Electrical World, Page: 5
Friday, 31 March 2006
OWEN Corning has announced a breakthrough in the wind energy market with a better blade composite called WindStrand. WindStrand, reportedly will push the wind energy market to take another step forward in competing against other alternative energy sources by reducing the cost per kilowatt-hour (kwh). The company claims the product will allow turbine manufacturers to increase blade lengths by as much as six per cent and deliver up to 12 per cent more power - for up to 20 per cent less cost than any competing carbon-glass hybrid solution on the market. "In addition to the cost and performance benefits of WindStrand, the product also provides manufacturers with the traditional processability of glass, combined with the stiffness strength and weight of other high performance materials," Corning claims.
Other product highlights compared to conventional E-glass include up to 35 per cent higher tensile strengths; up to 17 per cent higher stiffness (modulus) and enhanced fatigue, impact, aging, corrosion, and temperature resistance. The product is expected to be available later this year. This is the first application using the Owens Corning high-performance reinforcement platform, HiPer-tex, which is the result of a revolution in glass melting, fiberising and sizing technology. The new reinforcement will be produced using the Owens Corning next-generation fiberglass manufacturing process, which reportedly has a significantly smaller environmental footprint than other technologies in use. The performance statistics for WindStrand are based on the company's beta testing in the field, and design blade optimisation by an independent research establishment based in the Netherlands Composite Technology Centre (CTC).
CTC studied the effects of replacing traditional E-glass with WindStrand for several components in a 44-meter long rotor or blade, suitable for a 2.5MW wind turbine. "For 67 years, since the original invention of fiberglass, we've delivered sustainable, energy saving solutions that truly transform markets and enhance lives," Chuck Dana, Owens Corning composites solutions business president. "To continue that pioneering history with the introduction of a new product for wind energy, which is key to our collective ability to meet the rising demand for energy and to safeguard the security of energy supplies, is absolutely at the heart of our corporate purpose and our spirit of true innovation."
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