The additively manufactured reduced-scale composite tidal turbine blade section demonstrates that single-piece construction is a viable option for the marine energy industry. Perhaps of even greater significance, the project also demonstrated that additively manufactured composite molds can serve as part of the final load-bearing structure.
Paul Murdy, a postdoctoral researcher at NREL and leader of this project, explained, “This Seedling project has roots in our previous work with wind and tidal turbine blade manufacturing. We’ve also been part of a multilab collaboration focused on advancing composite materials and coatings for marine energy applications. We saw an opportunity to combine the strengths of additive manufacturing with advanced composite materials for more efficient device prototyping. By applying this new approach to create a small-scale tidal turbine blade, we could apply our knowledge of wind system manufacturing in a new way.”
