Large-scale tidal power turbines provide an option for clean energy generation that doesn’t depend on the weather, like wind and solar. Research led by NREL is using, for the first time anywhere, thermoplastic composite blades that will improve fatigue performance over typical epoxy blades, can be manufactured faster and more energy-efficiently, and can be recycled. The test site is located in New York City's East River, installed in Verdant … [Read more...]
Recyclable Wind Turbine Blades: thermoplastic, next-generation
When wind turbine blades are decommissioned they are usually scrapped and thrown into landfill because they cannot be recycled. In the U.S. over the next four years alone that will be the fate of more than 8,000 blades. As wind installations increase so will that number. It's because most blades are constructed from epoxy or other thermoset resins. So National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers are using a thermoplastic resin, … [Read more...]