In recent years, the number of installations of wind turbines significantly increased, driven by the necessity for a transition to a sustainable economy to achieve EU goals of carbon neutrality. However, considering their life of 20-25 years, it is urgent to fnd innovative solutions for End-of-Life (EoL) treatment. Among their components, one of the most critical elements is the blade, made in composites, particularly glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP). Currently, EoL wind blades are going to disposal (where possible), incineration, or they are used in low-value applications, mainly due to uncontrolled mechanical recycling processes, which result in the reduction of their mechanical properties, limiting their reuse in high-added value products. High-Voltage Fragmentation (HVF) is an innovative technology that creates localized shockwaves at the interface between two different materials through the generation of electric discharges within a product. This study focuses on the application of HVF to EoL wind blades. Experimental results demonstrate that this technology can act as a feasible recycling solution, both to remove impurities and to recycle GFRP, as a highly-controlled shredding process. This opens up interesting prospects for the reuse of the material itself in high-quality, high-added value products, following a demand-driven approach.
Exploiting High Voltage Fragmentation to Enable Demand-Driven Recycling of End-of-Life Wind Blades
Diani M.;Torvi S.;Colledani M.
2024-01-01
Abstract
In recent years, the number of installations of wind turbines significantly increased, driven by the necessity for a transition to a sustainable economy to achieve EU goals of carbon neutrality. However, considering their life of 20-25 years, it is urgent to fnd innovative solutions for End-of-Life (EoL) treatment. Among their components, one of the most critical elements is the blade, made in composites, particularly glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP). Currently, EoL wind blades are going to disposal (where possible), incineration, or they are used in low-value applications, mainly due to uncontrolled mechanical recycling processes, which result in the reduction of their mechanical properties, limiting their reuse in high-added value products. High-Voltage Fragmentation (HVF) is an innovative technology that creates localized shockwaves at the interface between two different materials through the generation of electric discharges within a product. This study focuses on the application of HVF to EoL wind blades. Experimental results demonstrate that this technology can act as a feasible recycling solution, both to remove impurities and to recycle GFRP, as a highly-controlled shredding process. This opens up interesting prospects for the reuse of the material itself in high-quality, high-added value products, following a demand-driven approach.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Exploiting High Voltage Fragmentation to Enable Demand-Driven Recycling of End-of-Life Wind Blades.pdf
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