Lightning No Match for Wind Turbine Blade Protection System
Standing hundreds of feet above ground, wind turbines — like tall trees, buildings, and telephone poles — are easy targets for lightning. Just by virtue of their height, they will get struck.
Lightning protection systems exist for conventional wind turbine blades. But protection was needed for blades made from a new type of material—thermoplastic resin composites — and manufactured using an innovative thermal (heat-based) welding process developed by scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Thermoplastic materials, like plastic bottles, can be more easily recycled than the thermoset materials commonly used to make wind turbine blades today. While thermoset materials need to be heated to cure, thermoplastics cure at room temperature, which reduces both blade manufacturing times and costs.
NREL’s patent-pending thermal welding process for thermoplastic blades allows for these benefits and even adds to them by replacing the adhesives currently used to bond blade components. The use of welding instead of adhesives eliminates the downsides of added weight and cracking potential.
While thermal welding offers benefits, it also requires adding within the blade a metal heating element — which can attract lightning. As a result, a team of NREL researchers led by Robynne Murray and supported by General Electric (GE) and LM Wind Power (a GE subsidiary) invented a new lightning protection system to keep the novel thermoplastic materials safe.
Thermal Welding Goes for the Patent
In 2018, Robynne Murray, an NREL engineer who specializes in advanced manufacturing methods and materials for wind turbine blades, received a two-year NREL Laboratory Directed Research and Development award to research thermal welding of thermoplastic wind turbine blades.
To make one of these new blades, a vacuum pulls liquid thermoplastic resin into the fiberglass material that is placed in a mold for each blade half. To weld the blade halves together, scientists sandwich a conductive material — such as an expanded metal foil or carbon fiber — between the two blade components and attach a wire to a power source. This creates the heating element. As current flows through this element, the thermoplastic materials melt. Once they are melted, the current is switched off and the bond cools under pressure.
Murray’s research demonstrated that thermal welding can effectively bond thermoplastic wind turbine blade segments. She submitted a patent application on the process in 2018.
A Pathway for Lightning
Thermal welding works. But it leaves the conductive heating element, which can attract lightning, within the blade.
“Thermal welding is an important step in the progression of commercializing thermoplastic materials for wind blades, but what happens when lightning strikes a thermal-welded blade? That was an unanswered question and a big concern,” Murray said. “For thermal welding of thermoplastic blades to become commercially viable, it is critical that the conductive bond lines be protected from a lightning strike.”
Partnering with GE and LM Wind Power, Murray submitted a research proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF). TCF awards are designed to advance technology developed at national laboratories toward commercialization while encouraging lab-industry partnerships.
“With our partnership with GE, a company that can take the thermal welding process to commercialization, our TCF was a strong proposal,” Murray said. “Together, we wanted to determine whether we can protect these blades from lightning strikes and eliminate a big reason to stop us from using the technology.”
In 2019, the team received $150,000 in TCF funding; GE matched that amount.
The research partners set up shop in NREL’s Composites Manufacturing Education and Technology (CoMET) Facility to demonstrate that thermoplastic blades sealed using thermal welding can be protected from lightning strikes.
The team infused an expanded aluminum foil into the blade skin to divert lightning current away from the metal heating elements. They then completed experiments using a simulation that showed that a lightning strike would not cause blade failure with the lightning protection system in place.
Lightning protection To build a lightning shield for their innovative wind turbine blade design, the research team added an expanded aluminum foil layer (left) and a carbon-fiber heating element at the bond lines (right) to enable thermal welding of the blade parts. Photos by NREL
Lightning strike. Researchers used a lightning simulation technique to see where lightning might strike the blade and found that, typically, electricity hit the tip of the blade or one of the edges—but not inside the blade or welded seams where it could cause excessive damage. Photo by NREL
Physical damage tests — which subject the blades to high currents of electricity — demonstrated that about 80% of the electric current went into the expanded aluminum foil layer for lightning protection and not into the blade skin. The carbon fiber beneath the damaged area of the tip was also unscathed.
The research confirmed the design can protect wind turbine blades against failure caused by lightning strikes.
“LM Wind Power and GE Research were excited to work with NREL on the development of this technology and appreciated the support by DOE’s Technology Commercialization Fund. Thermal welding technology for thermoplastic, recyclable wind blades offers a significant opportunity to impact the sustainability and carbon footprint of wind blade structures,” said James Martin, director of blade platform deployment for LM Wind Power. “NREL’s focus on mitigating the lightning damage risks associated with the electrically conductive elements in the welded bond is a key challenge to be overcome, and their work has helped mature the technology toward potential commercialization.”
Still More Questions To Answer
The project has already delivered two strikes against lightning. Murray’s work developing a market-ready thermal welding system, however, is still at bat.
“We answered the question about lightning. But there are more questions to answer and more work to be done,” Murray said. “The next step for us is to do structural validation of thermally welded blade bond lines and blade tip segments. I hope we can do this in the next year or so.”
Read more about this project in Wind Engineering.
Article courtesy of NREL.
Leading yard operation 3PL YMX Logistics has announced plans to deploy fully twenty (20) of Orange EV’s fully electric Class 8 terminal trucks at a number of distribution and manufacturing sites across North America.
As the shipping and logistics industries increasingly move to embrace electrification, yard operations have proven to be an almost ideal use case for EVs, enabling companies like Orange EV, which specialize in yard hostlers or terminal tractors, to drive real, impactful change. To that end, companies like YMX are partnering with Orange EV.
“This relationship between YMX and Orange EV is a significant step forward in transforming yard operations across North America,” said Matt Yearling, CEO of YMX Logistics. “Besides the initial benefits of reduction in emissions and carbon footprint, our customers are also seeing improvements in the overall operational efficiency and seeking to expand. Our team members have also been sharing positive feedback about their new equipment and highlighting the positive impact on their health and day-to-day activities.”
This Orange looks good in blue
One of the most interesting aspects of this story – beyond the Orange EV HUSK-e XP’s almost unbelievable 180,000 lb. GCWR spec. – is that this isn’t a story about California’s ports, which mandate EVs. Instead, YMX is truly deploying these trucks throughout the country, with at least four currently in Chicago (and more on the way).
“Our collaboration with YMX Logistics represents a powerful stride in delivering sustainable yard solutions at scale for enterprise customers,” explains Wayne Mathisen, CEO of Orange EV. “With rising demand for electric yard trucks, our joint efforts ensure that more companies can access the environmental, financial, and operational benefits of electrification … this is a win for the planet, the workforce, and the bottom line of these organizations.”
We interviewed Orange EV founder Kurt Neutgens on The Heavy Equipment Podcast a few months back, but if you’re not familiar with these purpose-built trucks, it’s worth a listen.
HEP-isode 26
SOURCE | IMAGES: YMX Logistics.
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On today’s thrilling episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got the all-new Hyundai IONIQ 9 and its “a “rolling living room” pivoting captain’s chairs, Kia gets a go-fast 7 passenger SUV and an updated EV6, while Honda announces plans to start producing solid-state batteries at its new facility in just a few weeks.
We’ve also got big news for American workers – a Minnesota power company is ditching coal for solar while ExxonMobil and LG Chem get to work extracting thousands of tons of lithium out of Tennessee’s soil.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations sitewide. Learn more by clicking here.
You can watch the episode, below.
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Read more: Farm-fegnugen? Volkswagen rolls out an electric tractor.
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Arevon Energy has kicked off operations at Vikings Solar-plus-Storage – one of the US’s first utility-scale solar peaker plants.
The $529 million project in Imperial County, California, near Holtville, features 157 megawatts of solar power paired with 150 megawatts/600 megawatt hours of battery storage.
Vikings Solar-plus-Storage is designed to take cheap daytime solar power and store it for use during more expensive peak demand times, like late afternoons and evenings. The battery storage system can quickly respond to changes in demand, helping tackle critical grid needs.
Vikings leverages provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that support affordable clean energy, strengthen grid resilience, boost US manufacturing, and create good jobs.
The Vikings project has already brought significant benefits to the local area. It employed over 170 people during construction, many local workers, and boosted nearby businesses like restaurants, hotels, and stores. On top of that, Vikings will pay out more than $17 million to local governments over its lifespan.
“Vikings’ advanced design sets the standard for safe and reliable solar-plus-storage configurations,” said Arevon CEO Kevin Smith. “The project incorporates solar panels, trackers, and batteries that showcase the growing strength of US renewable energy manufacturing.”
The project includes Tesla Megapack battery systems made in California, First Solar’s thin-film solar panels, and smart solar trackers from Nextracker. San Diego-based SOLV Energy handled the engineering, procurement, and construction work.
San Diego Community Power (SDCP) will buy the energy from the Vikings project under a long-term deal, helping power nearly 1 million customer accounts. SDCP and Arevon have also signed an agreement for the 200 MW Avocet Energy Storage Project in Carson, California, which will start construction in early 2025.
Vikings is named after the Holtville High School mascot, and Arevon is giving back to the local community by funding scholarships for deserving Holtville High students.
Arevon is a major renewable energy developer across the US and a key player in California, with nearly 2,500 MW in operation and more than 1,250 MW under construction.
Read more: Minnesota’s largest coal plant goes solar: Sherco Solar comes online
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