Innovations in power generation

The global population is becoming aware of the importance of using clean and green energy sources to protect the environment. Fossil fuels are in limited supply and may pose environmental concerns. Plastics open up novel and innovative ways of generating energy. For instance, the use of composite polymer materials has been preferred in the construction of rotor blades for wind turbines, as well as for solar panels.

Smithers Rapra Technology (www.rapra.net) provides testing, analysis, processing and research for the polymer industry. According to the company, the primary reason why polymer matrix composites are chosen for the manufacture of components is due to its light weight relative to their stiffness and strength. For example, carbon fibre reinforced composite can be five times stronger than some grades of steel whilst having only one-fifth the weight.

Polymer matrix composites are plastics (resins) with embedded fibres. The plastic is known as the matrix, and the fibres orientated within it are known as the reinforcement. Energy production requires materials that offer tried and tested long-term performance, often under arduous conditions, temperature, stress and environment. The development of composites is driven by the need to produce materials with improved mechanical, temperature and chemical resistance
properties over currently available materials.

Wind power source
S&E Specialty Polymers (www.sespoly.com) is a specialty plastic compounder. It has come up with a material blend featuring extreme toughness and resistance to severe environmental conditions for use by a custom cable manufacturer in New England for wire jacketing for wind turbine applications. The blend, Tufflex 2200 series, is a chlorinated thermoplastic elastomer compound that is flame-retardant, UV-resistant, oil-resistant, and extremely temperature-resistant.

The Tufflex 2200 series meets the requirements for (UL) Type WTTC and CSA Type CIC cable products. It is suitable for installation in the tower and nacelle of wind turbines where it is exposed to extreme conditions that include cold, heat, and vibration. The finished electrical cables are used for control and service power for the wind turbines.

S&E first developed compounds for wind turbine producers in 2005. "The specifications have evolved and become much more stringent since then as the use of wind turbines has expanded significantly around the world. Our material is extremely robust and is the benchmark for these types of  applications," according to Mr. Ilia Charlat, S&E's Vice President of Engineering. Vestas (www.vestas.com) says that in 2006, a report by Emerging Energy Research showed that land-based wind power is equal in cost to electricity from a new natural gas-fired plant. It is only marginally more expensive than electricity from a new coal-fired power station.

This is before the cost of CO2 emissions are taken into account. Since the installation of the first turbine in 1979, Vestas has improved output 100 times over. The key to capturing and releasing the latent power of wind is advanced turbine technology that operates at maximum efficiency. In three hours, a Vestas V90-3.0 MW turbine can produce enough electricity to supply an average European household with electricity for a year. In less than 12 months, a Vestas wind power plant can be up and running – producing energy, and generating a return on investment much more quickly. For instance, the V90-3.0 MW turbine pays for itself in energy more than 35 times during its lifetime. In wind power, there is no CO2, greenhouse gases, and hazardous waste left behind as a poisonous legNike