Powered by WindInnovations for More Efficient Generation
Advancements in wind power are driving improvements in turbine blades.
In order to increase their power capacity to compete with other energy generation methods, the wind turbine blades need to be larger and turn faster.
Ohio State engineers are looking to add nanocomposites to the current fiberglass-reinforced polymeric composite materials used to manufacture the blades to make them lighter and more efficient.
Jose Castro, professor of integrated systems engineering, and L. James Lee, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, are investigating the manufacturing challenges that arise with the use of carbon nanofibers in production: How can the nanoparticles be properly dispersed into the fiberglass materials, and can the resin processability be maintained with the presence of the nanoparticles?
“Well-dispersed nanoparticles will greatly increase the resin viscosity and cause difficulties during composite processing,”Castro says. So he and Lee developed a new method to pre-bind nanoparticles onto the long fiber composites.
They treat glass fiber mats with a solution of carbon nanofiber and acetone that is first sonicated and then sprayed onto both sides of the mats. They then place the mats in a fume hood for solvent evaporation until the weight of the fiber mats stops decreasing with time. By using an apparatus that forces a cross-flow of air through the fiber mats in the direction of the sprayed solution, they can incorporate the carbon nanofiber into the mats themselves without increasing the thickness.
“Our goal is to develop material compromises that improve mechanical properties while maintaining adequate processability,”Castro says.
Motivated by the U.S. Department of Energy’s proclamation that 20 percent of the nation’s electricity must be wind generated by 2030, Ohio State engineers are engaged in various wind energy-related research projects. Among them:
- M.J.“Mike”Benzakein, professor and chair of aerospace engineering, is working to optimize the aerodynamic and acoustic design of rotor blades in order to increase efficiency and decrease noise. He is preparing for the test phase of his new blade designs.
- Longya Xu, professor of electrical and computer engineering, is developing a new low-cost, reliable wind turbine generator and system that has no brushes, rotor windings or permanent magnets, making them easier to manufacture and maintain.
- Donald Houser, professor emeritus, mechanical engineering, and founder, Gear Dynamics and Gear Noise Research Laboratory, focuses his research on reducing gear noise and gear dynamics through modifications to gear tooth surface design.
- Ramteen Sioshansi, assistant professor of integrated systems engineering, studies the impact of demand response on reducing barriers to utility-scale wind integration.
“Here we can model the wind, site the wind towers, build the gears, optimize the blades and model and reduce noise. And when the towers are all built and constructed, we have faculty doing research on the impact on livestock, birds, people and noise,”says Scott Potter, senior energy advisor at Ohio State’s Institute for Energy and the Environment, emphasizing the wide range of wind-related research at Ohio State.“Where else could you go from a research and development point of view and do everything from examine the wind movement to manufacture and install the tower and examine its resulting effects?”
