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A Look at Wind Turbine Blades
Presented by Gary Kanaby
Topics
• New Blade Issues • Blades in Service -‐ Inspec<on & Repair • Service Plan • A Blade of the Future
Small Blades Were Very Successful
9 meter blades
• Accelerated produc<on due to market demand
• Are the PTC’s expiring? • No <me for long field tes<ng
• No <me for long fa<gue test
• Scaling up is not easy
Causes of New Wind Blade Problems
Scaling Up Is Not Easy
• Spar Bonds -‐Harder to control for large blades • Dry Spots -‐ Infusion not complete • Wrinkles -‐ Glass moves when vacuum is induced
All Process Issues
Solu<ons to New Blade Issues • Stringent cer<fica<on process • Extended tes<ng • Blades can be infused in one piece elimina<ng the bonding process
• Blades can be built out of smaller subcomponents
• Build a two-‐piece blade that can be shipped more easily
• Portable blade factory-‐blades built at the site
Common Blade Problems
• Transporta<on & construc<on • Lightning • Leading edge erosion • Debonding (at spar or trailing & leading edges)
Transporta<on Damage
Blades are built far from the sites Factory Truck Ship Truck Site
Lightning Damage
Leading Edge Erosion
Trailing Edge Debonding
Insufficient Bonding Paste………
….Or Bond Line too Thick
For Exis<ng Wind Turbines ... A Service Plan!
Objec<ves:
• Increase availability • Minimize down<me • Reduce/eliminate large repairs and replacements
• Increase produc<vity
Process • Service is scheduled during off peak seasons • Technicians arrive to Inspect Blades • Ini<al mee<ng to determine suspect turbines • Report of damage found
• Repair before problem is compounded • Documenta<on
Choosing the Blades to Inspect
• Blades reported noisy • Blades observed with suspicious marks/cracks
• Low produc<on machines
• Turbines suspected of lightning hits • Random sampling
Ge`ng to the problem……..
Another Way to Go Up-‐Tower
Inspection Techniques
• Visual inspec<on • Tap test • Thermographic camera • Ultrasound • Infrared imaging of interior • Photography • Lightning system con<nuity check
• Inspec<on documents produced
Thermographic Camera
Thermographic Images
Ultrasound Transducer
Ultrasound Inspec<on Image
Infrared Imaging of Blade Interior
Lightning System Tes<ng
Digital Low Resistance Ohmmeter
Test each receptor
Lightning Strike!
Grinding & Prepara<on for Lamina<on
Surface Prepared for Lamina<on
Laminated
Completed Before Sunset