Wind Blade Experts Learn about New OC Fabric

The new UltraBlade fabric is used on a wind blade’s root end, or the blue area in the above illustration.

Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013

In a recent workshop in Beijing, China, OC’s Engineered Solutions team introduced the new UltraBlade® fabric to more than 60 experts in wind blade design and production.

UltraBlade triaxial fabrics can make a wind blade stronger, which allows for longer blades that generate more electric power. Triaxial means a three-layer fabric woven with glass roving. It can be used on a wind blade’s root end, or the portion that is bolted to the wind turbine. OC’s new product reduces the wind load transferred to the bolt by up to 17 percent. This reduces bolt fatigue.

“The UltraBlade triaxial fabric is the latest result of Owens Corning’s ability to optimize the total performance of composite systems for its customers,” said Dr. Tom Wassenberg, marketing manager. “This proprietary triaxial fabric gives designers more freedom in developing blades for large turbines with increased energy output. The fabric enables a smaller root section, which saves weight and increases a turbine’s energy output.”

Dr. Marcus Liu, technical marketing manager, Asia-Pacific, said, “We were honored to host this second rotor blade workshop in China to provide a platform for people to share their experience and the latest technologies. It demonstrates our dedication to support and win with our customers.”

The workshop was one of several at the China Composites Expo. Independent blade designers from the United States and Europe, together with major Chinese blade producers and turbine makers, addressed topics including blade aerodynamic and structure design, blade material, and blade manufacturing and testing.

Dr. Yein-Ming Lee, China Composites Center director, introduced leading glass forming and glass technologies. “Consistency of glass formulation and sizing in glass fiber manufacturing are critical to glass fiber performance, which translates to consistent and high-quality technical fabrics for wind blade customers,” he said.

“As a major integrated company making proprietary glass fiber reinforcements and sizing chemistry, we are always combining those areas of expertise to provide a full range of solutions for our customers. With our innovation capabilities in the China Composites Center, we can support our customers’ research and development efforts in China and work closely with customers to develop local solutions to this market.”