Power wind system

Weight is crucial
The larger the blade, the more important it is to focus on the weight, in order to reduce the stresses on the turbine during operation. Such weight reductions have a knock-on effect on the dimensioning of all other components in the wind turbine, paving the way for significant savings. By further developing LM Glasfiber's FutureBlade technology, our engineers were able to design a blade with an impressively low weight - less than 18 tons.

The challenge of manufacturing a large blade is not proportional to its size - doubling the length does not mean doubling the challenges involved. However, development of a large blade to achieve the ideal combination of capacity, weight and price is a major task. From a mathematical point of view, the rule-of-thumb is that the weight of the blade increases by the cube of the length. There was therefore considerable focus on the weight aspects during development work on the LM 61.5 P blade. As a result of this targeted effort, this normally standard constraint has now been overcome.

Welcome to LM Glasfiber - Blades for the wind turbines of the future
LM Glasfiber is the world's leading supplier of blades for wind turbines, and the only supplier that operates on a global basis. We have achieved this strong position in a business distinctive for international growth via a consistent focus on research, product development, quality and excellent customer service.

Blades play a crucial role in wind turbines - their design is crucial to the efficient exploitation of energy from the wind. LM Glasfiber blades are currently mounted on more than one in three wind turbines throughout the world.

We have produced and sold more than 84,000 blades since 1978, corresponding to a capacity of 19,860 MW, or the annual electricity consumption of approximately 19 million European households.

Our production capacity measured in MW is the largest in the industry, and we have factories in four major regions: Northern Europe, Southern Europe, North America and Asia. Our factories are located right in the most important wind energy markets - or at least close by. This is to make sure our customers benefit from rapid, efficient, on-time delivery.

Full-scale testing - proven reliability
At LM Glasfiber, a new blade type is not put into serial production until it has been tested for 20 years of operation. This is to ensure the reliability of the blades throughout the service life of the turbine. First, a static test confirms that the blade can handle extreme loads. The blade is then subjected to fatigue testing in a so-called dynamic test in both directions, i.e. flapwise and edgewise. The blade undergoes a level of fatigue corresponding to 20 years of operation. However, a further static test is carried out to ensure that the blade is able to withstand extreme loads even towards the end of its service life.

Reliable blades
The fatigue tests go well beyond the certification requirements of the blades. They are our way of assuring our customers that the blades will operate reliably throughout the service life of the wind turbine.

Reliable lightning protection
In addition to in-house blade strength tests, we regularly use some of the most advanced high-current laboratories in the world to test our lightning protection system. These tests provide valuable information about what happens when lightning strikes wind turbine blades. LM Glasfiber lightning protection is based on this expertise, which has also enabled us to document safety to a very high standard. Our lightning protection system withstands the effects of up to 98% of all lightning strikes and is certified in accordance with CEI/IEC protection level 1.

The LM DiverterStrip has recently been thoroughly tested to ensure that it can extend the lightning intercept area and lead the lightning down to the lightning receptor.

Read more about our lightning protection and our testing programme on our website.

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