Page 39 - North American Clean Energy July/August 2020 Issue

Pyrolysis, cement kilns, and grinding/re-use all require significant size reduction of the blade, from tens of meters down to centimeters. Other re-use concepts in development take large sections of decommissioned blades and repurpose them for construction purposes, such as affordable housing, playgrounds, utility poles, or pedestrian bridges. Such concepts are attractive because they offer high materials recovery, low costs, and minimal environmental impacts. Structural considerations are being researched, but the market for these materials is not well defined. There are many other technologies currently in early development to meet the growing need for composites recycling.
Other considerations
Going beyond the technology options, the sustainability and economics of wind turbine blade recycling rests heavily on logistical considerations. Availability
of a major transportation network is a critical cost variable. Also important is proximity to intermediate processing facilities for size reduction and aggregation of composites from different sources, as well as proximity to central recycling facilities. Although wind farms are concentrated largely in Texas and north through the Midwest, that distribution may change as more states adopt wind power, and wind farms move off-shore. Because the volume of decommissioned wind turbine blades is currently low and dispersed across the U.S., it is likely that the blades will have to be combined with other sources of composites (e.g., boat hulls) to achieve a sustainable recycling paradigm.
Where do we go from here?
Given the explosive growth in renewable energy, it is important that we get out in front of the end-of-life issues. More research is needed for:
o Continued development of promising and new technologies for end-of-life management of wind turbine blades
o Rigorous techno-economic assessments to compare feasibility and economics of the various end-of-life management options
o Collaborative development of a commercial-scale facility capable of front-end processing of composites scrap from multiple industries
o Communications to inform policy development with sound technical information
As the power generation industry increasingly relies on renewable energy sources, the ultimate goal is to develop sustainable management practices that minimize environmental impacts once a blade has made its final rotation.
Brandon Fitchett is Senior Project Manager at Electric Power Research Institute. The information above is based on the EPRI report “Wind Turbine Blade Recycling: Preliminary Assessment” (Report 3002017711), which is available at no cost on the EPRI website. The report was authored for EPRI by the American Composite Manufacturers Association.
Electric Power Research Institute /// www.epri.com
Software solution leveraging lidar and turbine data for power performance testing
Leosphere, a Vaisala company, announced the launch of WindCube Insights, a proprietary data analytics software designed specifically for the WindCube Nacelle (previously called Wind Iris) nacelle-mounted lidar that simplifies the wind turbine power performance testing process. WindCube Insights enables true and fully transparent data analysis and reporting for WindCube Nacelle customers, within a web-based user interface. The software enables the upload of both WindCube Nacelle lidar and supervisory control and
data acquisition (SCADA) turbine performance data with a simplified data synchronization process. The WindCube Nacelle lidar measures the wind conditions at hub height ahead of the turbine, enabling operators and wind turbine original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to efficiently and accurately assess performance and optimize design and production efficiency. When fully integrated within the wind turbine, Windcube Nacelle enables load reduction, design costs reduction, and continuous production gains.
Leosphere, a Vaisala company /// www.leosphere.com
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North American Clean Energy
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