New energy field
Composites will play an increasingly important role in the use of renewable energy by manufacturing structures that are capable of harnessing sustainable energy. Factors such as lighter weight, lower transportation and installation costs, and most importantly, lower maintenance costs over the entire life cycle of the structure compared to metal structures have positioned composites as de facto materials that can provide economical solutions for large-scale projects.
The lightweight and complex airfoil shape of wind turbine blades has made composites a leader in the field, using molds designed to economically manufacture the blades with minimal labor. The current research and development is aimed at meeting the required size increase in turbine and rotor blades for both land-based and offshore systems.
Marine domain
FRP composites have been successfully used for decades in Marine applications such as radome and mass structures, superyachts, work boats, and recreational boats. More recently, FRPS have been used in less well-known applications, such as bearings, propellers, commercial hatch covers, exhausts, and top structures.
The use of fiberglass composites in Marine applications is one of the first significant areas of GRP application. It has revolutionized the ability to design and manufacture large composite structures in multiple domains. Boats are manufactured in the UK through a variety of processes, including hand-laid GRP, resin impregnation, thermoplastic and high-performance carbon fibre prepreg for racing yachts.
The main advantages of GRP in Marine applications are:
1. Environmental resistance, including freedom from decay, corrosion resistance, etc
2. Able to process seamless and complex structures
3. Ability to adjust strength to fit load conditions
4. Excellent strength-weight properties - GRP Marine structures are typically half the weight of equivalent steel structures
5. Low maintenance and easy repair
6. Excellent durability
Racing boats make more extensive use of composite materials than any other Marine structure. Due to special requirements, the materials used are not typical Marine construction materials. Minimum weight and maximum stiffness are essential in their design to be able to sail at maximum speed and to resist the effects of waves and other factors in the Marine environment.
Carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites are commonly used in honeycomb or foam-core hulls, frames, keels, masts, poles and booms, carbon winch reels, and shafting. The use of FRP helps to improve performance and minimize the danger of navigation defects and malfunctions under different international sailing conditions.
