Manufacturing and Flexural Characterization of Infusion-Reacted Thermoplastic Wind Turbine Blade Subcomponents

Murray, Robynne E.; Penumadu, Dayakar; Cousins, Dylan; Beach, Ryan; Snowberg, David; Berry, Derek; Suzuki, Yasuhito; Stebner, Aaron

doi:10.1007/s10443-019-9760-2

Title: Manufacturing and Flexural Characterization of Infusion-Reacted Thermoplastic Wind Turbine Blade Subcomponents

Abstract

Reactive thermoplastics are advantageous for wind turbine blades because they are recyclable at end of life, have reduced manufacturing costs, and enable thermal joining and shaping. However, there are challenges with manufacturing wind components from these new materials. This work outlines the development of manufacturing processes for a thick glass fiber-reinforced acrylic thermoplastic resin wind turbine blade spar cap, with consideration given to effects of the exothermic curing reaction on thick composite parts. Comparative elastic properties of these infusible thermoplastic materials with epoxy thermoset materials, as well as thermoplastic coupon components, are also included. Based on the results of this study it is concluded that the thermoplastic resin system is a viable candidate for the manufacturing of wind turbine blades using vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding. Significant gains in energy savings are realized avoiding heated molds, ability for recycling, and providing an opportunity for utilizing thermal welding.

Authors:

^[1]; Penumadu, Dayakar ^[2]; Cousins, Dylan ^[3]; Beach, Ryan ^[1]; Snowberg, David ^[1]; Berry, Derek ^[1]; Suzuki, Yasuhito ^[4]; Stebner, Aaron ^[3]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Osaka Prefecture Univ., Osaka (Japan)

Publication Date:: Sat Jan 26 00:00:00 EST 2019

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

OSTI Identifier:: 1494730

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5000-71074
Journal ID: ISSN 0929-189X

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Applied Composite Materials

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 26; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 0929-189X

Publisher:: Springer Netherlands

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 17 WIND ENERGY; 42 ENGINEERING; thermoplastic resin; elasticity; mechanical testing; vacuum infusion; advanced manufacturing

Citation Formats


                    Murray, Robynne E., Penumadu, Dayakar, Cousins, Dylan, Beach, Ryan, Snowberg, David, Berry, Derek, Suzuki, Yasuhito, and Stebner, Aaron. Manufacturing and Flexural Characterization of Infusion-Reacted Thermoplastic Wind Turbine Blade Subcomponents.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
Web.  doi:10.1007/s10443-019-9760-2.

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                    Murray, Robynne E., Penumadu, Dayakar, Cousins, Dylan, Beach, Ryan, Snowberg, David, Berry, Derek, Suzuki, Yasuhito, & Stebner, Aaron. Manufacturing and Flexural Characterization of Infusion-Reacted Thermoplastic Wind Turbine Blade Subcomponents.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10443-019-9760-2

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                    Murray, Robynne E., Penumadu, Dayakar, Cousins, Dylan, Beach, Ryan, Snowberg, David, Berry, Derek, Suzuki, Yasuhito, and Stebner, Aaron. Sat .  
"Manufacturing and Flexural Characterization of Infusion-Reacted Thermoplastic Wind Turbine Blade Subcomponents".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10443-019-9760-2.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1494730.

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@article{osti_1494730,

  title        = {Manufacturing and Flexural Characterization of Infusion-Reacted Thermoplastic Wind Turbine Blade Subcomponents},

  author       = {Murray, Robynne E. and Penumadu, Dayakar and Cousins, Dylan and Beach, Ryan and Snowberg, David and Berry, Derek and Suzuki, Yasuhito and Stebner, Aaron},

  abstractNote = {Reactive thermoplastics are advantageous for wind turbine blades because they are recyclable at end of life, have reduced manufacturing costs, and enable thermal joining and shaping. However, there are challenges with manufacturing wind components from these new materials. This work outlines the development of manufacturing processes for a thick glass fiber-reinforced acrylic thermoplastic resin wind turbine blade spar cap, with consideration given to effects of the exothermic curing reaction on thick composite parts. Comparative elastic properties of these infusible thermoplastic materials with epoxy thermoset materials, as well as thermoplastic coupon components, are also included. Based on the results of this study it is concluded that the thermoplastic resin system is a viable candidate for the manufacturing of wind turbine blades using vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding. Significant gains in energy savings are realized avoiding heated molds, ability for recycling, and providing an opportunity for utilizing thermal welding.},

  doi          = {10.1007/s10443-019-9760-2},

  journal      = {Applied Composite Materials},

  number       = 3,

  volume       = 26,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Sat Jan 26 00:00:00 EST 2019},

  month        = {Sat Jan 26 00:00:00 EST 2019}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

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Murray, Robynne E.; Swan, Dana; Snowberg, David
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Subcomponent development for sandwich composite wind turbine blade bonded joints analysis
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Eydani Asl, Mohamad; Niezrecki, Christopher; Sherwood, James
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IACMI Project 4.2: Thermoplastic Composite Development for Wind Turbine Blades

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(Section 5.1) Composites made from Arkema’s Elium® thermoplastic resin and Johns Manville fiberglass were researched during this project for applications in wind blade manufacturing. A techno-economic model was developed to model this wind blade manufacturing process using these materials in place of traditional composites made with thermoset resin. This model was based on manufacturing a 61.5-meter wind blade, which showed a 4.7% reduction in wind blade cost as compared traditional thermoset materials. These cost savings were not from the thermoplastic material costing less than traditional thermoset materials, but rather from decreased capital costs, faster cycle times and reduced energy requirements and labor costs. (Section 5.2) An infusion and curing model was developed for thermoplastic composite wind blades using PAM-RTM. The primary goal was to demonstrate the infusion simulation for the Elium® resin system on a 13-meter wind blade. 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Infusible thermoplastic Elium® family of resins from Arkema have garnered much attention in recent years as a possible replacement for thermoset resins in laminate and sandwich composite manufacturing for wind blade applications due to its ease of recyclability and the ability to utilize existing manufacturing processes without imposing complicated variations. However, physical and mechanical properties of the proposed Elium® based thermoplastic composites must be comparable to existing epoxy (thermoset) based composites using manufacturing processes relevant for large wind turbine blades. A 13-meter-long demonstration blade was manufactured for that purpose and sandwich samples were obtained from that project for a detailedmore »« less
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Similar Records

Title: Manufacturing and Flexural Characterization of Infusion-Reacted Thermoplastic Wind Turbine Blade Subcomponents

Abstract

Citation Formats

Similitude analysis of thin-walled composite I-beams for subcomponent testing of wind turbine blades journal, May 2017

Unsustainable Wind Turbine Blade Disposal Practices in the United States: A Case for Policy Intervention and Technological Innovation journal, October 2016

Influence of Sea Water Aging on the Mechanical Behaviour of Acrylic Matrix Composites journal, July 2016

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Measuring the notched compressive strength of composite laminates: Specimen size effects journal, September 2008

Technical cost modelling for a generic 45-m wind turbine blade producedby vacuum infusion (VI) journal, January 2010

Experimental and theoretical similitude analysis for flexural bending of scaled-down laminated I-beams journal, September 2017

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Reactive processing of textile fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites – An overview journal, March 2007

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Influence of Sea Water Aging on the Mechanical Behaviour of Acrylic Matrix Composites
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Scale Effects in the Response and Failure of Fiber Reinforced Composite Laminates Loaded in Tension and in Flexure
journal, December 1992

Sustainable Vacuum-Infused Thermoplastic Composites for MW-Size Wind Turbine Blades—Preliminary Design and Manufacturing Issues
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Measuring the notched compressive strength of composite laminates: Specimen size effects
journal, September 2008

Technical cost modelling for a generic 45-m wind turbine blade producedby vacuum infusion (VI)
journal, January 2010

Experimental and theoretical similitude analysis for flexural bending of scaled-down laminated I-beams
journal, September 2017

Subcomponent development for sandwich composite wind turbine blade bonded joints analysis
journal, November 2017

Vibration prediction of thin-walled composite I-beams using scaled models
journal, April 2017

Materials of large wind turbine blades: recent results in testing and modeling: Materials of large wind turbine blades
journal, April 2011

Reactive processing of textile fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites – An overview
journal, March 2007

An experimental investigation of the mechanical behavior and damage of thick laminated carbon/epoxy composite
journal, January 2018