KOMPO
Navigating wind turbine blade standards
From 4,000-year-old windmills in Persia to floating wind turbines in the North Sea, wind energy has evolved from rudimentary technology to a highly advanced and strategic component of modern energy infrastructure. Today, the unique requirements of turbine design and lengthy qualification processes are molding its development. Here, Patricia Vázquez, carbon key account manager for wind energy at pultruded composites manufacturer Exel Composites, explores how these factors influence the implementation of new wind blade designs, and the standards that guide their manufacture.
Patricia-Vá zquez-Exel-Composites
DNV-ST-0376. Nevertheless, each design requires customized materials, production processes and extensive testing, leading to higher costs and longer production timelines. To address these challenges, APQP4Wind was established to standardize quality assurance practices across the wind ener- gy sector. This non-profit organization employs principles from Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) to streamline prod- uct development and approval processes. APQP4Wind aims to propagate consistency, reduce the cost of non-quality and accel- erate time to market by standardizing documentation, testing, and quality assurance. Testing and qualification Qualification and testing of wind turbine blades are crucial to ensure they meet industry standards. Prominent and certified testing facilities in Germany and China are integral to this pro- cess, performing extensive evaluations of turbine component materials and designs. For instance, testing of the carbon spar cap supplied by Exel involves mechanical and fatigue examina- tions conducted by these external laboratories to validate com- pliance with the OEMs’ specifications.
Text: Patricia Vázquez Moreno, Exel Composites Pictures: Excel Composites
The diversity in design specification, components, materials and operational environments and condition can complicate pro- duction. OEM´s might specify blades with different lengths, pro- files, or raw material weight fractions, to adapt to their own spe- cific requirements. These range from thin, narrow profiles with several kilometers of material to thicker, larger plates for add- ed rigidity. Offshore blades, for example, are often more than 100 meters and must withstand immense loads. This added rigidity helps prevent excessive bending during operation, which could result in the blade striking the turbine tower. All designs must meet consistent performance standards, including aerodynamic efficiency, strength, and fatigue resist- ance, provided in general Standard like IEC 61400-5:2020 and
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