For the wind industry, aluminium profiles have not been a preferred material so far – steel and Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastics (GRP) are most commonly used. For many design departments, aluminium profiles are either too unknown to incorporate in daily design work, thought to be too weak, too expensive, or too corrosion-sensitive in an untreated condition to be applied to harsh environments. However, experience shows that aluminium profiles have the potential to contribute to solving some of the turbine industry’s major product design challenges…
First, we need to recap our knowledge about the material, profile design, the advantages, and the dos and don’ts.
Advantages
Some typical advantages of aluminium profiles that contribute to increased customer benefits:
* Lightweight with a high stiffness-to-weight ratio
* Excellent malleability provides design flexibility with: a) different functionalities integrated in one profile and b) fewer parts and therefore fewer production steps
* Corrosion resistant even in harsh environments
* Excellent thermal conductivity
* Approximately four times lower cost than copper
* Does not get brittle in Arctic conditions
* High end-of-life value and easy to recycle
