The rapidly growing wind industry poses a fundamental problem for wind turbine blade (WTB) disposal in many areas of the world. WTBs are primarily manufactured from composites consisting of a thermoset matrix and reinforcing fibers. Currently, there are no economically viable recycling technologies available for such large-scale composite products. Thus, other treatment strategies for disposed WTBs have to be considered. This study explores the repurpose of WTBs as a promising alternative approach from a processual and technological point of view. For this purpose, the study is guided by the categorization into four different types of repurposed applications: high-loaded complete structure (T1), low-loaded complete structure (T2), high-loaded segmented structure (T3), and low-loaded segmented structure (T4). A three-dimensional CAD model of an Enercon-40/500 (E40) wind turbine blade is derived in a reverse engineering procedure to obtain knowledge about the actual geometry of the WTB. Based on the design, three ecosystems of product scenarios (S) with different manufacturing technologies involved are investigated: a climbing tower (S1), a playground (S2) and the combination of a photovoltaic (PV)-floating pontoon, and a lounger (S3). A screening life cycle assessment (LCA) is conducted to evaluate the three repurposed scenarios according to environmental aspects. It is shown that the repurpose of E40 WTB composite material can reduce the environmental impact and leads to significant resource savings in relation to a reference product of similar quality. A particularly high saving potential is identified for the substitution of emission-intensive materials in construction applications. Furthermore, it is found that transport processes are the primary contributor to the environmental impact of repurposed applications.

With the green energy transition, the wind industry has grown rapidly in recent decades. Wind turbine blades (WTBs) are primarily manufactured from glass fibers and thermoset matrix composites. Considering their lifetime from 20 to 25 years, significant amounts of wind turbine components will eventually enter the global waste stream. Currently, recycling is not sufficiently optimized and commercially available. Other strategies, such as repurpose, are becoming relevant to divert components from waste streams. This research explores a pathway to sustainable repurposing of decommissioned WTBs. The concept of a tiny house constructed from the root section of a 5 MW/61.5 m WTB is presented (“5 MW house”). The deformations and stresses of the repurposed composite structures were investigated using a finite element analysis based on the three load cases, defined by (1) a combination of snow load and payload, (2) a combination of wind load and payload, and (3) a thermal stress analysis of a critical temperature distribution of the 5 MW house. Furthermore, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to evaluate the environmental impacts of the proposed concept. The numerical analysis results showed that the 5 MW house can withstand the applied loads, and that the deformations are within acceptable limits. A reduction of up to 97% in environmental impacts for most impact categories was calculated, compared to a wooden tiny house, whereas climate change, ozone depletion, and eutrophication potential were up to 3.7 times higher, mainly due to the weight and composition of the 5 MW house. The authors believe that the proposed concept may be a high-volume repurposed solution for large-scale WTB root sections.

This study explores the innovative reuse of end-of-life (EoL) wind turbine blade (WTBs) parts as floats for photovoltaic (PV)-floating systems. In response to the growing concerns about EoL WTB waste, this study applies circular economy principles to repurpose high-value composite materials. By transforming a segment of an Enercon E40 WTB into a float for a PV-floating system, this study not only provides a sustainable solution to EoL composites, but also contributes to the development of renewable energy. The article describes the design of the PV-floating system and the lessons learned from its construction. It also provides an outlook on how such a system can be further scaled up.

Packaging materials, such as cardboard, must endure vigorous loads during handling and transport, which could lead to damage to the packaged goods. To ensure that the transported goods reach the consumer safely, a profound knowledge of the behavior of packaging materials under impact loads is required. This study experimentally investigated the behavior of two different cardboard materials under impact loads. Different kinetic energy levels were obtained using a specially developed test rig. First, the resulting damage of the specimens was qualitatively characterized based on digital analysis. Second, the damage was quantitatively analyzed using the imprint diameter after impact as the characteristic parameter. It was found that three different damage phenomena occurred on both investigated materials: imprint, cracking, and breakthrough. Different imprint diameters were detected with increasing kinetic energy of the impactor. The impact load resistance of the material with the higher grammage was higher than that of the material with the lower grammage.