This is an excerpt from the Second Quarter 2011 edition of the Wind Program R&D Newsletter.
The center is the first commercial large blade test facility in the nation to test blades longer than 50 meters, which previously could only be done in Europe or China. The WTTC tests for structural integrity and durability, and can reduce wind power's cost of energy in the following ways:
- Providing industry with a low-cost test facility to comply with certification requirements and support value engineering
- Introducing more aerodynamically efficient blades
- Introducing lighter blades lowering machine costs
- Reducing the frequency of blade failures
- Reducing technical and financial risks of large-scale deployment.
The WTTC is critical to ensure the competitiveness of U.S. wind industry. It will also play a key role in developing the offshore wind turbine technology required to tap our nation's substantial offshore wind resources. The location of the testing center, at the Boston Autoport in Boston Harbor, features proximity to substantial offshore wind resources, truck access, a rail spur, and a dock for transporting blades from ocean going vessels. Blades can be shipped to the facility either by water or by road.
The WTTC will primarily provide certification tests for new blade designs and reliability testing for existing blade designs for wind turbine manufacturers. Each of these tests is done to one or several turbine blades. A full endurance (fatigue) test takes 3-4 months to complete while a static (ultimate strength and simple modal) test takes about 2 weeks. The facility will be able to test blades up to 90 m long, and can test three blades at a time. As a result, six to nine blades per year can be tested for endurance, and a higher number of static tests can be performed, depending on industry needs.
When selecting Massachusetts for the Wind Technology Testing Center in 2007, DOE initially pledged $2 million for the project. In 2009, DOE awarded Massachusetts an additional $25 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate construction of the facility. Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust contributed an additional $13.2 million in grants and loans. The project created about 300 jobs in construction, design and administration for the Massachusetts economy over the span of two years.
More research and development into longer blades will speed the creation of large-scale offshore wind power facilities. The facility will attract companies to design, manufacture, and test their blades in the United States. It will also promote the growth of American companies who are part of the supply chain for wind turbine production, including fiberglass distributors, advanced composite materials manufacturers, and others.