Covestro partners with industry and university in renewables project
26.08.2019
A consortium managed by the Technical University of Denmark is carrying out a research project named DURALEDGE (from Durable Leading Edges) to investigate erosion mechanisms and develop new coatings to permanently protect rotor blades.
In a team with manufacturers of wind energy systems and coatings Covestro is working on the development of raw materials for new, particularly durable coatings for the edge protection of wind rotor blades. Especially offshore parks require an improved protection against erosion, the more so as maintenance work is particularly complex and costly. The consortium aims to develop calculation models to predict edge protection. Leading global manufacturers of wind energy systems and coatings are also members, as is Covestro as a key raw materials partner.
The company has been engaged for many years in a sustainable energy supply as the wind energy industry dreams of developing maintenance-free systems. One important hurdle on the path to achieving this goal is the fact that the longitudinal edges of rotor blades are subject to the effects of weather. Rain can destroy the coating layer and the composite material beneath over time, reducing annual energy performance by more than five percent. In addition, the systems have to be serviced more frequently.
Longer use, lower maintenance costsDr Matthias Wintermantel, Head of Market and Business Development Infrastructure Coatings at Covestro, said: "We are working at high speed to develop a raw material for a specialised, robust paint system. It will significantly increase the service life of rotor blades, while also reducing maintenance expenses and associated costs. This lets us help make sustainable energy production using wind power even more economical."
The DURALEDGE project began on 1 November 2018 with a term of three years. It is being funded with DKK11.7M (~€1.57m) from the Danish Innovation Fund. Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies with business activities focusing on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life.