The different elements of wind turbine blades have been analyzed for their main function, performance requirements and drivers. Key drivers can be simplified to either performance or cost. The use of prepreg and infusion to make these blade elements has then been compared and shows, from a comparison of test laminates, that prepreg typically delivers higher mechanical performance on both glass and carbon. One of the main process differences, cure temperature, has been overcome with the introduction of M79 which cures at 70°-80°C. M79 combines this low cure temperature with a much lower reaction enthalpy allowing shorter cure cycles. This means that prepregs can now be cured in the same molds, at the same temperatures and with the same foam as used in a conventional infusion process. Although prepreg and infusion are usually used separately for making blade elements, they may also be used in combination: co-infused and co-cured using prepregs for the hard to infuse unidirectional load-carrying elements and infusion for the other elements. This can thus simplify the production process. The conclusion is that unidirectional prepregs are ideally suited for the performance driven parts of the blade such as in load carrying elements.
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