25
155
Outlet
150
Layer
Temperature [C]
165
Inlet
Thermofoil+Carbon
Carbon
Resistive
Thermofoil
Plated press
20
15
10
145
140
5
0
135
0
10
15
20
25
-5
135
140
145
150
155
160
165
170
175
180
185
Temperature (C)
Time [min]
16
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
140
150
160
170
180
190
200
17
Composite Properties
600
400
[MPa]
Static properties
(Dry conditioned)
500
300
200
100
0
Compressive strength
Tensile strength
APA-6
Epoxy
Shear strength
PA-6
30
25
[GPa]
20
15
10
5
0
Compressive modulus
Tensile modulus
APA-6
Epoxy
Shear modulus
PA-6
18
Composite Properties
Static properties
(moisture conditioned):
30
450
400
350
300
25
20
[GPa]
[MPa]
500
250
200
15
10
150
100
50
0
Compressive strength
Tensile strength
APA-6
Epoxy
Shear strength
PA-6
Compressive modulus
Tensile modulus
APA-6
Epoxy
Shear modulus
PA-6
19
Composite Properties
APA-6 composite
manufactured at 180C has
better fatigue properties
than the melt processed PA6 composite:
Same toughness
Higher interfacial bond
7
1.
0E
+0
1.
0E
+0
5
1.
0E
+0
strength
4
1.
0E
+0
APA-6 (180C)
PA-6
Epoxy
Log. (Epoxy)
1.
0E
+0
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1.
0E
+0
S [MPa]
Dynamic properties:
20
Conclusions
For rib/spar/skin-structures, thermoplastic composites are
favoured over thermoset composites. Parts can be rapidly melt
processed and assembled through welding. Blades will be fully
recyclable.
Vacuum infusion of thermoplastic composites is introduced to
overcome the classical drawbacks of these materials.
The cure of a semi-crystalline thermoplastic resin is more
complicated than of a thermoset resin.
AP Nylon has a low viscosity (10 mPa.s), good availability, a
low price (2-3 /kg), and a relatively low processing temperature
(150-180C).
Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
21
Conclusions
Homogeneous composites were obtained after optimisation of
infusion process. Temperature, pressure and time are the key
parameters.
Reactively processed PA-6 outperforms melt processed PA-6 in
all temperatures and humidities tested.
Static properties of APA-6 composites are better than of their
HPA-6 and epoxy counterparts in dry conditions. When moisture
conditioned, the performance of APA-6 composites drops rapidly.
Reactive processing of thermoplastic composites results in a
strong interfacial bond strength and leads consequently to
better fatigue performance compared to melt processing.
Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
22
Questions?
Julie Teuwen
Delft University of Technology
Faculty of Aerospace Engineering
Design and Production of Composite Structures
23