August 9, 2025 • 30 mins
In this episode of Adhesion Matters, we power up to explore adhesive bonding in wind turbine blades—unpacking the engineering breakthroughs, production hurdles, and future trends that are shaping blades for a sustainable energy future.
What You'll Learn:
- The Invisible Backbone of Blades
Adhesives do far more than just ‘stick’—they bond complex components like shell halves and shear webs in massive blades (50–80 meters long), delivering structural integrity under extreme conditions. - Fast-Curing, High-Performance Chemistry
From room-temperature, snap-cure methacrylates to toughened epoxies built for fatigue resistance and fast production cycles, learn how adhesives enable stronger, quicker, and more efficient manufacturing. - Design Meets Sustainability
Emerging adhesives are being engineered to support modular blade designs and recyclability, opening pathways for de-bond-on-demand systems and circular wind-energy manufacturing. - Avoiding Bond Failures
From surface cleanliness and sag-resistant formulations to cure profiles, improper application can undermine safety—and even lead to catastrophic blade failure. Quality control is more than a checklist—it’s mission critical. - Future Trends on the Horizon
Learn how industry-shaping factors—like raw material supply pressures, demand for recyclable blades, and evolving blade geometries—are driving the next wave of adhesive innovation.
Whether you're interested in materials science, clean energy technologies, or industrial innovation, this episode reveals how adhesives—often overlooked—are foundational to the wind turbines powering our sustainable future.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Elena Bondwell (00:00):
When you look at an 80 meter wind turbine blade,
I mean, that's longer than ajumbo jet, right?
Yeah.
You probably don't think aboutglue, but it's literally the
glue holding our renewableenergy future together.
Lucas Adheron (00:12):
It really is.
Elena Bondwell (00:13):
So today we're taking a deep dive into the
fascinating kind of complexworld of adhesive bonding in
these massive wind turbineblades.
Lucas Adheron (00:21):
And what's truly fascinating here, you know, is
how These adhesives aren't justglue, not at all.
They're critical structuralelements.
Structural, okay.
Yeah, they dictate pretty mucheverything.
How the blades are made, howthey perform under extreme
conditions, even how they getrepaired.
Wow.
This is really a story where...
advanced material science meetsthis immense engineering
(00:42):
challenge.
Elena Bondwell (00:43):
And to help us navigate this incredible world,
we pulled from a reallycomprehensive report on wind
turbine blade bonding.
Right.
And we've also got insightsfrom leading chemical
distributors likeBodo Möller Chemie and
manufacturers, you know, Dow,DuPont, Henkel, Huntsman.
Lucas Adheron (01:00):
Lead players.
Elena Bondwell (01:01):
Exactly.
So our mission today is reallyto uncover the vital role of
these adhesives, their role instructural integrity
manufacturing, repair, and theeconomic viability of today's
giant wind turbine blades.
Yeah.
By the end, you'll understandwhy these bonds are so critical
and what innovation really lookslike in this, well, high stakes
(01:22):
field.
Lucas Adheron (01:22):
Let's get into it.
Elena Bondwell (01:23):
So let's dive into just the sheer scale first.
Modern wind energy.
We know wind power is like acornerstone of sustainable
development.
Its global growth is justundeniable.
Lucas Adheron (01:35):
Oh, it's expanding rapidly, truly.
And this escalating demand forwind energy, it means a massive
scale up of installationsonshore and offshore.
Elena Bondwell (01:43):
Right.
Lucas Adheron (01:43):
And this naturally creates a huge demand
for reliable, cost effectiveturbine components.
It puts immense pressure onadhesive manufacturers to
innovate and scale up theirsolutions.
Elena Bondwell (01:54):
That's a huge growth area.
And you can see why more windmeans more power.
Exactly.
And to get more power, bladesare getting huge.
We're talking routinely over 80meters now, some even pushing
past 100 meters.
Lucas Adheron (02:04):
Incredible scale.
Elena Bondwell (02:05):
Why?
Why this massive scale-up?
What's the driving force behindthese colossal blades?
Lucas Adheron (02:12):
Well, it's the pursuit of increased efficiency
and power output, fundamentally.
Elena Bondwell (02:16):
Okay.
Lucas Adheron (02:17):
Longer blades, they sweep a significantly
larger surface area, theycapture more wind, maximize
energy generation.
Elena Bondwell (02:24):
Makes sense.
Lucas Adheron (02:25):
And that directly improves the economic returns
of wind projects.
But as you might imagine, thissheer pursuit of scale, it
introduces unprecedentedstructural demands.
Elena Bondwell (02:35):
How so?
Lucas Adheron (02:36):
Well, the forces on these colossal structures,
you've got gravity, wind,complex fatigue loads, they
scale non-linearly with size.
It gets much harder, muchfaster.
Elena Bondwell (02:45):
So if they're not bolted together, these
adhesives must be doing someserious heavy lifting.
It's truly structural then, notjust like a sealant or
something.
Lucas Adheron (02:52):
Exactly right.
Adhesives aren't just, youknow, a convenient way to stick
things together.
They're Fundamentally, whatallows the blade to withstand
these incredible forces.
They are critical structuralelements responsible for
efficient load transfer, overallblade performance.
Elena Bondwell (03:06):
And better than bolts, you're saying?
Lucas Adheron (03:08):
In this context, yes.
Unlike bolts or rivets,adhesives distribute stress
evenly right across the entirebonded area.
That eliminates those localizedstress concentrations, which is
paramount for maintainingintegrity in large composite
components under these dynamicfluctuating loads.
Elena Bondwell (03:28):
Prevents weak spots.
Lucas Adheron (03:29):
Precisely.
And they also contributesignificantly to light
weighting.
Lighter, stronger blades meanmore energy generation.
Elena Bondwell (03:36):
So where exactly are these adhesives used in a
blade?
Are they literally everywhereinside.
Lucas Adheron (03:42):
Almost, yeah.
During manufacturing, they'reused extensively to bond various
critical components.
Elena Bondwell (03:48):
Such as?
Lucas Adheron (03:48):
Well, the crucial connection of shear webs to
spar caps.
That's the internal supportstructure.
Got it.
Adhesives also join the leadingand trailing edges of the blade
shells, and they secure theroot and tip joints.
The strength and durability ofthe entire blade really depend
heavily on the quality andperformance of these adhesive
joints.
Elena Bondwell (04:04):
So, thinking about strength, my instinct
tells me, you know, forsomething to be super strong,
the adhesive layer shouldprobably be as thin as possible,
like a super tight bond.
Lucas Adheron (04:13):
That's a very common assumption, yeah.
And intuitively, it makessense.
Right.
But here's where it gets reallycounterintuitive for these
giant blades.
The adhesive bond lines,they're actually surprisingly
thick.
How thick
Elena Bondwell (04:25):
are we talking?
Lucas Adheron (04:26):
Often 10 to 15 millimeters, sometimes even 20
or 30 millimeters.
Elena Bondwell (04:30):
Wait, 30 millimeters?
Seriously, that's not just alittle thicker, that's a lot
thicker.
Why on earth would youintentionally make the glue
layer so substantial?
Lucas Adheron (04:39):
Well, the main reason is to compensate for
manufacturing tolerances inthese huge blade molds.
Elena Bondwell (04:44):
Tolerances?
You mean like imperfections?
Lucas Adheron (04:46):
Exactly.
Elena Bondwell (04:47):
Yeah.
Lucas Adheron (04:47):
Achieving perfect alignment and a precise fit
across an 80-meter blade isincredibly challenging and,
frankly, economicallyprohibitive.
Elena Bondwell (04:56):
Ah, okay.
Lucas Adheron (04:57):
So the adhesive, it essentially acts as a
compliant filler.
It bridges these manufacturingimperfections and ensures a
continuous load-bearingconnection.
Elena Bondwell (05:05):
That's a mind-boggling engineering
challenge in itself, trying tobridge huge gaps with glue.
Lucas Adheron (05:10):
It really is a phenomenal challenge.
And this bridging of gaps,while necessary, it also creates
inherent vulnerabilities.
Elena Bondwell (05:18):
Awesome.
Lucas Adheron (05:18):
Well, research indicates that the strength and
stiffness of an adhesive bondline generally decrease as its
thickness increases.
Elena Bondwell (05:25):
Oh, really?
Lucas Adheron (05:26):
Yeah.
And on top of that, with thesecommon two-component paste
adhesives, these thick lines aremore prone to fabrication
defects like voids or bubbles.
Elena Bondwell (05:34):
Voids.
It's like air pockets in theglue.
Lucas Adheron (05:36):
Exactly.
And those compromise the bondquality.
Elena Bondwell (05:38):
Yeah.
Lucas Adheron (05:39):
So the solution to the manufacturing tolerance
problem kind of creates a newproblem, potentially a reduced
strength and these voids.
Elena Bondwell (05:46):
That's a fascinating paradox.
So how do engineers even beginto ensure integrity when the
solution to one problemintroduces another like that?
Let's delve into the sciencebehind these incredible
adhesives.
What chemistries are primarilyat play here?
Lucas Adheron (06:02):
Right.
So the wind energy sector.
primarily relies on three maintypes of adhesive chemistries
for structural applications.
There's epoxy, polyurethane orPUR, and methacrylate, which
people often call acrylic.
Elena Bondwell (06:14):
Okay.
Lucas Adheron (06:15):
And then silicone-based systems also play
an important role, but mainlyfor sealing.
Elena Bondwell (06:19):
Gotcha.
Let's start with epoxy then.
Since you said it'shistorically been the dominant
player, what's its story?
Lucas Adheron (06:25):
Yeah.
Epoxy systems have accountedfor like over 80% of the market
share for a long time.
Wow.
They offer really highstrength, Excellent adhesion to
fiberglass and carbon fiber,which are the main blade
materials, and robustenvironmental resistance.
Elena Bondwell (06:40):
Sounds pretty good.
What's the catch?
Lucas Adheron (06:42):
Well, traditional epoxies can be expensive to
process, and they have long curetimes.
That slows down production.
Elena Bondwell (06:49):
Okay.
Lucas Adheron (06:50):
And critically, they generate a high exotherm.
That's a significant amount ofheat released during the curing
process.
Elena Bondwell (06:56):
How much heat?
Lucas Adheron (06:57):
sometimes reaching 120, even 150 degrees
Celsius.
Elena Bondwell (07:01):
Whoa, that's hot.
Lucas Adheron (07:02):
It is.
And this intense heat canactually lead to stress crack
formation and increase warrantyclaims.
Not ideal.
No.
Fortunately, second-generationepoxies are addressing some of
this.
Their tougher, glass-fiber-freeHuntsman's eraldite resins are
a good example.
Okay.
Elena Bondwell (07:17):
And what about polyurethane?
You mentioned that's gainingtraction as an alternative.
Lucas Adheron (07:20):
Yes, polyurethane, P-U-R.
It's a high-performancealternative.
It offers excellent adhesionand, crucially, flexibility.
Flexibility.
Elena Bondwell (07:27):
Flexibility.
Why is that important here?
Lucas Adheron (07:29):
Well, it's ideal for bonding materials that
expand and contract differentlywith temperature changes.
Yeah.
You know, differentcoefficients of thermal
expansion.
Elena Bondwell (07:37):
Yeah, right.
Lucas Adheron (07:37):
This flexibility helps prevent crack propagation,
microcracking, and fatigueunder dynamic loads.
Elena Bondwell (07:43):
And any other advantages.
Lucas Adheron (07:44):
A key one is significantly shorter production
cycles, maybe 15% to 30%reduction.
Elena Bondwell (07:51):
That's huge for manufacturing.
Lucas Adheron (07:53):
It is.
It's due to fewer curing steps.
Plus, they have a much lowermaximum exotherm, maybe up to 75
degrees C.
Elena Bondwell (08:00):
So much less risk of those stress cracks from
the heat.
Lucas Adheron (08:03):
Exactly.
Henkel's Macroplast UK 1340 asa notable example here.
Elena Bondwell (08:08):
Interesting.
And then there aremethacrylates or acrylics.
What makes them unique?
I think you hinted they have areal advantage in one specific
area.
Lucas Adheron (08:16):
They do.
They're incredibly versatile,rapid curing, high strength,
durable, flexible, impactresistant.
And they're also very forgivingif the mixing ratio is a bit
off.
Elena Bondwell (08:25):
OK.
Lucas Adheron (08:26):
But here's the kicker.
And this is truly an aha momentfor anyone involved in
manufacturing or especiallyrepair.
Elena Bondwell (08:31):
Yeah.
Lucas Adheron (08:32):
They require minimal to no surface prep Wait,
Elena Bondwell (08:35):
really?
For something this big, thiscritical?
You don't need to meticulouslysand it down or chemically treat
the surface first?
Lucas Adheron (08:43):
Largely, no.
Think about the time and costsavings involved in not having
to prep an 80-meter surface.
Elena Bondwell (08:50):
That sounds like an absolute game changer for
speed and cost, particularly ina repair situation out in the
field.
Lucas Adheron (08:56):
Exactly.
It's a huge streamlining of theprocess.
While they were traditionallyused for non-structural stuff,
advancements have led tostructural solutions.
Elena Bondwell (09:05):
Like what?
Lucas Adheron (09:05):
For example, Bostik offers MMA adhesives
specifically for fast moldrotations in manufacturing.
And Huntsman's got Aeroldite2080.
It's a low-odor, non-flammableacrylate.
Big pluses for safety andreducing costs associated with
handling hazardous materials.
Elena Bondwell (09:21):
And just quickly, for sealing, we have
silicone.
Lucas Adheron (09:24):
Correct.
Silicone adhesives andsealants.
Dow Corning is a big supplierthere.
They're primarily used fortheir excellent resistance to
high temperatures and UVradiation.
Sealing and bonding componentsin the Nacellan hub.
Elena Bondwell (09:36):
Got it.
It really sounds like thesecompanies are in a serious
innovation race, just trying tokeep up with these massive blade
demands.
Who are some of the key playersdriving this forward?
Lucas Adheron (09:47):
Oh, it's a really dynamic field.
You've got companies likeHenkel, Huntsman, Dow, SikaSeka,
all pushing the boundaries.
Each has their own specializedsolutions.
For instance, Dow is known fortheir Voraforce polyurethanes,
helping create defect-free sparkcaps using pultrusion.
Then you have companies likeITW Performance Polymers with
(10:09):
their Plexus methacrylates.
We just talked about those forthe fast surface prep-free
repairs.
Elena Bondwell (10:14):
Yeah, the game changer.
Lucas Adheron (10:15):
And 3M, known for its innovative wind protection
tape for leading edges, but alsotheir own faster curing
epoxies.
It's a fierce but ultimatelyproductive race for better
solutions.
Elena Bondwell (10:26):
Absolutely.
So given all these options, allthese chemistries and
suppliers, What are the absolutemost critical criteria when
you're selecting an adhesive forthese 80 meter giants?
It sounds complicated.
Lucas Adheron (10:37):
That's where the real complexity kicks in.
Yeah.
You're not just looking for onebest property.
It's a dynamic balancing act.
Between what?
Between, well, sometimesconflicting demands.
You need incredibly highstrength and crack resistance,
right?
To withstand those multi-axialfatigue loads over a 20 year
lifespan.
Elena Bondwell (10:53):
Okay.
Strength number one.
Lucas Adheron (10:55):
But you also need flexibility and impact
resistance.
Think dynamic loads, birdstrikes.
Right.
Environmental Toughneighborhood.
Definitely.
Two different needs there.
(11:24):
Exactly.
Excellent control managing thatheat is vital for thick bond
lines to prevent stresscracking.
We covered that.
Yep.
Ease of surface preparation isa huge practical consideration
for costs and time savings.
Elena Bondwell (11:36):
Like the methacrylates.
Lucas Adheron (11:38):
Precisely.
And finally, compatibility.
Compatibility with all thediverse materials, fiberglass,
carbon fiber, different resins,and the different manufacturing
processes used.
You're optimizing an entireperformance profile, you see.
It's not just one thing.
That's the real challenge.
Elena Bondwell (11:53):
That makes perfect sense.
It's a huge balancing act.
Now, even with the bestadhesives, the best engineering,
things can still go wrong,right?
How do engineers classifyadhesive failures when they
happen in these blades?
Lucas Adheron (12:08):
They classify them according to standards like
ASTM D5573, basically todiagnose the root cause.
The three main classificationsare cohesive failure, adhesive
failure, and fiber tier failure.
Elena Bondwell (12:21):
Okay, let's break those down.
What's a cohesive failure?
Sounds like it sticks together.
Lucas Adheron (12:24):
Kind of the opposite, actually.
Cohesive failure means theseparation happens entirely
within the adhesive layeritself.
Elena Bondwell (12:31):
Ah, the glue breaks.
Lucas Adheron (12:32):
Exactly.
You'll see adhesive materialvisible on both separated
surfaces.
This often indicates that theadhesive's internal strength
just wasn't enough, maybe due tohigh adhesive thickness or
those micro cracks developingwithin the adhesive layer.
Adhesive.
Elena Bondwell (12:45):
Okay.
So the glue itself was the weakpoint.
What about an adhesive failure?
Lucas Adheron (12:48):
That's when the rupture occurs right at the
interface where the adhesivemeets the material it's bonded
to.
Elena Bondwell (12:53):
So it didn't stick properly.
Lucas Adheron (12:54):
Essentially.
The surfaces will often lookshiny with no material
transferred from one to theother.
This typically points to pooradhesion to the substrate, could
be due to bad surface prep,contamination, maybe the wrong
adhesive choice.
Elena Bondwell (13:09):
Got it.
And then there's fiber tearfailure.
What does that one tell us?
It sounds pretty dramatic.
Lucas Adheron (13:14):
It does, yeah.
And it's actually the oneengineers often want to see,
which might sound surprising.
Elena Bondwell (13:18):
Really?
Why?
Lucas Adheron (13:19):
Fiber tear failure is when the composite
material itself breaks rightnext to the bond line rather
than the interface.
You see fibers, bits of theblade material, visible on both
ruptured surfaces.
It's a clear sign the adhesivebond was actually stronger than
the material it was holdingtogether.
Elena Bondwell (13:38):
So the glue actually did too good of a job.
That's definitely an aha momentfor me.
Wow.
Lucas Adheron (13:42):
Yeah, it indicates a very strong bond was
achieved.
Elena Bondwell (13:45):
Okay.
Beyond these specific adhesivefailures, what are some of the
other common types of bladedamage we see out there?
Lucas Adheron (13:51):
Well, other common issues include
delamination.
That's when the layers of thecomposite material separate.
Flaking or cracking of theblade's protective coating is
frequent.
Fatigue, failure from just theconstant cyclic loads,
longitudinal cracks, especiallyalong the trailing edge can
happen.
Elena Bondwell (14:08):
External stuff.
Lucas Adheron (14:09):
Oh, yeah.
Leading edge erosion is a bigone from rain, sand, debris
hitting it constantly.
Corrosion can occur.
And impact damage, you know,bird strikes, lightning strikes
sometimes.
Very prevalent.
Elena Bondwell (14:21):
It's a tough life for a blade.
So what are the primary rootcauses behind these,
specifically the bond linefailures?
Lucas Adheron (14:28):
It's usually a complex interplay of factors.
Manufacturing defects are a bigone.
Elena Bondwell (14:32):
Like the voids you mentioned.
Lucas Adheron (14:33):
Exactly.
As we discussed, the need forthose thick bond lines to
compensate for tolerances makesthem prone to defects like
voids, especially withtwo-component pastes.
Elena Bondwell (14:43):
Right.
Lucas Adheron (14:44):
Other errors.
Improper surface preparation,getting the cure or mixing
ratios wrong, inconsistentadhesive thickness even just
storing the adhesive poorlybefore use.
There was a specific examplecited.
A 300-foot wind turbine bladefailure at Vineyard Wind 1 was
attributed to a manufacturingerror.
Elena Bondwell (15:02):
Wow.
And the environment thoseblades operate in must be
absolutely brutal.
Lucas Adheron (15:07):
It is.
Environmental degradation playsa relentless role.
You've got prolonged UVexposure, moisture getting in,
extreme temperature swings,remember, minus 40 to over 120
C, causing thermal stresses.
Yeah.
Abrasive elements like sand,dust, even acidic pollutants in
some areas cause erosion andchemical degradation.
And then there's the constantcycling vibration, just inherent
(15:28):
to turbine operation, whichmassively exacerbates fatigue.
Elena Bondwell (15:31):
Which brings us to fatigue loading itself.
These blades are just underconstant, intense stress, aren't
they?
Lucas Adheron (15:38):
Absolutely.
Blades are among the mostseverely multi-axial fatigue
loaded structures engineers dealwith.
Elena Bondwell (15:45):
Multi-axial, meaning stress from different
directions.
Lucas Adheron (15:47):
Exactly.
Complex dynamic loads fromvarying gravitational forces as
the blade rotates and thoseunpredictable stochastic wind
loads day in, day out for theirentire 20-year lifespan.
Elena Bondwell (15:57):
And you mentioned something earlier
about stresses frommanufacturing.
Lucas Adheron (16:01):
Yes, that's a critical point.
The development of thermalresidual stresses during cooling
right after manufacturing, thatcan significantly impact
fatigue performance later on.
It can lead to what are calledtunneling cracks.
They start and propagate withinthe adhesive layer itself, and
then they can move into thelaminate, the blade material.
Elena Bondwell (16:21):
So even the initial manufacturing process
can introduce these hiddenweaknesses that only show up
years later because of fatigue.
Lucas Adheron (16:28):
Precisely.
Even if they're initiallyminor, these cracks can grow,
lead to delamination.
examination, adhesive failure,and eventually compression
failure under load compromisesthe whole integrity.
Elena Bondwell (16:39):
And finally, I think you mentioned design
itself can be a factor.
Lucas Adheron (16:42):
Yes.
Sometimes inadequate jointdesign can contribute.
Different geometric shapes ofthe bond line can create varying
stress fields, some moreproblematic than others.
Elena Bondwell (16:51):
Okay.
All of these factors combined,they can really take a toll.
What's the bottom line impactof these failures on a turbine's
performance and, well, itslongevity?
Lucas Adheron (17:01):
The consequences really cascade through the whole
system.
First, you get reducedaerodynamic efficiency.
Damage alters the blade'sairfoil shape, increases drag,
reduces power output.
Leading edge erosion is a primeexample of this.
Elena Bondwell (17:13):
OK, less power.
Lucas Adheron (17:14):
Second, compromised structural
integrity, cracks,delaminations.
They spread.
They weaken the blade.
potentially leading tocatastrophic failure, complete
loss of a blade, or even theentire turbine in extreme cases.
And most immediately,significant turbine downtime.
A damaged blade means theturbine has to shut down.
That means lost energygeneration.
Elena Bondwell (17:34):
And that lost energy generation hits the
wallet directly, doesn't it?
I imagine that adds up fast.
Lucas Adheron (17:38):
It really does.
Unplanned outages can costoperators over $1,600 per day in
lost revenue.
Per turbine.
Elena Bondwell (17:46):
Wow.
Lucas Adheron (17:46):
A single blade failure repair itself can easily
exceed $30,000.
And if you look at the totalexpected repair cost over a
turbine's entire lifetime, itcan be as high as 22% of its
initial capital expenditure atthe capex.
Elena Bondwell (17:59):
22%.
That's enormous.
It's not just about fixing abroken part.
It's a direct hit to the bottomline.
It impacts the entire economicviability of a wind farm.
Lucas Adheron (18:08):
Absolutely.
Maintenance and repair are hugefactors in the overall cost of
wind energy.
Elena Bondwell (18:14):
So when these issues inevitably arise, how do
we keep these giants spinning?
What's involved in actuallyrepairing them out in the field?
Lucas Adheron (18:21):
Well, the crucial first step is always meticulous
inspection and diagnosis.
And given the size and heightof these blades, that in itself
is a significant challenge.
Elena Bondwell (18:30):
I can imagine.
How do they even get a goodlook at them way up there?
Lucas Adheron (18:33):
Visual inspections are still
fundamental, but now they'reoften enhanced by drone
technology.
Elena Bondwell (18:38):
Gross.
Lucas Adheron (18:38):
Yeah, equipped with high-resolution cameras.
It allows for a remoteassessment of external damage
much safer and faster.
Elena Bondwell (18:45):
Okay, but what about damage inside the blade,
like those voids ordelaminations?
Lucas Adheron (18:49):
Right.
For internal damage,non-destructive testing, or NDT,
is indispensable.
You can't see it, so you needother methods.
Elena Bondwell (18:57):
What kind of methods?
Lucas Adheron (18:57):
Things like ultrasonic testing, sending
sound waves through, eddycurrent testing, infrared
thermography, looking for heatdifferences that indicate flaws.
Elena Bondwell (19:06):
So they're using pretty advanced tech to see
deep inside the blade withoutactually cutting it open.
What's the future look like forthis kind of proactive
detection?
Is Is it getting even smarter?
Lucas Adheron (19:16):
The emphasis is definitely shifting towards
early detection and predictiveanalytics, trying to catch
problems before they becomecritical.
Structural health monitoring,or SHM.
This involves installingsensors, sometimes deep inside
the blades, maybe using roboticsystems to provide real-time
data.
Elena Bondwell (19:35):
Data on what?
Lucas Adheron (19:36):
On strain, stiffness, degradation,
vibration patterns, overallstructural health.
Elena Bondwell (19:41):
Ah, so the blade can tell you when it's starting
to have problems.
Lucas Adheron (19:44):
Essentially, yes.
Yeah.
This enables planned, lessinvasive, more cost-effective
repairs.
It maximizes uptime and helpsreduce the overall levelized
cost of electricity, the LCOE.
Elena Bondwell (19:54):
That's a fascinating array of techniques.
So let's really dig into thisrepair arsenal now.
Once they know what's wrong,what are the different ways they
actually fix these colossalblades?
Lucas Adheron (20:03):
The repair methodologies are quite diverse,
depending on the damage.
Preparation is alwaysmeticulous, of course.
Cleaning, removing damagedmaterial.
Elena Bondwell (20:11):
Although you said some adhesives make that
easier.
Lucas Adheron (20:13):
Right.
Some modern ones, like thePlexus Methac Acrylates simplify
this, requiring little to nosurface prep.
That's a big help in the field.
Elena Bondwell (20:20):
Okay, so after prep, what are the methods?
Lucas Adheron (20:23):
Well, patching is common, applying new composite
material over the damaged area.
For smaller internal defects,like delaminations or cracks,
they often use injection repair.
Elena Bondwell (20:32):
What's that, like filling a cavity?
Lucas Adheron (20:34):
Pretty much.
Often called drill and fill.
They drill small holes andinject low viscosity, fast
curing adhesives, things likePlexus MA300, MA310, or Or
sicubiricin CR910 for structurallaminate repairs.
Elena Bondwell (20:48):
Okay.
What about more severe damage?
Say the tip gets badly damaged?
Lucas Adheron (20:53):
For blade tip repair, yeah, they might
actually cut off the damagedsection and then bond on new
prefabricated parts.
Elena Bondwell (20:58):
Wow, like a transplant.
Lucas Adheron (20:59):
Sort of.
And for composite repairs wherethey don't use traditional
pre-impregnated patches, theycan remove the damaged material,
place a custom-shaped 3D wovenfiber filling preform.
Elena Bondwell (21:10):
Oh, what now?
Lucas Adheron (21:10):
A 3D woven preform.
It's like a custom-shapedfabric piece made of reinforced
They place that in the repairarea, then infuse it with resin,
bond it, and cure it.
Elena Bondwell (21:20):
Highly specialized stuff.
Lucas Adheron (21:22):
Definitely.
Yeah.
And then there's localizederosion protection, especially
crucial on the leading edge.
This involves applyingoverlapping patches or
specialized leading edgeprotection tapes, LEP tapes.
3M air wind protection tape,2.1 is a common
Elena Bondwell (21:36):
one.
Okay, so from tiny injectionsto custom-made 3D woven patches
and special tapes, the repairarsenal for these glades is
truly incredibly sophisticated.
It has to be.
And for all these differentrepairs, they must need very
specialized adhesives, right?
Especially for working out inthe field.
Lucas Adheron (21:54):
Absolutely.
For on-site repairs, you needadhesives that are first, fast
curing.
You want that turbine backonline quickly and high
strength, obviously.
So things like the Plexus MAseries we mentioned, Sika
products, Henkel's Loctite T2CPRRs, they're designed for this.
Elena Bondwell (22:08):
And easy to use, I guess, up on a blade.
Lucas Adheron (22:10):
Ease of application is key, yeah.
Some come in coaxial cartridgesthat fit standard caulking
guns, which helps technicians.
And those LEP tapes, like the3M one, are vital for erosion
prevention and repair becausethey're tough abrasion and
function resistant andrelatively easy to apply.
Elena Bondwell (22:29):
It sounds like a lot of these repairs happen in
really tough conditions, though.
What are the big logistical andsafety challenges of doing
repairs out in the field and howare they overcoming them?
Lucas Adheron (22:39):
You're right.
The challenges are significant.
Wind farms are often in remotelocations, difficult to access.
The work itself is at highaltitude, often in unpredictable
weather conditions.
And there's actually a shortageof technicians skilled in these
specific composite repairs.
Elena Bondwell (22:53):
So how do they cope?
Lucas Adheron (22:54):
Well, innovative solutions are emerging all the
time.
Rope access techniques are verywidely used now.
Elena Bondwell (22:59):
Like mountaineering climbers?
Lucas Adheron (23:01):
Similar principles, yeah.
Highly trained technicians useindustrial ropes and specialized
equipment to access the blades.
It often minimizes the need forexpensive, cumbersome cranes or
scaffolding.
Okay.
And
Elena Bondwell (23:15):
what about robotics?
Are robots getting up there,too, doing the dangerous work?
Lucas Adheron (23:20):
What can they do?
Elena Bondwell (23:25):
Wow.
Lucas Adheron (23:27):
Wow.
end effectors, and evenAI-driven navigation to work
autonomously on the bladesurface.
Elena Bondwell (23:46):
That's amazing.
Lucas Adheron (23:47):
And robots can also install those SHM sensors
deep inside blades withouthumans needing to enter confined
spaces.
Improves maintenance,scheduling, and safety.
Elena Bondwell (23:56):
If we connect this to the bigger picture then,
these solutions, the ropes, therobots, they represent a
fundamental shift towards justmore efficient and safer
maintenance, right?
Keeping the energy flowing.
Lucas Adheron (24:07):
Exactly.
It's all about maximizinguptime and ensuring continuous
energy production safely.
Elena Bondwell (24:12):
And what about just getting all the right
stuff, the adhesives, thepatches, the tools to the right
place at the right time?
That's got to be a logisticalpuzzle in itself.
Lucas Adheron (24:20):
It is.
And that's where somethingcalled process material kitting
comes in.
Elena Bondwell (24:23):
Kitting!
Lucas Adheron (24:24):
Yeah.
It basically involvesprepackaging all the necessary
repair consumables, adhesives,cleaners, cloths, patches, every
into organized, job-specifickits.
Elena Bondwell (24:34):
Ah, like a ready-made repair box.
Lucas Adheron (24:36):
Exactly.
This significantly reduces thetime technicians spend gathering
materials on site, it minimizeserrors grabbing the wrong
thing, and it reduces waste.
Really crucial when you havelimited weather windows to get
the repair done.
Elena Bondwell (24:49):
Makes a lot of sense.
Looking ahead now, how areadhesives themselves evolving to
meet future demands, especiallythinking about performance and
maybe sustainability?
Lucas Adheron (24:59):
There's a really strong focus on developing
next-gen adhesive formulations.
We're seeing toughened epoxiesand polyurethanes.
Elena Bondwell (25:05):
Like the ones you mentioned earlier.
Lucas Adheron (25:06):
Yeah, things like 3M of Windblade, bonding
adhesive, W101, Henkel'sMacroplast UK1340.
They're being developed forfaster cure speeds, reduced
exotherm, less heat, andimproved toughness and crack
resistance.
All critical needs.
Elena Bondwell (25:20):
And the methacrylates.
Lucas Adheron (25:21):
Advanced methacrylates, like Huntsman's
Eroldite 2080, are offering thathigh performance but with
significantly reduced odor andand importantly, non-flammable
classification.
That improves safety, reduceshandling costs, and many new
adhesives are becomingprimer-free, making application
even easier.
Elena Bondwell (25:40):
That's great for performance and safety.
What about the environmentalimpact?
Is the industry moving towardsgreener adhesive solutions?
Lucas Adheron (25:47):
Definitely.
That's a key trend.
We're seeing moreenvironmentally friendly
adhesives with reduced, volatileorganic compound VOC emissions.
And formulations incorporatingrecyclable materials are
starting to emerge.
This is really exciting.
Elena Bondwell (26:01):
Recyclable glue?
How does that work?
Lucas Adheron (26:03):
Well, for example, Bostik has MMA
adhesives that, when used withArkema's helium thermoplastic
resin for the blade itself,allow the whole structure,
including the adhesive, to bebroken down, chemically
depolymerized, and the materialsrecovered for reuse.
Elena Bondwell (26:17):
Wow, that's a true circular solution.
Lucas Adheron (26:19):
It's a big step.
And companies like DuPont arealso developing water-based
adhesives, which can help reducethe carbon footprint compared
to solvent-based systems.
It all aligns with the push formore sustainable manufacturing.
Elena Bondwell (26:32):
So it sounds like automation and robotics
aren't just for field repair,but they're transforming
manufacturing, too.
It seems like a completeoverhaul of how blades are made
and maintained.
Lucas Adheron (26:42):
Absolutely.
In manufacturing, robots areincreasingly used for precise
resin infusion and adhesiveapplication.
They control flow rates, mixingratios, bead size much more
accurately than humans,minimizing errors.
Elena Bondwell (26:55):
More consistency.
Lucas Adheron (26:56):
Exactly.
And as we discussed in fieldrepair, robots are performing
hazardous or highly precisetasks.
like leading-edge erosionrepair with speed and
consistency, and installingthose internal sensors for
real-time data.
Elena Bondwell (27:08):
And the future is even more integrated.
Lucas Adheron (27:10):
Yes.
The future likely involvesintegrated systems combining
laser scanning to map damage,CAD software to design the
repair, and robotics to executeit automatically.
Elena Bondwell (27:18):
This sounds like a huge shift, from simply
making things stick to makingthem stick smarter, faster,
safer, and more responsiblyright, with an eye on the entire
life cycle.
Lucas Adheron (27:28):
That's the direction.
Elena Bondwell (27:29):
Which brings us to a major challenge we haven't
really touched on yet.
What happens to these massivecomposite blades at the end of
their, say, 20 year lives?
Can they be recycled?
Lucas Adheron (27:40):
That's a critical sustainability challenge for
the entire wind industry.
Yeah, it's a big problem.
Elena Bondwell (27:45):
Why?
Lucas Adheron (27:46):
Well, most decommissioned wind turbine
blades currently end up inlandfill.
They're huge.
They don't stack or compacteasily.
And shredding them is difficultand energy intensive because
they're made of strong compositematerials, fibers embedded in
resin.
Elena Bondwell (27:59):
Not easy to just break down.
Lucas Adheron (28:00):
No.
But the industry has setambitious goals.
The aim is to achieve zerowaste from decommissioned
blades, maybe by 2030 or 2040That's
Elena Bondwell (28:10):
ambitious.
And how do the adhesives we'vebeen talking about play into
this recyclability challenge?
Are they part of the problem ormaybe part of the solution?
Lucas Adheron (28:18):
It's a bit of both, but increasingly part of
the solution.
While adhesives are arelatively small percentage of
the total blade weight, theirchemistry is crucial for
enabling end-of-life solutions.
Elena Bondwell (28:30):
How so?
Lucas Adheron (28:31):
Well, as we just mentioned, innovations include
the development of recyclableadhesives, like that Bostik MMA
used with Arkema's helium resin,which allows for chemical
depolymerization.
If the adhesive itself can bebroken down along with the blade
material, it makes recyclingmuch more feasible.
Elena Bondwell (28:49):
That's key.
Lucas Adheron (28:50):
Beyond traditional recycling,
researchers are also exploringcreative reuse of old blades.
Elena Bondwell (28:54):
Reuse, like using whole blades for
Lucas Adheron (28:56):
something else.
Exactly.
For things like power linestructures, pedestrian bridges,
architectural elements, evennoise barriers.
There's a project called Rewindthat's developed a whole design
atlas cataloging potentialreuse applications.
Elena Bondwell (29:08):
That's fascinating, giving them a
second life.
Lucas Adheron (29:10):
It's a really promising avenue to avoid land
filling.
Elena Bondwell (29:13):
Well, this deep dive into the unseen strength of
adhesives and giant windturbine blades has really opened
my eyes.
It's incredible.
We've covered the monumentalscale of these blades, the
unsung heroics of thesestructural adhesives.
Definitely unsung.
The constant battle againstfailure, the harsh environment
and the truly ingenious methodsbeing developed for inspection
(29:33):
and repair.
It's clear that adhesivetechnology isn't static at all.
It's continually evolving tomeet these demanding
engineering, economic andincreasingly environmental
Indeed.
Lucas Adheron (29:44):
And looking ahead, given the absolutely
crucial role of adhesiveintegrity and all the challenges
we've discussed inmanufacturing and repairing
these giant structures, afundamental question for the
industry perhaps is, how can wetruly achieve significantly
tighter manufacturingtolerances?
Elena Bondwell (30:02):
To what end?
Lucas Adheron (30:03):
Well...
Perhaps to move beyond relyingso heavily on these very thick,
sometimes problematic bond linesto bridge those gaps.
What would that fundamentalshift in blade design, in
production technology, whatwould that mean for the future
of wind energy?
For cost, for reliability, forsustainability?
Elena Bondwell (30:19):
That is a great question.
Something for you, ourlisteners, to ponder.
How do we build these giantseven better?
We hope this deep diveencourages you to look maybe a
little differently at the worldaround you, especially the
hidden complexities in everydayobjects and vital industries
like wind energy.
When you look at an 80 meter wind turbine blade,
I mean, that's longer than ajumbo jet, right?
Yeah.
You probably don't think aboutglue, but it's literally the
glue holding our renewableenergy future together.
Lucas Adheron (00:12):
It really is.
Elena Bondwell (00:13):
So today we're taking a deep dive into the
fascinating kind of complexworld of adhesive bonding in
these massive wind turbineblades.
Lucas Adheron (00:21):
And what's truly fascinating here, you know, is
how These adhesives aren't justglue, not at all.
They're critical structuralelements.
Structural, okay.
Yeah, they dictate pretty mucheverything.
How the blades are made, howthey perform under extreme
conditions, even how they getrepaired.
Wow.
This is really a story where...
advanced material science meetsthis immense engineering
(00:42):
challenge.
Elena Bondwell (00:43):
And to help us navigate this incredible world,
we pulled from a reallycomprehensive report on wind
turbine blade bonding.
Right.
And we've also got insightsfrom leading chemical
distributors likeBodo Möller Chemie and
manufacturers, you know, Dow,DuPont, Henkel, Huntsman.
Lucas Adheron (01:00):
Lead players.
Elena Bondwell (01:01):
Exactly.
So our mission today is reallyto uncover the vital role of
these adhesives, their role instructural integrity
manufacturing, repair, and theeconomic viability of today's
giant wind turbine blades.
Yeah.
By the end, you'll understandwhy these bonds are so critical
and what innovation really lookslike in this, well, high stakes
(01:22):
field.
Lucas Adheron (01:22):
Let's get into it.
Elena Bondwell (01:23):
So let's dive into just the sheer scale first.
Modern wind energy.
We know wind power is like acornerstone of sustainable
development.
Its global growth is justundeniable.
Lucas Adheron (01:35):
Oh, it's expanding rapidly, truly.
And this escalating demand forwind energy, it means a massive
scale up of installationsonshore and offshore.
Elena Bondwell (01:43):
Right.
Lucas Adheron (01:43):
And this naturally creates a huge demand
for reliable, cost effectiveturbine components.
It puts immense pressure onadhesive manufacturers to
innovate and scale up theirsolutions.
Elena Bondwell (01:54):
That's a huge growth area.
And you can see why more windmeans more power.
Exactly.
And to get more power, bladesare getting huge.
We're talking routinely over 80meters now, some even pushing
past 100 meters.
Lucas Adheron (02:04):
Incredible scale.
Elena Bondwell (02:05):
Why?
Why this massive scale-up?
What's the driving force behindthese colossal blades?
Lucas Adheron (02:12):
Well, it's the pursuit of increased efficiency
and power output, fundamentally.
Elena Bondwell (02:16):
Okay.
Lucas Adheron (02:17):
Longer blades, they sweep a significantly
larger surface area, theycapture more wind, maximize
energy generation.
Elena Bondwell (02:24):
Makes sense.
Lucas Adheron (02:25):
And that directly improves the economic returns
of wind projects.
But as you might imagine, thissheer pursuit of scale, it
introduces unprecedentedstructural demands.
Elena Bondwell (02:35):
How so?
Lucas Adheron (02:36):
Well, the forces on these colossal structures,
you've got gravity, wind,complex fatigue loads, they
scale non-linearly with size.
It gets much harder, muchfaster.
Elena Bondwell (02:45):
So if they're not bolted together, these
adhesives must be doing someserious heavy lifting.
It's truly structural then, notjust like a sealant or
something.
Lucas Adheron (02:52):
Exactly right.
Adhesives aren't just, youknow, a convenient way to stick
things together.
They're Fundamentally, whatallows the blade to withstand
these incredible forces.
They are critical structuralelements responsible for
efficient load transfer, overallblade performance.
Elena Bondwell (03:06):
And better than bolts, you're saying?
Lucas Adheron (03:08):
In this context, yes.
Unlike bolts or rivets,adhesives distribute stress
evenly right across the entirebonded area.
That eliminates those localizedstress concentrations, which is
paramount for maintainingintegrity in large composite
components under these dynamicfluctuating loads.
Elena Bondwell (03:28):
Prevents weak spots.
Lucas Adheron (03:29):
Precisely.
And they also contributesignificantly to light
weighting.
Lighter, stronger blades meanmore energy generation.
Elena Bondwell (03:36):
So where exactly are these adhesives used in a
blade?
Are they literally everywhereinside.
Lucas Adheron (03:42):
Almost, yeah.
During manufacturing, they'reused extensively to bond various
critical components.
Elena Bondwell (03:48):
Such as?
Lucas Adheron (03:48):
Well, the crucial connection of shear webs to
spar caps.
That's the internal supportstructure.
Got it.
Adhesives also join the leadingand trailing edges of the blade
shells, and they secure theroot and tip joints.
The strength and durability ofthe entire blade really depend
heavily on the quality andperformance of these adhesive
joints.
Elena Bondwell (04:04):
So, thinking about strength, my instinct
tells me, you know, forsomething to be super strong,
the adhesive layer shouldprobably be as thin as possible,
like a super tight bond.
Lucas Adheron (04:13):
That's a very common assumption, yeah.
And intuitively, it makessense.
Right.
But here's where it gets reallycounterintuitive for these
giant blades.
The adhesive bond lines,they're actually surprisingly
thick.
How thick
Elena Bondwell (04:25):
are we talking?
Lucas Adheron (04:26):
Often 10 to 15 millimeters, sometimes even 20
or 30 millimeters.
Elena Bondwell (04:30):
Wait, 30 millimeters?
Seriously, that's not just alittle thicker, that's a lot
thicker.
Why on earth would youintentionally make the glue
layer so substantial?
Lucas Adheron (04:39):
Well, the main reason is to compensate for
manufacturing tolerances inthese huge blade molds.
Elena Bondwell (04:44):
Tolerances?
You mean like imperfections?
Lucas Adheron (04:46):
Exactly.
Elena Bondwell (04:47):
Yeah.
Lucas Adheron (04:47):
Achieving perfect alignment and a precise fit
across an 80-meter blade isincredibly challenging and,
frankly, economicallyprohibitive.
Elena Bondwell (04:56):
Ah, okay.
Lucas Adheron (04:57):
So the adhesive, it essentially acts as a
compliant filler.
It bridges these manufacturingimperfections and ensures a
continuous load-bearingconnection.
Elena Bondwell (05:05):
That's a mind-boggling engineering
challenge in itself, trying tobridge huge gaps with glue.
Lucas Adheron (05:10):
It really is a phenomenal challenge.
And this bridging of gaps,while necessary, it also creates
inherent vulnerabilities.
Elena Bondwell (05:18):
Awesome.
Lucas Adheron (05:18):
Well, research indicates that the strength and
stiffness of an adhesive bondline generally decrease as its
thickness increases.
Elena Bondwell (05:25):
Oh, really?
Lucas Adheron (05:26):
Yeah.
And on top of that, with thesecommon two-component paste
adhesives, these thick lines aremore prone to fabrication
defects like voids or bubbles.
Elena Bondwell (05:34):
Voids.
It's like air pockets in theglue.
Lucas Adheron (05:36):
Exactly.
And those compromise the bondquality.
Elena Bondwell (05:38):
Yeah.
Lucas Adheron (05:39):
So the solution to the manufacturing tolerance
problem kind of creates a newproblem, potentially a reduced
strength and these voids.
Elena Bondwell (05:46):
That's a fascinating paradox.
So how do engineers even beginto ensure integrity when the
solution to one problemintroduces another like that?
Let's delve into the sciencebehind these incredible
adhesives.
What chemistries are primarilyat play here?
Lucas Adheron (06:02):
Right.
So the wind energy sector.
primarily relies on three maintypes of adhesive chemistries
for structural applications.
There's epoxy, polyurethane orPUR, and methacrylate, which
people often call acrylic.
Elena Bondwell (06:14):
Okay.
Lucas Adheron (06:15):
And then silicone-based systems also play
an important role, but mainlyfor sealing.
Elena Bondwell (06:19):
Gotcha.
Let's start with epoxy then.
Since you said it'shistorically been the dominant
player, what's its story?
Lucas Adheron (06:25):
Yeah.
Epoxy systems have accountedfor like over 80% of the market
share for a long time.
Wow.
They offer really highstrength, Excellent adhesion to
fiberglass and carbon fiber,which are the main blade
materials, and robustenvironmental resistance.
Elena Bondwell (06:40):
Sounds pretty good.
What's the catch?
Lucas Adheron (06:42):
Well, traditional epoxies can be expensive to
process, and they have long curetimes.
That slows down production.
Elena Bondwell (06:49):
Okay.
Lucas Adheron (06:50):
And critically, they generate a high exotherm.
That's a significant amount ofheat released during the curing
process.
Elena Bondwell (06:56):
How much heat?
Lucas Adheron (06:57):
sometimes reaching 120, even 150 degrees
Celsius.
Elena Bondwell (07:01):
Whoa, that's hot.
Lucas Adheron (07:02):
It is.
And this intense heat canactually lead to stress crack
formation and increase warrantyclaims.
Not ideal.
No.
Fortunately, second-generationepoxies are addressing some of
this.
Their tougher, glass-fiber-freeHuntsman's eraldite resins are
a good example.
Okay.
Elena Bondwell (07:17):
And what about polyurethane?
You mentioned that's gainingtraction as an alternative.
Lucas Adheron (07:20):
Yes, polyurethane, P-U-R.
It's a high-performancealternative.
It offers excellent adhesionand, crucially, flexibility.
Flexibility.
Elena Bondwell (07:27):
Flexibility.
Why is that important here?
Lucas Adheron (07:29):
Well, it's ideal for bonding materials that
expand and contract differentlywith temperature changes.
Yeah.
You know, differentcoefficients of thermal
expansion.
Elena Bondwell (07:37):
Yeah, right.
Lucas Adheron (07:37):
This flexibility helps prevent crack propagation,
microcracking, and fatigueunder dynamic loads.
Elena Bondwell (07:43):
And any other advantages.
Lucas Adheron (07:44):
A key one is significantly shorter production
cycles, maybe 15% to 30%reduction.
Elena Bondwell (07:51):
That's huge for manufacturing.
Lucas Adheron (07:53):
It is.
It's due to fewer curing steps.
Plus, they have a much lowermaximum exotherm, maybe up to 75
degrees C.
Elena Bondwell (08:00):
So much less risk of those stress cracks from
the heat.
Lucas Adheron (08:03):
Exactly.
Henkel's Macroplast UK 1340 asa notable example here.
Elena Bondwell (08:08):
Interesting.
And then there aremethacrylates or acrylics.
What makes them unique?
I think you hinted they have areal advantage in one specific
area.
Lucas Adheron (08:16):
They do.
They're incredibly versatile,rapid curing, high strength,
durable, flexible, impactresistant.
And they're also very forgivingif the mixing ratio is a bit
off.
Elena Bondwell (08:25):
OK.
Lucas Adheron (08:26):
But here's the kicker.
And this is truly an aha momentfor anyone involved in
manufacturing or especiallyrepair.
Elena Bondwell (08:31):
Yeah.
Lucas Adheron (08:32):
They require minimal to no surface prep Wait,
Elena Bondwell (08:35):
really?
For something this big, thiscritical?
You don't need to meticulouslysand it down or chemically treat
the surface first?
Lucas Adheron (08:43):
Largely, no.
Think about the time and costsavings involved in not having
to prep an 80-meter surface.
Elena Bondwell (08:50):
That sounds like an absolute game changer for
speed and cost, particularly ina repair situation out in the
field.
Lucas Adheron (08:56):
Exactly.
It's a huge streamlining of theprocess.
While they were traditionallyused for non-structural stuff,
advancements have led tostructural solutions.
Elena Bondwell (09:05):
Like what?
Lucas Adheron (09:05):
For example, Bostik offers MMA adhesives
specifically for fast moldrotations in manufacturing.
And Huntsman's got Aeroldite2080.
It's a low-odor, non-flammableacrylate.
Big pluses for safety andreducing costs associated with
handling hazardous materials.
Elena Bondwell (09:21):
And just quickly, for sealing, we have
silicone.
Lucas Adheron (09:24):
Correct.
Silicone adhesives andsealants.
Dow Corning is a big supplierthere.
They're primarily used fortheir excellent resistance to
high temperatures and UVradiation.
Sealing and bonding componentsin the Nacellan hub.
Elena Bondwell (09:36):
Got it.
It really sounds like thesecompanies are in a serious
innovation race, just trying tokeep up with these massive blade
demands.
Who are some of the key playersdriving this forward?
Lucas Adheron (09:47):
Oh, it's a really dynamic field.
You've got companies likeHenkel, Huntsman, Dow, SikaSeka,
all pushing the boundaries.
Each has their own specializedsolutions.
For instance, Dow is known fortheir Voraforce polyurethanes,
helping create defect-free sparkcaps using pultrusion.
Then you have companies likeITW Performance Polymers with
(10:09):
their Plexus methacrylates.
We just talked about those forthe fast surface prep-free
repairs.
Elena Bondwell (10:14):
Yeah, the game changer.
Lucas Adheron (10:15):
And 3M, known for its innovative wind protection
tape for leading edges, but alsotheir own faster curing
epoxies.
It's a fierce but ultimatelyproductive race for better
solutions.
Elena Bondwell (10:26):
Absolutely.
So given all these options, allthese chemistries and
suppliers, What are the absolutemost critical criteria when
you're selecting an adhesive forthese 80 meter giants?
It sounds complicated.
Lucas Adheron (10:37):
That's where the real complexity kicks in.
Yeah.
You're not just looking for onebest property.
It's a dynamic balancing act.
Between what?
Between, well, sometimesconflicting demands.
You need incredibly highstrength and crack resistance,
right?
To withstand those multi-axialfatigue loads over a 20 year
lifespan.
Elena Bondwell (10:53):
Okay.
Strength number one.
Lucas Adheron (10:55):
But you also need flexibility and impact
resistance.
Think dynamic loads, birdstrikes.
Right.
Environmental Toughneighborhood.
Definitely.
Two different needs there.
(11:24):
Exactly.
Excellent control managing thatheat is vital for thick bond
lines to prevent stresscracking.
We covered that.
Yep.
Ease of surface preparation isa huge practical consideration
for costs and time savings.
Elena Bondwell (11:36):
Like the methacrylates.
Lucas Adheron (11:38):
Precisely.
And finally, compatibility.
Compatibility with all thediverse materials, fiberglass,
carbon fiber, different resins,and the different manufacturing
processes used.
You're optimizing an entireperformance profile, you see.
It's not just one thing.
That's the real challenge.
Elena Bondwell (11:53):
That makes perfect sense.
It's a huge balancing act.
Now, even with the bestadhesives, the best engineering,
things can still go wrong,right?
How do engineers classifyadhesive failures when they
happen in these blades?
Lucas Adheron (12:08):
They classify them according to standards like
ASTM D5573, basically todiagnose the root cause.
The three main classificationsare cohesive failure, adhesive
failure, and fiber tier failure.
Elena Bondwell (12:21):
Okay, let's break those down.
What's a cohesive failure?
Sounds like it sticks together.
Lucas Adheron (12:24):
Kind of the opposite, actually.
Cohesive failure means theseparation happens entirely
within the adhesive layeritself.
Elena Bondwell (12:31):
Ah, the glue breaks.
Lucas Adheron (12:32):
Exactly.
You'll see adhesive materialvisible on both separated
surfaces.
This often indicates that theadhesive's internal strength
just wasn't enough, maybe due tohigh adhesive thickness or
those micro cracks developingwithin the adhesive layer.
Adhesive.
Elena Bondwell (12:45):
Okay.
So the glue itself was the weakpoint.
What about an adhesive failure?
Lucas Adheron (12:48):
That's when the rupture occurs right at the
interface where the adhesivemeets the material it's bonded
to.
Elena Bondwell (12:53):
So it didn't stick properly.
Lucas Adheron (12:54):
Essentially.
The surfaces will often lookshiny with no material
transferred from one to theother.
This typically points to pooradhesion to the substrate, could
be due to bad surface prep,contamination, maybe the wrong
adhesive choice.
Elena Bondwell (13:09):
Got it.
And then there's fiber tearfailure.
What does that one tell us?
It sounds pretty dramatic.
Lucas Adheron (13:14):
It does, yeah.
And it's actually the oneengineers often want to see,
which might sound surprising.
Elena Bondwell (13:18):
Really?
Why?
Lucas Adheron (13:19):
Fiber tear failure is when the composite
material itself breaks rightnext to the bond line rather
than the interface.
You see fibers, bits of theblade material, visible on both
ruptured surfaces.
It's a clear sign the adhesivebond was actually stronger than
the material it was holdingtogether.
Elena Bondwell (13:38):
So the glue actually did too good of a job.
That's definitely an aha momentfor me.
Wow.
Lucas Adheron (13:42):
Yeah, it indicates a very strong bond was
achieved.
Elena Bondwell (13:45):
Okay.
Beyond these specific adhesivefailures, what are some of the
other common types of bladedamage we see out there?
Lucas Adheron (13:51):
Well, other common issues include
delamination.
That's when the layers of thecomposite material separate.
Flaking or cracking of theblade's protective coating is
frequent.
Fatigue, failure from just theconstant cyclic loads,
longitudinal cracks, especiallyalong the trailing edge can
happen.
Elena Bondwell (14:08):
External stuff.
Lucas Adheron (14:09):
Oh, yeah.
Leading edge erosion is a bigone from rain, sand, debris
hitting it constantly.
Corrosion can occur.
And impact damage, you know,bird strikes, lightning strikes
sometimes.
Very prevalent.
Elena Bondwell (14:21):
It's a tough life for a blade.
So what are the primary rootcauses behind these,
specifically the bond linefailures?
Lucas Adheron (14:28):
It's usually a complex interplay of factors.
Manufacturing defects are a bigone.
Elena Bondwell (14:32):
Like the voids you mentioned.
Lucas Adheron (14:33):
Exactly.
As we discussed, the need forthose thick bond lines to
compensate for tolerances makesthem prone to defects like
voids, especially withtwo-component pastes.
Elena Bondwell (14:43):
Right.
Lucas Adheron (14:44):
Other errors.
Improper surface preparation,getting the cure or mixing
ratios wrong, inconsistentadhesive thickness even just
storing the adhesive poorlybefore use.
There was a specific examplecited.
A 300-foot wind turbine bladefailure at Vineyard Wind 1 was
attributed to a manufacturingerror.
Elena Bondwell (15:02):
Wow.
And the environment thoseblades operate in must be
absolutely brutal.
Lucas Adheron (15:07):
It is.
Environmental degradation playsa relentless role.
You've got prolonged UVexposure, moisture getting in,
extreme temperature swings,remember, minus 40 to over 120
C, causing thermal stresses.
Yeah.
Abrasive elements like sand,dust, even acidic pollutants in
some areas cause erosion andchemical degradation.
And then there's the constantcycling vibration, just inherent
(15:28):
to turbine operation, whichmassively exacerbates fatigue.
Elena Bondwell (15:31):
Which brings us to fatigue loading itself.
These blades are just underconstant, intense stress, aren't
they?
Lucas Adheron (15:38):
Absolutely.
Blades are among the mostseverely multi-axial fatigue
loaded structures engineers dealwith.
Elena Bondwell (15:45):
Multi-axial, meaning stress from different
directions.
Lucas Adheron (15:47):
Exactly.
Complex dynamic loads fromvarying gravitational forces as
the blade rotates and thoseunpredictable stochastic wind
loads day in, day out for theirentire 20-year lifespan.
Elena Bondwell (15:57):
And you mentioned something earlier
about stresses frommanufacturing.
Lucas Adheron (16:01):
Yes, that's a critical point.
The development of thermalresidual stresses during cooling
right after manufacturing, thatcan significantly impact
fatigue performance later on.
It can lead to what are calledtunneling cracks.
They start and propagate withinthe adhesive layer itself, and
then they can move into thelaminate, the blade material.
Elena Bondwell (16:21):
So even the initial manufacturing process
can introduce these hiddenweaknesses that only show up
years later because of fatigue.
Lucas Adheron (16:28):
Precisely.
Even if they're initiallyminor, these cracks can grow,
lead to delamination.
examination, adhesive failure,and eventually compression
failure under load compromisesthe whole integrity.
Elena Bondwell (16:39):
And finally, I think you mentioned design
itself can be a factor.
Lucas Adheron (16:42):
Yes.
Sometimes inadequate jointdesign can contribute.
Different geometric shapes ofthe bond line can create varying
stress fields, some moreproblematic than others.
Elena Bondwell (16:51):
Okay.
All of these factors combined,they can really take a toll.
What's the bottom line impactof these failures on a turbine's
performance and, well, itslongevity?
Lucas Adheron (17:01):
The consequences really cascade through the whole
system.
First, you get reducedaerodynamic efficiency.
Damage alters the blade'sairfoil shape, increases drag,
reduces power output.
Leading edge erosion is a primeexample of this.
Elena Bondwell (17:13):
OK, less power.
Lucas Adheron (17:14):
Second, compromised structural
integrity, cracks,delaminations.
They spread.
They weaken the blade.
potentially leading tocatastrophic failure, complete
loss of a blade, or even theentire turbine in extreme cases.
And most immediately,significant turbine downtime.
A damaged blade means theturbine has to shut down.
That means lost energygeneration.
Elena Bondwell (17:34):
And that lost energy generation hits the
wallet directly, doesn't it?
I imagine that adds up fast.
Lucas Adheron (17:38):
It really does.
Unplanned outages can costoperators over $1,600 per day in
lost revenue.
Per turbine.
Elena Bondwell (17:46):
Wow.
Lucas Adheron (17:46):
A single blade failure repair itself can easily
exceed $30,000.
And if you look at the totalexpected repair cost over a
turbine's entire lifetime, itcan be as high as 22% of its
initial capital expenditure atthe capex.
Elena Bondwell (17:59):
22%.
That's enormous.
It's not just about fixing abroken part.
It's a direct hit to the bottomline.
It impacts the entire economicviability of a wind farm.
Lucas Adheron (18:08):
Absolutely.
Maintenance and repair are hugefactors in the overall cost of
wind energy.
Elena Bondwell (18:14):
So when these issues inevitably arise, how do
we keep these giants spinning?
What's involved in actuallyrepairing them out in the field?
Lucas Adheron (18:21):
Well, the crucial first step is always meticulous
inspection and diagnosis.
And given the size and heightof these blades, that in itself
is a significant challenge.
Elena Bondwell (18:30):
I can imagine.
How do they even get a goodlook at them way up there?
Lucas Adheron (18:33):
Visual inspections are still
fundamental, but now they'reoften enhanced by drone
technology.
Elena Bondwell (18:38):
Gross.
Lucas Adheron (18:38):
Yeah, equipped with high-resolution cameras.
It allows for a remoteassessment of external damage
much safer and faster.
Elena Bondwell (18:45):
Okay, but what about damage inside the blade,
like those voids ordelaminations?
Lucas Adheron (18:49):
Right.
For internal damage,non-destructive testing, or NDT,
is indispensable.
You can't see it, so you needother methods.
Elena Bondwell (18:57):
What kind of methods?
Lucas Adheron (18:57):
Things like ultrasonic testing, sending
sound waves through, eddycurrent testing, infrared
thermography, looking for heatdifferences that indicate flaws.
Elena Bondwell (19:06):
So they're using pretty advanced tech to see
deep inside the blade withoutactually cutting it open.
What's the future look like forthis kind of proactive
detection?
Is Is it getting even smarter?
Lucas Adheron (19:16):
The emphasis is definitely shifting towards
early detection and predictiveanalytics, trying to catch
problems before they becomecritical.
Structural health monitoring,or SHM.
This involves installingsensors, sometimes deep inside
the blades, maybe using roboticsystems to provide real-time
data.
Elena Bondwell (19:35):
Data on what?
Lucas Adheron (19:36):
On strain, stiffness, degradation,
vibration patterns, overallstructural health.
Elena Bondwell (19:41):
Ah, so the blade can tell you when it's starting
to have problems.
Lucas Adheron (19:44):
Essentially, yes.
Yeah.
This enables planned, lessinvasive, more cost-effective
repairs.
It maximizes uptime and helpsreduce the overall levelized
cost of electricity, the LCOE.
Elena Bondwell (19:54):
That's a fascinating array of techniques.
So let's really dig into thisrepair arsenal now.
Once they know what's wrong,what are the different ways they
actually fix these colossalblades?
Lucas Adheron (20:03):
The repair methodologies are quite diverse,
depending on the damage.
Preparation is alwaysmeticulous, of course.
Cleaning, removing damagedmaterial.
Elena Bondwell (20:11):
Although you said some adhesives make that
easier.
Lucas Adheron (20:13):
Right.
Some modern ones, like thePlexus Methac Acrylates simplify
this, requiring little to nosurface prep.
That's a big help in the field.
Elena Bondwell (20:20):
Okay, so after prep, what are the methods?
Lucas Adheron (20:23):
Well, patching is common, applying new composite
material over the damaged area.
For smaller internal defects,like delaminations or cracks,
they often use injection repair.
Elena Bondwell (20:32):
What's that, like filling a cavity?
Lucas Adheron (20:34):
Pretty much.
Often called drill and fill.
They drill small holes andinject low viscosity, fast
curing adhesives, things likePlexus MA300, MA310, or Or
sicubiricin CR910 for structurallaminate repairs.
Elena Bondwell (20:48):
Okay.
What about more severe damage?
Say the tip gets badly damaged?
Lucas Adheron (20:53):
For blade tip repair, yeah, they might
actually cut off the damagedsection and then bond on new
prefabricated parts.
Elena Bondwell (20:58):
Wow, like a transplant.
Lucas Adheron (20:59):
Sort of.
And for composite repairs wherethey don't use traditional
pre-impregnated patches, theycan remove the damaged material,
place a custom-shaped 3D wovenfiber filling preform.
Elena Bondwell (21:10):
Oh, what now?
Lucas Adheron (21:10):
A 3D woven preform.
It's like a custom-shapedfabric piece made of reinforced
They place that in the repairarea, then infuse it with resin,
bond it, and cure it.
Elena Bondwell (21:20):
Highly specialized stuff.
Lucas Adheron (21:22):
Definitely.
Yeah.
And then there's localizederosion protection, especially
crucial on the leading edge.
This involves applyingoverlapping patches or
specialized leading edgeprotection tapes, LEP tapes.
3M air wind protection tape,2.1 is a common
Elena Bondwell (21:36):
one.
Okay, so from tiny injectionsto custom-made 3D woven patches
and special tapes, the repairarsenal for these glades is
truly incredibly sophisticated.
It has to be.
And for all these differentrepairs, they must need very
specialized adhesives, right?
Especially for working out inthe field.
Lucas Adheron (21:54):
Absolutely.
For on-site repairs, you needadhesives that are first, fast
curing.
You want that turbine backonline quickly and high
strength, obviously.
So things like the Plexus MAseries we mentioned, Sika
products, Henkel's Loctite T2CPRRs, they're designed for this.
Elena Bondwell (22:08):
And easy to use, I guess, up on a blade.
Lucas Adheron (22:10):
Ease of application is key, yeah.
Some come in coaxial cartridgesthat fit standard caulking
guns, which helps technicians.
And those LEP tapes, like the3M one, are vital for erosion
prevention and repair becausethey're tough abrasion and
function resistant andrelatively easy to apply.
Elena Bondwell (22:29):
It sounds like a lot of these repairs happen in
really tough conditions, though.
What are the big logistical andsafety challenges of doing
repairs out in the field and howare they overcoming them?
Lucas Adheron (22:39):
You're right.
The challenges are significant.
Wind farms are often in remotelocations, difficult to access.
The work itself is at highaltitude, often in unpredictable
weather conditions.
And there's actually a shortageof technicians skilled in these
specific composite repairs.
Elena Bondwell (22:53):
So how do they cope?
Lucas Adheron (22:54):
Well, innovative solutions are emerging all the
time.
Rope access techniques are verywidely used now.
Elena Bondwell (22:59):
Like mountaineering climbers?
Lucas Adheron (23:01):
Similar principles, yeah.
Highly trained technicians useindustrial ropes and specialized
equipment to access the blades.
It often minimizes the need forexpensive, cumbersome cranes or
scaffolding.
Okay.
And
Elena Bondwell (23:15):
what about robotics?
Are robots getting up there,too, doing the dangerous work?
Lucas Adheron (23:20):
What can they do?
Elena Bondwell (23:25):
Wow.
Lucas Adheron (23:27):
Wow.
end effectors, and evenAI-driven navigation to work
autonomously on the bladesurface.
Elena Bondwell (23:46):
That's amazing.
Lucas Adheron (23:47):
And robots can also install those SHM sensors
deep inside blades withouthumans needing to enter confined
spaces.
Improves maintenance,scheduling, and safety.
Elena Bondwell (23:56):
If we connect this to the bigger picture then,
these solutions, the ropes, therobots, they represent a
fundamental shift towards justmore efficient and safer
maintenance, right?
Keeping the energy flowing.
Lucas Adheron (24:07):
Exactly.
It's all about maximizinguptime and ensuring continuous
energy production safely.
Elena Bondwell (24:12):
And what about just getting all the right
stuff, the adhesives, thepatches, the tools to the right
place at the right time?
That's got to be a logisticalpuzzle in itself.
Lucas Adheron (24:20):
It is.
And that's where somethingcalled process material kitting
comes in.
Elena Bondwell (24:23):
Kitting!
Lucas Adheron (24:24):
Yeah.
It basically involvesprepackaging all the necessary
repair consumables, adhesives,cleaners, cloths, patches, every
into organized, job-specifickits.
Elena Bondwell (24:34):
Ah, like a ready-made repair box.
Lucas Adheron (24:36):
Exactly.
This significantly reduces thetime technicians spend gathering
materials on site, it minimizeserrors grabbing the wrong
thing, and it reduces waste.
Really crucial when you havelimited weather windows to get
the repair done.
Elena Bondwell (24:49):
Makes a lot of sense.
Looking ahead now, how areadhesives themselves evolving to
meet future demands, especiallythinking about performance and
maybe sustainability?
Lucas Adheron (24:59):
There's a really strong focus on developing
next-gen adhesive formulations.
We're seeing toughened epoxiesand polyurethanes.
Elena Bondwell (25:05):
Like the ones you mentioned earlier.
Lucas Adheron (25:06):
Yeah, things like 3M of Windblade, bonding
adhesive, W101, Henkel'sMacroplast UK1340.
They're being developed forfaster cure speeds, reduced
exotherm, less heat, andimproved toughness and crack
resistance.
All critical needs.
Elena Bondwell (25:20):
And the methacrylates.
Lucas Adheron (25:21):
Advanced methacrylates, like Huntsman's
Eroldite 2080, are offering thathigh performance but with
significantly reduced odor andand importantly, non-flammable
classification.
That improves safety, reduceshandling costs, and many new
adhesives are becomingprimer-free, making application
even easier.
Elena Bondwell (25:40):
That's great for performance and safety.
What about the environmentalimpact?
Is the industry moving towardsgreener adhesive solutions?
Lucas Adheron (25:47):
Definitely.
That's a key trend.
We're seeing moreenvironmentally friendly
adhesives with reduced, volatileorganic compound VOC emissions.
And formulations incorporatingrecyclable materials are
starting to emerge.
This is really exciting.
Elena Bondwell (26:01):
Recyclable glue?
How does that work?
Lucas Adheron (26:03):
Well, for example, Bostik has MMA
adhesives that, when used withArkema's helium thermoplastic
resin for the blade itself,allow the whole structure,
including the adhesive, to bebroken down, chemically
depolymerized, and the materialsrecovered for reuse.
Elena Bondwell (26:17):
Wow, that's a true circular solution.
Lucas Adheron (26:19):
It's a big step.
And companies like DuPont arealso developing water-based
adhesives, which can help reducethe carbon footprint compared
to solvent-based systems.
It all aligns with the push formore sustainable manufacturing.
Elena Bondwell (26:32):
So it sounds like automation and robotics
aren't just for field repair,but they're transforming
manufacturing, too.
It seems like a completeoverhaul of how blades are made
and maintained.
Lucas Adheron (26:42):
Absolutely.
In manufacturing, robots areincreasingly used for precise
resin infusion and adhesiveapplication.
They control flow rates, mixingratios, bead size much more
accurately than humans,minimizing errors.
Elena Bondwell (26:55):
More consistency.
Lucas Adheron (26:56):
Exactly.
And as we discussed in fieldrepair, robots are performing
hazardous or highly precisetasks.
like leading-edge erosionrepair with speed and
consistency, and installingthose internal sensors for
real-time data.
Elena Bondwell (27:08):
And the future is even more integrated.
Lucas Adheron (27:10):
Yes.
The future likely involvesintegrated systems combining
laser scanning to map damage,CAD software to design the
repair, and robotics to executeit automatically.
Elena Bondwell (27:18):
This sounds like a huge shift, from simply
making things stick to makingthem stick smarter, faster,
safer, and more responsiblyright, with an eye on the entire
life cycle.
Lucas Adheron (27:28):
That's the direction.
Elena Bondwell (27:29):
Which brings us to a major challenge we haven't
really touched on yet.
What happens to these massivecomposite blades at the end of
their, say, 20 year lives?
Can they be recycled?
Lucas Adheron (27:40):
That's a critical sustainability challenge for
the entire wind industry.
Yeah, it's a big problem.
Elena Bondwell (27:45):
Why?
Lucas Adheron (27:46):
Well, most decommissioned wind turbine
blades currently end up inlandfill.
They're huge.
They don't stack or compacteasily.
And shredding them is difficultand energy intensive because
they're made of strong compositematerials, fibers embedded in
resin.
Elena Bondwell (27:59):
Not easy to just break down.
Lucas Adheron (28:00):
No.
But the industry has setambitious goals.
The aim is to achieve zerowaste from decommissioned
blades, maybe by 2030 or 2040That's
Elena Bondwell (28:10):
ambitious.
And how do the adhesives we'vebeen talking about play into
this recyclability challenge?
Are they part of the problem ormaybe part of the solution?
Lucas Adheron (28:18):
It's a bit of both, but increasingly part of
the solution.
While adhesives are arelatively small percentage of
the total blade weight, theirchemistry is crucial for
enabling end-of-life solutions.
Elena Bondwell (28:30):
How so?
Lucas Adheron (28:31):
Well, as we just mentioned, innovations include
the development of recyclableadhesives, like that Bostik MMA
used with Arkema's helium resin,which allows for chemical
depolymerization.
If the adhesive itself can bebroken down along with the blade
material, it makes recyclingmuch more feasible.
Elena Bondwell (28:49):
That's key.
Lucas Adheron (28:50):
Beyond traditional recycling,
researchers are also exploringcreative reuse of old blades.
Elena Bondwell (28:54):
Reuse, like using whole blades for
Lucas Adheron (28:56):
something else.
Exactly.
For things like power linestructures, pedestrian bridges,
architectural elements, evennoise barriers.
There's a project called Rewindthat's developed a whole design
atlas cataloging potentialreuse applications.
Elena Bondwell (29:08):
That's fascinating, giving them a
second life.
Lucas Adheron (29:10):
It's a really promising avenue to avoid land
filling.
Elena Bondwell (29:13):
Well, this deep dive into the unseen strength of
adhesives and giant windturbine blades has really opened
my eyes.
It's incredible.
We've covered the monumentalscale of these blades, the
unsung heroics of thesestructural adhesives.
Definitely unsung.
The constant battle againstfailure, the harsh environment
and the truly ingenious methodsbeing developed for inspection
(29:33):
and repair.
It's clear that adhesivetechnology isn't static at all.
It's continually evolving tomeet these demanding
engineering, economic andincreasingly environmental
Indeed.
Lucas Adheron (29:44):
And looking ahead, given the absolutely
crucial role of adhesiveintegrity and all the challenges
we've discussed inmanufacturing and repairing
these giant structures, afundamental question for the
industry perhaps is, how can wetruly achieve significantly
tighter manufacturingtolerances?
Elena Bondwell (30:02):
To what end?
Lucas Adheron (30:03):
Well...
Perhaps to move beyond relyingso heavily on these very thick,
sometimes problematic bond linesto bridge those gaps.
What would that fundamentalshift in blade design, in
production technology, whatwould that mean for the future
of wind energy?
For cost, for reliability, forsustainability?
Elena Bondwell (30:19):
That is a great question.
Something for you, ourlisteners, to ponder.
How do we build these giantseven better?
We hope this deep diveencourages you to look maybe a
little differently at the worldaround you, especially the
hidden complexities in everydayobjects and vital industries
like wind energy.
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