Project description
Sustainable approaches to wind turbine blade production
Wind energy is becoming an increasingly mainstream part of the electricity mix. In 2019 alone, around 3 500 wind turbines were installed in Europe. Remarkably, the technologies used to manufacture turbine blades have not changed significantly since the 1970s. These include resin infusion and coating processes which are prone to defects, resulting in high rates of re-work, scrap and repair. Combining several new developments from different disciplines, the EU-funded TURBO project will reduce defect formation and improve composite and coating repair. The researchers will experiment with cutting-edge non-destructive testing methods to monitor composite production on site. Advanced machine learning algorithms will help minimise deficiencies and waste and optimise operational efficiency.
Objective
>10000 wind turbine blades (WTBs) were installed in Europe in 2019, and the largest are >100 m long. Yet the manufacturing methods have not changed significantly since the 1970s, with little or no NDT or in-line control, leading to high defect, repair and scrap rates. TURB0 will reduce defects and improve repair strategies in WTB composites and coatings.
-Improved composite production processes: By using the latest simulation techniques to avoid defect formation and understand how defects affect structural integrity.
-In-line NDT: Combining three cutting-edge NDT technologies (dielectric, wireless, sensor-less) for the first large scale in-line in situ composite production monitoring.
-Sub-surface WTB coating inspection: Currently coatings only undergo visual surface inspection or destructive testing. TURB0 will combine ultrasound and mid-IR OCT for the most detailed coating assessment ever performed.
-Digital twin and data warehouse: Production equipment, monitoring and in-line NDT data will be combined to establish a digital twin for real-time analysis of production. This has never been attempted for a large-scale composite part. It will populate a data warehouse accessible from multiple production sites.
-In-line system control: Using the digital twin, a ML-based algorithm will provide closed-loop process control to minimise defect formation and waste and optimise process efficiency.
-Automated repair strategy: The digital twin enables a ML analysis of defect severity in composites, with automated strategies to reduce repairs by 90 % and increase recycling of off-cuts.
-Full-scale demo: A demo on a full size >80 m WTB section will be performed at the SGRE factory in Aalborg.
-Quantified sustainability improvements: including life cycle analysis (LCA), social LCA and circular economy assessments to quantify environmental and socioeconomic benefits.
-Dissemination and exploitation activity: includes a powerful Advisory Board, training, standards and business plan.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.4 - Digital, Industry and Space
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.4.1 - Manufacturing Technologies
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL4-2021-TWIN-TRANSITION-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
2800 Kongens Lyngby
Denmark
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.