Blades of glory

PA 283/09 The efficiency of wind turbine blades is key to improving the efficiency of this sustainable energy source. Research taking place at The University of Nottingham into the construction and composition of these blades is being showcased in a major exhibition at London's Science Museum. The Technology Strategy Board-funded, three-year AIRPOWER project brings together aerospace, composites and wind energy experts from companies such as Gamesa, BAE Systems and Hexcel Composites to develop more efficient, less wasteful methods of constructing wind turbines. The Polymer Composites Group in the Faculty of Engineering is looking at how current aerospace technology can be adapted to achieve this. Currently, blade manufacture is the bottle-neck in wind turbine production. Slow production methods mean that blades are not being manufactured quickly enough to satisfy the demands of the fast-growing wind energy industry. The current processes are labour intensive — which can lead to human error — and have appreciable levels of waste.