Advanced Materials for Lightweight Wind Turbine Systems - Proof of Market

该项目将为风力涡轮机行业采用轻质材料提供经济依据。它将产生财务效益，从而促进投资开发轻型涡轮机系统和结构。引入轻型部件的催化剂是铝基复合材料(AMC)。AMC由连续氧化铝纤维增强的铝组成，具有超过黑色金属的强度和硬度特性，重量约为黑色金属的一半。在铝铸件(称为AAMC)中使用AMC增强材料或镶件可以在不增加包装尺寸的情况下提高铸铁件的硬度。英国，尤其是CMT，在这项技术上处于世界领先地位。在2010/11年度进行的Northern Way资助的项目中，确定了使用这些先进材料减轻重量的技术可行性。“轻型透平变速箱可行性研究”表明，用AAMC取代铸铁，减重超过25%的变速箱铸件。这种材料适用于除齿轮箱以外的许多其他涡轮系统。AAMC组件将比其铸铁或钢同等组件更昂贵。然而，通过减轻机舱部件的重量，塔架、安装和运输的成本将会降低，从而降低风电场的资本和运营成本，特别是海上风电场。通过提高耐用性和可靠性实现运营节约。减轻重量的经济案例的生成必须包括所有这些因素，并进行分析以确定风电场运营商的累计成本节约以及系统供应商和涡轮机制造商的投资回报。该项目将确定在减轻重量和改进功能方面从AAMC的使用中受益最大的系统，以便为未来的产品开发提供目标。

This project will develop the economic case for the adoption of lightweight materials by thewind turbine industry. It will establish the financial benefits and thereby facilitate investmentin the development of lightweight turbine systems and structures.The catalyst for the introduction of light weight components is aluminium matrix composite(AMC) material. Comprising aluminium reinforced with continuous alumina fibres, AMC hasstrength and stiffness properties that exceed those of ferrous metals, at around half the weight.The use of AMC reinforcements, or inserts, within an aluminium casting (termed AAMC)produces enhanced stiffness versus a cast iron part, with no increase in package size. The UK,and CMT in particular, is a world leader in this technology.The technical feasibility of using these advanced materials for weight reduction wasestablished in a Northern Way funded project undertaken in 2010/11. The ‘LightweightTurbine Gearbox Feasibility Study’ demonstrated weight savings of over 25% in gearbox castcomponents by replacing cast iron with AAMC. The material is suitable for application tomany other turbine systems, in addition to the gearbox.An AAMC component will be more expensive than its cast iron or steel equivalent. However,by decreasing the weight of nacelle components, the costs of towers, installation andtransportation will reduce, lowering the capital and operational costs of wind farms,particularly those offshore. Operational savings will be achieved via improved durability andreliability.Generation of the economic case for weight reduction must include all of these factors,analysed to identify the cumulative cost savings for the wind farm operator and the returns oninvestment for the system supplier and turbine manufacturer. The project will identify thesystem that will benefit most from the use of AAMC, in terms of weight reduction andfunctional improvement, so as to provide a target for future product development.