Use of composite materials and hybrid composites in wind turbine blades

Abstract

A brief overview of the materials used in wind turbine blades is presented in the following. Wind power is one of the biggest sources of natural energy which is tapped by installing windmills in open areas of land, usually far from metropolitan areas. The biggest task involved in this, is achieving maximum efficiency with minimal cost. One way this can be achieved is by replacing the medieval wind turbine blades with hybrid composite material blades. The main advantage of this is balanced strength and stiffness. Wind turbine blades are manufactured according to certain pre-made mathematical calculations and are placed accordingly so that the blades rotate in a determined direction. The turbine blades are manufactured in different ways, some of which have been discussed further in this paper. The use of new materials such as nano-powders and hybrid fibers revolutionize the current manufacturing processes and throw open the doors to new opportunities, those which involve higher efficiencies, lower environmental impact, lesser wear, etc. Details of such materials and their properties have been discussed in this paper.