WebCore Technologies, LLC has introduced Tycor® W5, the newest addition to its Tycor W family of fiber-reinforced composite core material solutions for utility wind turbine blades.
The new product expands the reinforcement architecture and manufacturing technology of the GL-certified Tycor W line by adding higher shear properties balanced in the L- and T-directions. Tycor W5 was developed to meet special design needs for current and future blade projects and is especially suited to the unique needs of longer, heavier blades.
Tycor W5 offers high transverse shear strength for local areas of high stress. The new product provides high, balanced transverse shear stiffness suited for thin, highly-loaded shear webs and shells. “The addition of Tycor W5 to our product line-up for wind turbine blades enables design engineers to optimize sandwich designs for both existing and new blades,” says Doug Ventura, CEO for WebCore. “As wind turbines continue to increase in size and output, engineers are being tasked to keep costs and weight down while developing longer, higher-performance blades able to withstand difficult operating conditions. Tycor W5 addresses these needs.”
Tycor W5 can be specified quickly as an alternative to balsa because the composite core’s balanced shear modulus allows for a direct comparison with and substitution of the wood product. Yet Tycor W5 offers blade manufacturers improved quality, consistent infused density, reduced resin absorption and better dimensional stability.
Suited to vacuum infusion, Tycor W5 provides 105 MPa minimum transverse shear modulus in all directions, yet unlike balsa, offers reduced cost and weight. Tycor W5 is available in sizes 12 to 78 mm thick. Sheet dimensions can be varied slightly to increase core kitting yield by as much as 10 percent compared to fixed-size cores.
For more information you can download the product PDF here