Vacuum infused thermoplastic

composites for wind turbine blades

Julie Teuwen, Design and Production of Composites Structures
28-10-2009

Delft
University of
Technology

Challenge the future

Introduction
WIND ENERGY:
Promising renewable energy
source
Fast growing market share in
energy supply
WIND TURBINE BLADES:
Length > 50 m
Life expectancy 20 years
Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

Large Wind Turbine Blades

Dedicated Offshore Wind Power Systems:
Stronger and more constant wind
Increasingly large blades to increase power output per turbine and
reduce cost per kWh
No noise-pollution and aesthetical issues

Larger blades require:

Materials with higher specific properties (E/, /):
Carbon fibre based composites

More efficient structural design

mblade (Rblade) 3

2.35

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

Current blade manufacturing technology

Design

Material:
Glass fibres (NCFs)
Thermoset resin

Material
Process

Process:
Vacuum infusion
Prepregging

Design:
2 skins and 1 spar
Structural bonding

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

Alternative structural design

Re-introduction of ribs:
Higher structural efficiency (E/)
Reduces buckling of the spar
Provides attachment points and load paths for smart actuators,
control surfaces and sensors

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

Why thermoplastics?
Processing:
Forming
Assembly by welding

Rubber die

Pre-cut laminate
sheet material

Metal die
Infra red
heating panels
Final thermoplastic
composite part

Properties:

Rubber press

Heating element

Good impact properties

High toughness, also at low temperatures
Abrasion resistant
Chemical resistant

Clamp
connection
Welded
parts

Life cycle:

Ampmeter

Voltmeter

Unlimited shelf-life of raw materials

Short production cycle time
Fully recyclable

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

 Costs:
Technology costs:
New technologies and expensive equipment

Material costs:
Need for intermediates

Processing:

T
Th rad
er iti
m on
op al
la P
st r o
i c ce
C ss
om in
po g o
si f
te
s

What still stands in the way?

Monomer

Polymer

Granules

Powder

Film

Solution

Laminate

Prepreg

High processing temperatures (>200C):

High costs, thermal stresses

Final
product

Melt pressing technology:

Limits part size and thickness

Properties:
Fatigue performance:
Weak fiber-to-matrix bond
Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

Vacuum infusion of thermoplastic

composites
Reactive processing:
Processing:
From the monomer directly to the polymer
Large, thick, integrated parts
Commonly used technology
Below melting temperature of polymer

Properties:
Improved fibre-to-matrix bond

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

Vacuum infusion of thermoplastic

composites

Low processing
temperature (150-180C)
Low viscosity (10 mPa.s)
Low price/performance
(2-3/kg)

10000

PA-12

1000

Melt processing of
thermoplastic polymers

PEKK

PA-6

PEI

PBT

100

PPS

Reactive processing
of thermoset resins

10

vinylester

epoxy

PC

ETPU

polyester

0,1

PMMA

Anionic Polyamide-6:
AP-Nylon
World wide availability

PES PEEK

PMMA

Melt viscosity [Pas]

Selection of resin:

100000

PA-6

0,01

PEK

PBT
PA-12

Reactive processing of
thermoplastic resins

0,001
0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Processing temperature [C]

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

400

450

Alternative blade manufacturing

technology

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

10

What is done on material development?

Polymer chemistry and physics

Resin infusion process

Composite properties
Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

11

Polymer chemistry and physics

Degree of conversion [%] .

Resin composition
100
80

cure

CAPROLACTAM

60
40

ACTIVATOR C20

Fast system

infusion

20

INITIATOR C1

Slow system

0
0

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

time [min]

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

12

Polymer chemistry and physics

Resin constitution
Identify important parameters
Understand & simulate the reaction
Polymerisation at different temperatures and comparison with pure -caprolactame,
inner temperature record, same beginning
250

160C

temperature [C]

200

140C

150C

150

100
pue CL, 140C, 1.measur.
140C, 1.measurement
150C, 1.measurement
160C, 1.measurement
pure CL, 150C, 1.measur.
pure CL, 160C, 1.measur.

50

0
0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

time [s]

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

13

2000

Polymer chemistry and physics

Resin constitution
Identify important parameters
Understand & simulate the reaction
Characterise the properties
Comparison with currently used material

1
0.1 0.2

Condition
23C, dry
23C, 50% RH
80C, dry

Youngs modulus
[GPa]
4.2 (+ 41%)
2.1 (+ 59%)
1.6 (+ 65%)

Maximum strength
[MPa]
96 (+ 14%)
61 (+ 4%)
51 (+ 32%)

Strain at failure
[%]
9 (-)
28 (-)
29 (-)

Compared to injection molded PA-6

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

14

Resin infusion process

Development of resin infusion process:
Fabric (fine and coarse weave)
Glass

UD
Glass

110C

160-180C
60 minutes

110C

250 mbar

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

15

Resin infusion process

Development of resin infusion process
Homogeneous properties:
In flow direction
Through thickness
175

45

170

40
35
30

160

25

155

Outlet

150

Layer

Temperature [C]

165

Inlet

Thermofoil+Carbon
Carbon
Resistive
Thermofoil
Plated press

20
15
10

145

Tmould = 160C (inlet)

Tmould = 160C (center)
Tmould = 160C (outlet)

140

5
0

135
0

10

15

20

25

-5
135

140

145

150

155

160

165

170

175

180

185

Temperature (C)

Time [min]

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

16

Resin infusion process

Development of vacuum infusion process

Homogeneous properties
Identify important parameters
Optimise infusion process
Good mechanical properties
Good fibre-to-matrix bond

Interlaminar shear strength [MPa]

80
70
60
50
40
30
20

APA-6 composite (unsized/outlet)

APA-6 composite (sized/outlet)

10
140

150

160

170

180

190

200

Mould temperature [C]

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

17

Composite Properties
600

400
[MPa]

Static properties
(Dry conditioned)

500

300
200
100
0
Compressive strength

Tensile strength
APA-6

Epoxy

Shear strength

PA-6

30
25

[GPa]

20
15
10
5
0
Compressive modulus

In dry state, APA-6 outperforms

all other reference material

Tensile modulus
APA-6

Epoxy

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

Shear modulus

PA-6

18

Composite Properties
Static properties
(moisture conditioned):
30

450
400
350
300

25
20
[GPa]

[MPa]

500

250
200

15
10

150
100

50
0

Compressive strength

Tensile strength
APA-6

Epoxy

Shear strength
PA-6

Compressive modulus

Tensile modulus
APA-6

Epoxy

Shear modulus

PA-6

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

19

Composite Properties
APA-6 composite
manufactured at 180C has
better fatigue properties
than the melt processed PA6 composite:
Same toughness
Higher interfacial bond

7
1.
0E
+0

1.
0E
+0

5
1.
0E
+0

strength

4
1.
0E
+0

APA-6 (180C)
PA-6
Epoxy
Log. (Epoxy)

1.
0E
+0

400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

1.
0E
+0

S [MPa]

Dynamic properties:

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

20

Conclusions
For rib/spar/skin-structures, thermoplastic composites are
favoured over thermoset composites. Parts can be rapidly melt
processed and assembled through welding. Blades will be fully
recyclable.
Vacuum infusion of thermoplastic composites is introduced to
overcome the classical drawbacks of these materials.
The cure of a semi-crystalline thermoplastic resin is more
complicated than of a thermoset resin.
AP Nylon has a low viscosity (10 mPa.s), good availability, a
low price (2-3 /kg), and a relatively low processing temperature
(150-180C).
Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

21

Conclusions
Homogeneous composites were obtained after optimisation of
infusion process. Temperature, pressure and time are the key
parameters.
Reactively processed PA-6 outperforms melt processed PA-6 in
all temperatures and humidities tested.
Static properties of APA-6 composites are better than of their
HPA-6 and epoxy counterparts in dry conditions. When moisture
conditioned, the performance of APA-6 composites drops rapidly.
Reactive processing of thermoplastic composites results in a
strong interfacial bond strength and leads consequently to
better fatigue performance compared to melt processing.
Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

22

Vacuum infused thermoplastic

composites for wind turbine blades

Questions?

Julie Teuwen
Delft University of Technology
Faculty of Aerospace Engineering
Design and Production of Composite Structures

Thermoplastic wind turbine blades

23