End of Life Alternative Uses for Composite Wind Turbine Blades

Background

Wind turbine blades are retired every 10 years. Wind turbine blades are massive (average = 120 feet long) and retain incredible static strength long after retirement. Attempts to make use of these retired blades include grinding them up for building material or burning their epoxy for fuel. Unfortunately the vast majority of these blades end up in landfills. For a “clean energy” industry, clogging landfills is not ideal.

Technology

CU Denver Associate Mechanical Engineering Professor Dr. Ronald A. L. Rorrer has developed designs to make use of the static strength of these retired blades for civil engineering projects such as snow breaks, landscaping, earthen dams and bridges. Through these designs, Dr. Rorrer can provide a cheap and strong building material for government and private sector projects as well as helping the wind energy industry truly be green.

Advantages

• Upcycled building materials

Market Applications

• Cleantech
• Civil Engineering, such as retaining walls

What's Next?

This technology is available for exclusive or non-exclusive licensing.