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Materials Challenges in Present and Future Wind Energy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Brian Hayman ,
Jakob Wedel-Heinen  and
Povl Brøndsted
Brian Hayman
Affiliation:
Det Norske Veritas AS and University of Oslo, Norway
Jakob Wedel-Heinen
Affiliation:
Det Norske Veritas, Danmark A/S, Denmark
Povl Brøndsted
Affiliation:
Risø-DTU, National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, The Technical University of Denmark, Denmark

Abstract

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The main concept currently in use in wind energy involves horizontal-axis wind turbines with blades of fiber composite materials. This turbine concept is expected to remain as the major provider of wind power in the foreseeable future. However, turbine sizes are increasing, and installation offshore means that wind turbines will be exposed to more demanding environmental conditions. Many challenges are posed by the use of fiber composites in increasingly large blades and increasingly hostile environments. Among these are achieving adequate stiffness to prevent excessive blade deflection, preventing buckling failure, ensuring adequate fatigue life under variable wind loading combined with gravitational loading, and minimizing the occurrence and consequences of production defects. A major challenge is to develop cost-effective ways to ensure that production defects do not cause unacceptable reductions in equipment strength and lifetime, given that inspection of large wind power structures is often problematic.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Bulletin , Volume 33 , Issue 4: Harnessing Materials for Energy , April 2008 , pp. 343 - 353
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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