Robot-driven 3D printing, environmentally sustainable materials and technology ‘add ons’ will be among the focuses at a new prototype blade centre at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult in the UK targeting manufacturing cost-reduction and faster fabrication rates.

As part of a project at ORE Catapult on additive manufacturing for wind blades, a fabrication ‘cell’ will be built at its centre in Blyth, northeast England, to prove-up technologies to hone blade manufacturing processes by using 3D robotic printing, “flexible and more productive” fabrication method, and more environmentally sustainable materials than the conventional fiberglass and carbon.

The facility will also focus on faster-rate production of prototype blade “enhancements”, including vortex generators and edge-erosion protection add-ons.

“Our new additive cell will allow us to quickly develop new blade design concepts and move from the drawing board to our test hall or development turbine in just a few days rather than months,” said Stephen Wyatt, research and disruptive innovation director at ORE Catapult.

“The low-cost agile nature of this process is a game changer for [our] blades team, who will work with innovators to rapidly develop new and more sustainable designs for our booming sector.”

ORE Catapult aims to use the facility to “directly support” UK small- and mid-size enterprises along with wind industry supply chain.

Ben Wood, founder of UK wind turbine aerodynamics start-up Anakata – which has been testing a design with ORE Catapult for aerodynamic ‘winglets’ to curb leading-edge blade erosion while enhancing performance, said: “As we look to drive ever-more efficient performance and reliability from wind turbine blades, so we need to continually strive for improved materials, design and manufacture.

“Access to expertise and facilities such as this advanced manufacturing cell at ORE Catapult are critical to keeping UK innovators at the absolute forefront of clean energy technology.”

ORE Catapult has emerged as a key driver of next generation turbine components, playing a key role in trialling the record-setting 107-metre-long LM Windpower offshore rotor blade for GE’s Haliade-X unit, and managing the 7MW Levenmouth demonstrator in Fife, Scotland.

Wind

New UK R&D centre to sharpen focus on new-look wind turbine blades