Gallery: Modular blade arrives in the UK

UK: The 78-metre modular blade, developed by Blade Dynamics, has arrived in the UK, at ORE Catapult's national renewable energy centre in Blyth.

by David Weston 14 August 2015

  • Blade Dynamic' modular blade arrives at the ORE Catapult testing centre in Blyth

    Blade Dynamic' modular blade arrives at the ORE Catapult testing centre in Blyth

  • The 78-metre blade passes a Senvion 3.4MW turbine, using a 50.8-metre blade

    The 78-metre blade passes a Senvion 3.4MW turbine, using a 50.8-metre blade

  • The blade will undergo six months of structural testing at Blyth

    The blade will undergo six months of structural testing at Blyth

  • Blade Dynamic's D78 blade was manufactured and assembled at a Nasa facility in New Orleans, US

    Blade Dynamic's D78 blade was manufactured and assembled at a Nasa facility in New Orleans, US

  • Blade Dynamics won a £15.5 million (€21.5 million) in funding from ETI to develop the blade

    Blade Dynamics won a £15.5 million (€21.5 million) in funding from ETI to develop the blade

  • The blade consists of four sections, with individual lengths of 30, 25, 10 and 13 metres each.

    The blade consists of four sections, with individual lengths of 30, 25, 10 and 13 metres each.

  • It is the longest blade to be tested at ORE Catapult's centre in north east England

    It is the longest blade to be tested at ORE Catapult's centre in north east England

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The D78 blade was manufactured and assembled at a Nasa facility in New Orleans, US, with just the blade's tip being made in the UK.

It arrived at the centre earlier this week, ahead of a six month structural testing campaign in order to achieve type certification.

You can see a video of the transfer .

Last month, “uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç had an exclusive look around the facility, before the blade was shipped to the UK.

It consists of four sections with individual lengths of 30, 25, 10 and 13 metres each. The 13-metre tip section is made in an entirely different process to further reduce weight, and has an in-house developed anti-erosion layer, called BladeShield, fused within the component along the leading edge.

Blade Dynamics started work on the D78 blade late in 2012, winning £15.5 million (€21.5 million) in development funds from the UK's  (ETI).

On its way to the test centre, the blade passed a Senvion (formerly Repower) 3.4MW turbine, which uses a 50.8-metre blade. 

Pictures courtesy of Mark Slater/ORE Catapult