Promoted content: FASTBLADE test facility will advance knowledge of composites

FASTBLADE is the world’s first composite and materials test facility with regenerative fatigue loading currently being developed between the University of Edinburgh and Babcock International to conduct large-scale, accelerated testing. FASTBLADE test facility will be based at Babcock’s Rosyth location.

Neil Young, a technology director at Babcock, and Professor Conchúr Ó Brádaigh, head of engineering at the University of Edinburgh, explain what it’s all about.

Q:  Who came up with the initiative of FASTBLADE and why?

COB: FASTBLADE is a concept created by the university with Babcock as the principal engineering designer. I’ve been working for the past 32 years in composite materials research, both within industry and at the university, and it became apparent that there was a clear need for a concept that could deliver full scale fatigue testing of industrial blades, such as tidal. Blades are the prime movers of tidal energy devices and that’s what we’ll be testing first.

Q: What does the partnership with Babcock offer?