{"id":421465,"date":"2023-01-18T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T05:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/?p=421465"},"modified":"2023-01-18T06:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T05:30:00","slug":"novel-resin-makes-wind-blades-recyclable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/novel-resin-makes-wind-blades-recyclable\/","title":{"rendered":"Novel resin makes wind blades recyclable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If we are to switch towards a truly sustainable society, materials and energy\u2019s circularity must proceed hand in hand. If the electricity we use to power our cars comes from fossil sources, there is still a relevant environmental impact. The same goes for wind turbines. They might produce clean energy for decades, but what\u2019s the point if their voluminous blades end up landfilled for centuries? However, having a low carbon output per kWh delivered to the grid – about 6 grams of CO2<\/sub> equivalent – old turbines represent an additional waste source. A new resin for binding blades\u2019 components together is paving the way to make them fully recyclable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why we write about this topic:<\/summary>

Solar and wind energy will power the future, but they also come with waste streams. Recyclable wind blades help achieve 100 percent green – and circular – energy.<\/p><\/div><\/details>\n\n\n\n

Wind blades are cast using glass and carbon fiber. A core material that can be wood or PET plastic \u2013 the same used for bottles \u2013 and an epoxy resin system. The latter attaches all the components, making it harder to separate materials when the turbine reaches the end of its cycle. The resulting compound is called fiber-reinforced composite \u2013 FRP. Siemens Gamesa<\/a> came up with a new cohesive substance that allows easier separation of materials without compromising performance. The first recyclable blades are already spinning in the offshore wind farm of Kaskasi, Germany, operated by the energy company RWE<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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<\/div><\/div>
Siemens Gamesa completes the installation of recyclable offshore wind blades<\/div>
Siemens Gamesa announces the delivery of green energy from the world’s first turbine equipped with Siemens Gamesa’s RecyclableBlades. <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Growing waste stream<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Recycling wind blades has been a tricky business. Although creative solutions exist \u2013 Siemens Gamesa itself reused some of them as bicycle sheds<\/a> \u2013 most of them end up in landfills. By contrast, other wind turbines\u2019 components can be recycled already. The tower is made of steel, which can be reused countless times.  If wind energy is to play a crucial role in the upcoming decades, dealing with the resulting waste is as relevant. According to a study<\/a> by the University of Cambridge<\/a>, wind turbines will generate 43 million tons of waste by 2050. Furthermore, countries are outlawing landfill \u2013 Austria, Finland, Germany, and the Netherlands have already banned it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recyclable wind blades have the same features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It doesn\u2019t change much between non-recyclable and the blades made with the new RecyclableBlade technology. \u201cThe good part is that there was not much necessary redesign to do. The new cohesive substance comes with the same set of properties as the one we use for conventional ones. What\u2019s more, is that production processes and blades\u2019 lifetime stay the same,\u201d told Innovation Origins Harald Stecher, a blade materials engineer at Siemens Gamesa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wind blades have a relatively simple structure and few components. The so-called girder is the inner part. It is made of fiberglass and carbon, with resin coating. Two shells \u2013 also made of fiberglass \u2013 cover the girders. Then, shells and girders are assembled, passing through an oven to combine them into a single structure. Following an inspection, the blades are ready to reach their destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The manufacturing process – \u00a9 Siemens Gamesa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This procedure applies to all kinds of wind blades up to 110 meters long. Siemens Gamesa recyclable blade prototypes will soon ramp up to 108 meters. They are suitable both for onshore and offshore wind farms. As they are similar to the conventional ones, the recyclable blades\u2019 maintenance procedures also stay the same. These operations mainly concern checking for cracks in the structure and don\u2019t require any additional action to be performed in recyclable ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPotentially, the concept is plug and play, but we are far from understanding the material\u2019s potential. We will explore the process more, we still have to play with temperatures and times of infusion. There might be additional gains we are not aware of yet,\u201d the engineer adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Harald
\u00a9 Harald Stecher<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Harald Stecher<\/h3>

Blade materials engineer at Siemens Gamesa<\/h4>

He’s part of the materials team, responsible for the blades’ resin. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Smooth process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What makes a difference is the resin\u2019s chemistry. Specifically, the compound\u2019s bonds can be broken more easily. When it\u2019s time to decommission a wind turbine, the blade first gets cut into pieces of small square meters. The chunks are immersed in pre-heated and diluted acetic acid \u2013 up to 90\u00b0C \u2013 for a couple of hours. Next, they rest in a ventilated room, where the epoxy compound dissolves, and the materials\u2019 separation happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This way, fibers recovery happens. Then the resulting solution is filtered for recovering the cohesive substance too. It can happen in two ways, through evaporation or via neutralization – a chemical reaction in which an acid and a base react together – of the solvent. Regardless of breaking the material\u2019s bonds, stiffness and strength levels are almost the same as the original material. Therefore, the resin can be repurposed for not as stressful uses as the one of a wind blade \u2013 yet still ready to serve in demanding sectors such as the automotive one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn comparing the process with similar ones it\u2019s worth underlining that it operates below the boiling point, meaning that there is not an overpressure risk. This means that the equipment needed doesn\u2019t have to be as sophisticated as the one required for operating other kinds of procedures,\u201d Stecher remarks.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>
<\/div><\/div>
This is how the largest wind blades are made<\/div>
Northern Europe countries don\u2019t enjoy the same amount of sun as the Mediterranean ones, while the wind is not missing. <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Fully circular wind turbines <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the moment, the technology is in the introduction phase. By 2024, Siemens Gamesa aims to ramp up production as its supplier will build a facility for producing the new resin on a larger scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2040 is the deadline Siemens Gamesa laid out for achieving a 100 percent recyclable wind turbine. As the code for recycling blades has been cracked, the nacelle<\/em> is next. It is the cover housing the turbine\u2019s critical components, such as the drive train, the generator, and the gearbox. The nacelle is also made of fiber composites with a similar resin coating. The knowledge acquired in designing the recyclable blade will come in handy, even though a great amount of research is needed as the components need to be long-lasting and safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe solved the main structure. However, there are smaller things to consider, such as turbine magnets and other small bits and pieces that we need to get on to have a fully recyclable blade,\u201d Stecher sums up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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