Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine Blades Manufacture with Composite Materials

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the wind turbine manufacturing industry through investigating the technological manufacturing process of a 2.5kW horizontal axis wind turbine's (HAWT) blades. Composite materials, such as fiberglass and carbon fiber are engaged in the manufacturing process, due to their mechanical properties. The material selection process is discussed, motivating the choices based on several criteria, such as weight and tensile strength. The adopted technologies for the manufacturing process include layup method at ambient temperature and vacuum. Regarding the used moulds, these were previously manufactured using the infrastructure that NRDI COMOTI has at its disposal. Layups of fiberglass and carbon fiber are disposed in the aluminium alloy moulds. In the end, a layup of peel ply is placed upon the outer surface of the composite and the vacuum bag is applied and sealed. The outcome of this research consists of two parts. Firstly, the presented methodology, techniques and materials selection criteria represent a reliable source of information for future scientific papers on the matter. Secondly, the manufactured blades, after post-processing techniques, can be tested in relevant conditions in the aerodynamic tunnel and further studies can be conducted with the obtained results.