Register for free to
view the full innovation profile.
HPC-Blade is cheaper and more efficient compared to existing wind turbine blades on the market. Moreover, the design is scalable, offering benefits to composite blades of all sizes
About
Tomorrow’s wind turbine blades will need to be more efficient and reliable whilst offering manufacturing cost savings. Moreover current technology limitations for very large blades need to be overcome by a step change in design concept. Although substantial advances have been made in materials, aerodynamics and manufacturing of composites, the basic structural design of wind turbine blades has seen little evolution with central spar-like structures and bonded cores remaining the primary load-bearing and profile supporting elements. Aside from structural inefficiencies, these configurations result in complex and expensive manufacturing and root-hub connection processes. The HPC-Blade provides the disruptive technological shifts required to meet these design and manufacturing challenges. The HPC-Blade facilitates the progression from a spar and core configuration to a rib-based fully stressed blade skin and the implementation of an improved root-hub adaptation solution. HPC-Blade reduces overall blade weight, overcomes the current composite-metal joint limitations, and opens up significant opportunities for both the retrofit market and the exploitation of large blades development through ease of modularity. HPC-Blade not only presents opportunities for more efficient wind energy extraction but also offers cost reductions and service life extension for the associated towers and support structure - in short, an appropriate synthesis of composite and metallic materials.