Wind Energy News: 3B’s HiPer-tex™ W2020 roving obtains Germanischer Lloyd approval.

Battice, Belgium, March 12, 2013 – This new certification complements the recent GL approval for SE2020 single end reinforcements. Both benchmark products benefit from proprietary sizings developed for use with specific resin systems (epoxy) principally for the manufacturing of non-crimped fabrics and FRP laminates for applications in, but not exclusively, wind turbine blades.

“GL certification confirms the superior quality and reliability of our savoir-faire when developing and manufacturing high performing glass fibre products for technically demanding applications such as the components that make up a wind turbine blade,” said Luc Peters, 3B Wind Energy Technical Leader. “As blades get longer so the need increases to use high modulus glass spar caps in the structural areas of the blade to provide greater stiffness. When comparing blades manufactured with traditional E-glass, HiPer-tex™ W2020 achieves up to 10% weight saving for the same blade design and length. By implementing these improvements the blade length can be extended thus providing more energy output while maintaining the same weight thereby positively contributing to the levelised cost of energy (LCOE),” he added.

HiPer-tex™ W2020 high modulus glass displays outstanding mechanical properties providing significantly greater strength and strain-to-failure than traditional E-glass. The advantages of the specifically engineered sizings are threefold: to enhance the adhesion with the epoxy matrix which greatly increases interfibre strength; to improve fatigue performance and to enhance the processing of the rovings along the entire value-chain – weaving, infusion or prepreg moulding.

“The additional GL accreditation for another of our new benchmark series of wind energy products supports our strategy to become a wind energy solution provider to facilitate the development and design of multi-megawatt turbines. This is especially important for the emerging generation of massive off shore wind turbines which could have rotor blades as long as 80 to 100 metres in length,” added Onur Tokgoz, 3B Wind Energy Global Business Leader.