A circular economy approach to green energy: wind turbine, waste, and material recovery

Hao, Siqi, Kuah, Adrian T. H., Rudd, Christopher D., Wong, Kok Hoong, Lai, Nai Yeen Gavin, Mao, Jianan, and Liu, Xiaoling (2020) A circular economy approach to green energy: wind turbine, waste, and material recovery. Science of the Total Environment, 702. 135054.

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DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135054

View at Publisher Website: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019...

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Abstract

Wind energy has been considered as one of the greenest renewable energy sources over the last two decades. However, attention is turning to reducing the possible environmental impacts from this sector. We argue that wind energy would not be effectively “green” if anthropogenic materials are not given attention in a responsible manner. Using the concept of the circular economy, this paper considers how anthropogenic materials in the form of carbon fibers can reenter the circular economy system at the highest possible quality. This paper first investigates the viability of a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer extraction process using thermal pyrolysis to recalibrate the maximum carbon fiber value by examining the effect of (a) heating rate, (b) temperature, and (c) inert gas flow rate on char yield. With cleaner and higher quality recovered carbon fibers, this paper discusses the economic preconditions for the takeoff and growth of the industry and recommends the reuse of extracted carbon fibers to close the circular economy loop.


Item ID:	60634
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1879-1026
Keywords:	circular economy, wind turbine, carbon fiber, pyrolysis, recovery, recycling
Copyright Information:	Published Version: © 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Accepted Version: © 2021. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Funders:	Ningbo Science & Technology Bureau (NSTB), Ningbo 3315 Innovation team
Projects and Grants:	NSTB 2017D10030
Date Deposited:	17 Oct 2019 04:03
FoR Codes:	40 ENGINEERING > 4016 Materials engineering > 401602 Composite and hybrid materials @ 40% 38 ECONOMICS > 3801 Applied economics > 380105 Environment and resource economics @ 40% 38 ECONOMICS > 3801 Applied economics > 380106 Experimental economics @ 20%
SEO Codes:	91 ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK > 9101 Macroeconomics > 910199 Macroeconomics not elsewhere classified @ 20% 86 MANUFACTURING > 8698 Environmentally Sustainable Manufacturing > 869899 Environmentally Sustainable Manufacturing not elsewhere classified @ 40% 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9606 Environmental and Natural Resource Evaluation > 960601 Economic Incentives for Environmental Protection @ 40%
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