vacuum infused thermoplastic composites for wind turbine ... · thermoplastic wind turbine blades 9...
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28-10-2009
Challenge the future
DelftUniversity ofTechnology
Vacuum infused thermoplastic composites for wind turbine blades
Julie Teuwen, Design and Production of Composites Structures
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2Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Introduction
WIND ENERGY:
• Promising renewable energy source
• Fast growing market share in energy supply
WIND TURBINE BLADES:
• Length > 50 m• Life expectancy ≈ 20 years
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3Thermoplastic 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/ρ, σ/ρ):
• Carbon fibre based composites
• More efficient structural design
mblade ∼∼∼∼ (Rblade ) 32.35
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4Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Current blade manufacturing technology
• Material:• Glass fibres (NCF’s)
• Thermoset resin
• Process:• Vacuum infusion
• Prepregging
• Design:• 2 skins and 1 spar
• Structural bonding
Design
Material
Process
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5Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Alternative structural design
• Re-introduction of ribs:• Higher structural efficiency (E/ρ)
• Reduces buckling of the spar
• Provides attachment points and load paths for smart actuators,
control surfaces and sensors
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6Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Why thermoplastics?
• Processing:• Forming
• Assembly by welding
• Properties:• Good impact properties
• High toughness, also at low temperatures
• Abrasion resistant
• Chemical resistant
• Life cycle:• Unlimited shelf-life of raw materials
• Short production cycle time
• Fully recyclable
Pre-cut laminate sheet material
Infra red heating panels
Rubber die
Metal die
Rubber press
Final thermoplastic composite part
Heating element
Clamp connection
Welded parts
Voltmeter
Ampmeter
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7Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
What still stands in the way?
• Costs:• Technology costs:
• New technologies and expensive equipment
• Material costs:
• Need for intermediates
• Processing:• High processing temperatures (>200°C):
• High costs, thermal stresses
• Melt pressing technology:
• Limits part size and thickness
• Properties:• Fatigue performance:
• Weak fiber-to-matrix bond
Monomer
Polymer
PowderGranules
Film Solution
Laminate Prepreg
Finalproduct
Tradit
ional
Proce
ssing
of
Therm
oplas
t ic Com
posi
tes
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8Thermoplastic 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
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9Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Vacuum infusion of thermoplastic
composites
• Selection of resin:• Low processing
temperature (150-180˚C)
• Low viscosity (10 mPa.s)
• Low price/performance
(2-3€/kg)
Anionic Polyamide-6:
• AP-Nylon®
• World wide availability
0,001
0,01
0,1
1
10
100
1000
10000
100000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Processing temperature [ºC]
Mel
t vi
scos
ity [
Pa·
s]
epoxyvinylester
polyester
PMMA
PA-6
PBT
PA-12
PEK
ETPUPC
PMMAPA-12
PA-6
PBTPPS
PES
PEI
PEEK
PEKK
Reactive processing of thermoset resins
Reactive processing of thermoplastic resins
Melt processing of thermoplastic polymers
0,001
0,01
0,1
1
10
100
1000
10000
100000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Processing temperature [ºC]
Mel
t vi
scos
ity [
Pa·
s]
epoxyvinylester
polyester
PMMA
PA-6
PBT
PA-12
PEK
ETPUPC
PMMAPA-12
PA-6
PBTPPS
PES
PEI
PEEK
PEKK
Reactive processing of thermoset resins
Reactive processing of thermoplastic resins
Melt processing of thermoplastic polymers
• Selection of resin:• Low processing
temperature
• Low viscosity
• Low price/performance
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10Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Alternative blade manufacturing
technology
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11Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
What is done on material development?
• Polymer chemistry and physics
• Resin infusion process
• Composite properties
σσσσ
εεεε
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12Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Polymer chemistry and physics
• Resin composition
0
20
40
60
80
100
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
time [min]
Degre
e o
f conve
rsio
n [%
] .
Fast system
Slow systeminfusion
cure CAPROLACTAM
ACTIVATOR C20 INITIATOR C1
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13Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Polymer chemistry and physics
• Resin constitution• Identify important parameters• Understand & simulate the reaction
Polymerisation at different temperatures and compar ison with pure ε-caprolactame, inner temperature record, same beginning
0
50
100
150
200
250
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
time [s]
tem
pera
ture
[°C
]
pue CL, 140°C, 1.measur.
140°C, 1.measurement150°C, 1.measurement
160°C, 1.measurement
pure CL, 150°C, 1.measur.pure CL, 160°C, 1.measur.
160°C 150°C140°C
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14Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Polymer chemistry and physics
• Resin constitution• Identify important parameters• Understand & simulate the reaction• Characterise the properties• Comparison with currently used material
σ2
σ1
0.1
σσσσ
εεεε0.2 εεεεf
σσσσm
Compared to injection molded PA-6
Condition Young’s modulus [GPa]
Maximum strength [MPa]
Strain at failure [%]
23ºC, dry 4.2 (+ 41%) 96 (+ 14%) 9 (-) 23ºC, 50% RH 2.1 (+ 59%) 61 (+ 4%) 28 (-)
80ºC, dry 1.6 (+ 65%) 51 (+ 32%) 29 (-)
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15Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Resin infusion process
• Development of resin infusion process:• Fabric (fine and coarse weave)
• Glass
• UD
• Glass
110°C
110°C
160-180°C
60 minutes
250 mbar
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16Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Resin infusion process
• Development of resin infusion process• Homogeneous properties:
• In flow direction
• Through thickness
135
140
145
150
155
160
165
170
175
0 5 10 15 20 25
Time [min]
Tem
pera
ture
[°C
]
Tmould = 160°C (inlet)
Tmould = 160°C (center)Tmould = 160°C (outlet)
Outlet Inlet
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185
Temperature (ºC)
Laye
r Thermofoil+CarbonCarbonResistiveThermofoilPlated press
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17Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Resin infusion process
• Development of vacuum infusion process• Homogeneous properties• Identify important parameters• Optimise infusion process• Good mechanical properties
• Good fibre-to-matrix bond
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
140 150 160 170 180 190 200
Mould temperature [°C]
Inte
rlam
inar
sh
ear
stre
ng
th [
MP
a]
APA-6 composite (unsized/outlet)
APA-6 composite (sized/outlet)
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18Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Composite Properties
• Static properties (Dry conditioned)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Compressive strength Tensile strength Shear strength
[MP
a]
APA-6 Epoxy PA-6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Compressive modulus Tensile modulus Shear modulus
[GP
a]
APA-6 Epoxy PA-6In dry state, APA-6 outperforms
all other reference material
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19Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Composite Properties
• Static properties (moisture conditioned):
0
50
100150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
Compressive strength Tensile strength Shear strength
[MP
a]
APA-6 Epoxy PA-6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Compressive modulus Tensile modulus Shear modulus
[GP
a]
APA-6 Epoxy PA-6
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20Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Composite Properties
• Dynamic properties: • APA-6 composite
manufactured at 180C has
better fatigue properties
than the melt processed PA-
6 composite:
• Same toughness
• Higher interfacial bond
strength0
50100150200250300350400
1.0E+
02
1.0E+03
1.0E+
04
1.0E+
05
1.0E+06
1.0E+
07
n
S [M
Pa]
APA-6 (180ºC)PA-6EpoxyLog. (Epoxy)
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21Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
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 (150-180°C).
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22Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
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.
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23Thermoplastic wind turbine blades
Vacuum infused thermoplastic
composites for wind turbine blades
Questions?
Julie Teuwen
Delft University of TechnologyFaculty of Aerospace Engineering
Design and Production of Composite Structures