How to Repair the Next Generation of Wind Turbine Blades

Abstract

Ensuring the sustainability of wind turbine blades will be an important requirement for new wind turbines to be installed in the coming years and decades. Several new wind turbines with blades from recyclable materials have already been installed, among which are blades based on recyclamine® and EzCiclo. The wind turbines of the new generation are subject to extreme mechanical and physical loading, can be damaged during service time, and will require maintenance and repair. In this paper, technologies for the repair and recycling of the new generation of materials for wind turbine blades are reviewed. Repair technologies for thermoplastic blades, recyclamine®- and vitrimer-based composites, and other new blade composites are discussed.

Keywords

• wind energy
• sustainability
• recyclable composites
• repair