anurag gupta - trends and changing r&d needs in blade technology

Trends & Changing R&D Needs in Blade Technology Anurag Gupta, Ph.D. Innovation Architect, Technology & Service Solutions Vestas Wind Systems A/S Aug 30, 2016

Vestas Innovation & Concept Development 1

An underlying theme: “INDUSTRIALIZATION” • Mature, fact- and first-principles driven basis… elimination of uncertainties • Commonality of standards/methods… accelerated collaboration, many foundational and pre-

competitive fields • Driving full exploitation of the learning curve… can we brake the up-scaling freight train AND drive

LCOE to grid parity?

NB: Given expertise in rest of panel, I will not go into details on Materials, manufacturing etc

Introduction About me, and a theme for today…

• Aero, Design & CFD trained; worked on hypersonics, rotorcraft, aircraft engines, gas turbines and of course, wind turbines. Moved to Vestas in 2011 from GE, working on Rotor Systems; now enjoying new concept development and (with a process hat), doing adv. technology roadmaps/programs for Vestas.


OTHER DRIVERS/NEEDS • Surface Engineering becoming important: Next level of capability and consistency needed

Erosion protection as tip speeds go up; Understanding from t=0 to t=20 yrs, Service and Performance Optimization needs; new markets with sand, dust

• Next-gen turbine and blade architectures: Is it time to revisit ?

Starting thoughts

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Drivers, specific vectors

• CoE driving upscaling…inexorably, rapidly; product AEP optimization => blade families (modular, standardized)

• “Shelf life” of blades as a product challenged Low CAPEX architectures • Non-BOM components getting attention… drives even closer integration design + manufacturing.

BOM Labor

Manuf. OH

Exemplary Blade Cost breakdown* (ex. Transport & Install)

* Actual values vary ~ function (tech, factory & manufacturing setups)

Industrialized blades – learnings – higher BOM%

Vestas Innovation & Concept Development

Next and Needs • Inconsistent best-practices, sub-models and thumb rules… “mixing” of clean and rough data, stall

margin, 3d inboard effects, Re # effects etc. Opportunity to standardize and exploit ? • Have we given up on the “near-stall” area ? Modeling, Measurements – more activity in DES of full

wind farms ! • Industrial V&V technology upgrade … expensive but necessary to drive from Product verification to

Technology validation. Mature industries do both necessary + sufficient validation • Where’s the 3D Aero-elastic design system ?

…reflect on net fidelity change of Wind Industry aero systems 2016 vs 2006 ?

Aerodynamics & Aero-acoustics

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Significant progress at airfoil level, low-hanging fruits at blade level ?

Trends Airfoils: NLF airfoils with high L/D, structural efficiency Quiet airfoil technology established, as are low-noise

blade operations (across Tier 1 OEMs) Add-ons proliferating to provide customization

options… but still slowed by “noisy” V&V

New generation of NLF airfoils meeting hi efficiency targets


Needs • AALC actuation & concepts that are simple,

robust and respect Wind Industry O&M paradigms • Upgraded physical modeling to have an effective and efficient “LAC” design system • Industrial V&V technology upgrade … expensive but necessary to drive from Product verification to

Technology validation

Loads Management

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Aero-servo-elastic design and technologies maturing, @ the actuation frontier(s)

Trends “System-level” design optimization or “CoE-

effective” blades driving significant LCoE gains

Aero-elastic tailoring (e.g., bend-twist coupling) has become part of OEM tool-kit

• @60m+, single DOF actuation (i.e., pitch) may be sub-optimal opportunity for Local Load Control

• Blade design & operation… from a WTG box to a WPP opportunity (plant power modes, yaw steering etc.)

V90 TEF tests, TRL5/6 , <2012 V27 ATEF, 2010 with DTU Risoe


Comments • STATUS: 4-Rotor Concept Demonstrator up and running

@ DTU campus in Roskilde* (4xV29,225kW – thank you, SWIFT!)

• Proving dynamics, controls, structural, loads and power mgt. concepts

Turbine Architectures – an alternate approach

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Same goal… but alter the scale playing field, allow more “industrial” solutions

Hypothesis • What if we architect a turbine around the square-

cube law but flipped ? Use aggregation vs. upscaling

• What technologies enable e.g., blade mass ratio system cost reduction ? … e.g., design concepts, material systems, manufacture & process shifts, alt. transport & construction concepts

• Urgency: Grid parity, other market barriers… How much faster can we realize them if scale pressure is replaced by industrialization opportunity?

Sensitivity of scaling to technology parameters

*similar to Lagerway ’88 450kw turbine

Support structure of the MR Concept Demonstrator


Backup Info: Blade needs from Materials Courtesy Dr. Adrian Gill, Vestas


Power Curve Materials: Wind Industry needs…

• Lifetime erosion protection • Easier application • Deeper understanding of erosion mechanism

Leading Edge Protection

• Robust ice-phobic coatings • Heat reflective, conductive and retentive coatings Anti-Icing

• Robust self-cleaning surfaces Clean Blade

• Cheaper, more durable finishing materials • More durable sealants

Finishing


Availability

• Tougher adhesives for tolerant structures • Performance maintained with thicker bondlines • Performance maintained at environment extremes,

especially cold climate

Adhesives

Resins

• Cheaper, easier to use radar absorption materials Stealth

• Tougher resins for tolerant structures • Performance maintained at environment extremes,

especially cold climate

• Conductive and insulating material systems Lightning


Materials: Wind Industry needs…

Service

Repair

• Repair systems for adverse conditions • (large moisture & temperature windows) • Rapid cure, especially without heat • Easy material handling

End of Life

Recyclability • Low cost recyclability of blades



Bill of Materials

• Stiffer, stronger, tougher with high certainty • Whole life low cost, incl surface prep and repair

Carbon

Resins

• Cost reductions • Faster curing

Adhesives

• Cost reductions • Faster curing

• Stronger, lighter, cheaper • Low resin absorption

Cores



Process & Labour

• Right-first-time paint application • Metal and composite compatible paints • Range of paint application solutions • Not painting at all – Paint-free and in-mould finishes

Paint

Resins

• Low, linear viscosity under pressure • Flexible choice of hardener, low exotherm • Easier, cleaner adhesive application

Adhesives

• Low viscosity, especially latent systems • Resistance to gassing • Tolerance to humidity

• Low cost, 3D woven materials • Effective, low cost tackifiers Fabrics



Tool and Equipment

Resins

• Rapid cure • Low temperature, out-of-mould cure

Adhesives

• Rapid cure • Low temperature, out-of-mould cure

• Heat resistant resins • Tougher gelcoats for moulds • Easier cleaning of mould • Tailorable heat transfer performance

Tooling Resin and Gelcoat

Tool Utilisation

