I.A. Carrete
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Circular applications through selection strategies (CATSS)
A methodology for identifying reuse applications for end-of-life wind turbine blades
Wind turbines are crucial for the energy transition, but their end-of-life treatment presents a challenge. Most wind turbine blades, made from composites, are currently sent for disposal or recycled through methods that degrade the value of the material. Structural reuse through blade segmentation was introduced as a recovery method that maintains high material value throughout subsequent life cycles. Most recovery attempts focus on thermoset composites, but thermoplastics are becoming more common. Unlike thermosets, thermoplastics can be reshaped through thermoforming processes, which offers the opportunity of adapting the geometry of a blade to new reuse applications. This paper introduces selection strategies to identify secondary applications of reshaped thermoplastic blade sections. A new methodology is proposed based on Landru's selection strategies and the Material Driven Design method (MDD). The Circular Applications Through Selection Strategies (CATSS) methodology proposes understanding a material at different levels to identify applications. Each sectioning level of the blades yields different material characteristics, such as the reshapability, that are then put into Landru's three selection strategies: substitution, selection by function, and inverse selection. Substitution directly supplants other materials with blades in an existing application; selection by function compares material properties and performance indices to derive the most relevant functions (i.e. "light-weight beams"); and inverse selection identifies suitable market sectors. The CATSS method is a systematic approach to exploring the reuse of blade sections across multiple life cycles, taking into consideration the changes in blade geometry introduced by each sectioning level. For example, the second use cycle might use blade segments for infrastructural applications like electrical transmission poles, while 3rd and 4th cycles reuse blade elements or blade units for urban furniture or automotive parts, respectively. Thus, by identifying multiple use cycle applications at various sectioning levels, we introduce structural reuse and reshaping as a long-lasting recovery pathway for decommissioned wind turbine blades. The selection strategies presented on the one hand can help identify new applications for thermoplastic composite products at their end-of-life, while on the other hand they indicate which aspects need to be considered in the original design, thus contributing to more circular practices in the composites industry.
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Wind turbines are crucial for the energy transition, but their end-of-life treatment presents a challenge. Most wind turbine blades, made from composites, are currently sent for disposal or recycled through methods that degrade the value of the material. Structural reuse through blade segmentation was introduced as a recovery method that maintains high material value throughout subsequent life cycles. Most recovery attempts focus on thermoset composites, but thermoplastics are becoming more common. Unlike thermosets, thermoplastics can be reshaped through thermoforming processes, which offers the opportunity of adapting the geometry of a blade to new reuse applications. This paper introduces selection strategies to identify secondary applications of reshaped thermoplastic blade sections. A new methodology is proposed based on Landru's selection strategies and the Material Driven Design method (MDD). The Circular Applications Through Selection Strategies (CATSS) methodology proposes understanding a material at different levels to identify applications. Each sectioning level of the blades yields different material characteristics, such as the reshapability, that are then put into Landru's three selection strategies: substitution, selection by function, and inverse selection. Substitution directly supplants other materials with blades in an existing application; selection by function compares material properties and performance indices to derive the most relevant functions (i.e. "light-weight beams"); and inverse selection identifies suitable market sectors. The CATSS method is a systematic approach to exploring the reuse of blade sections across multiple life cycles, taking into consideration the changes in blade geometry introduced by each sectioning level. For example, the second use cycle might use blade segments for infrastructural applications like electrical transmission poles, while 3rd and 4th cycles reuse blade elements or blade units for urban furniture or automotive parts, respectively. Thus, by identifying multiple use cycle applications at various sectioning levels, we introduce structural reuse and reshaping as a long-lasting recovery pathway for decommissioned wind turbine blades. The selection strategies presented on the one hand can help identify new applications for thermoplastic composite products at their end-of-life, while on the other hand they indicate which aspects need to be considered in the original design, thus contributing to more circular practices in the composites industry.
Plant root growth can be altered by introducing obstacles in the path of growth. This principle is used in design to produce planar grid structures composed of interweaving roots. The Engineered Plant Root Materials (EPRMs) grown with this method have the potential to serve as environmentally sensitive alternatives for conventional materials, but their applications are delimited by their material properties. To bridge the gap in the wider application of these materials, the role of plant root structure and an agar-agar matrix are explored in relation to the mechanical properties of the EPRMs. Tensile tests were performed on five root configurations, ranging from single roots to grids of varying sizes. Heterogeneities in each configuration suggest poor load distribution throughout the structure. Agar-agar was introduced as a biopolymer matrix to improve load distribution and tensile properties. Digital microscopy at the intersection of grid cells suggests a correlation between cell size, root tip density, and material strength. The largest cell size (2 cm) had the highest root tip density and yield strength (0.568 ± 0.181 roots/mm2 and 0.234 ± 0.018 MPa, respectively), whereas the structure with the least root tips (1 cm) was 31 % weaker.
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Plant root growth can be altered by introducing obstacles in the path of growth. This principle is used in design to produce planar grid structures composed of interweaving roots. The Engineered Plant Root Materials (EPRMs) grown with this method have the potential to serve as environmentally sensitive alternatives for conventional materials, but their applications are delimited by their material properties. To bridge the gap in the wider application of these materials, the role of plant root structure and an agar-agar matrix are explored in relation to the mechanical properties of the EPRMs. Tensile tests were performed on five root configurations, ranging from single roots to grids of varying sizes. Heterogeneities in each configuration suggest poor load distribution throughout the structure. Agar-agar was introduced as a biopolymer matrix to improve load distribution and tensile properties. Digital microscopy at the intersection of grid cells suggests a correlation between cell size, root tip density, and material strength. The largest cell size (2 cm) had the highest root tip density and yield strength (0.568 ± 0.181 roots/mm2 and 0.234 ± 0.018 MPa, respectively), whereas the structure with the least root tips (1 cm) was 31 % weaker.