Wind energy
Doubled power output with longer rotor blades
Industry
Many developed countries with scarce to none coal, oil, and gas resources explore the prospects of wind energy. It is one of the most promising and fastest growing markets for carbon fiber.
Carbon composites are mainly used there to make rotor blades for wind turbines.
Advantages of carbon composites
Carbon composites reduce the weight of the structures by up to 30% as compared to metal composites.
Wind power stations can be built in the locations with the average annual wind speeds of 5 m/s and less due to the aeroelasticity and light weight of carbon fiber composite blades in their wind turbines.
- Weight
- High strength
- High fatigue performance
Advantages of carbon fiber composites over glass fiber composites in wind power generation
Six times more resilient
Several times higher fatigue strength under dynamic stresses
Lower density by 50%
Carbon fiber versus other materials
| Fiber type |
Tensile strength, MPa | Tensile modulus, GPa | Elongation at break, % | Density, g/cm3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon fiber made of PAN precursor | high strength, standard modulus | 3500-5000 | 200-280 | 1.4-2.0 | 1.75-1.80 |
| high strength, intermediate modulus | 4500-7000 | 280-325 | 1.7-2.1 | 1.73-1.81 | |
| high modulus | 3500-5000 | 325-450 | 0.7-1.4 | 1.75-1.85 | |
| ultra high modulus | 2500-4000 | 450-600 | 0.7-1.0 | 1.85-1.95 | |
| Glass | E-glass | 2500-3800 | 70-75 | 4.5-4.7 | 2.5-2.7 |
| S-glass | 4000-4500 | 80-90 | 5.0-5.3 | 2.5 | |
| Organic | Aramid | 3000-3600 | 60-180 | 2.4-3.6 | 1.45 |
| Polyethylene | 200-3000 | 5-170 | 3-80 | 0.96 | |
| Steel | high strength | 1200-2800 | 200 | 3.5 | 7.8 |
| stainless | 800-2000 | 190 | 3.0 | 7.8 | |
| Basalt | 3000-4800 | 90-110 | 3.0 | 2.6-2.8 | |
| Boron | 3500-4000 | 350-400 | 0.5-0.7 | 2.6 | |
Applications
Carbon fiber composites reduce weight, extend life, and improve strength of the end products.
Experience
The largest rotor blade for a wind turbine ever built was longer than 80 meters.
That design increased power output from 6 MW to 10 MW. Blade Dynamics is now researching production of 100-meter long rotor blades for wind turbines.
Summary
Wind is a promising alternative source of clean energy.
Opportunities are opening up for development of the carbon fiber composite market since the material is widely used for production of rotor blades and elements of wind turbines.