Rapid Prototyping (3D Printing) of Small

Wind Turbine Blades

Small Wind Turbines 2016, Vienna

Sean Poole, Russell Phillips
Introduction

Objective: To develop a design and manufacturing

method to rapidly prototype small wind turbine
blades for practical testing.

BLADE DESIGN

DEVELOP CAD

PROCESS CAM

3D PRINT BLADE

REINFORCE PRINTED BLADE

Blade Design

Using BEM theory, a

programme was written
in Labview to design a
turbine blade according
to parameter inputs.
Blade Design
Develop CAD
Process CAM

G-code for 3D printer generated using Repetier-Host

3D Print Blades

Print the turbine blades

(and make a 3D printer)
Reinforce Printed
Blade

4 reinforcement methods
investigated:

1. Pour filled
2. Short fibre infused
3. Pultruded rod reinforced
4. Threaded rod reinforced
Reinforce Printed
Blade

1. Pour Filled
Reinforce Printed
Blade

1. Pour Filled
Advantages:
1. Fast spiral printing (6-12 hours/blade)
2. Saves print material (hollow)
3. Strong print (easily controlled pass rate)
4. Quick reinforcement (mix and pour)
5. Shell could be removed
Reinforce Printed
Blade

1. Pour Filled
Disadvantages:
1. Flatter surfaces warping during printing
2. Exo-therm risk for larger volumes
3. Cracking of shell during water cooling
causes water inside bade
4. Weakest of the processes
5. Unbalancing between blades
Reinforce Printed
Blade

2. Short fibre infused

Reinforce Printed
Blade

2. Short fibre infused

Advantages:
1. Fast spiral printing (6-12 hours/blade)
2. Saves print material (hollow)
3. Strong print (easily controlled pass rate)
4. Strong reinforcement
5. Multidirectional reinforcement
6. Shell could be removed
Reinforce Printed
Blade

2. Short fibre infused

Disadvantages:
1. Flatter surfaces warping during printing
2. Thermal exo-therm risk for larger volumes
3. Fibre displacement during infusion
4. Lack of control of fibre direction
5. Lack of control of fibre density
6. Lack of control of fibre distribution
7. Lack of control of blade volume during infusion
8. Unbalancing between blades
Reinforce Printed
Blade

3. Pultruded rod reinforced

Reinforce Printed
Blade

3. Pultruded rod reinforced

Advantages:
1. Good geometry accuracy (no shell warping)
2. Light weight
3. Very strong blade length strength
4. No exo-therm problems
Effects and
Benefits of
Optimization

3. Pultruded rod reinforced

Disadvantages:
1. Complicated printing (pultruded rods inside
matrix from root to tip)
2. Long print times (12-24 hours)
3. Delicate shell (no reinforcement of profile)
4. Unbalancing between blades
Reinforce Printed
Blade

4. Threaded rod reinforced

Reinforce Printed
Blade

4. Threaded rod reinforced

Advantages:
1. Good geometry accuracy (no shell warping)
2. Light weight
3. Fairly strong blade length strength
4. No exo-therm problems
5. Quick assembly
6. Little manufacturing risk
7. Well balanced
Effects and
Benefits of
Optimization

4. Threaded rod reinforced

Disadvantages:
1. Long print times (12-24 hours)
2. Delicate shell (no reinforcement of profile)
3. CAD model needs to be updated to allow
threaded shaft to be inserted
ORF -
Outdoor Research
Facility

Testing = Happiness
Disaster

Monday - 21 September 2015

Blade Printing

Tuesday –
22 September 2015
New Blade Set – 7
days later

Monday - 28 September 2015

Conclusions and
Future Work

Conclusion:
• Blades work well for practical testing.
• Additive manufacturing can assist with
rapid prototype composite
manufacturing.
• Future work required to make process
more repetitively accurate (geometry
and weight distribution).
• Long term testing required.
• Strength testing required.
• Large (4.5 m ) mould printing.
Current Work –
Larger Machines

Build Size: 1.5 m X 1.5 m X 5.0 m

Current Work -
Plug
Manufacturing
Questions?