Development of Novel Self-Healing Polymer Composites for Use in Wind Turbine Blades

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun Kumar Koralagundi Matt ◽  
Shawn Strong ◽  
Tarek ElGammal ◽  
Ryoichi S. Amano
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Vascular Network ◽  
Fiber Reinforced Polymer ◽  
Elastic Behavior ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Fiber Reinforced ◽  
Wind Turbine Blades ◽  
Reinforced Polymer ◽  
Healing Agent

Wind turbine blades undergo fatigue and their performance depletes as time progresses due to the formation of internal cracks. Self-healing in polymers is a unique characteristic used to heal the cracks inherently as they form. In this study, a new method is demonstrated for supplying the monomer (that is quintessential for the healing process) uniformly throughout a fiber reinforced polymer composite. Commercial tubes were used to produce a vascular network for increased accessibility of the healing agent. The tube layouts were varied and their effect on the composite structure was observed. Conventional glass fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites (PMC) without microtubing were tested using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) to study the flexural visco–elastic behavior. The vascular network arrangement coupled with DMA data can be used to uniformly supply appropriate amount of healing agent to implement Self-healing in fiber reinforced PMC.

A New Vascular System Highly Efficient in the Storage and Transport of Healing Agent for Self-Healing Wind Turbine Blades

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rulin Shen ◽  
Ryoichi S. Amano ◽  
Giovanni Lewinski ◽  
Arun Kumar Koralagundi Matt
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Vascular System ◽  
Copper Wire ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Wind Turbine Blades ◽  
Healing Agent

Self-healing wind turbine blades offer a substantial offset for costly blade repairs and failures. We discuss the efforts made to optimize the self-healing properties of wind turbine blades and provide a new system to maximize this offset. Copper wire coated by paraffin wax was embedded into fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) samples incorporated with Grubbs' first-generation catalyst. The wires were extracted from cured samples to create cavities that were then injected with the healing agent, dicyclopentadiene (DCPD). Upon sample failure, the DCPD and catalyst react to form a thermosetting polymer to heal any crack propagation. Three-point bending flexural tests were performed to obtain the maximum flexural strengths of the FRP samples before and after recovery. Using those results, a hierarchy of various vascular network configurations was derived. To evaluate the healing system's effect in a real-life application, a prototype wind turbine was fabricated and wind tunnel testing was conducted. Using ultraviolet (UV) dye, storage and transport processes of the healing agent were observed. After 24 h of curing time, Raman spectroscopy was performed. The UV dye showed dispersion into the failure zone, and the Raman spectra showed the DCPD was polymerized to polydicyclopentadiene (PDCPD). Both the flexural and wind tunnel test samples were able to heal successfully, proving the validity of the process.

The self-healing investigations on fiber-reinforced polymer composites through a novel compartmented microcapillary approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 096739112098574
Author(s):  
Deepak Jain ◽  
Aviral Gupta ◽  
Sumit Mahajan
Keyword(s):  
Polymer Composites ◽  
Fiber Reinforced Polymer ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Fiber Reinforced ◽  
Frp Composites ◽  
Reinforced Polymer ◽  
Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Healing Agent ◽  
Flexural Tests

This paper presents the experimental self-healing investigations on fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites using a novel in-situ healing approach. During the preparation of polymer composites, the monomer Dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) was embedded as the healing agent. The compartment hollow glass microcapillaries were used to serve the localized distribution of the healing agent. To determine the viability of the proposed microcapillary approach, several flexural tests were conducted to initiate the damage and subsequent realization of self-repair activity. The healing was initiated through the polymerization of DCPD in the presence of Grubb’s catalyst (first and second generation). Once healed, the specimens were tested cyclically to evaluate the recovery of flexural strength. A post-failure healing efficiency as high as 72% has been observed. SEM and XRD investigations have been conducted for the microstructural investigations. These investigations support the potential applications of the proposed concept of embedding the bulk with the microcapillaries.

scholarly journals A Review on Failure Modes of Wind Turbine Components

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (17) ◽  
pp. 5241
Author(s):  
Abdul Ghani Olabi ◽  
Tabbi Wilberforce ◽  
Khaled Elsaid ◽  
Enas Taha Sayed ◽  
Tareq Salameh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Nanotubes ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Energy Generation ◽  
Fiber Reinforced Polymer ◽  
Fiber Reinforced ◽  
Reinforced Polymer

To meet the increasing energy demand, renewable energy is considered the best option. Its patronage is being encouraged by both the research and industrial community. The main driving force for most renewable systems is solar energy. It is abundant and pollutant free compared to fossil products. Wind energy is also considered an abundant medium of energy generation and often goes hand in hand with solar energy. The last few decades have seen a sudden surge in wind energy compared to solar energy due to most wind energy systems being cost effective compared to solar energy. Wind turbines are often categorised as large or small depending on their application and energy generation output. Sustainable materials for construction of different parts of wind turbines are being encouraged to lower the cost of the system. The turbine blades and generators perform crucial roles in the overall operation of the turbines; hence, their material composition is very critical. Today, most turbine blades are made up of natural fiber-reinforced polymer (NFRP) as well as glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP). Others are also made from wood and some metallic materials. Each of the materials introduced has specific characteristics that affect the system’s efficiency. This investigation explores the influence of these materials on turbine efficiency. Observations have shown that composites reinforced with nanomaterials have excellent mechanical characteristics. Carbon nanotubes have unique characteristics that may make them valuable in wind turbine blades in the future. It is possible to strengthen carbon nanotubes with various kinds of resins to get a variety of different characteristics. Similarly, the end-of-life treatment methods for composite materials is also presented.

Self-Healing of Wind Turbine Blades Using Microscale Vascular Vessels

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun Kumar Koralagundi Matt ◽  
Saman Beyhaghi ◽  
Ryoichi S. Amano ◽  
Jie Guo
Keyword(s):  
Flexural Strength ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Wind Turbine Blades ◽  
Bending Tests ◽  
Three Point Bending ◽  
Healing Agent ◽  
Channel Type

Development of high bending stresses due to a sudden gust of wind is a significant cause for the failure of wind turbine blades. Self-healing provides a fool proof safety measure against catastrophic failure by healing the damages autonomously, as they originate. In this study, biomimetic, vascular channel type of self-healing was implemented in glass fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite that is used in wind turbine blades. Microscale borosilicate tubes are used to supply the healing agent to the epoxy type of thermoset polymer matrix, and the healing was very effective. However, 25% decrease in tensile strength and 9% decrease in three-point bending flexural strength were imminent with the inclusion of a single layer of vascular vessels in the composite material. Three-point bending tests were performed before and after self-healing of flat specimens to find the extent of recovery of flexural strength on using vascular channel type of self-healing. An average recovery of flexural strength of 84.52% was obtained using a single layer of vascular vessels on the tensile stress side of three-point bending. Breakage and bleeding of the healing agent within the composite specimens during three-point bending tests were observed in real-time. Based on the encouraging findings, the above self-healing feature was successfully implemented in a prototype wind turbine.

Self-Healing of Wind Turbine Blades by Pressurized Delivery of Healing Agent

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rulin Shen ◽  
Meijian Ren ◽  
Ryoichi S. Amano ◽  
Mingjun Long ◽  
Yanling Gong
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blade ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Wind Turbine Blade ◽  
The Self ◽  
Peristaltic Pump ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Wind Turbine Blades ◽  
Healing Effect ◽  
Healing Agent

Abstract Self-healing is a promising way to solve the difficulty in wind turbine blades repair, yet the embedded healing agent may have a disadvantage because of being exposed to outdoor for a long time. Pressurized delivery of the healing agent in real-time when the blade is damaged may be the solution to avoid the disadvantage healing agent. In this paper, the healing agent was pumped to the damaged area by a peristaltic pump, and the healing effect was evaluated by the recovery rate of the residual flexural strength after impact and the image of ultrasonic C-scan. To evaluate the healing effect of different damage degrees, 10 J, 15 J, 20 J, and 25 J impact energies were applied. The fluid tracer test showed that the healing agent could penetrate in the damaged areas after the impact of 15 J, 20 J and 25 J, while the three-point bending test revealed that the healing efficiency was the highest with 20 J (85.2%). The ultrasonic C-scan and optical photos of the sample showed that the images of the healing area were almost consistent with those of the un-impacted area, indicating that the damaged area is healed well. Based on the success of plate samples, the self-healing of the wind turbine blade-scale prototype was then carried out. Twenty-joule impact was exerted on the blade prototype, and the healing agent was pumped to the damaged area using the peristaltic pump similar to the same procedure as that of the plate specimen. Ultrasonic C-scan and optical images of the damaged area showed that the prototype was healed well in comparison with those of the plate specimens, indicating that the application of pressurized delivery of the healing agent system in the self-healing of wind turbine blade prototype was successful.

scholarly journals Simulation of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polypropylene Nanocomposites for Small Wind Turbine Blades

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 622
Author(s):  
Yasser Elhenawy ◽  
Yasser Fouad ◽  
Haykel Marouani ◽  
Mohamed Bassyouni
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Glass Fiber ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fiber Reinforced ◽  
Wind Turbine Blades ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Glass Fiber Reinforced ◽  
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines ◽  
Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes

This study aims to evaluate the effect of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the performance of glass fiber (GF)-reinforced polypropylene (PP) for wind turbine blades. Support for theoretical blade movement of horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs), simulation, and analysis were performed with the Ansys computer package to gain insight into the durability of polypropylene-chopped E-glass for application in turbine blades under aerodynamic, gravitational, and centrifugal loads. Typically, polymer nanocomposites are used for small-scale wind turbine systems, such as for residential applications. Mechanical and physical properties of material composites including tensile and melt flow indices were determined. Surface morphology of polypropylene-chopped E-glass fiber and functionalized MWCNTs nanocomposites showed good distribution of dispersed phase. The effect of fiber loading on the mechanical properties of the PP nanocomposites was investigated in order to obtain the optimum composite composition and processing conditions for manufacturing wind turbine blades. The results show that adding MWCNTs to glass fiber-reinforced PP composites has a substantial influence on deflection reduction and adding them to chopped-polypropylene E-glass has a significant effect on reducing the bias estimated by finite element analysis.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document