We are pleased to announce that last November ACT Blade’s first commercial prototype, the ACT100, successfully completed all tests required for the component certification, which is expected to be issued shortly by UL Solutions certifying body.
Due to the component-based nature of the ACT Blade, the tests included:
- Full scale testing of that ACT100 internal composite structure to withstand the gravitational, aerodynamic and inertial loads of the entire blade.
- Testing the Lightning Protection System (LPS)
All tests were carried out according to IEC61400 standards. The final pull of the post-fatigue test occurred in mid-November and documentation has been formally released in January 2025.
“Validating the ACT100 is an important technological milestone. With this test, we have demonstrated not only the structural viability of the ACT Blade but also pushed the boundaries for component-based testing. We are grateful to our team for their efforts in developing the ACT100, and to our innovation ecosystem, including our textile partner Concordia Textile, the UL Solutions Certification agency, and ORE Catapult for their continuous support in developing the testing plan,” said Dr. Donald MacVicar, the company’s technical director.
“We not only validated our innovative ACT technology but also the specific design of a 49.2m long blade for reblading 2MW turbines. We are also validating our design assumptions and the innovative lightning protection system (patent pending),” continues Donald. “The main challenge of the test campaign was to create a test plan for the blade’s internal composite structure only, and our partner ORE Catapult has been a valuable support, especially since they had tested our two 13m prototypes in previous years.
Andrew MacDonald, ORE Catapult director for Development & Operations comments “We are delighted to see ACT Blade continue to succeed in the development of its innovative blade design. This is a major step forward from the previous 13 metre blade that was used to prove the concept on an operational turbine. The wind sector requires innovation to reduce costs and improve operational performance; ACT Blade has the potential to make a major contribution to the sector as it scales up its product.”
The ACT100 component certification is expected in April 2025. Production has now started, and first installation is expected in 2025 in South of Italy.
About us:
ACT Blade develops and commercializes the ACT Blade technology, the lightest and only modular wind turbine blade, made of an internal composite structure and fully covered by highly engineered textile. ACT Blade’s headquarters are in Edinburgh (UK), while its subsidiary, ACT Blade Europe Srl, was founded to develop the firm’s core operations, some R&D activities, and manufacturing capacity in Italy, with headquarter in Naples and operations in Brindisi.
www.actblade.com
