Leapwind
Leading Edge Advanced Protection using novel thermoplastic materials and processes for offshore Wind turbine blades.
LEAPWind is a 1 million euro project which is being funded through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. The aim of LEAPWind is to produce a new commercial leading-edge blade component using advanced composite materials and innovative manufacturing processes.
Objectives:
To develop a commercial-scale process for manufacturing ÉireComposites’s leading-edge wind-blade component
To de-risk the technology by performing physical (structural and rain erosion) testing of a full-scale prototype leading-edge blade component
To perform full-scale operational tests on an existing wind turbine in Portugal. Advanced sensory structural health monitoring techniques will be employed to accurately assess the performance of the novel leading-edge blade component and demonstrate an increase in TRL from 6 to 9.
To introduce the novel leading-edge blade component to the offshore wind energy market in order to ensure its viability as a commercial product through interactions with SUZLON and other developers and market leaders.
Lower the levelized cost of wind energy by 10% by decreasing risk, increasing productivity and reducing maintenance costs by 20% resulting in improved investor confidence and better access to capital.
