Renewable Energy Materials

ET 2371

Instructor:
Dr. Kenneth Leitch P.E.

Group Members:
Jonathan Harder Jeremy Sprouse Kaden Griffitt

Date Submitted
5 December 2011

Wind towers have been around since the start of the American frontier. Settlers used windmills to get water out of the ground. Today we are using wind turbines to obtain renewable energy that powers our homes and industries. These wind turbines are supported by different sized towers depending on the size of the turbine and generator on top of the tower. A generator that produces more power requires a stronger tower and footing than one that is smaller. All of these factors have to be taken into account when selecting the materials used for each project. Smaller turbines can be supported by lighter materials and require smaller footings than larger turbines.

For smaller towers there is a wide variety of materials that can be used, from old irrigation piping to PVC pipe. Usually when smaller turbines are built, they generally use metal pipe that can withstand torsion and bending moments caused by the motion of the blades and other forces acting upon the tower. The pipe also must be strong enough not to buckle with the weight directly on top of

the pipe. These issues are the reason why engineers look at the materials that are effective at with

standing theses forces and moments, but also cost effective and aesthetically pleasing to the general public. The first wind turbines made were really small and used stainless steel for the blades, and could power a radio and a couple of lamps. Stainless steel was used for the blades because of its ability to resist corrosion, and it was used because it can withstand high angular velocity loads and hold together during strong winds, which increases production of electricity. Another reason stainless steel was used in the manufacturing of the turbine blades was it was an available resource at the time, which had a higher strength than regular steel. Wind turbines that are larger present even more challenges than smaller wind turbines. In larger turbines the forces that are dealt with are bigger and could result in big failures. The materials used have to be able to measure up to certain specifications. One of the specifications for structural steel is it must be 350 MPa yield strength for a 1.5 Mega Watt turbine. The specification for the tower using this steel is it must have at least 320 ratio of diameter to thickness. When the tower is welded together it has to be welded at a certain ratio of oxygen to hydrogen so that the weld is strong enough to handle the loads that are placed on it. Many of the aerodynamic loads on a wind turbine have a significant impact on the tower structure. It causes a large bending moment which causes tension and compression forces within the tower. These forces cause towers to fail because of the metal fatigue that is applied. With the increased new study of Wind Energy and the growing number of wind farms across America, the group wanted to learn more. The wind farms previously stated here are referring to the industrial windmills that occupy the Hallow Horse Wind Energy Center. This wind farm is the biggest in the U.S. and is located right here in Texas, It has a 735.5 MW capacity. The industrial windmills being discussed are made up of many different materials but are constructed in 4 main sections. These 4 sections are the base, tower, nacelle, and blades.
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The base is obviously the starting point, which consists of concrete reinforced with steel bars that may come in a flat disk shape, or a deeper cylinder shape.

The tower is next which may be constructed in a white steel cylinder, or also a lattice tower. These towers all have a ladder on the inside and a hoist for tools and necessary equipment. The towers main duties include harboring electrical conduits, supporting the nacelle, and provide access to the nacelle for maintenance. The tower is mostly tubular and made of steel . Engineers chose steel because it is a very stout material that will do well in high winds.

The nacelle is the housing part of the wind turbine that contains a generator and gearbox. The materials chosen for the nacelle are extremely important due the fact that it may be the most subject to ware and tare. The base plate of the nacelle is made of hot dip galvanized steel, while the outer shell is made of polymer-fiberglass. The galvanized steel is durable and also lightweight, while the fiberglass shell is structured to last and protect all inside components.

Last but not least are the turbine blades. These blades are designed like airplane wings to use lift to capture the winds energy. Pressure pulls the blades in these designed pockets causing the turbine to rotate. These blades are created in fiberglass molds that are coated with epoxy to protect them from the elements. It may take the epoxy several weeks to fully cure and harden but when they do these blades are almost indestructible.

There are many specifications also for the blades and amount of energy output produced. For example, most wind turbines use three blades because it has been found that three blades produce the max power and not enough additional power (to make it feasible) is produced by adding more blades. Another factor that affects power output is the rotor diameter; if the diameter is
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larger then, the amount of power produced is larger. Also, most turbine blades are made out of fiber glass with an epoxy coating that hardens in six to seven weeks. This coating is formulated to reduce drag and friction enough so that ice does not form on the turbines as well as dust. An additional thing that the formulation does is help protect the blades from lightning strikes that could possibly harm the turbine blade. When looking at materials used in a wind turbine a person has to know how a wind turbine works on a large scale. Heres a picture of one type of large wind turbine.

In general the shafts of the turbine are metals that can withstand torsion loads. Additionally the gears of the turbine are metals that can withstand the loads that are applied to them due to the moment of the blades on the shaft. The materials used in these applications have to be strong and durable through many weather conditions. Most of the internal components in the large turbines

are made of metals that are designed to last and have constant loads placed on them for many years.

http://windpowerauthority.com/how-industrial-wind-turbine-blades-are-made/ http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy03osti/34759.pdf http://www.ecw.org/windpower/web/cat2a.html http://www.google.com/imgres?q=how+does+a+large+wind+turbine+work&hl=en&sa=X&biw=988&bih =619&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=gwuo0f6L3