Covestro, supplier of high performance polymer materials, has installed their pilot wind turbines with wind blades made using polyurethane infusion resin.

Wind turbine rotor blades are typically made from fibreglass reinforced resin through vacuum infusion technology. However, because of the increasing demand for sustainable energy sources, including wind energy, wind turbines are increasingly tall with longer blades. This development demands stronger materials to stand the stresses the turbines face.

To meet this demand, Covestro developed the polyurethane infusion resin to create a generation of longer and stronger wind blades for anti-fatigue performance.

The pilot project includes a 2WM wind turbine of the type WB113-PU made with the polyurethane infusion resin. With wind blades of 55.2 metre long blades, it was installed at a wind farm in Tieling in Northeast China. The new blades need to undergo extensive independent testing to obtain all relevant certificates. Covestro already tested the performance of the wind blades used in the turbines, and they successfully passed the static test and fatigue tests both edgewise and flapwise conducted by China General Certification.

In addition to the installation of its own commissioned wind blades in Northeast China, Covestro also partnered with one of China’s leading wind turbine manufacturers to develop another 2.2MW turbine with 59.5 metre long blades, whose spar cap, shear web and blade root were fabricated with Covestro’s polyurethane infusion resin. The turbine has been installed in South Central China.

Photo: Covestro