Blade testing takes another Twist
26th October 2007
Leading wind turbine blade testing centre, NaREC, has created a new and innovative method for large scale wind turbine blade testing, set to ensure that the next generation of wind turbine blades designed by manufacturers around the world are truly pushed to the limits during their development.
The patented new ‘Dual-Axis' testing technology will ensure that larger wind turbine blades are fully able to cope with the greater stresses and strains they will suffer during long-term operations. The Dual Axis technology will offer an unrivalled quality of testing for prototype blades of up to and beyond 70 metres in length, since the technology can simulate actual operating conditions to a far higher degree than that of existing methods. Dual-Axis testing has been shown to substantially increase the probability of discovering material defects over traditional testing methodologies.
The existing widely used method for blade testing is to run the blade through one million cycles of bending along one axis, then rotate it by 90 degrees and move it one million times in the perpendicular axis. Although this discovers most problems with blades, this time consuming process does not absolutely correspond to the conditions experienced by a wind turbine in real life situations. This can lead to blades being over designed and unnecessary extra costs added in this very competitive market.
The Dual-Axis system, being able to test the blade in both the vertical and the horizontal at the same time, considerably reduces the testing time that is needed to assess the performance of a prototype wind turbine blade. Quicker blade testing will have a significant impact on the overall progress of wind turbine research and development projects and also speed up the process of standard conformance testing of wind turbine blades.
It is planned that the new system will be extended beyond dual axis to incorporate multiple axes testing introducing even more varied twisting into a wind turbine blade prototype.
The first operations of the Dual-Axis system are currently taking place, with commercial activities of the Dual-Axis system scheduled for the end of 2007.
Editors Notes
The New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) was established in 2002 as a Centre for Excellence for new and renewable energy technologies. The company was incorporated in February 2003 as a knowledge-based services organisation. Based in Blyth, Northumberland, NaREC is working to enable the move towards a low carbon economy on a National and International scale by assisting the development and market growth of new energy technologies. NaREC is one of the five centres of excellence set up by the North East's regional development agency, One NorthEast.
NaREC is an independent, cross-disciplined research and development platform serving developers, manufacturers and investors in new and renewable energy worldwide. In partnership with industry, NaREC is achieving new breakthroughs in the design, deployment and commercialisation of sustainable energy technologies, shaping the future through innovation. Our dedicated divisions for wind, marine, photovoltaics, and integrated low carbon solutions are dedicated to taking technology forwards, whilst our Electrical division works to help the power industry in evolving electrical networks and systems to accommodate the changing characteristics of energy resources. Upholding high industry standards for testing and certification, we are dedicated to preserving the integrity of the electrical network through innovation.
Our clients range from the key industry players to new market entrants, local authorities and major investors, but in all our work our goal is to put innovative technology into practice for the benefit of us all.
Contact Louise Harrison, 07766 498 068, email louise.harrison@narec.co.uk for further information
