Bayer MaterialScience Polyurethane Raw Materials Used in Formulations for Lighter, More Compact Blades with Enhanced Durability and Weatherability
Boulder City, Nev., March 2, 2009 – Wind Sail Receptor, Inc. is developing a rotor blade design that could change how wind turbines harness power.
“We have the major breakthrough,” said Richard Steinke, president and CEO of Wind Sail Receptor, Inc. “Our tests show that our product provides three times more efficiency than existing turbines.”
The Wind Sail Receptor’s Quad Blade Construction uses Bayer MaterialScience’s polyurethane raw materials to increase durability and weatherability, while reducing the weight of the blades and maintenance costs.
The resulting polyurethane system offers flexibility and resistance to the elements that is vital to the success of Steinke’s design. Most rotor blades on the market are made of glass-fiber or carbon-fiber reinforced plastics and similar to an airplane propeller, according to the World Wind Energy Association.
Blades made of those materials are vulnerable to cracking or drooping after prolonged exposure to the elements, Steinke explained. The airplane design also doesn’t enable the best use of blade surface, he said. When combined, these problems lead to increased maintenance costs and downtime, reducing efficiency.
The unique design of the Wind Sail Receptor blades improves their ability to capture wind: They can generate power in winds of five miles per hour and continue generating at up to 50 miles per hour, depending on the size of a new technology for a variable generator, Steinke said.
The Wind Sail Receptor’s design is also more compact and lighter than existing blades. Steinke estimates that a rotor blade for a standard one-megawatt turbine weighs roughly four tons and measures 100 feet. The Wind Sail Receptor blades will weigh no more than a half ton each and have a measurement of less than 50 feet, Steinke explained.
Tests conducted showed that the blades developed by Wind Sail Receptor will outperform existing blade designs without the high-pitched whooshing sound.
The Wind Sail Receptor design comes at an opportune time as wind power generation continues to expand. In the United States, wind power installations were expected to be 7,500 megawatts in 2008 alone – enough power to generate electricity for 2.2 million homes, the American Wind Energy Association reported.
Steinke estimates that he’ll have a market-ready product this year that could be distributed through utility companies, possibly via joint ventures. He anticipates being able to sell the design across three platforms—from smaller units targeted for home and commercial use to larger half-megawatt and one-megawatt units.
For this project Steinke utilizes Bayer MaterialScience’s MDI aromatic isocyanate prepolymer and a mix of two different polyols. Steinke purchases them from The E.T. Horn Company, a distributor of Bayer MaterialScience’s polyurethane raw materials.
“I’ve always used Bayer MaterialScience raw materials in my formulations because they have the highest quality controls. The quality is always right,” Steinke said. “The blades are the most important part, and with the high quality of Bayer MaterialScience materials, they will surely stand the test of time.”
This project was an ideal fit for Bayer MaterialScience as well, according to Tom Petricko, marketing manager – distribution, Bayer MaterialScience LLC. “Sustainability has always been top-of-mind at Bayer,” he explains. “For that reason, the opportunity to play a key role in a project that advances the use of renewable energy is in perfect alignment with our ongoing commitment to sustainability and company motto: Science for a better life.”
About Wind Sail Receptor, Inc.
Wind Sail Receptor, Inc. was incorporated in the state of Nevada in December 2002. Since its inception the company has been working to invent a wind energy system that replaces conventional wisdom about wind capturing energy technology along with sustaining durability.
About Bayer MaterialScience
Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with nearly 15,400 employees at 30 sites around the world and 2007 sales of 10.4 billion euros. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries. Our inorganic basic chemicals unit produces chlorine and related essential products for the chemicals industry.
Contact
Thomas Erdner, Phone: 412-777-5200
E-mail: thomas.erdner@bayerbms.com
or
Richard Steinke
Wind Sail Receptor, Inc.
Phone: (702) 293-1403
For more information about Wind Sail Receptors visit – www.windsailreceptor.com
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