Environmental impact and waste recycling technologies for modern wind turbines: An overview

Rathore, N.S.; Panwar, N. L.

doi:10.1177/0734242x221135527

Cited by 18 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 94 publications

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“…Several countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom and China have responded with regulations and financial incentives (i.e., China Solid Waste Law 8 , Guiding Opinions on Comprehensive Utilisation of Bulk Solid Waste during the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan 9 ) and high gate fees (i.e., the UK landfill tax 10 ). Current waste handling and recycling methods vary from cement kiln co-processing, and mechanical recycling to thermal recycling such as pyrolysis and fluidised bed process as well as chemical recycling [11][12][13][14][15] . These techniques are available at different levels of maturity and not all of them are available at an industrial scale.…”

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confidence: 99%

Solutions for recycling emerging wind turbine blade waste in China are not yet effective

Yang,

Meng,

Zhang

et al. 2023

Commun Earth Environ

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Wind power supply chains are evolving as markets expand to reach climate goals. With the largest installed wind power capacity globally, China must deal with increasing composite turbine waste and anticipate its associated costs. Here we predict the quantity and composition of wind turbine blade waste based on historic deployment. A high-resolution database containing 14 turbine capacities (150–5500 kilowatts) was compiled based on 104 turbine models. The environmental and financial costs of waste treatment options were evaluated using a bottom-up approach. Based on current installations and future projections, 7.7 to 23.1 million tonnes of blade waste will be generated in China by 2050. Technologies exist to recycle glass fibre from blade waste, but these solutions vary in level of maturity and are not always commercially available, cost-competitive, or environmentally sustainable. Our findings can inform decision-makers in governments and industry on the pathways to carbon neutrality.

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confidence: 99%

Solutions for recycling emerging wind turbine blade waste in China are not yet effective

Yang,

Meng,

Zhang

et al. 2023

Commun Earth Environ

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“…However, epoxy composites also have drawbacks [ 109 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 ] in the context of aeronautics and aerospace: Need for higher temperature treatments than unfilled resins to reach the same curing degree, which may increase the energy consumption and cost of fabrication. Difficult to be recycled or disposed of due to their infusible and insoluble nature, which may pose environmental and health hazards.…”

Section: Thermal Stability Of Epoxy Composites Tailored For Aeronauti...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, epoxy composites also have drawbacks [109,[113][114][115][116] in the context of aeronautics and aerospace:…”

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confidence: 99%

A Comprehensive Review on the Thermal Stability Assessment of Polymers and Composites for Aeronautics and Space Applications

Barra,

Guadagno,

Raimondo

et al. 2023

Polymers

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This review article provides an exhaustive survey on experimental investigations regarding the thermal stability assessment of polymers and polymer-based composites intended for applications in the aeronautical and space fields. This review aims to: (1) come up with a systematic and critical overview of the state-of-the-art knowledge and research on the thermal stability of various polymers and composites, such as polyimides, epoxy composites, and carbon-filled composites; (2) identify the key factors, mechanisms, methods, and challenges that affect the thermal stability of polymers and composites, such as the temperature, radiation, oxygen, and degradation; (3) highlight the current and potential applications, benefits, limitations, and opportunities of polymers and composites with high thermal stability, such as thermal control, structural reinforcement, protection, and energy conversion; (4) give a glimpse of future research directions by providing indications for improving the thermal stability of polymers and composites, such as novel materials, hybrid composites, smart materials, and advanced processing methods. In this context, thermal analysis plays a crucial role in the development of polyimide-based materials for the radiation shielding of space solar cells or spacecraft components. The main strategies that have been explored to improve the processability, optical transparency, and radiation resistance of polyimide-based materials without compromising their thermal stability are highlighted. The combination of different types of polyimides, such as linear and hyperbranched, as well as the incorporation of bulky pendant groups, are reported as routes for improving the mechanical behavior and optical transparency while retaining the thermal stability and radiation shielding properties. Furthermore, the thermal stability of polymer/carbon nanocomposites is discussed with particular reference to the role of the filler in radiation monitoring systems and electromagnetic interference shielding in the space environment. Finally, the thermal stability of epoxy-based composites and how it is influenced by the type and content of epoxy resin, curing agent, degree of cross-linking, and the addition of fillers or modifiers are critically reviewed. Some studies have reported that incorporating mesoporous silica micro-filler or microencapsulated phase change materials (MPCM) into epoxy resin can enhance its thermal stability and mechanical properties. The mesoporous silica composite exhibited the highest glass transition temperature and activation energy for thermal degradation among all the epoxy-silica nano/micro-composites. Indeed, an average activation energy value of 148.86 kJ/mol was recorded for the thermal degradation of unfilled epoxy resin. The maximum activation energy range was instead recorded for composites loaded with mesoporous microsilica. The EMC-5p50 sample showed the highest mean value of 217.6 kJ/mol. This remarkable enhancement was ascribed to the polymer invading the silica pores and forging formidable interfacial bonds.

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“…A robust analysis of the state-of-the-art end of life strategies for wind turbine blades within the last 5 years is available in previous literature [37][38][39][40][41]. For this work, we are summarizing the key processes below for purposes of the analysis performed.…”

Section: Current Industrialized End Of Life Strategies In the Us For ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of wind turbine blade recycling baselines in the United States

Korey,

Sproul,

Rencheck

et al. 2023

IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng.

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Over the past several years, the wind energy industry has received scrutiny regarding wind turbine blade (WTB) recycling due to the landfilling of WTBs caused by a lack of industrially viable recycling solutions. The amount of WTBs that will need to be recycled is set to increase in the United States as the deployment of wind energy is expected to rapidly grow to meet the nation’s energy goals by 2035. While significant progress has been made worldwide, it is still unclear which WTB recycling solutions would be the most cost and energy effective within the United States for the existing fleet of wind turbines. To guide researchers and industry with a clear path forward, a range of options for WTB recycling in the United States are modeled through development of baseline scenarios and the use of formal life cycle assessment (LCA). Model data have been collected through literature review, industry engagement, and expert opinion regarding current end of life practices and considerations surrounding equipment, labor, and logistics. A detailed baseline for WTB decommissioning processes has been developed and used to assess alternative approaches, such as on-site shredding to compare the impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The developed LCA model and baseline scenarios for WTB recycling is used to assess the current WTB decommissioning practices in the United States along with emerging recycling pathways, including cement kiln co-processing and pyrolysis. Initial findings indicate that there are different approaches to decommissioning WTBs in the United States, each of which has unique implications for recycling. In light of this finding, additional results from the modeling will be used to better understand decommissioning practices and assist in making educated decisions on recycling pathways for the future. Throughout the analysis, focus was given to where international efforts might differ from the United States. WTB recycling is occurring worldwide, and different countries have different drivers for creating markets for recycled WTB materials. The contrasts and similarities between the United States and other countries offer insight to areas of opportunity that the United States could investigate and areas that can be readily transferred from existing solutions. By modeling and characterizing the current decommissioning practices and potential recycling solutions for the United States, a clearer vision will be created for pathways forward as to how to handle end of life WTBs to enable more efficient and cost-effective opportunities for material recovery from end-of-life WTBs.

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Environmental impact and waste recycling technologies for modern wind turbines: An overview

Cited by 18 publications

References 94 publications

Solutions for recycling emerging wind turbine blade waste in China are not yet effective

Solutions for recycling emerging wind turbine blade waste in China are not yet effective

A Comprehensive Review on the Thermal Stability Assessment of Polymers and Composites for Aeronautics and Space Applications

Development of wind turbine blade recycling baselines in the United States

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