REPURPOSING WIND BLADES

DRIVING INNOVATION IN WIND FARM DECOMMISSIONING

 

The Re-Wind Network consists of academic researchers from from Georgia Institute of Technology, University College Cork, Queen’s University Belfast, City University New York, Munster Technological University, University College Dublin, and the BladeBridge.ie company. On LinkedIN at The Re-Wind Network Group

To contact the Network please send an email to the individuals listed below:

USA - Russell Gentry at russell.gentry@design.gatech.edu

Ireland - Paul Leahy at Paul.Leahy@ucc.ie

Northern Ireland, UK - Jennifer McKinley at j.mckinley@qub.ac.uk

BladeBridge.ie - Angela Nagle at angie@bladebridge.ie

 

Members of the Re-Wind project team in Draperstown, Northern Ireland, UK (May 2023) (Photo: Conor Graham)

 
 

NEWS

 
News
Wind turbine blade e-mobility hub at TRA2024
Wind turbine blade e-mobility hub at TRA2024

Blade e-mobility hub unveiled by BladeBridge and ESB at TRA2024

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EirBLADE Recruitment
EirBLADE Recruitment
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Midleton Greenway and BladeBridge Opened to the Public
Midleton Greenway and BladeBridge Opened to the Public

Midleton BladeBridge Opens to the Public

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BladeBridge and ESB using repurposed blades to develop e-mobility hub
BladeBridge and ESB using repurposed blades to develop e-mobility hub

ESB and BladeBridge announce partnership on e-mobility hub

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Re-Wind USA wins DoE Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize
Re-Wind USA wins DoE Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize

Re-Wind USA wins US DoE Prize

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Government of Ireland's Project Marine Newsletter
Government of Ireland's Project Marine Newsletter
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Bloomberg News on Blade Repurposing
Bloomberg News on Blade Repurposing
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Article Published in "The Conversation"
Article Published in "The Conversation"
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Blade Repurposing at International Energy Agency Wind Task 45 Workshop in Bristol
Blade Repurposing at International Energy Agency Wind Task 45 Workshop in Bristol

Re-Wind Network members present at IEA Wind Task 45 meeting

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Blade Bridge featured on RTE TV documentary Heated
Blade Bridge featured on RTE TV documentary Heated

Re-Wind and BladeBridge on RTE TV

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Re-Wind Design Catalog

Re-Wind Design Catalog Fall 2022 2nd Edition


Re-Wind Design Catalog Fall 2021 V1.0

 


Journal Papers

 
Featured
Henao, Y. et al, ((2024) Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Cost Analysis of Repurposing Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades as High-Voltage Transmission Poles
Henao, Y. et al, ((2024) Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Cost Analysis of Repurposing Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades as High-Voltage Transmission Poles
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Delaney, E.L et al (2023), "Sustainability Implications of Current Approaches to End-of-Life of Wind Turbine Blades—A Review"
Delaney, E.L et al (2023), "Sustainability Implications of Current Approaches to End-of-Life of Wind Turbine Blades—A Review"
Read More →
Alshannaq A., et al., "Mechanical Testing of Connections Blind Bolted to the Thick Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Spar Cap of a Decommissioned GE37 Wind Turbine Blade"
Alshannaq A., et al., "Mechanical Testing of Connections Blind Bolted to the Thick Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Spar Cap of a Decommissioned GE37 Wind Turbine Blade"
Read More →
Ruane et al (2023) "Construction and Cost Analysis of BladeBridges Made from Decommissioned FRP Wind Turbine Blades"
Ruane et al (2023) "Construction and Cost Analysis of BladeBridges Made from Decommissioned FRP Wind Turbine Blades"
Read More →
Alshannaq et al 2022 As-Received Physical and Mechanical Properties of the Spar Cap of a GE37 Decommissioned Glass FRP Wind Turbine Blade
Alshannaq et al 2022 As-Received Physical and Mechanical Properties of the Spar Cap of a GE37 Decommissioned Glass FRP Wind Turbine Blade
Read More →
Ruane, K. et al. (2022) Material and Structural Characterization of a Wind Turbine Blade for Use as a Bridge Girder
Ruane, K. et al. (2022) Material and Structural Characterization of a Wind Turbine Blade for Use as a Bridge Girder
Read More →
A. J. Nagle, G. Mullally, P. G. Leahy, N. P. Dunphy, 2022, "Life cycle assessment of the use of decommissioned wind blades in second life applications"
A. J. Nagle, G. Mullally, P. G. Leahy, N. P. Dunphy, 2022, "Life cycle assessment of the use of decommissioned wind blades in second life applications"
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A.A. Alshannaq, L.C. Bank, D. W. Scott and R. Gentry , 2021, "A Decommissioned Wind Blade as a Second-Life Construction Material for a Transmission Pole"
A.A. Alshannaq, L.C. Bank, D. W. Scott and R. Gentry , 2021, "A Decommissioned Wind Blade as a Second-Life Construction Material for a Transmission Pole"
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P. Deeney et al, 2021, "End-of-Life alternatives for wind turbine blades: Sustainability Indices based on the UN sustainable development goals"
P. Deeney et al, 2021, "End-of-Life alternatives for wind turbine blades: Sustainability Indices based on the UN sustainable development goals"
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E.L. Delaney, J.M. McKinley, W, Megarry, C. Graham, P.G. Leahy, L.C. Bank, R. Gentry, 2021, “An Integrated Geospatial Approach for Repurposing Wind Turbine Blades”
E.L. Delaney, J.M. McKinley, W, Megarry, C. Graham, P.G. Leahy, L.C. Bank, R. Gentry, 2021, “An Integrated Geospatial Approach for Repurposing Wind Turbine Blades”
Read More →
Alshannaq, A. A., L. C. Bank, D. W. Scott, & T. R. Gentry, 2021, "Structural Analysis of a Wind Turbine Blade Repurposed as an Electrical Transmission Pole"
Alshannaq, A. A., L. C. Bank, D. W. Scott, & T. R. Gentry, 2021, "Structural Analysis of a Wind Turbine Blade Repurposed as an Electrical Transmission Pole"
Read More →
T. R. Gentry, T. Al-Haddad, L.C. Bank, F.R. Arias, A. Nagle, P. Leahy, 2020, “Structural Analysis of a Roof Extracted from a Wind Turbine Blade"
T. R. Gentry, T. Al-Haddad, L.C. Bank, F.R. Arias, A. Nagle, P. Leahy, 2020, “Structural Analysis of a Roof Extracted from a Wind Turbine Blade"
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A.J. Nagle, L.C. Bank, E. Delaney and P.G. Leahy, 2020, “A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Between Landfilling And Co-Processing Of Waste From Decommissioned Irish Wind Turbine Blades”
A.J. Nagle, L.C. Bank, E. Delaney and P.G. Leahy, 2020, “A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Between Landfilling And Co-Processing Of Waste From Decommissioned Irish Wind Turbine Blades”
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X.F. Nie, B. Fu, J.G. Teng, L.C. Bank, Y. Tian, 2020, "Shear behavior of reinforced concrete beams with GFRP needles"
X.F. Nie, B. Fu, J.G. Teng, L.C. Bank, Y. Tian, 2020, "Shear behavior of reinforced concrete beams with GFRP needles"
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A. Yazdanbakhsh, L.C. Bank and Y. Tian, 2018, “Mechanical Processing of GFRP Waste into Large-Sized Pieces for Use in Concrete"
A. Yazdanbakhsh, L.C. Bank and Y. Tian, 2018, “Mechanical Processing of GFRP Waste into Large-Sized Pieces for Use in Concrete"
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L.C. Bank, F.R. Arias, A. Yazdanbakhsh, T.R. Gentry, T. Al-Haddad, J.F. Chen and R. Morrow, 2018, “Concepts for Reusing Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades in Affordable Housing"
L.C. Bank, F.R. Arias, A. Yazdanbakhsh, T.R. Gentry, T. Al-Haddad, J.F. Chen and R. Morrow, 2018, “Concepts for Reusing Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades in Affordable Housing"
Read More →
 

Conference Papers

Featured
Silverman et al (2023). Mass determination and model prediction of retired blades from wind turbine repowering or dismantling using a GIS database
Alshannaq, A.A., et al (2023). Large-Scale Testing of a GFRP Power Transmission Pole Prototype made from a Decommissioned GE37 Wind Turbine Blade.
Zhang, Z., Ackall, G., Gentry, R., & Bank, L.C. (2023). BladeBridge: Three Design Options for a Pedestrian Bridge made from Decommissioned 53 Meter Wind Turbine Blades.
Alshannaq et al 2022 "Properties of a 37 m long FRP wind turbine blade after 11 years in service"
Bank et al 2022 "Case Studies of Repurposing FRP Wind Blades for Second-Life New Infrastructure"
Kiernicki et al 2022 "A Digital Process for Reconstructing Wind Turbine Blade Geometry from Point Cloud Data"
Zhang et al 2022 "BladeBridge - Design and Construction of a Pedestrian Bridge using Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades"
Bermek and Gentry, 2022, "Reconstruction of Wind Turbine Blade Geometry and Shape Matching of Airfoil Profiles to Point Clouds"
Henao et al 2022 "Comparative Lifecycle Analysis between Wind Turbine Blades Repurposed as Energy Transmission Poles and Conventional Steel Poles"
Al-Haddad et al, 2022, "Strategies for Redesigning High Performance FRP Wind Blades as Future Electrical Infrastructure"
Alshannaq et al "Structural Re-use of FRP Composite Wind Turbine Blades as Power-Line Utility Poles and Towers"
Leahy et al, “Greenway pedestrian and cycle bridges from repurposed wind turbine blades.”
P. Leahy, "End-of-life Options for Composite Material Wind Turbine Blades: Recover, Repurpose or Reuse?"
A. Alshannaq et al, "Structural Re-Use of De-Commissioned Wind Turbine Blades in Civil Engineering Applications"
L. Bank et al, "Structural Analysis of FRP Parts from Waste Wind Turbine Blades for Building Reuse Applications"
X.F. Nie et al, "Shear behavior of reinforced concrete beams with GFRP needles as coarse aggregate partial replacement: Full-scale experiments"
R. Suhail et al, "Analysis and Design of a Pedestrian Bridge with Decommissioned FRP Windblades and Concrete"
B. Tasistro-Hart et al, "Reconstruction of Wind Turbine Blade Geometry and Internal Structure from Point Cloud Data"
R. Morrow at al, "Re-Wind: Architectural Design Studio and the Re-Purposing of Wind Turbine Blades"
R. Gentry et al, "Adaptive Reuse of FRP Composite Wind Turbine Blades For Civil Infrastructure Construction"
L. Bank et al, "Reusing Composite Materials From Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades"
 

Presentations

Presentations and Other
Silverman et al (2023). Mass determination and model prediction of retired blades from wind turbine repowering or dismantling using a GIS database
Read More →
Alshannaq, A.A., et al (2023). Large-Scale Testing of a GFRP Power Transmission Pole Prototype made from a Decommissioned GE37 Wind Turbine Blade
Read More →
Zhang, Z., Ackall, G., Gentry, R., & Bank, L.C. (2023). BladeBridge: Three Design Options for a Pedestrian Bridge made from Decommissioned 53 Meter Wind Turbine Blades
Read More →
Bank et al, 2022, "Design and Construction of Pedestrian Bridges from Decommissioned FRP Wind Turbine Blades"
Read More →
Leahy et al 2022. "Lessons learned from a wind turbine blade repurposing project"
Read More →
Bank et al 2022 "Case Studies of Repurposing FRP Wind Blades for Second-Life New Infrastructure"
Read More →
Alshannaq et al 2022, "Properties of a 37 m long FRP wind turbine blade after 11 years in service"
Read More →
Zhang et al 2022 "BladeBridge - Design and Construction of a Pedestrian Bridge using Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades"
Read More →
Henao et al 2022 "Comparative Lifecycle Analysis between Wind Turbine Blades Repurposed as Energy Transmission Poles and Conventional Steel Poles"
Read More →
Bank, LC and Gentry TR, 2022, Recycling and Repurposing, WEIcan 2022
Read More →
Henao et al, Construction Assessment Framework of Electrical Transmission Structures from Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades
Read More →
P. Leahy and K. Ruane, "Re-Wind Project: BladeBridge"
Read More →
A. Alshannaq et al "Structural Re-use of FRP Composite Wind Turbine Blades as Power-Line Utility Poles and Towers"
Read More →
L. Bank and K. Ruane "Structural analysis and design with decommissioned wind turbine blades"
Read More →
P. Leahy et al, "Greenway pedestrian and cycle bridges from repurposed wind turbine blades"
Read More →
Angela Nagle, "Life Cycle Assessment of the Use of Decommissioned Wind Blades in 2nd Life Applications"
Read More →
P. Deeney, "Circular Economy Business Models (CEBMs) and Sustainable Measures of Value: End of life Wind Turbine Blades"
Read More →
P. Leahy, "Sustainable repurposed products from decommissioned composite material wind turbine blades"
Read More →
J. McKinley, "Re Wind: Driving Innovation to Explore Sustainable Re Use of Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades"
Read More →
A. Nagle, "Sustainability Assessment of a Pedestrian Bridge made from Repurposed Wind Turbine Blades"
Read More →
A. Nagle, "Sustainability Analysis of a Pedestrian Bridge made from Repurposed Wind Turbine Blades"
Read More →
Emma Delaney et al, "Re Wind Blades at their End of Life: What are the options for owner operators looking to repurpose their blades? "
Read More →
P. Leahy, "Beyond Carbon Accounting: How sustainable are the technologies of the energy transition?"
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L. Bank, "Re-Wind: A Holistic Approach to Repurposing Decommissioned Wind Blades"
Read More →
P. Leahy, "End-of-life Options for Composite Material Wind Turbine Blades: Recover, Repurpose or Reuse?"
Read More →
A. Alshannaq, "Structural Re-Use of De-Commissioned Wind Turbine Blades in Civil Engineering Applications"
Read More →
L. Bank, "Structural Analysis of FRP Parts from Waste Wind Turbine Blades for Building Reuse Applications"
Read More →
L. Bank, "Shear behavior of reinforced concrete beams with GFRP needles as coarse aggregate partial replacement: Full-scale experiments"
Read More →
L. Bank, "Collaborative US–Ireland: Reuse and Recycling of Decommissioned Composite Material Wind Turbine Blades"
Read More →
B. Tasistro-Hart, "Reconstruction of Wind Turbine Blade Geometry and Internal Structure from Point Cloud Data"
Read More →

Other Products

Posters

Pre Re-Wind Papers

RESEARCH AREAS

 

The research is being conducted in four fundamental scientific disciplines with specific intellectual foci: Wind Energy and Society, Design for the Built Environment, Structural Mechanics, and, Geographic Information System (GIS).

Wind Energy
The focus of this group is on the social, environmental and economic sustainability of reuse, repurpose, recycle and disposal options for decommissioned wind turbine blades. The socio-political, market and community dimensions are considered alongside active community engagement strategies to carve out new market configurations for reuse products, producers and end-users.

Structural Mechanics
The focus is on understanding the wind blade structural and composite materials properties, the appropriate load cases for the repurposed structures or products and their structural design. 

Design for the Built Environment
The focus is on the design of systems across the built environment that drive change and best-practice in dealing with decommissioned wind turbine blades. Focus will be placed on developing outcomes that respond to specific geographic, social, cultural and economic scenarios as well as dealing with each blade’s highly-constrained material properties and geometries.

Geographic Information Science (GIS) 
The focus is on developing a GIS system for wind blade repurposing, containing embedded design options and their environmental, economic and social impacts for subsequent network analysis.

 
 

THIS MATERIAL IS BASED UPON WORK SUPPORTED BY INVESTNI/DEPARTMENT FOR THE ECONOMY (DFE), SCIENCE FOUNDATION IRELAND, and the U.S. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. ANY OPINIONS, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE FUNDING AGENCIES.

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