From blade to post
reshaping thermoplastic wind turbine blade
K.P.J. Brans (Student TU Delft)
J.J. Joustra (TU Delft - Design for Sustainability)
R. Balkenende (TU Delft - Design for Sustainability)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
Wind turbine blades, though key to green energy, pose recycling challenges due to their material composition. This study explored reshaping thermoplastic composite blades—an emerging, more recyclable design—into useful applications without altering the material composition. First, key characteristics like material structure and thickness were defined after which sample material was produced. Reshaping experiments were conducted for both single and double curved geometries with different reshaping methods and parameters. The promising results were translated into a demonstrator re-use application, a lamppost, showcasing reshaping as an alternative to shredding in circular blade strategies.