Winds of change

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Blade Testing 1991 - 2000 at the RISØ Sparkær Blade Test Center

 

As I was employed by RISØ from 1991 to 2000 - this period will not be described in details, as the rights of information are limited, and must be cleared with RISØ.

RISØ rented the Sparkær Centre from 1991 to 1996.

In 1996 RISØ acquired the centre, and enhanced the facility.

 
   
In 1995 we did not have the capacity of testing the new 30 meter blade from LM Glasfiber - thus we had to test the prototype blade in a static test on the Nordtank 1.5 MW prototype turbine at Tjæreborg, near Esbjerg - 60 meter above the terrain ! An exciting job - pulling the blade, up there in the bucket lift... I did not tell my wife of the details on beforehand... The test went well: No broken blade up there... strain values and deflection values ok too...

* Note the aesthetic design of the Turbine - The exterior design of this first Nordtank Megawatt Turbine was performed by world famous Danish designer Jacob Jensen, also known for his design of the Bang & Olufsen Televisions and many other products. In 1997 this Turbine design received the German IF award and RED DOT award.

On site static Blade Test at the Nordtank 1.5 MW
 
The new test hall built in 1997
Since 1997 - the building has been enlarged twice to allow for test of still longer blades.
 

The new test hall with test-rigs for 50 m long blades enabled us to run static and fatigue tests in a controlled environment.

Note the remote controlled cameras on top of the two white test rigs. The blue safe room is where engineers and data acquisition equipment is located under a static blade test. At blade failures, the test hall can be a dangerous place.

Static test of a 26 m Blade
 
Thermo graphic imaging at fatigue test

 

 

 

In year 2000 Erik Grove-Nielsen left the Sparkær Centre to work in his new company ReFiber ApS - with the development of recycling techniques for fibreglass waste from the Wind Power Industry.

In 2005 the Sparkær Blade Test Centre changed status:

A new company BLAEST now owns and runs the facility, and a new Mega blade test facility is added at the harbour of Aalborg. BLAEST is owned by RISØ , DNV and FORCE Institute.

One reason for establishing a blade test at the harbour of Aalborg is, that road transport to inland Sparkær is problematic for blades exceeding 50 meter length.

 
   

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