KurvedCores

In every wind turbine blade, there is a composite core. However, the production of composite core kits has not changed much over the last 30 years. Processes are traditionally very labour-intensive, and com- ponents are unnecessarily overweight, causing challenges in blade designs and a greater need for struc- tural strength for the turbine and foundations in operation. KurvedCores aims to transform the traditional production of wind turbine blades by transferring a 3D thermoformed core kit technology that Kurvatur has developed for the high-end sailboat market to the wind industry. This will be done by validating its use in blades and by introducing a new full-automated process for producing wind turbine blade core kits based on thermoformed core kits with less use of resin as an alternative to the traditional grid-scored core kits. Essentially, KurvedCores is all about making wind turbine blades lighter due to the significantly low- ered amount of resin, and as such more sustainable. By doing so, the project facilitates that longer blades can be produced with existing infrastructure, and hereby the energy generation potential is greatly im- proved because the blades will be able to cover a significantly larger rotor swept area without increasing the weight of the blades.

At its core, the project aims to develop the KurvedCores production technology by implementing a digital twin-based control architecture for heating, molding, trimming and handling 3D panels with robot arms, sensors and actuators by applying the latest in robotics technology. The aim is to demonstrate a full-auto- mated production line for KurvedCores production, proving that it will be possible for Kurvatur to reach a competitive cost structure to outperform conventional core kit solutions.

The KurvedCores EUDP project pushes the technology from TRL 5 to 7, validating the core material tech- nology and demonstrating the production processes in a full-automated production line.