Covestro has manufactured the first polyurethane rotor blade for wind turbines in Asia.
The 37.5 metre-long rotor blade, designed for wind turbines with an output of 1.5 megawatts was fabricated with a special polyurethane infusion resin using a vacuum pressure infusion system with continuous degassing.
Polyurethane resins have very good physical properties, an excellent flowability and it thoroughly wets the glass fibres. Furthermore the company went on to say that less thermal energy is released during its processing than with traditional epoxy resins.
The resin was developed in close collaboration between the Covestro Wind Competence Centre in Denmark and the Polymer Research Development Centre (PRDC) of Covestro in Shanghai. Covestro researcher Dr. Chenxi Zhang recently presented the new development at the China Summit Forum 2016 for International Wind Power Composite Materials in Zhejiang.
In the latest report on the Chinese government’s progress, Prime Minister Keqiang Li called for a higher percentage of clean energy, a move that would encourage the further expansion of wind power systems in China. In this year alone, China is expected to add more than 30 gigawatts to its installed wind power capacity.