compblades profile

COMPANY
Compblades is the development of the wind turbine (W/T) blade division of an enterprise established in 1967
to produce marine structures and leisure boats made of composite materials.
Compblades has developed and manufactured several PROTOTYPE molds and W/T blades in the frame of
both National and European research projects. Blade development was performed in collaboration with
the UNIVERSITY OF PATRAS (UP), responsible for conceptual and structural design, the NATIONAL TECHNICAL
UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS (NTUA), conducting the aerodynamic and aeroelastic design, and the CENTER FOR
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES & SAVING (CRES), responsible for static and fatigue lab tests, W/T load and
power curve measurements at the wind park as well as for certification processes.
Compblades has been performing successful repair work on W/T blades for over a decade. The established
know-how of Compblades and the applied R&D gained from these collaborations form the basis of the
competitive Compblades activation in the novel field of blade repair and reconstruction.
Compblades expertise is focused on:

Repair and reconstruction of W/T blades, nacelles, spinners

Construction of molds for prototype blades and manufacturing of prototype blades and other
composite parts of wind turbines

W/T blade inspection and damage assessment

Structural design and reverse engineering
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
Factory: 62 Thrakomakedonon St., 13671 Acharnai, Greece
Tel: +302102403400 – Fax: +302102464352 – Mobile Phone: +306977482869
www.compblades.com
SERVICES
Inspection and repair are essential for W/T blade restoration and preservation of the blade design life. Long
and focused Compblades experience on composite materials along with the development and
manufacturing of molds and prototype blades constitute the added value that guarantees high-level
services. Thorough applied research and dedicated experimental campaigns corroborate all Compblades
services. Through INSPECTION, REPAIR and STRUCTURAL DESIGN almost all probable W/T blade damage
cases can be addressed.
Since 1998, Compblades has established extensive know-how in the field of W/T blade development and
restoration, providing immediate, reliable, confidential and guaranteed solutions for each repair case.
Provided services also include fabrication of spare parts e.g. spinners and nacelles.
INSPECTION
Subjected to mechanical loading and extreme environmental conditions (humid atmosphere and thermal
fatigue as well as lightning strikes) during their entire operational life, W/T blades are most prone to damage.
Constant
"monitoring"
of
the
blade
STRUCTURAL
INTEGRITY
(inspection
and
damage
assessment/management) and a proper action plan can sustain undisturbed W/T operation within
manufacturer standards. This leads to reduction of W/T idle time and is expected to extend W/T operational
life translating to immediate increase of the wind park income.
Towards this concept Compblades provides the following inspection services for W/T blades:

Inspection during blade storage as well as during shipping and installation to report defects and
accidental damage

Blade inspection prior to the expiration date of the manufacturer guarantee

Damage assessment and management: Damage categorization and establishment of the
appropriate action list for repair coordination (based on the long Compblades experience on
composite materials and mold/blade production as well as on the experimental and numerical
simulation of the damage). Introducing and establishing a blade maintenance book

Inspection conducted on the ground, on working platforms or via ROPE ACCESS
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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
Inspections in Greece and worldwide

Technical report on W/T blade inspection addressed to insurance companies/park owners/banks

Annual contracts encompassing scheduled inspections and damage management

Know-how transfer from Compblades experts to the wind park personnel regarding minor repairs (to
be conducted under Compblades coordination while under contract)

Technical consulting to owners and investors
REPAIR
CORRECT REPAIR DESIGN and REPAIR PROCEDURES & TECHNOLOGY are crucial for maximum blade
structural integrity restoration. A dedicated and unique repair procedure is applied in each structural defect
case, aiming to minimize W/T idle time and ensure immediate resumption of W/T operation, considering
blade weight and class preservation and respecting tight working time frames. Maximum restoration leads
to preservation and extension of blade operational life.
In Compblades repair work, repair (GL-approved) materials are applied in the appropriate environmental
conditions using heat blankets and hot bonders to ensure proper curing programs for the resins. Materials
are applied using wet hand lay-up and vacuum bagging techniques.
In correspondence to the abovementioned requirements, Compblades provides the following W/T blade
repair services:

Scheduled and unscheduled repair on the site and at the workshop

Repair on the ground and on the machine

Static balancing (conducted in extensive repairs)

Detailed technical documentation
WET HAND LAY-UP
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
VACUUM BAGGING
VACUUM INFUSION
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Repair work for all DIFFERENT BLADE DEFECT CASES is performed: Pin-holes, structural and non-structural
cracks, leading-edge erosion, cosmetic restoration, delaminations, debondings, reconstruction, shear-web
reconstruction, replacement of plastic tube and lightning conductor rod of stall blades, blade skin
replacement, blade tip replacement (without blade dismounting), spinners, nacelles etc.
STRUCTURAL DESIGN
Compblades is in close collaboration with the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics, Univ.
of Patras since 1997. The exceptional dimension valuing this collaboration lies in the IMPLEMENTATION of
dedicated research and productive feedback in several PROTOTYPE blade designs. Compblades realized
and evolved these designs and the produced blades were full-scale tested in accredited laboratories in
accordance to international guidelines. This lead to the establishment of reliable and thorough W/T blade
development and manufacturing methodologies as well as a supporting numerical and experimental
background towards simulation and repair of all kinds of blade structural failures. This deep technical knowhow is implemented in Compblades provided services:

Conceptual and structural design of W/T blades in accordance with IEC 61400-1 Ed.3

Reverse engineering

Composite material characterization in accordance with international standards

FE modeling and validation of blade design

Full-scale test design of W/T components and blades

Theoretical and experimental evaluation of repair techniques and repair materials

Blade damage modeling aiming to determine the appropriate repair strategies as to optimal blade
life restoration
FAILURE CRITERION CONTOUR PLOTS OF 30
METER BLADE DESIGN FE MODEL
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
AXIAL STRESS RESULTANT
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R&D
Compblades developed and manufactured several molds and W/T blades up to 30m length in the frame of
both National and European research projects. Blades were subjected to full-scale static and fatigue tests
as well as load and power curve measurements conducted when blades were mounted on the machines.
Completed R&D projects are listed below:
MEGAWIND (ENK5-CT2000-00328): "Development of a MW scale wind turbine for high wind complex
terrain site" (2001-2004)
DAMPBLADE (ENK6-CT2000-00320): "Wind turbine rotor blade for enhanced aeroelastic stability and
fatigue life using passively damped composites" (2001-2004)
AEGIS (JOR3-CT97-0283): "Acoustic emission proof testing and damage assessment of wind turbine
blades" (1999-2002)
ADAPTURB (JOR3-CT98-0251): "Adaptation of existing wind turbines for operation on high wind speed
complex terrain sites; kWh cost reduction" (1999-2002)
NATIONAL EPET-II (#573): "Development of wind turbines and concurrent development Greek
technology for wind turbine blades" (1995-2000)
Compblades is conducting extensive applied research aiming to improve the parameters controlling
success of each repair work. Test campaigns and dedicated studies on adhesive thickness, secondary
bonding, overlapping length, repair technologies, materials, curing parameters etc are almost complete.
Most recent studies conducted in collaboration with the Univ. of Patras (Department of Mechanical
Engineering & Aeronautics) involve evaluation of Non-Destructive Techniques (NDT) for inspection and
damage assessment of repair and are soon to be incorporated to Compblades services.
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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THE TEAM
Compblades Manager: Theodore Kossivas
Mechanical Engineer, Degree from Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics (Univ. of Patras
1987-1993), M.Sc in Polymers and Composites Engineering (Katholic Univ. of Leuven 1993-1995), Responsible
for load measurements on blades and wind turbines (CRES 1996-1999), Technical Director for the
development and construction of molds and blades up to 30m length, Production Manager of composite
parts for leisure boats (Geoviologiki-Aktotechniki SA 1999-2007).
Compblades motivated executives have extensive (unique in Greece) experience of more than 15 years in
the development and construction of prototype blades up to 30m length and Compblades personnel more
than 20 years experience in composite materials.
Compblades is in long R&D-oriented cooperation collaboration with the Department of Mechanical
Engineering & Aeronautics (Univ. of Patras) since 1997. Their mutual research area includes blade
conceptual and structural design, reverse engineering, repair design and parameter investigation and nondestructive inspection.
Towards constant development of the provided services, Compblades is introducing blade inspection via
ROPE ACCESS. Head of the rope access team is certified Mountain Guide and Vertical Access Trainer Aris
Theodoropoulos.
COLLABORATIONS
Compblades is in recent collaboration with Smart Blade GmbH (LANG GROUP, www.smart-blade.com)
leading innovation in the area of aerodynamic design of wind turbines and W/T blades. On Smart Blade
account Compblades conducts conceptual and structural blade design for wind turbines. Compblades
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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and Smart Blade collaboration is now commercializing to provide combined services worldwide upon
customer request.
OUR CLIENTS
Based on creative and good faith collaboration, interaction with our customers leads to reliable and
effective solutions for each repair case, with financial benefits for both parties. Some of our customers are
listed below in alphabetical sequence:

EDF

ENEL

EOLFI HELLAS

ITA

PPCR

PROTERGIA

ROKAS IBERDROLA

SMART BLADE

TERNA ENERGIAKI SA

ZEPHIROS EPE

KORINTHOS POWER

WINDPARK
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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REPAIRED DAMAGE CASES:
Indicative defect cases repaired and in-service without problems
BLADE TIP RECONSTRUCTION
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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BLADE RECONSTRUCTION
BLADE TIP REPAIR: 1.3m of the blade tip was repaired on a crane (rotor was not dismounted)
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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BLADE REPAIR: 10m repair on 23m blade
SPINNER REPAIR
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5m SHELL REPLACEMENT IN 40m BLADE without using cranes
BURNT SHELL AND BLADE TIP
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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BLADE AFTER REPAIR (rotor was not dismounted)
DEBONDED SHEAR WEBS
TRANSVERSE CRACK
Shear webs were debonded along the blade skins.
25cm transverse crack propagating from the trailing
Blade was repaired and is in service since 2005
edge to both pressure and suction side of the blade.
Repair was performed on a crane
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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DEBONDED SKIN
BURNT BLADE TIP
Blade skin was debonded from the trailing edge and
from the shear webs. Repair was conducted on a
crane
LIGHTNING SPOT
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
BURNT AND DEBONDED BLADE TIP
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DEBONDED TRANSITION AREA
BURNT BLADE TIP
BURNT SHEAR WEB
LEADING EDGE EROSION
Burnt shear web and plastic tubular steel-rope
Eroded leading edge due to older repair
container. Shear web was repaired and plastic tube
malpractice
was replaced
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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BROKEN OUTER BLADE-TIP TUBE
BLADE RECONSTRUCTION
Broken outer tube of the blade tip mechanism.
Blade reconstruction: Restoration of the blade in a
Replacement of the tube and plastic steel-rope
7m length. The blade is in operation since 2006 with
container to restore blade tip operation. Rapid
no problems
placement of innovative jigs to support the plastic
steel-rope container
MEGAWIND (2001-2004):
Manufacturing of 30m blade mould and 30m split blade. This innovative blade design addressed the major
problem of large blade transportation in inaccessible areas for machines with 1.3MW nominal output power
(ENK5-CT2000-00328)
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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30m PLUG MANUFACTURING
PLUG QUALITY CONTROL
More than 200 female airfoils were used for
geometrical quality control of the plug
COMPLETED HALF-MOLD FOR 30m SPLIT BLADE
MOLD FOR 30m SPLIT BLADE
30m SPLIT BLADE MANUFACTURING
THE JOINT REGION OF THE SPLIT BLADE
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ASSEMBLY OF SPLIT BLADE
SPECIMEN OF THE BLADE JOINT
THE 2 PARTS OF THE BLADE
30m SPLIT BLADE IN THE LAB
30m split blade during static and fatigue testing at
RISOE lab
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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BLADE TESTED AT RISOE LAB
12.7m ROOT PART OF SPLIT BLADE
Blade at RISOE lab before static test
DAMPBLADE (2001-2004):
Manufacturing of a 19m blade, with a damping mechanism in the structural design and choice of materials,
to deal with resonance of blades in operation, in cold climates in particular
(ENK6-CT2000-00320)
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DAMPBLADE TEST AT CRES LAB
19m MOLD FOR THE "DAMPBLADE"
The "Dampblade": 19m blade with enhanced
damping mechanisms during static testing at CRES
lab
THE 19m "DAMPBLADE"
One of the "Dampblades" in the Ministry of Development booth during the International Fair of Thessalonica
AEGIS (1999-2002):
Manufacturing of 4.5m blade mould and 10 blades of 4.5m with predefined artificial defects and
embedded fiber optics in order to develop and evaluate NDT methods (Ultrasonics and Acoustic Emission)
(JOR3-CT98-0283)
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4.5m BLADES IN THEIR CASING
4.5m BLADES
4.5m BLADE AT CRES LAB
ADAPTURB (1999-2002):
An innovative 19m blade with an aerodynamic hydraulic brake was built for a Spanish W/T manufacturer
(JOR3-CT98-0251)
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF AERODYNAMIC BRAKE
19m BLADES
EPET-II #573 (1995-2000):
Mould development of 3 blade designs (9m, 14m and 19m) as well as fabrication of 4 blades (1+3) for each
design for 110kW, 350kW and 600kW wind turbines
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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9.3m BLADE INSTALLATION
9.3m BLADES DURING OPERATION
1997: The 1st Greek 9.3m rotor during installation on
Blades are equipped with mechanically activated
110kW wind turbine. Demonstration CRES wind park in
aerodynamic brake
Lavrio
14m BLADE IN CRES LAB
19m BLADE AT CRES LAB
14m blade equipped with hydraulically activated
The 19m blade during static test in the edgewise
aerodynamic brake
direction at CRES lab
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19m ROTOR
The 1st rotor before mounting on 600kW machine
19m BLADE INSTALLATION ON GREEK 600kW W/T
2001: 19m rotor installation on Greek 600kW wind
turbine
19m BLADES DURING OPERATION
W/T Rotor Blade Engineering
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