The pace of technology increases in fiberglass technology is matched, perhaps, by only advances in green tech. And when the two industries align, things can get pretty awesome.
A recent report from MSN lists some advances made by researchers at CAse Western in Cleveland, OH.
Fatigue tests show the reinforced polyurethane composite lasts about eight times longer than epoxy reinforced with fiberglass. The new material was also about eight times tougher in delamination fracture tests, according to the researchers.
The researchers expect to make blades that are 250 meters long, by 2020. To give you an idea, maybe, of that ridiculous size: picture a full football field, then picture another one, then picture half of another one. That's how long the windmill blades will be.
The only expected downside of these huge strides in fiberglass and power generation technology are the usual ones, the NIMBYs. (NIMBY stands for "Not in my back yard.") Of course, I wouldn't necessarily want a gigantic windmill in my backyard, but that seems pretty unlikely. Seeing giant windmills in the distance would actually make me proud of my home area, that it wants to invest in green tech and generating power in a sustainable way. But only time will tell how well implemented Case Western's fiberglass windmill tech becomes.
