Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing Using Composite Materials

One research direction for wind turbines is represented by blade manufacturing techniques and materials selection. In this paper the manufacturing process for the blades of a 1kW vertical axis wind turbine is presented. Firstly, a computer-aided design software is employed for the design of the wind turbine rotor. The blade manufacturing process included the use of a hot wire machine to cut the inner mold, made from high density polystyrene. The blade's structure is reinforced by placing an aluminum alloy tube in the polystyrene core. The shell is formed from two fiber glass coats impregnated with 3:1 epoxy resin, that will cover the mold and will be applied using brushes and rollers of various dimensions. This paper provides insightful information regarding the proposed simplified fabrication process for wind turbine blades, starting from its early stages with the blade design, continuing with its manufacturing process and then concluding with the resulted blades. A novel approach regarding blade painting is discussed.