Life-Cycle Assessment of Recycled Carbon-Reinforced Epoxy-Based Onshore Wind Turbine Blade Using OpenLCA
摘要
With the depletion of fossil fuels, the usage of clean and renewable energy sources has drastically increased. Hence, green energy derived from renewable sources such as solar, wind, biomass, tidal, and geothermal came into existence. Among all the sources, wind energy hits the top by captivating 10.3% of global power. It is estimated that approximately a wind turbine blade consists of approximately 8000 parts, of which 96% are made up of recyclable materials. However, wind turbine blades are made of composite materials such as carbon or glass-fiber-reinforced epoxy composites, which are non-degradable and toxic. So, once their lifespan is completed, they end up as global waste in landfills, which is highly harmful to the biological system. The only solution adopted till now is the recycling process. As the recycling process of composites is challenging, researchers started investigating the life-cycle assessment (LCA) of the material that causes a significant impact on the environment at various stages. Hence, the present research work evaluated the life-cycle assessment of mechanically recycled carbon-reinforced epoxy-based onshore 2.0 MW wind turbine blades using OpenLCA software. Based on the results, it is observed that carbon material plays a crucial role in impacting the environment in terms of ionizing radiation, water consumption, and ozone depletion when compared to thermosetting plastics.