anurag gupta - trends and changing r&d needs in blade technology
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Trends & Changing R&D Needs in Blade Technology Anurag Gupta, Ph.D. Innovation Architect, Technology & Service Solutions Vestas Wind Systems A/S Aug 30, 2016
Vestas Innovation & Concept Development 1
An underlying theme: “INDUSTRIALIZATION” • Mature, fact- and first-principles driven basis… elimination of uncertainties • Commonality of standards/methods… accelerated collaboration, many foundational and pre-
competitive fields • Driving full exploitation of the learning curve… can we brake the up-scaling freight train AND drive
LCOE to grid parity?
NB: Given expertise in rest of panel, I will not go into details on Materials, manufacturing etc
Introduction About me, and a theme for today…
• Aero, Design & CFD trained; worked on hypersonics, rotorcraft, aircraft engines, gas turbines and of course, wind turbines. Moved to Vestas in 2011 from GE, working on Rotor Systems; now enjoying new concept development and (with a process hat), doing adv. technology roadmaps/programs for Vestas.
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OTHER DRIVERS/NEEDS • Surface Engineering becoming important: Next level of capability and consistency needed
Erosion protection as tip speeds go up; Understanding from t=0 to t=20 yrs, Service and Performance Optimization needs; new markets with sand, dust
• Next-gen turbine and blade architectures: Is it time to revisit ?
Starting thoughts
3
Drivers, specific vectors
• CoE driving upscaling…inexorably, rapidly; product AEP optimization => blade families (modular, standardized)
• “Shelf life” of blades as a product challenged Low CAPEX architectures • Non-BOM components getting attention… drives even closer integration design + manufacturing.
BOM Labor
Manuf. OH
Exemplary Blade Cost breakdown* (ex. Transport & Install)
* Actual values vary ~ function (tech, factory & manufacturing setups)
Industrialized blades – learnings – higher BOM%
Vestas Innovation & Concept Development
Next and Needs • Inconsistent best-practices, sub-models and thumb rules… “mixing” of clean and rough data, stall
margin, 3d inboard effects, Re # effects etc. Opportunity to standardize and exploit ? • Have we given up on the “near-stall” area ? Modeling, Measurements – more activity in DES of full
wind farms ! • Industrial V&V technology upgrade … expensive but necessary to drive from Product verification to
Technology validation. Mature industries do both necessary + sufficient validation • Where’s the 3D Aero-elastic design system ?
…reflect on net fidelity change of Wind Industry aero systems 2016 vs 2006 ?
Aerodynamics & Aero-acoustics
4
Significant progress at airfoil level, low-hanging fruits at blade level ?
Trends Airfoils: NLF airfoils with high L/D, structural efficiency Quiet airfoil technology established, as are low-noise
blade operations (across Tier 1 OEMs) Add-ons proliferating to provide customization
options… but still slowed by “noisy” V&V
New generation of NLF airfoils meeting hi efficiency targets
Vestas Innovation & Concept Development
Needs • AALC actuation & concepts that are simple,
robust and respect Wind Industry O&M paradigms • Upgraded physical modeling to have an effective and efficient “LAC” design system • Industrial V&V technology upgrade … expensive but necessary to drive from Product verification to
Technology validation
Loads Management
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Aero-servo-elastic design and technologies maturing, @ the actuation frontier(s)
Trends “System-level” design optimization or “CoE-
effective” blades driving significant LCoE gains
Aero-elastic tailoring (e.g., bend-twist coupling) has become part of OEM tool-kit
• @60m+, single DOF actuation (i.e., pitch) may be sub-optimal opportunity for Local Load Control
• Blade design & operation… from a WTG box to a WPP opportunity (plant power modes, yaw steering etc.)
V90 TEF tests, TRL5/6 , <2012 V27 ATEF, 2010 with DTU Risoe
Vestas Innovation & Concept Development
Comments • STATUS: 4-Rotor Concept Demonstrator up and running
@ DTU campus in Roskilde* (4xV29,225kW – thank you, SWIFT!)
• Proving dynamics, controls, structural, loads and power mgt. concepts
Turbine Architectures – an alternate approach
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Same goal… but alter the scale playing field, allow more “industrial” solutions
Hypothesis • What if we architect a turbine around the square-
cube law but flipped ? Use aggregation vs. upscaling
• What technologies enable e.g., blade mass ratio system cost reduction ? … e.g., design concepts, material systems, manufacture & process shifts, alt. transport & construction concepts
• Urgency: Grid parity, other market barriers… How much faster can we realize them if scale pressure is replaced by industrialization opportunity?
Sensitivity of scaling to technology parameters
*similar to Lagerway ’88 450kw turbine
Support structure of the MR Concept Demonstrator
Vestas Innovation & Concept Development
Backup Info: Blade needs from Materials Courtesy Dr. Adrian Gill, Vestas
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Power Curve Materials: Wind Industry needs…
• Lifetime erosion protection • Easier application • Deeper understanding of erosion mechanism
Leading Edge Protection
• Robust ice-phobic coatings • Heat reflective, conductive and retentive coatings Anti-Icing
• Robust self-cleaning surfaces Clean Blade
• Cheaper, more durable finishing materials • More durable sealants
Finishing
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Availability
• Tougher adhesives for tolerant structures • Performance maintained with thicker bondlines • Performance maintained at environment extremes,
especially cold climate
Adhesives
Resins
• Cheaper, easier to use radar absorption materials Stealth
• Tougher resins for tolerant structures • Performance maintained at environment extremes,
especially cold climate
• Conductive and insulating material systems Lightning
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Materials: Wind Industry needs…
Service
Repair
• Repair systems for adverse conditions • (large moisture & temperature windows) • Rapid cure, especially without heat • Easy material handling
End of Life
Recyclability • Low cost recyclability of blades
Materials: Wind Industry needs…
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Bill of Materials
• Stiffer, stronger, tougher with high certainty • Whole life low cost, incl surface prep and repair
Carbon
Resins
• Cost reductions • Faster curing
Adhesives
• Cost reductions • Faster curing
• Stronger, lighter, cheaper • Low resin absorption
Cores
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Materials: Wind Industry needs…
Process & Labour
• Right-first-time paint application • Metal and composite compatible paints • Range of paint application solutions • Not painting at all – Paint-free and in-mould finishes
Paint
Resins
• Low, linear viscosity under pressure • Flexible choice of hardener, low exotherm • Easier, cleaner adhesive application
Adhesives
• Low viscosity, especially latent systems • Resistance to gassing • Tolerance to humidity
• Low cost, 3D woven materials • Effective, low cost tackifiers Fabrics
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Materials: Wind Industry needs…
Tool and Equipment
Resins
• Rapid cure • Low temperature, out-of-mould cure
Adhesives
• Rapid cure • Low temperature, out-of-mould cure
• Heat resistant resins • Tougher gelcoats for moulds • Easier cleaning of mould • Tailorable heat transfer performance
Tooling Resin and Gelcoat
Tool Utilisation
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Materials: Wind Industry needs…