Key Features
- High fatigue resistance (fiberglass excels in cyclic loading)
- Can be pultruded to very long lengths (50+ kg/m pultrusions have been made)
- Dimensional precision (important for aerofoil profiles)
Benefits
- Lighter turbine blades (more efficient energy capture)
- No delamination or moisture damage (unlike metal spars)
- Custom engineered for each blade section
Applications
- Long spar caps and shear webs inside wind turbine blades
- Stiffener beams in turbine towers (to reduce swaying)
Technical Specifications
- Material typically epoxy or vinylester for fatigue strength
- Layup can include carbon fibers for extra stiffness
Unique Selling Points (USPs)
- Facilitates longer blade spans (by reducing structural weight)