Wind Turbine Blade Structures and Materials - Regensw
Offshore Wind Turbine Blade Structures The engineering challenges in creating the world’s largest rotating structures
[Date Month 20XX, Name, Department, etc.]
Contents 1. Business drivers 2. Market growth 3. Direction 4. Challenges 5. New Directions 6. Developing Trends
7. The future
2
Name of presentation
Business Drivers What are we working to achieve?
Cost per kwh being driven down over the years • Technology developments sought to achieve further reduction in Cost of Energy
Business case certainty • Reliability
Wind as an energy source on par with oil and gas
Market Growth The recent past
A lot of change with the recent markets – but there is still growth
Source: Global Wind Energy Council
Market Growth Offshore specific
• Offshore wind is gaining as a percentage of the wind market – but it’s still a small share of the global wind market
Vestas are managing to maintain their status at No.1 Source: Global Wind Energy Council
Market Growth Offshore specific
• However this isn’t indicative of the total potential market size • Installed and under construction is still at less than 8% of the planned for Europe alone • This is considering current technology
Note: Installation figures in MW Source: Global Wind Energy Council - 2011
Direction Turbine trends
There is a move towards dedicated ―onshore‖ and ―offshore‖ turbine SYSTEMS This is due to the differing operation constraints / drivers experienced at sea • • •
Maintenance Reliability Installation cost
But from a rotor systems perspective the trend is still increasing diameter both on and offshore offshore wind turbines
Onshore wind turbines
Source: Global Wind Energy Council
Direction Rotor system trends
With the increase in size there are some obvious implications:
•
Beating the length weight cubic relationship ￚ Good design mass ~ length2.2-2.5 ￚ Step changes - carbon fibre
•
Material volume −
2008 - Vestas produced approx. 7500 blades ~ 50,000 tonnes composite
−
>1 tonne carbon per blade
−
Currently 2000 Kg/hour deposition rate – NEED to go faster!
Source: Tom Ashwill, Sandia National Laboratories
Challenges Defining the envelope The envelope for the design of a WTG blade is defined from one driver:
COST THIS dictates the materials and processes used within a WTG With the aim of:
• • •
Driving down the Cost of Energy (CoE) increasing Business Case Certainty Public Acceptance
High impact drivers are: • Forecast → efficiency of annual energy production, serviceability, maintenance, reliability • Weight → CoE • Wind capture → CoE • Conversion → reduced losses Cost of Energy embraces all aspects in wind power performance
Annualized CAPEX + Annualized OPEX CoE =
Annual Energy Production
Challenges Structural
The primary design cases affecting the definition of the structure of a WTG blade are driven by Fatigue: • Gusts and turbulence / Self weight • Light-weight Composites - ideal material for WTG Blades • Lower loads due to low weight • Higher fatigue resistance than metals
Challenges Manufacturing
Main drivers within manufacturing processes: High Speed Manufacture • Needed for industry growth expectations • V90 = 7 tonnes composite per blade • Currently 1000+ blades produced per line per year
Process Control • Six Sigma Production objective • Greater automation utility
Precision – shape • Allow advanced aerodynamics
Scale: • Vestas planned offshore blade – 80m • Off shore = single piece (reliability)
Challenges The ―unseen‖ challenges
Tip speed: ￚ Generator loads/efficiency
ￚ Blade efficiency – relative vector axis
Damping: ￚ Buffeting in high wind stopped conditions
Wind shear: ￚ Fatigue loads from differential wind speeds ￚ Blade efficiency – average pitch angle
New Directions Near term – what’s next in turbine design
Increasingly it is apparent that there are 2 diverging drivers for turbines of the near term future: • Greater flexibility within onshore turbines: ￚ The ability to utilise VERY low wind environments ￚ Greater site ―specific‖ designs within the aero structures • Higher individual power output for offshore: ￚ Fewer, higher power turbines ￚ Installation and maintenance costs are significant business case drivers ￚ Deep water positioning
This is leading to specific offshore turbine blade designs
New Trends Near term
Larger rotor system machines for higher power output unit:
Floating turbines (using technology from the Oil and Gas industries) for deep sea installations
The Future Longer term – when bigger just isn’t the answer
Technologies under investigation: • LIDAR gust prediction • Bend-twist coupling for passive load reduction
LIDAR wind speed measurement
The Future Longer term – when bigger just isn’t the answer
Leading to alternative developments: • Twin blade machines – lower cost, potential for structural efficiency gain • Non-linear bend-twist coupling to eliminate the need for pitch bearings (being developed here at the UoB) • Incorporating control surfaces within the blades for active gust load reduction and precision control
Example of a ―morphing‖ trailing edge being developed at the UoB
Any questions?
Thank you for your attention
Copyright Notice The documents are created by Vestas Wind Systems A/S and contain copyrighted material, trademarks, and other proprietary information. All rights reserved. No part of the documents may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means—such as graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems without the prior written permission of Vestas Wind Systems A/S. The use of these documents by you, or anyone else authorized by you, is prohibited unless specifically permitted by Vestas Wind Systems A/S. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from the documents. The documents are provided ―as is‖ and Vestas Wind Systems A/S shall not have any responsibility or liability whatsoever for the results of use of the documents by you. Vestas wishes to acknowledge and respect all copyrights in connection with the illustrations used in this presentation. In case we have unintentionally violated copyrighted material, we want to be informed immediately in order to straighten things out and thus to honour any obligatory fees.
[Date Month 20XX, Name, Department, etc.]
Contents 1. Business drivers 2. Market growth 3. Direction 4. Challenges 5. New Directions 6. Developing Trends
7. The future
2
Name of presentation
Business Drivers What are we working to achieve?
Cost per kwh being driven down over the years • Technology developments sought to achieve further reduction in Cost of Energy
Business case certainty • Reliability
Wind as an energy source on par with oil and gas
Market Growth The recent past
A lot of change with the recent markets – but there is still growth
Source: Global Wind Energy Council
Market Growth Offshore specific
• Offshore wind is gaining as a percentage of the wind market – but it’s still a small share of the global wind market
Vestas are managing to maintain their status at No.1 Source: Global Wind Energy Council
Market Growth Offshore specific
• However this isn’t indicative of the total potential market size • Installed and under construction is still at less than 8% of the planned for Europe alone • This is considering current technology
Note: Installation figures in MW Source: Global Wind Energy Council - 2011
Direction Turbine trends
There is a move towards dedicated ―onshore‖ and ―offshore‖ turbine SYSTEMS This is due to the differing operation constraints / drivers experienced at sea • • •
Maintenance Reliability Installation cost
But from a rotor systems perspective the trend is still increasing diameter both on and offshore offshore wind turbines
Onshore wind turbines
Source: Global Wind Energy Council
Direction Rotor system trends
With the increase in size there are some obvious implications:
•
Beating the length weight cubic relationship ￚ Good design mass ~ length2.2-2.5 ￚ Step changes - carbon fibre
•
Material volume −
2008 - Vestas produced approx. 7500 blades ~ 50,000 tonnes composite
−
>1 tonne carbon per blade
−
Currently 2000 Kg/hour deposition rate – NEED to go faster!
Source: Tom Ashwill, Sandia National Laboratories
Challenges Defining the envelope The envelope for the design of a WTG blade is defined from one driver:
COST THIS dictates the materials and processes used within a WTG With the aim of:
• • •
Driving down the Cost of Energy (CoE) increasing Business Case Certainty Public Acceptance
High impact drivers are: • Forecast → efficiency of annual energy production, serviceability, maintenance, reliability • Weight → CoE • Wind capture → CoE • Conversion → reduced losses Cost of Energy embraces all aspects in wind power performance
Annualized CAPEX + Annualized OPEX CoE =
Annual Energy Production
Challenges Structural
The primary design cases affecting the definition of the structure of a WTG blade are driven by Fatigue: • Gusts and turbulence / Self weight • Light-weight Composites - ideal material for WTG Blades • Lower loads due to low weight • Higher fatigue resistance than metals
Challenges Manufacturing
Main drivers within manufacturing processes: High Speed Manufacture • Needed for industry growth expectations • V90 = 7 tonnes composite per blade • Currently 1000+ blades produced per line per year
Process Control • Six Sigma Production objective • Greater automation utility
Precision – shape • Allow advanced aerodynamics
Scale: • Vestas planned offshore blade – 80m • Off shore = single piece (reliability)
Challenges The ―unseen‖ challenges
Tip speed: ￚ Generator loads/efficiency
ￚ Blade efficiency – relative vector axis
Damping: ￚ Buffeting in high wind stopped conditions
Wind shear: ￚ Fatigue loads from differential wind speeds ￚ Blade efficiency – average pitch angle
New Directions Near term – what’s next in turbine design
Increasingly it is apparent that there are 2 diverging drivers for turbines of the near term future: • Greater flexibility within onshore turbines: ￚ The ability to utilise VERY low wind environments ￚ Greater site ―specific‖ designs within the aero structures • Higher individual power output for offshore: ￚ Fewer, higher power turbines ￚ Installation and maintenance costs are significant business case drivers ￚ Deep water positioning
This is leading to specific offshore turbine blade designs
New Trends Near term
Larger rotor system machines for higher power output unit:
Floating turbines (using technology from the Oil and Gas industries) for deep sea installations
The Future Longer term – when bigger just isn’t the answer
Technologies under investigation: • LIDAR gust prediction • Bend-twist coupling for passive load reduction
LIDAR wind speed measurement
The Future Longer term – when bigger just isn’t the answer
Leading to alternative developments: • Twin blade machines – lower cost, potential for structural efficiency gain • Non-linear bend-twist coupling to eliminate the need for pitch bearings (being developed here at the UoB) • Incorporating control surfaces within the blades for active gust load reduction and precision control
Example of a ―morphing‖ trailing edge being developed at the UoB
Any questions?
Thank you for your attention
Copyright Notice The documents are created by Vestas Wind Systems A/S and contain copyrighted material, trademarks, and other proprietary information. All rights reserved. No part of the documents may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means—such as graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems without the prior written permission of Vestas Wind Systems A/S. The use of these documents by you, or anyone else authorized by you, is prohibited unless specifically permitted by Vestas Wind Systems A/S. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from the documents. The documents are provided ―as is‖ and Vestas Wind Systems A/S shall not have any responsibility or liability whatsoever for the results of use of the documents by you. Vestas wishes to acknowledge and respect all copyrights in connection with the illustrations used in this presentation. In case we have unintentionally violated copyrighted material, we want to be informed immediately in order to straighten things out and thus to honour any obligatory fees.
