The application of aluminum profiles in wind turbine blades is primarily focused on small-to-medium-sized turbines, vertical-axis turbines, and specific components of some large-scale turbines.

Key Advantages and Characteristics of Aluminum Profiles in Wind Turbine Blades 

Their core advantages are lightweight properties, suitability for mass production, and cost-effectiveness.

The use of aluminum profiles in wind turbine blades is based on the following factors:

Lightweight: Aluminum has a density approximately one-third that of steel, significantly reducing the weight of components such as blades and hubs. This not only facilitates easier transportation and installation but also enhances the turbine's responsiveness and stability.

High-Precision Forming: The extrusion process enables the creation of high-precision airfoil cross-sections and allows for easy twisting to optimize aerodynamic performance.

Suitability for Mass Production: The extrusion process is ideal for continuous production, effectively lowering manufacturing costs. Research by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany indicates that for 30-kilowatt class turbines, the cost of extruded aluminum blades can be 50% lower than that of traditional blades.

Corrosion Resistance: Aluminum alloys—either in their natural state or after anodizing—exhibit excellent corrosion resistance in outdoor environments, making them particularly suitable for harsh conditions such as those faced by offshore wind turbines.

Applications of Aluminum Profiles in Wind Turbine Blades:

Typically, 6000-series aluminum alloys are used, designed with a unique semi-circular hollow structure.

Hybrid Structure Blades: In some designs, aluminum profiles serve as the internal skeleton of the blade, which is then encased in materials such as fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) to balance strength and weight.

Large-Scale Turbine Components: For the megawatt-class turbines that currently dominate the market, while the blades themselves are primarily made of composite materials, aluminum profiles are used to manufacture critical structural components such as blade root connectors and hubs.

Materials and Manufacturing Processes for Aluminum Turbine Blades

Manufacturing aluminum profiles for blades primarily involves 6000-series aluminum alloys (such as 6061 and 6063), which offer a balance of strength, corrosion resistance, and extrudability.

The core manufacturing process is hot extrusion, which allows aluminum ingots to be extruded directly into blade profiles that closely resemble the final shape.

Overall, thanks to their lightweight nature, high precision, and suitability for mass production, aluminum profiles represent a mature and cost-competitive solution for small-to-medium-sized wind turbines and vertical-axis turbines.

Although material strength limitations currently make it difficult for them to replace composite materials as the mainstream choice for large wind turbine blades, they remain a solid choice for critical metal components in large turbines, such as hubs and mounting brackets.

Aluminum profile technology in the wind power sector is evolving toward larger scales, lower costs, and higher efficiency.