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The wind energy market has long been considered the world’s largest market, by volume, for glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites — and increasingly, carbon fiber composites — as larger turbines and longer wind blades are developed, requiring higher performance, lighter weight materials. The outer skins of wind and tidal turbine blades generally comprise infused, GFRP laminates sandwiching foam core. Inside the blade, rib-like shear webs bonded to spar caps reinforce the structure. Spar caps are often made from GFRP or, as blade lengths lengthen, pultruded carbon fiber for additional strength.

The numbers from 2015 continue to roll in, adding to 2015’s status as a stellar year for composites as an enabling technology in the energy market.

The agency is partnering with eight companies to accelerate the development of commercial capabilities to enable frequent launches of small spacecraft to low-Earth orbit.

3D printing was the focus during the tour of the ORNL facility in Knoxville, TN.

Update on 11th call for proposals and Clean Sky 2 projects, plus composites topics of interest in upcoming AEC2020 conference.

CW editor Jeff Sloan is in northeastern Brazil this week, getting an up-close look at the Brazilian wind market, and a dynamic manufacturer of wind blades.

A consortium of four companies propose a massive wind farm and energy storage facility to supply Los Angeles.

The wind energy industry is now operative in a genuinely worldwide marketplace.

Porcher Industries (Eclose-Badinières, France) will have a talented team of textile, composite and chemical engineering experts in Paris to present their latest innovations at JEC World 2018.

Facebook is considering use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to bring Internet access to remote areas. The composites industry could be among the beneficiaries.

All-composite hydrofoiling watercraft will, if SeaBubbles has its way, soon be taxiing people across urban waterways in more than 50 cities across the world.