TYCOR® W5 – The Next Step In Advanced Wind Turbine Blade Design
Engineering
TYCOR® W5 expands the reinforcement architecture and manufacturing technology of the GL-certified TYCOR W line by adding higher shear properties balanced in the L- and T-directions. TYCOR W5 was engineered to meet special design needs for current and future blade projects and is especially suited to the unique needs of longer, heavier blades. TYCOR W5X is under development.
Performance
With TYCOR W5 design engineers can optimize sandwich designs for both existing and new blades. The core product addresses the wind industry’s requirements to develop longer, higher-performance blades able to withstand difficult operating conditions while continuing to reduce costs and weight. TYCOR W5 provides high transverse shear strength for local areas of high stress and high, balanced transverse shear stiffness for thin, highly-loaded shear webs and shells.
Suited to vacuum infusion, TYCOR W5 provides 105 MPa minimum transverse shear modulus in all directions, yet unlike balsa, offers reduced cost and weight. TYCOR W5 is available in sizes 12 to 78 mm thick. Sheet dimensions can be varied slightly to increase core kitting yield by as much as 10 percent compared to fixed-size cores.
Key Performance Advantages
TYCOR W5 can be specified quickly as an alternative to balsa because the composite core’s balanced shear modulus allows for a direct comparison with and substitution of the wood product
- Delivers improved quality, consistent infused density, reduced resin absorption and better dimensional stability
- High transverse shear strength for local areas of high stress
- High, balanced transverse shear stiffness suited for thin, highly-loaded shear webs and shells
- Enables blade designers to optimize sandwich design in new and existing blades
