Protective layer construction device and control method of protective layer construction device

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to improve the accuracy of construction work of a protective layer. A protective layer construction device is provided with: a material injector (110) that injects an injection flame (112) containing a construction material from an injection port (111); a movement mechanism that moves the material ejector (110) in a predetermined scanning direction; a distance sensor (120) that is provided to the movement mechanism so as to maintain a predetermined distance (D) from the material injector (110), moves in the scanning direction, and measures the distance from the blade surface (A) in a non-contact manner; and a control unit that controls the distance (H) between the injection port (111) of the material injector (110) and the blade surface (A) on the basis of the measured distance (H ') acquired by the distance sensor (120), and the predetermined distance (D) is determined on the basis of the injection angle (theta) of the injection flame (112) and the set distance between the injection port (111) and the blade surface (A).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a protective layer construction device and a control method for the protective layer construction device. Background Art

[0002] For example, in a windmill, as the windmill rotor rotates, the windmill blades collide with foreign matter in the air (e.g., raindrops, dust, etc.), causing erosion on the leading edge of the windmill blades. To protect the windmill blades from this erosion, it is known to form an erosion-resistant protective layer on the leading edge of the windmill blades (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Previous technical literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-175830 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical issues to be solved by the invention

[0007] When forming a protective layer on the leading edge of a windmill blade, one approach is to spray the material onto the blade while moving a material ejector in a scanning direction. The material ejector forms the protective layer by spraying the material onto the blade surface using a gas flow.

[0008] When applying a protective layer, it's best to maintain a constant distance between the material injector's nozzle and the blade surface to achieve a uniform thickness. However, when attempting to measure the vertical distance between the blade surface and the nozzle using a distance sensor that uses a laser beam or other light beam, there's a problem: the light beam emitted by the distance sensor is diffused by the transport gas or construction material particles ejected from the material injector, reducing the distance sensor's measurement accuracy. This reduced distance sensor measurement accuracy reduces the accuracy of the protective layer application process.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cover application device and a control method for the cover application device that can improve the accuracy of cover application work.

[0010] Means for solving technical problems

[0011] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a protective layer construction device, which forms a protective layer on the blade surface of a wind turbine blade body formed of FRP, the protective layer construction device comprising: a material injector, which ejects a jet flame containing a construction material from the injection port; a moving mechanism, which moves the material injector along a specified scanning direction; a distance sensor, which is arranged on the moving mechanism at a specified distance from the material injector and moves along the scanning direction, and measures the distance from the blade surface in a non-contact manner; and a control unit, which controls the distance between the injection port of the material injector and the blade surface according to the measured distance obtained by the distance sensor, wherein the specified distance is determined according to the injection angle of the jet flame and the set distance between the injection port and the blade surface.

[0012] One embodiment of the present invention involves a control method for a protective layer construction device, wherein the protective layer construction device sprays a jet flame containing a construction material from a jet port of a material sprayer, thereby forming a protective layer on the blade surface of a windmill blade body formed of FRP. The control method for the protective layer construction device includes the following steps: moving the material sprayer along a specified scanning direction; moving a distance sensor along the scanning direction while maintaining a specified distance from the material sprayer, and measuring the distance to the blade surface in a non-contact manner; and controlling the distance between the jet port of the material sprayer and the blade surface corresponding to the measured distance obtained by the distance sensor, wherein the specified distance is determined based on the spray angle of the jet flame and the set distance between the jet port and the blade surface.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the protective layer construction device and the control method of the protective layer construction device of the present invention, it is possible to achieve an effect of improving the accuracy of protective layer construction work. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a wind turbine generator using a wind turbine blade according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a plan view showing a wind turbine blade according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Front view of a windmill blade.

[0018] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 and Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a windmill blade is shown.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a front view showing the installed state of the wind turbine blade when the protective layer is formed.

[0020] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Cross-sectional view at the support position.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a partially enlarged front view showing the formation range of the protective layer formed on the tip of the wind turbine blade.

[0022] Figure 8 It is a partially enlarged front view showing the process of forming the protective layer.

[0023] Figure 9 This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the direction in which the protective layer is formed in the thickness direction of the blade according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a protective layer application device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing the relative positional relationship between a material ejector and a distance sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the wind turbine generator 1 includes a tower 3 erected on an installation surface B, a nacelle 6 installed at the upper end of the tower 3 , and a rotor head 4 rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis and installed in the nacelle 6 .

[0028] The rotor head 4 is radially mounted with multiple (e.g., three) wind turbine blades 5 around its rotational axis. The force of wind that strikes the wind turbine blades 5 from the direction of the rotor head 4's rotational axis is converted into power, which causes the rotor head 4 to rotate around its rotational axis. This power is converted into electricity by a generator (not shown) and supplied externally.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, the windmill blade 5 includes: a blade root 10, mounted on the rotor head 4; a blade tip 12, located at the position farthest from the rotor head 4; and a blade-shaped portion 14, extending between the blade root 10 and the blade tip 12. Figure 2 In the embodiment, the blade length direction L1 is the horizontal direction.

[0030] The wind turbine blade 5 has a leading edge 16 and a trailing edge 18 from the blade root 10 to the blade tip 12. The outer shape of the wind turbine blade 5 is defined by a ventral side 20, which is a pressure surface (positive pressure surface), and a dorsal side 22, which is a negative pressure surface opposite the ventral side 20. The wind turbine blade 5 is formed of FRP (Fiber-Reinforced Plastic). Examples of FRP include carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) and glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP). The total length of the wind turbine blade 5 from the blade root 10 to the blade tip 12 is approximately 100 meters, for example, between 80 meters and 150 meters. A 200-meter-long wind turbine blade can be used as the wind turbine blade 5 of this embodiment.

[0031] like Figure 3 As shown, the wind turbine blade 5 is provided with a pre-curved portion PB on the blade tip 12 side. The amount of curvature of the pre-curved portion PB is predetermined based on the wind pressure to which the wind turbine blade 5 is subjected during operation. Therefore, the pre-curved portion PB is curved so that the ventral side 20, which is subjected to wind pressure, is concave and the dorsal side 22 is convex.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, a protective layer 30 is formed on the blade body 5a at the blade tip 12 and in a predetermined area (leading edge portion) including the leading edge 16 of the wind turbine blade 5. The protective layer 30 is moved by a moving mechanism 130 (see FIG. Figure 10 ) etc. The protective layer construction device 100 is formed. The protective layer 30 is formed within the range of Figure 2 Indicated by thick lines.

[0033] The protective layer 30 is formed over a range of approximately 30% of the total length of the wind turbine blade 5 from the blade root 10 to the blade tip 12 in the blade length direction L1. For example, in a 100-meter-class wind turbine, the range is 20 to 40 meters, preferably approximately 30 meters, from the tip 12a of the blade tip 12. The range of the protective layer 30 is not limited to this. For example, in a region where the circumferential speed exceeds 90 m / s, the range is approximately 1 / 3 of the total length of the wind turbine blade 5 from the tip.

[0034] The protective layer 30 is made of a material having excellent wear resistance, such as cermet, Co (cobalt)-based alloy, or other Co alloy. The protective layer 30 is formed by, for example, HVOF (High Velocity Oxy-Fuel).

[0035] Figure 4 shows a cross section of a wind turbine blade 5. In this figure, the horizontal direction represents the blade chord direction C1. With the total length of the wind turbine blade 5 being R, (a) is a cross section at a position of 0.9R, and (b) is a cross section at a position of 0.7R.

[0036] Figure 4 The blade chord length (chord length) c in the cross section of (a) is approximately 1 m. The blade thickness ratio t / c, where the maximum blade thickness is t, is 18%.

[0037] Figure 4 The blade chord length c in the cross section of (b) is about 2 m, and the blade thickness ratio t / c is 25%.

[0038] like Figure 4 Indicated by a thick line in the middle, the protective layer 30 is formed from the ventral side surface 20 to the dorsal side surface 22 across the leading edge 16. The formation range of the protective layer 30 is determined in consideration of erosion of the wind turbine blade 5 by raindrops or the like.

[0039] Next, the process of forming the protective layer 30 will be described.

[0040] like Figure 5 As shown, after the outer shape of the wind turbine blade body 5a of the wind turbine blade 5 is formed, the wind turbine blade 5 is positioned with the blade longitudinal direction L1 substantially horizontal and the leading edge 16 facing downward (position setting step). In other words, the wind turbine blade 5 is positioned longitudinally with the blade chord direction C1 of the wind turbine blade body 5a facing substantially vertically. At this time, the wind turbine blade 5 is supported from below by a plurality of support platforms 32 arranged at predetermined intervals in the blade longitudinal direction L1 (supporting step).

[0041] Figure 5 FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a wind turbine blade 5 supported by a plurality of support platforms 32 on the leading edge 16 side. Each support platform 32 is provided on the installation surface BS (reference Figure 6 The wind turbine blade 5 only needs to be supported with the leading edge 16 facing downward. For example, instead of supporting the wind turbine blade 5 from below by the support platform 32 as described above, the wind turbine blade 5 may be supported by a suspension member such as a wire suspended from above the wind turbine blade 5 so as to hold and lift the leading edge 16 facing downward.

[0042] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, with the leading edge 16 facing downward, a protective layer is formed on the leading edge 16 of the wind turbine blade 5 by a protective layer application device 100, which will be described later. The protective layer application device 100 accelerates the heated, melted or softened application material in the form of droplets or particles using a conveying gas and sprays the material onto the surface of the wind turbine blade body 5a.

[0043] Figure 7 3 shows a formation range FA of the protective layer 30 formed on the blade tip portion 12 of the wind turbine blade 5. As shown in the figure, the protective layer 30 is formed in a predetermined range (leading edge portion) on the leading edge 16 side of the wind turbine blade 5.

[0044] like Figure 8As shown, when forming the protective layer, the material ejector 110 (reference Figure 10 ) reciprocates along the blade length direction L1 (indicated by "DR1" in the figure) (first spraying step). This creates a multi-layer protective layer. The target protective layer thickness is, for example, approximately 500 to 600 μm. The irradiation width of the material ejector 110 on the blade surface is, for example, approximately 10 mm.

[0045] After the first spraying step, the material ejector 110 is moved a predetermined distance in the blade chord direction C1 (indicated by "DR2" in the figure) (a blade chord position changing step). From this position, the material ejector 110 is again reciprocated in the blade longitudinal direction L1 (direction "DR1" in the figure) to perform spraying. This series of scans, consisting of reciprocating movement in the blade longitudinal direction L1 (the first spraying step) and movement by a predetermined amount in the blade chord direction C1 (the blade chord position changing step), is repeated, depositing the protective layer within the formation area FA.

[0046] In the first spraying step, the material sprayer 110 is scanned in a reciprocating manner along the blade length direction L1 to form a protective layer. This is because the curvature of the blade surface in the blade length direction L1 changes less than that in the blade chord direction C1.

[0047] Figure 9 : is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the direction of formation of the protective layer in the blade chord direction C1. Figure 9 As shown, the position change direction in the above-mentioned blade chord position change process is set as the direction from one blade surface (for example, the ventral side surface 20 or the dorsal side surface 22) of the wind turbine blade 5 via the leading edge 16 toward the other blade surface (for example, the dorsal side surface 22 or the ventral side surface 20), as indicated by the arrow in the figure.

[0048] Next, the protective layer application device 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0049] Figure 10 1 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of a protective layer application device 100 according to this embodiment. As described above, the protective layer application device 100 forms (applies) a protective layer within a formation range FA at the tip and leading edge of a wind turbine blade body 5a formed of FRP in the blade length direction. Hereinafter, the surface of the wind turbine blade body 5a where the application material is sprayed will be referred to as a blade surface A (refer to FIG. 1 ). Figure 11 ).

[0050] like Figure 10 As shown, the protective layer application device 100 includes a material injector 110 , a distance sensor 120 , a moving mechanism 130 , a multi-jointed robot 140 , and a control unit 150 .

[0051] Figure 11 1 is a diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the material ejector 110 and the distance sensor 120 according to this embodiment. Figure 11 As shown, the material injector 110 injects the construction material from the injection port 111. The construction material injected from the injection port 111 forms a jet flame 112 centered on the reference axis X1, forming a protective layer within a predetermined range of the blade surface A. The jet flame 112 is a combustion flame caused by an oxidant containing oxygen and a fuel. The material injector 110 is moved in the scanning direction by the moving mechanism 130 described later while injecting the construction material. Regarding the scanning direction in this embodiment, for example, as in the reference Figure 8 and Figure 9 Description of the process.

[0052] The distance sensor 120, for example, irradiates the blade surface A of the wind turbine blade body 5a with a laser beam (light beam) and measures the distance by receiving the reflected light from the surface. The distance sensor 120 is not limited to this example. For example, the distance sensor 120 can appropriately adopt a known sensor such as a sensor that uses ultrasonic waves to measure distance. The distance sensor 120 is, for example, installed on the moving mechanism 130 at a predetermined distance D from the material sprayer 110. Here, "installed" includes not only direct installation but also indirect installation via other components (e.g., a multi-jointed robot 140, etc.), as described later. The distance sensor 120 is moved along the scanning direction and measures the distance to the blade surface A in a non-contact manner. Specifically, the distance sensor 120 measures the distance to the blade surface A before (or before) the construction material is sprayed by the material sprayer 110. This does not matter whether a protective layer has already been formed on the blade surface A. That is, in the case of the first scan, the blade surface A is the surface of the wind turbine blade body 5a, and in the case of multiple scans (for example, the nth scan), it represents the surface of the protective layer formed on the wind turbine blade body 5a by the previous scan (n-1th scan).

[0053] The measured distance H' acquired by the distance sensor 120 is stored in association with its measurement position in the storage unit 154 (described later). Here, the measurement position is, for example, two-dimensional coordinate information within the formation range FA. Specifically, the storage unit 154 stores distance information in which the measured distance H' acquired by the distance sensor 120 is associated with the coordinate position information within the formation range FA.

[0054] In this embodiment, the material injector 110 and the distance sensor 120 are moved by a moving mechanism 130 and an articulated robot 140, which will be described later, while maintaining a predetermined distance D from each other. For example, the material injector 110 and the distance sensor 120 are attached to the tip arm of the articulated robot 140 in a state connected by a connecting member (not shown).

[0055] When forming the protective layer, the distance sensor 120 is positioned in front of the material ejector 110 in the scanning direction. Specifically, the distance sensor 120 measures the distance D from the blade surface A in front of the material ejector 110 in the scanning direction. The details of the distance D will be described later.

[0056] like Figure 7 As shown, the moving mechanism 130 is a mechanism that moves the material ejector 110 in the scanning direction. The moving mechanism 130 moves in the blade length direction L1 along a rail 200 provided on the installation surface BS. The position of the moving mechanism 130 in the blade length direction L1 is controlled by the control unit 150.

[0057] like Figure 7 As shown, the multi-joint robot 140 is a mechanism that is installed on the moving mechanism 130 and moves the material injector 110 and the distance sensor 120 to any position in the three-dimensional space. For example, the multi-joint robot 140 adjusts the injection angle of the material injector 110. In other words, it adjusts the injection angle of the material injector 110. Figure 11 The slope of the reference axis X1 in FIG, the positions of the material ejector 110 and the distance sensor 120 in the blade thickness direction, and the distance between the ejection port 111 and the blade surface A are calculated.

[0058] The control unit 150 controls the entire protective layer application device 100. The control unit 150 is a computer, for example, comprising a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main memory, and a secondary storage device. Furthermore, the control unit 150 may include a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information with other devices.

[0059] The main storage device is composed of a writable memory such as a cache memory or a RAM (Random Access Memory), and is used as a work area for reading execution programs of the CPU and writing processing data based on the execution programs.

[0060] A secondary storage device is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or a semiconductor memory.

[0061] The control unit 150 includes: a movement control unit 151 for controlling the two-dimensional movement of the material injector 110 within the forming range FA; a spray angle control unit 152 for adjusting the spray angle of the material injector 110; a spray position control unit 153 for controlling the position of the material injector 110 (the spray port 111) in the direction of the reference axis X1; and a storage unit 154 for storing data required for these controls.

[0062] The series of processes used to implement the functions of each component of control unit 150 is, for example, performed by storing the program in a secondary storage device, having the CPU read the program into the primary storage device, and executing information processing / arithmetic operations to implement the various functions. The program may also be pre-installed in the secondary storage device, provided as stored on a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted via wired or wireless communication means. Computer-readable storage media include magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, semiconductor memories, and the like.

[0063] The movement control unit 151 gives a control command for moving the material injector 110 and the distance sensor 120 along a scanning path set in advance within the forming range FA to the multi-joint robot 140 and the moving mechanism 130 , for example.

[0064] The spray angle control unit 152 controls the slope (spray angle) of the material injector 110 based on, for example, the curvature information of the formation range FA stored in the storage unit 154 so that the spray direction of the material injector 110 (i.e., the direction of the reference axis X1) coincides with the normal direction of the blade surface A. The spray angle control unit 152 calculates the tilt angle based on, for example, the curvature information of the formation range FA and issues a control command corresponding to the calculated tilt angle to the multi-jointed robot 140, thereby controlling the slope of the material injector 110.

[0065] The injection position control unit 153 controls the distance between the injection port 111 and the blade surface A based on the measured distance H' measured by the distance sensor 120. Specifically, the injection position control unit 153 obtains the measured distance H' corresponding to the current position of the material injector 110 (the two-dimensional coordinate position within the formation range FA) from the distance information stored in the storage unit 154. Based on the obtained measured distance H', the injection position control unit 153 controls the position of the injection port 111 on the reference axis X1 so that the distance between the injection port 111 and the blade surface A is a predetermined set distance Href. By controlling the distance between the injection port 111 and the blade surface A to remain constant at the predetermined set distance Href, a protective layer of uniform thickness can be formed within the formation range FA.

[0066] The position of the injection port 111 may be controlled with a margin so that the distance between the injection port 111 and the blade surface A is within an allowable range (Href-α≤H'≤Href+α) obtained by adding a predetermined margin (±α, for example, several percent) to the set distance Href.

[0067] For example, the injection position control unit 153 determines whether the measured distance H' obtained from the storage unit 154 is within the allowable range (Href-α≤H'≤Href+α). If it is within the allowable range, the position of the material injector 110 in the direction of the reference axis X1 is not adjusted. If it is out of the allowable range, the position of the material injector 110 in the direction of the reference axis X1 is adjusted in a direction to reduce the error between the measured distance H' and the set distance Href. More specifically, the position is adjusted in a direction to reduce the error to zero.

[0068] Next, the distance D between the material ejector 110 and the distance sensor 120 will be described.

[0069] The distance D between the distance sensor 120 and the material injector 110 is determined based on the injection angle θ of the injection flame 112 and the set distance Href between the injection port 111 and the blade surface A. Figure 11 As shown, the injection angle θ is the central angle of the longitudinal section of the jet flame 112 ejected from the injection port 111 of the material injector 110. For example, the range of the jet flame 112 ejected from the injection port 111 can be calculated using the injection angle θ and the set distance Href. The distance D is set to a distance at which the laser beam emitted from the distance sensor 120 does not overlap with the jet flame 112.

[0070] By setting the distance D in this manner, it is possible to suppress the laser beam (light beam) emitted from the distance sensor 120 from being affected by the jet flame 112. This can improve the measurement accuracy of the distance sensor 120.

[0071] According to the protective layer application device 100 having such a structure, the control unit 150 controls the moving mechanism 130 and the multi-jointed robot 140, thereby moving the material injector 110 and the distance sensor 120 along a predetermined scanning path while maintaining a constant distance D. By controlling the multi-jointed robot 140 by the control unit 150, the slope of the material injector 110 is controlled so that the reference axis X1 of the material injector 110 is aligned with the normal direction of the blade surface A.

[0072] While the material injector 110 is moving, a jet flame 112 is ejected from its jet port 111, forming a protective layer on the blade surface A. While this protective layer is forming, a distance sensor 120 measures the distance in front of the material injector 110, and the position of the jet port 111 in the direction of the reference axis X1 is controlled based on the measured distance H'. This allows a uniform protective layer to be formed on the blade surface A.

[0073] As described above, according to the cover application device 100 and the control method of the cover application device of this embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0074] Specifically, the protective layer application device 100 of this embodiment includes: a material injector 110 that injects a jet flame 112 containing a construction material from an injection port 111; a moving mechanism 130 that moves the material injector 110 in a predetermined scanning direction; a distance sensor 120 that is mounted on the moving mechanism 130 at a predetermined distance D from the material injector 110 and moves in the scanning direction to measure the distance to the blade surface A in a non-contact manner; and a control unit 150 that controls the distance H between the injection port 111 of the material injector 110 and the blade surface A based on the measured distance H' obtained by the distance sensor 120. In this case, the predetermined distance D is determined based on the injection angle θ of the jet flame 112 and the set distance Href between the injection port 111 and the blade surface A.

[0075] This can suppress the influence of the conveying gas or construction material particles ejected from the material injector 110 on the distance measurement of the distance sensor 120. As a result, the measurement accuracy of the distance sensor 120 can be improved, and the accuracy of the protective coating work can be improved.

[0076] [Other Implementation Methods]

[0077] In the protective layer application device 100 of this embodiment, the distance sensor 120 is positioned in front of the material sprayer 110 in the scanning direction. However, the placement of the distance sensor 120 relative to the material sprayer 110 is not limited to this example. Specifically, the distance sensor 120 can be positioned to maintain a distance D between the material sprayer 110 and the material sprayer 110, as long as it can measure the distance from the blade surface in the scanning direction. For example, when forming the protective layer, the material sprayer 110 and the distance sensor 120 can be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction. This arrangement allows the material sprayer 110 to measure the distance of a scanning path adjacent to the scanning path currently being moved by the material sprayer 110—in other words, the material sprayer 110 is next performing the protective layer formation scanning path. With this arrangement, while the distance measurement is being performed for the first scanning path, the material sprayer 110 moves outside the formation range FA, thereby suspending the spraying of construction material by the material sprayer 110.

[0078] In the protective layer application device 100 of this embodiment, distance information, which associates the measured distance H' measured by the distance sensor 120 with the coordinate information on the blade surface A, is stored in the storage unit 154. This distance information is used to control the position of the material injector 110 on the reference axis, but the control method is not limited to this. For example, the injection position control unit 153 can use the positional relationship between the distance sensor 120 and the material injector 110 and the measured distance H' obtained by the distance sensor 120 to estimate the distance H between the coordinate position of the material injector 110 on the blade surface A and the blade surface A. The injection position control unit 153 can then control the distance between the injection port 111 of the material injector 110 and the blade surface A based on the estimated distance H.

[0079] The present invention has been described above using various embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Without departing from the scope of the purpose of the invention, various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments, and the methods of the changes or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0080] The protective layer application device and the control method of the protective layer application device described in each embodiment described above can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0081] The first embodiment of the present invention relates to a protective layer construction device 100, which forms a protective layer on a blade surface A of a wind turbine blade body 5a formed of FRP. The protective layer construction device 100 comprises: a material injector 110, which injects a jet flame 112 containing a construction material from the injection port 111; a moving mechanism 130, which moves the material injector along a predetermined scanning direction; a distance sensor 120, which is arranged on the moving mechanism in a state of maintaining a predetermined distance (D) from the material injector and moves along the scanning direction, and measures the distance (H') from the blade surface in a non-contact manner; and a control unit 150, which controls the distance (H) between the injection port of the material injector and the blade surface based on the measured distance obtained by the distance sensor, wherein the predetermined distance is determined based on the injection angle (θ) of the jet flame and the set distance (Href) between the injection port and the blade surface.

[0082] According to the protective layer application device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the distance between the material injector and the distance sensor is determined based on the injection angle of the injection flame and the set distance between the injection port and the blade surface.

[0083] This can suppress the influence of the conveying gas or construction material particles injected from the material injector 110 on the distance measurement by the distance sensor.

[0084] As a result, the measurement accuracy of the distance sensor can be improved, and the accuracy of the protective layer construction work can be improved.

[0085] In the protective layer construction device involved in the second embodiment of the present invention, in the first embodiment, the distance sensor is a distance sensor that measures the distance by irradiating a light beam to the blade surface and receiving a light beam reflected from the blade surface, and the specified distance is set to a distance at which the irradiated light beam does not overlap with the jet flame.

[0086] According to the protective layer application device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the distance between the material injector and the distance sensor is set to a distance at which the light beam emitted from the distance sensor does not overlap with the injection flame.

[0087] This can avoid or suppress the spread of the light beam emitted from the distance sensor due to the jet flame, in other words, due to the particles of the conveying gas or the construction material.

[0088] This can improve the measurement accuracy of the distance sensor and improve the accuracy of the protective layer construction work.

[0089] In the protective layer applying device according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect or the second aspect, the distance sensor is arranged so as to be located ahead in the scanning direction of the material ejector during the protective layer formation.

[0090] According to the protective layer application device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the distance sensor measures the distance from the blade surface at a position a predetermined distance ahead of the material injector when the protective layer is formed.

[0091] In the protective layer applying device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect or the second aspect, the material ejector and the distance sensor are arranged side by side in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction when forming the protective layer.

[0092] According to the protective layer application device of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the distance to the blade surface is measured on a scanning path adjacent to the scanning path on which the material injector is currently moving, in other words, on a scanning path on which the material injector 110 will next form a protective layer.

[0093] The protective layer construction device involved in the fifth embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a storage unit 154 in any one of the first to fourth embodiments, and the storage unit 154 establishes a corresponding association between the coordinate position on the blade surface and the measured distance obtained by the distance sensor for storage, and the control unit obtains the measured distance corresponding to the coordinate position of the material injector on the blade surface from the storage unit, and controls the distance between the injection port of the material injector and the blade surface according to the obtained measured distance.

[0094] According to the protective layer application device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the distance between the injection port of the material injector and the blade surface is controlled based on the measured distance stored in the storage unit.

[0095] This can reduce the processing load compared to sequentially estimating the position of the material ejector from the blade surface using the measured distance acquired by the distance sensor.

[0096] In the protective layer construction device involved in the 6th mode of the present invention, in any one of the 1st to 4th modes, the control unit uses the positional relationship between the distance sensor and the material injector and the measured distance obtained by the distance sensor to estimate the distance of the coordinate position of the material injector on the blade surface from the blade surface, and controls the distance between the injection port of the material injector and the blade surface based on the estimated distance.

[0097] According to the protective layer application device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the position of the material injector from the blade surface is sequentially estimated using the measured distance acquired by the distance sensor.

[0098] Thus, the storage capacity of the storage unit can be reduced compared to a case where the measured distance acquired by the distance sensor is temporarily stored and the stored measured distance is used to control the distance between the material ejector and the blade surface.

[0099] The seventh aspect of the present invention relates to a method for controlling a protective layer construction device, which is a method for controlling a protective layer construction device 100 that forms a protective layer on a blade surface A of a wind turbine blade body 5a formed of FRP by ejecting a jet flame 112 containing a construction material from a jet port 111 of a material ejector 110. The method for controlling the protective layer construction device includes the following steps: moving the material ejector along a prescribed scanning direction; moving a distance sensor 120 along the scanning direction while maintaining a prescribed distance (D) from the material ejector and measuring the distance to the blade surface in a non-contact manner; and controlling the distance (H) between the ejection port of the material ejector and the blade surface in accordance with the measured distance (H') obtained by the distance sensor, wherein the prescribed distance is determined based on the ejection angle (θ) of the jet flame and a set distance (Href) between the ejection port and the blade surface.

[0100] Explanation of symbols

[0101] 1-wind turbine generator, 3-tower, 4-rotor head, 5-windmill blade, 5a-windmill blade body, 6-nacelle, 10-blade root, 12-blade tip, 12a-tip, 14-blade-shaped portion, 16-leading edge, 18-trailing edge, 20-ventral side, 22-dorsal side, 30-protective layer, 32-support platform, 100-protective layer construction device, 110-material injector, 111-injection port, 112-injection flame, 120-distance sensor, 130-moving mechanism, 140-multi-joint robot, 150-control unit, 151-movement control unit, 152-injection angle control unit, 153-injection position control unit, 154-storage unit, 200-track.

Claims

1. A protective layer application device for forming a protective layer on a blade surface of a wind turbine blade body formed of FRP, the protective layer application device comprising: A material ejector ejects a jet flame containing construction material from an ejection port; a moving mechanism for moving the material ejector along a prescribed scanning direction; a distance sensor provided on the moving mechanism at a predetermined distance from the material ejector and moving along the scanning direction, and measuring the distance from the blade surface in a non-contact manner; and a control unit that controls the distance between the ejection port of the material ejector and the blade surface according to the measured distance obtained by the distance sensor, The predetermined distance is determined based on the injection angle of the injection flame and a set distance between the injection port and the blade surface.

2. The protective layer construction device according to claim 1, wherein: The distance sensor is a distance sensor that measures the distance by irradiating a light beam to the surface of the blade and receiving the light beam reflected from the surface of the blade. The predetermined distance is set to a distance at which the irradiated light beam and the jet flame do not overlap.

3. The protective layer construction device according to claim 1, wherein: The distance sensor is configured to be located in front of the material ejector in a scanning direction when forming the protective layer.

4. The protective layer construction device according to claim 1, wherein: The material ejector and the distance sensor are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction when forming a protective layer.

5. The protective layer construction device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit for storing the coordinate position on the blade surface in a corresponding relationship with the measured distance obtained by the distance sensor. The control unit acquires a measured distance corresponding to a coordinate position of the material ejector on the blade surface from the storage unit, and controls a distance between an ejection port of the material ejector and the blade surface according to the acquired measured distance.

6. The protective layer construction device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit estimates the distance of the coordinate position of the material ejector on the blade surface from the blade surface using the positional relationship between the distance sensor and the material ejector and the measured distance acquired by the distance sensor, and controls the distance between the ejection port of the material ejector and the blade surface according to the estimated distance.

7. A method for controlling a protective layer application device, the method comprising: spraying a jet flame containing a construction material from a spray port of a material sprayer to form a protective layer on a blade surface of a wind turbine blade body formed of FRP; the method comprising the following steps: moving the material ejector along a specified scanning direction; moving the distance sensor along the scanning direction while maintaining a predetermined distance from the material ejector, and measuring the distance from the blade surface in a non-contact manner; and controlling the distance between the ejection port of the material ejector and the blade surface in accordance with the measured distance acquired by the distance sensor, The predetermined distance is determined based on the injection angle of the injection flame and a set distance between the injection port and the blade surface.

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