Hamburg: Senvion, one of the world’s biggest wind turbine manufacturers, acquired RodPack technology from Chase Corporation in November 2015. The material is already used in the blade for the Senvion 6.2M152 and is anticipated to be integrated in future blade designs for both onshore and offshore turbines. RodPack, which substitutes the standard glass fabrics used in the main girder, enables optimized blade design as well as faster and higher-quality blade production. The technology will be exclusively available and used in Senvion turbines.
RodPack technology is based on cured pultruded rods placed on a non-woven fabric. Senvion is currently working on the co-development of a machine to expand RodPack production capacity. Andreas Nauen, CEO at Senvion, says: “The steady improvement of our turbines and their efficiency is key for us. It is our aspiration to use the best and highest-quality materials and products on the market. The acquisition of RodPack is a logical step for us to reach that goal.” RodPack has 9% better material properties than high-modulus glass and 20% better than standard unidirectional glass. This creates the potential for blade designs with higher yields, longer life or a higher wind class.
