CompositesWorld
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NEWS 37 CompositesWorld.com the outer blade surface on the downwind shell, typically from about 5m from the root to about the middle of the blade during final blade assembly, using VHB tape, supplied by 3M Advanced Materials Div. (St. Paul, MN, US). ese reduce flow separation (air separating from the blade before reaching the trailing edge) and improve lift and energy output. Additionally, LM installs propri- etary, custom-designed spoilers on the inboard blade section, near the root, to further increase lift. ese are made by reaction injection molding (RIM). Destiny to be determined e LM 88.4 P blade passed static and fatigue full-scale tests at LM's facility and at the independent Blaest Blade Test Center in Aalborg, Denmark (Fig. 7, p. 35). e blade subsequently was certified by DNV GL AS (Oslo, Norway). e first commercial LM 88.4 P blades were destined for installation in Adwen's next-gener- ation AD 8-180 wind turbine, with 8 MW nominal capacity and a 180m rotor diameter. LM manufactured three blades, which were transported by truck and barge (Fig. 8, p. 35), installed by Adwen, and are running on one grid-connected turbine in Bremerhaven, Donna Dawson is CW's (previously) retired senior writer emeritus, now residing and writing in Lindsay, CA, US, in the foothills of the Sierras. donna@compositesworld.com Germany (opening photo, p. 32). LM "delivered the required blades and completed the DNV certification according to the original time plan," says Lund-Laverick. e overall project, however, became a casualty of industry consolidation: Adwen was acquired by Gamesa, which subsequently merged with Siemens, followed by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy's (Zamudio, Spain) cancellation of the AD 8-180 platform, for which the LM 88.4 P had been developed. Lund-Laverick says LM Wind Power continues to drive hybrid carbon fiber spar platform development and is now delivering it on 69.3m blades for Siemens Gamesa. is onshore turbine blade design — for the world's largest onshore rotor — uses the same design, material and manufacturing principles developed for the 88.4m blade and continues to leverage the hybrid carbon and resin system technology benefits to drive the LCoE ever lower. He adds that future hybrid blade construction depends on customer require- ments, but says as blades grow longer, LM expects an increasing number will be built using the hybrid technology. Read this article online | short.compositesworld.com/LM88mBlade Carbon/Glass Spar Cap