WELCOME TO POWDERBLADE
Powderblade is a research and development project that will use novel engineering methods to modernise the way large wind turbine blades are manufactured and installed. The requirements of large-scale wind turbines are at the boundaries of current blade manufacturing technology. Modern wind turbines are demanding ever longer and lighter blades than current manufacturing methods can produce. The Powderblade project aims to address this by bringing to market stronger, lighter, and more structurally efficient carbon/glass hybrid wind blades.
Wind turbine blades ranging from the smallest up to the largest have traditionally been manufactured in a vacuum infusion process. With increasing blade length, the level of control over the quality of the finished product decreases considerably leading to heavier, over-designed blades. Powderblade aims to replace this process through the use of ÉireComposites’ powder epoxy technology. The powder epoxy materials will also be demonstrated in wind energy applications and subsequently made available to other industries such as marine, automotive and construction.
Powderblade will change the way large wind turbine blades are manufactured, transported and installed, leading to a step improvement in the cost and performance.
Objectives
Powderblade will change the way large wind turbine blades are manufactured, transported and installed, leading to a step improvement in the cost and performance.
News & Events
Throughout the course of our research we will be keeping the public informed about our findings and events we organise to promote awareness of the project.
Partners
The Powderblade project consortium is made of four partners from the areas of composites design and manufacturing, composites research, and business development.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Powderblade project consortium is made of four partners from the areas of composites design and manufacturing, composites research, and business development.
Project Partners
EIRECOMPOSITES
ÉireComposites is an innovative design, manufacturing and testing company, involved in lightweight and high-performance fibre-reinforced composite materials.
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
The College of Science and Engineering is one of the three academic Colleges at the University of Edinburgh. It is one of the largest science and engineering groupings in the UK
SUZLON
SE Blades Technology Hengelo is a division of Suzlon Energy Ltd. Suzlon specialises in the design and development of rotor blades for wind turbines.
WESTBIC
Established in 1997, WestBIC is the Official EU Business and Innovation Centre for Ireland’s Border, Midlands and Western Region.
CONTACT
Powderblade is a research and development project that will use novel engineering methods to modernise the way large wind turbine blades are manufactured and installed.