Thermal spray applications in the Wind Power Industry
The wind power industry has been growing for several years and as the industry moves to larger structures and offshore locations, the advantages of thermal spray coatings grow too.
From the early era of inland wind towers, thermal spray coatings have been widely used on the towers. Primarily, the tower sections are coated with zinc or aluminium in areas where there is a higher probability of coating damage during erection or use of the tower, for example at the flanged ends, around access hatches and ladder supports.
As the towers went off-shore, the corrosion environment became harsher and again. metal sprayed coatings stepped up to the mark. Many of the major manufacturers are specifying zinc or zinc/aluminium coatings on their towers, nacelles, hubs and slewing rings to name just a few of the common applications.
The industry is increasingly using Thermal Spray Aluminium (TSA) coatings on monopiles, jacket structures and boat landings taking learnings from the decades of use in the oil and gas industry.
Metallisation is actively involved in a grant funded R&D program researching 40 year life to first maintenance coatings systems and a novel approach to coating large structures.
There are also engineering coatings used within the generators and shafts to improve performance and the life of these critical items that are hard to maintain offshore.
The above video shows the start of the use of thermal spray coatings to protect small wind power towers from corrosion.
Case Studies
Reason for use: Wind turbine towers are exposed to harsh external environments, particularly those in an offshore location. Download PDF Metallisation’s customer, Mabey Bridge, recently metal sprayed a number of Endurance Windpower X-Series wind towers, using the ARC140/S350-CL system, to protect them from corrosion. Mabey Bridge is a specialist supplier of high quality steel bridges, infrastructures, wind turbine towers and heavy plated structural steel work. Based in Chepstow, Mabey Bridge has extensive experience in the production of wind turbine towers, with…
Read More
Reason for use: Wind turbine towers, like all steel structures which are located outside, can be prone to corrosion. Download PDF Related Products Arcspray 528E-ACD View Product Related Videos Auto application of thermal spray zinc to wind towers Zinc Metal Coating With the ever increasing demand for wind power, alongside the challenge of producing taller and taller wind turbines, Andresen Towers has developed a new type of wind turbine tower. As with all steel structures which are located outside, corrosion…
Read More
