Fabric enhances wind turbine performance
Owens Corning announced at the European Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition in AthensGreecea breakthrough single-end roving and knitted fabricWindstrandwhich will allow the wind energy market to take another step forward in competing successfully against other alternative energy sources by reducing the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
The product enables turbine manufacturers to increase blade lengths by as much as six per cent and deliver up to 12 per cent more power - for up to 20 per cent less cost than any competing carbon-glass hybrid material.
In addition to the cost and performance benefits of Windstrandthe product also provides manufacturers with the traditional processability of glasscombined with the stiffnessstrength and weight of other high-performance materials.
Other product highlights compared to conventional E-glass include: up to 35 per cent higher tensile strengths; up to 17 per cent higher stiffness (modulus); and enhanced fatigueimpactagingcorrosionand temperature resistance.
For more informationvisit www.owenscorning.com
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