[4B5] Towards efficient recycling of wind turbine blades using virtual twins generated via large-scale inspection
G P Malfense Fierro, P Beaumont, B Norman, S Smith and A Birch
The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), UK
Renewable energy solutions are a critical component of the global transition from fossil fuels, with wind energy an attractive alternative. While wind energy is considered a green and sustainable technology, end-of-life (EOL) and circular economy challenges arise due to the expected waste produced by blades reaching their EOL. The recycling process of wind turbine blades (WTBs) is complex, as it involves overcoming difficulties in recycling composite materials, development of infrastructure to repurpose/reuse material and managing high costs. As part of the EoLO-HUBs European project, work has been undertaken with the objective to improve the efficiency of the recycling process, aimed at reducing costs and increasing recycled materials. Part of this is the development of large-scale inspection processes to determine the position and composition of the materials and structures present in WTBs, such that automated cutting paths can be generated to optimise the yield of recyclable materials and limit contamination. Enhanced inspection tools have been developed for accurate digitalisation of the internal and external blade structure, which includes a software tool for decommissioning assistance to minimise waste and costs based on geometrical and material data obtained from the WTBs. A wide range of metrology- and non-destructive testing-based technologies were evaluated on an actual WTB cross-section, with developed software tools used to fuse external and internal mapped data into detailed 3D models. The fused data provides the backbone to generate virtual twins with the aim of future-proofing inspection procedures via virtual testing, process refinement and integration of more complex process functions such as automation.
