Qualification of composite materials and components

Rotor blades are central components of wind energy turbine systems and subject to a wide variety of demands. The blades’ aerodynamic efficiency must be high and resultant loads and manufacturing costs as low as possible. The combination of extreme operational demands with low structural costs can only be successful at the highest level of technology engineering. In order to continually advance the technology, the Fraunhofer IWES offers its customers a wide range of sophisticated testing technologies and a unique infrastructure.

In order to keep up with increasing cost pressure the rapidly, soaring quality requierements and an accelerated innovation cycles, new technological methods from fields like aerodynamics, load and structural calculations as well as material-, component- and structural testing are applied.

Fraunhofer IWES is certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008 regarding “product development up to the prototype stage, technology development and optimization, technology assessments and studies” as well as “trials in demonstration centers”.

Short overview: Download brochure

 

Full-scale blade testing

 

Rotor blade manufacturing

 

Material and component testing

Assigned reasearch projects

EoLO-HUBs (01/2023 - 12/2026)

OptiFoam (01/2023 - 12/2025)

SmarTestBlade (04/2022 – 03/2025)

Add2ReliaBlade (05/2021 - 04/2024)

OptiMUm (04/2020 - 03/2024)

HANNAH (03/2019-04/2022)

ReliaBlade (11/2018-10/2023)

BladeFactory (10/2018-10/2023)

Megayachtschaum (01/2019-12/2022)

Future Concept Operational Stability Rotor Blades Phase II (01/2019-06/2024)

RadKom-QS (11/2018-04/2022)

OptAnICE (01/2018-06/2021)

BeLeb (12/2017-03/2022)

MultiMonitor RB (03/2017-09/2021)

SegBlaTe (01/2017-06/2020)

ASM (10/2016-09/2020)

Smart Blades II (06/2016-06/2020)

Future rotor blade concept (12/2015-12/2020)

WindRoot (01/2017-12/2019)

LENAH (09/2015-02/2019)

BladeMaker (10/2012-03/2018)

Smart Blades (12/2012-02/2016)

 

Publications

 

see overview

 

Press releases

Construction begins on superlative rotor blade test bench

Cost-Efficient Testing Methods for XXL Blades - Jan 11th, 2019

SmartBlades2: Field measurement campaign in Colorado begins - Dec. 10th, 2018

ReliaBlade: Increased Reliability of Rotorblades - Nov. 7th 2018

BladeFactory: Quicker rotor blade production and a higher quality result  - Oct. 12th 2018

SmartBlades2 rotor blade passes extreme load test - March 2nd 2018

Sub-component test of rotor blade trailing edge - March 26th 2018

Effective prevention of rain erosion on rotor blades - Dec. 12th 2017

Process Chain for Industrialized Rotor Blade Production set in Motion - April 2017

Opening BladeMaker manufacturing center - April 27th 2016

Smart Blades: New ideas for making rotor blades more stable and lighter - Feb. 3rd 2016

€ 10 million for more realistic rotor blade tests - Jan. 13th 2016