SSP Technology – A Reliable Partner in Competitive Blade Solutions a report by SSP Technology A/S
SSP Technology has been in the wind energy business since 2001 and is renowned for high quality standards and extensive know-how in wind turbine blade technology. The company designs blades, develops and manufactures moulds and patented blade components for the production of cost-effective, high-performance and reliable composite material blades. SSP Technology possesses leading edge expertise in the field of blade technology and mould construction from the drawing board to production, focusing on aerodynamics, uniform quality, low weight and high productivity.
A Complete Range of Services
SSP Technology offers a broad spectrum of products and services – all based on the company’s belief that every solution should be customised to each individual customer. Søren Horn Petersen, Sales Director of SSP Technology is aware of what makes the company so special: “One of the things that makes SSP stand out from its competitors – apart from extraordinary expertise and know-how – is the ability and willingness to constantly adapt to the needs of the market. We work in close cooperation with our customers to ensure the finished product meets their requirements.”
The company’s mission is to enable the customer to produce competitive blades. To do so, it must be at the forefront of the market and fully understand each customer’s specific issues and needs.
SSP Technology’s Product Range Blade Design
The geometry of a blade is crucial in making the most of the wind. To develop the most competitive blade, a number of factors must be considered. Choice of aerodynamic and optimal structural solution must be based on the specific turbine, the customer’s manufacturing facilities and preference of materials.
The tendency towards larger turbines, and thus also blades, requires greater emphasis on aerodynamic considerations and structural efficiency. Consequently, SSP recently drafted in aerodynamic and structural design expertise in order to have full control of all projects and to be able to closely follow the entire process from drawing through mould-building to prototyping.
Moulds
Mould concepts (see Figure 1) from 34 up to >60 metres have been realised for a number of the world’s major turbine suppliers. SSP’s moulds are characterised by accuracy of fit, low weight and long lifespan and are thus different from the average mould concepts of today. In order to stay competitive, there is a constant focus on choice of materials and thorough testing is conducted. During the development phase, special emphasis is placed on achieving high mould productivity.
48 Enabling Customers to Produce Blades
When SSP Technology was established in 2001, the objective of the company was to produce advanced wind turbine blades. The SSP 34m blade for 1.5megawatt turbines was developed and successfully produced. By applying a homogeneous combination and hardening of composite materials, all construction parameters were met. Today the company is no longer a blade producer, but its extensive know-how and experience are applied to prototyping or training of customer personnel in blade production.
Components
From the beginning, SSP has been aware of the importance of standardisation and access to ‘best of breed’ components. Knowing this, the founders, Flemming Sørensen and Rune Schytt-Nielsen, did not hesitate to develop and patent two pioneering components: the ‘root solution’ and ‘spar solution’. Both of these have been used and implemented by many blade producers since. SSP Technology component design offers a reduced size of blade connection, improved structural performance and a high level of control.
Root Solution
SSP’s patented method of manufacturing a root joint (see Figure 2) for a wind turbine blade consists of fully bonded bushings with internal thread for mounting bolts for attachment and removal of a blade on the turbine hub.
Serial production with all plies cut by computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) machines in pre-impregnated (prepreg) material makes it possible to obtain an efficient process with the highest possible accuracy and repeatability. It ensures that materials are correctly allocated, preventing inconsistency and reduced durability. Furthermore, it ensures that the risk of weight variance is eliminated.
Spar Solution
In principal, the spar (see Figure 3) carries the main load of the blade and the aerodynamic profile is laminated as a shell and glued around the spar. The critical surface between spar and shell has to be as precise as possible in order to be glued and assembled in a proper, controlled way.
© TOUCH BRIEFINGS 2010
The moulds (see Figure 1) are made of homogeneous composite sandwich structures and equipped with a computer-controlled heating and cooling system to speed up and control the curing process. The moulds are compact and thus easy to move around and prepare for relocation and set-up in production facilities across the world.
Acknowledging the fact that logistics costs can be significant, SSP Technology is also willing to enter into joint construction of production facilities anywhere in the world. The company is always in close consultation with the customer.
Wind
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124