Modular blower wheel assembly welding apparatus, welding method, and blower wheel

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of fan impeller machining, in particular to a modular fan impeller assembling and welding device, a welding method and a fan impeller. The assembling and welding device comprises the following: a first station provided with a pressing device and a transverse limiting device, which are used for pressing the welding edges of inner and outer blade plates to a lamination state; a second station provided with an upper pressing plate, a lower pressing plate and a rotary driving piece, which are used for realizing welding surface switching; a third station provided with a locking tool and a swing table, which are used for driving the swing of an impeller assembly and completing the welding work of the connecting edges of the outer blade plate and an upper cover; welding mechanical arms are installed at each station; the transverse limiting device comprises two clamping blocks and a clamping driving piece, the opposite surfaces of the two clamping blocks are provided with limiting grooves matched with the inserting connecting edges of the blades, and the opposite surfaces of the supporting block and the pressing block of the pressing device are provided with profiled surfaces matched with the outer blade plate and the inner blade plate, so that the fast and accurate alignment of the welding edges of the inner and outer blade plates is realized, and the spatial position precision of the inserting connecting edges after the blades are formed is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wind turbine impeller processing technology, and in particular to assembly and welding equipment, welding methods, and wind turbine impellers for modular wind turbine impellers. Background Technology

[0002] As a core component of a wind turbine that enables the conversion of airflow into kinetic energy, the manufacturing precision and assembly quality of the wind turbine directly determine its operating efficiency, stability, and service life. In the existing manufacturing process of modular wind turbine impellers, assembly and welding are the core processes. The overall process is mainly divided into two stages: The first stage is blade prefabrication, which requires stacking and aligning the inner and outer blades, applying a preset pressure using specialized tooling to ensure that the welded edges are tightly fitted, and then using a welding robotic arm to weld and fix the welded edges to form a shaped blade assembly; The second stage is impeller assembly, which involves welding the upper and lower covers to the blade assembly to finally complete the assembly of the entire impeller.

[0003] However, since both the inner and outer blades are irregular arc-shaped structures adapted to airflow, local stress concentration and uneven force distribution are easily generated when the pressing force is applied to the non-planar arc surface during the pressing process. This difference in stress causes relative misalignment between the stacked inner and outer blades, making it difficult for the welded edges to quickly converge to the preset welding reference position. To ensure welding quality, operators must repeatedly adjust the relative posture of the blades manually, which not only increases the intensity of manual labor but also significantly prolongs the prefabrication time of a single set of blades, severely reducing the overall efficiency of the welding process. In addition, the positioning and connection of the blade assembly with the upper and lower covers mainly depends on the precise fit between the interlocking edges of the inner and outer blades and the preset through slots of the cover plates. If the inner and outer blades are misaligned during the pressing stage of blade prefabrication, it will directly cause a spatial position deviation of the blade interlocking edges. This deviation will cause the interlocking edges to fail to match smoothly with the through slots of the upper and lower covers during subsequent assembly, forming an assembly obstacle. Even if assembly is completed by forcibly applying force, it will cause the overall positioning accuracy of the impeller to be out of control, resulting in hidden stress concentration after the impeller is assembled. Ultimately, this will not only reduce the installation compatibility of the wind turbine impeller but also accelerate the wear of components during operation, significantly shortening the service life of the impeller.

[0004] The information disclosed in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the general background of this disclosure and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides modular wind turbine impeller assembly and welding equipment, welding method, and wind turbine impeller, which can effectively solve the problems in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] Assembly and welding equipment for modular wind turbine impellers, including:

[0008] The first station is equipped with a pressing device and a lateral limiting device, which are used to press the welding edges of the inner blade plate and the outer blade plate into a fitted state.

[0009] The second station is equipped with an upper pressure plate, a lower pressure plate, and a rotary drive. The upper pressure plate and the lower pressure plate are provided with clearance grooves along the insertion edges of the corresponding blades. The upper pressure plate and the lower pressure plate cooperate to position and clamp the pre-assembled impeller. The rotary drive is used to drive the upper pressure plate and the lower pressure plate to flip and switch the welding surface.

[0010] The third station is equipped with a locking fixture and a swing table. The swing table is used to drive the locking fixture to swing the impeller assembly, so that the welding robot arm can complete the welding operation of the connection edge between the outer blade plate and the upper cover.

[0011] Each workstation is equipped with a welding robotic arm for completing welding operations;

[0012] The lateral limiting device includes two clamping blocks and a clamping drive. The opposing surfaces of the two clamping blocks are provided with limiting grooves that match the insertion edge on the blade. The clamping drive drives at least one of the clamping blocks to move and position and clamp the insertion edge of the blade. The opposing surfaces of the support block and the pressing block of the pressing device are provided with contoured surfaces that fit against the outer blade plate and the inner blade plate.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a fourth workstation;

[0014] The fourth station is equipped with a welding machine and a support, used for welding the inner leaf plate to the second and third contact positions of the upper and lower covers.

[0015] Furthermore, the pressure block is connected to a downward pressure drive component;

[0016] The pressing drive drives the pressure block to move downward so that the welding edges of the inner blade and the outer blade are in contact, and the welding robot arm welds the two welding edges to form a blade.

[0017] A distance sensor and a vision camera are installed on the pressure block. The vision camera is used to capture the positional deviation of the welding edge between the inner blade plate and the outer blade plate in real time. The distance sensor is used to receive the positional deviation and control the downward movement distance of the pressure block.

[0018] Furthermore, the rotary drive includes a crossbeam and rotating assemblies disposed at both ends of the crossbeam;

[0019] The lower pressure plate is fixed on the crossbeam, and the upper pressure plate is connected to the lower pressure plate through guide components distributed at the four corners;

[0020] Two sets of cylinders are also provided on the crossbeam. The drive ends of the two sets of cylinders are connected to the upper pressure plate and are used to drive the upper pressure plate to move away from or towards the lower pressure plate.

[0021] Furthermore, a locking fixture is installed on the side of the lower pressure plate facing the upper pressure plate;

[0022] The locking fixture is used to pre-lock the multiple blades between the upper cover and the lower cover;

[0023] The upper pressure plate is provided with a clearance hole corresponding to the position of the locking fixture, and an annular arc surface adapted to the upper cover is provided below the clearance hole.

[0024] Furthermore, the locking fixture includes a base, a top plate, and a connecting post fixedly connected between the base and the top plate;

[0025] The upper surface of the base is a raised spherical structure and is in contact with and fits against the bottom surface of the lower cover. Multiple positioning pins are evenly distributed on the base in the circumferential direction of the connecting column. The positioning pins cooperate with the through holes on the lower cover to restrict the rotational freedom of the lower cover in the circumferential direction.

[0026] The diameter of the top plate is larger than the diameter of the center hole of the top cover, and it cooperates with the base to clamp the impeller axially.

[0027] The present invention also provides a method for assembling and welding a modular wind turbine impeller, using the modular wind turbine impeller assembly and welding equipment described above, and including the following steps:

[0028] Blade manufacturing: The inner blade and outer blade are installed in the first station. The positions of the inner blade and outer blade are aligned by the pressing device and the lateral limiting device. The welding robot arm is used to weld the two welding edges of the inner blade and the outer blade to complete the blade manufacturing.

[0029] Impeller pre-assembly: The welded blades are inserted and positioned with the upper and lower covers through the insertion edge to obtain a pre-assembled impeller;

[0030] Double-sided welding: The pre-installed impeller is installed into the second station and clamped by the upper and lower pressure plates. The welding robot first welds the insertion edge to the upper cover through the through slot of the upper pressure plate. The upper and lower pressure plates are flipped and switched by the rotation drive component. The welding robot then welds the insertion edge to the lower cover through the through slot of the lower pressure plate.

[0031] Curved surface welding: The welded impeller is installed into the locking fixture in the third station. The locking fixture is moved by the swing table. The welding robot arm is used to weld the first contact position between the outer blade plate of the impeller and the upper cover.

[0032] Repair welding and forming: The welded impeller is fixed on the support of the fourth station. The second and third contact positions between the inner blade plate and the upper and lower covers of the impeller are repaired by manual welding to obtain the finished impeller.

[0033] The present invention also provides a wind turbine impeller, which is manufactured using the modular wind turbine impeller assembly and welding equipment, and includes: an upper cover, a lower cover, and a plurality of blades arranged circumferentially between the upper cover and the lower cover;

[0034] The blade includes an inner blade plate and an outer blade plate. The contact edges of the inner blade plate and the outer blade plate with the upper cover and the lower cover are provided with multiple insertion edges. The upper cover and the lower cover have positioning grooves for the insertion edges to be inserted.

[0035] The blade is located at the upper and lower edges of the insertion edge and is connected to the upper and lower covers by welding.

[0036] Furthermore, the inner blade and the outer blade have an irregular arc structure, forming a hollow structure between the inner blade and the outer blade, and the thickness of the hollow structure is gradually distributed.

[0037] The inner blade and the outer blade are fixedly connected by continuous welding on both sides of the inner and outer edges of the impeller, forming a complete blade body structure.

[0038] Furthermore, the insertion edges on the inner blade and the outer blade are staggered.

[0039] The inner blade and the outer blade are formed by a plurality of the insertion points on the contact edge with the lower cover, which bend outward toward the impeller.

[0040] The technical solution of this invention can achieve the following technical effects:

[0041] This invention achieves uniform contact with the arc surfaces of the inner and outer blades by using contoured surfaces set on the opposing surfaces of the support block and the pressure block. Combined with the positioning of the insertion edge by the lateral limiting device, the welding edge is quickly aligned to the welding reference position, achieving rapid and accurate alignment of the welding edges of the inner and outer blades, reducing the number of manual interventions and adjustments. Furthermore, by accurately positioning the insertion edge, the spatial position accuracy of the insertion edge after the blade is formed is directly guaranteed, keeping the positional deviation between the insertion edge and the through grooves of the upper and lower covers within a reasonable range, thus solving the problem of insufficient positioning accuracy caused by forced assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0043] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the welding process for assembling and welding equipment for modular wind turbine impellers;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of each device in the first workstation;

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the distribution of the upper limit slots of the clamping block;

[0046] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the upper limit slot distribution for another clamping block;

[0047] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the first state of the upper and lower pressure plates in the second workstation.

[0048] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the second state of the upper and lower pressure plates in the second workstation.

[0049] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-section when the upper and lower pressure plates are separated.

[0050] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-section after the upper and lower pressure plates are pressed together;

[0051] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the installation of the locking fixture and the swing table in the fourth workstation.

[0052] Figure 10 This is a first-view structural diagram of a wind turbine impeller.

[0053] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the second-view structure of a wind turbine impeller.

[0054] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the combination of inner and outer blades;

[0055] Figure 13 for Figure 12 A magnified view of part A;

[0056] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of a wind turbine impeller;

[0057] Figure 15 for Figure 14 A magnified view of section B.

[0058] Reference numerals: 100, First station; 200, Second station; 300, Third station; 400, Fourth station; 1, Pressing device; 11, Support block; 12, Pressing block; 13, Lower pressing drive; 2, Lower pressing plate; 2a, Clearance groove; 3, Upper pressing plate; 31b, Clearance hole; 31a, Annular arc surface; 4, Rotary drive; 41, Crossbeam; 42, Rotating assembly; 43, Guide assembly; 44, Cylinder assembly; 5, Locking fixture; 5 1. Base; 52. Top plate; 53. Connecting column; 54. Positioning pin; 6. Swinging table; 7. Lateral limiting device; 71. Clamping block; 71a. Limiting groove; 72. Clamping drive component; 10. Top cover; 10a. Positioning groove; 20. Bottom cover; 30. Blade; 30a. Insertion edge; 30b. Welding edge; 30c. First contact position; 30d. Second contact position; 30e. Third contact position; 31. Inner blade plate; 32. Outer blade plate. Detailed Implementation

[0059] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0060] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0061] like Figures 1-9 As shown, this application provides an assembly and welding device for modular wind turbine impellers, comprising:

[0062] The first station 100 is equipped with a pressing device 1 and a transverse limiting device 7, which are used to press the welding edges 30b of the inner blade plate 31 and the outer blade plate 32 into a fitted state.

[0063] The second station 200 is equipped with an upper pressure plate 3, a lower pressure plate 2 and a rotary drive component 4. The upper pressure plate 3 and the lower pressure plate 2 are provided with clearance grooves 2a corresponding to the insertion edge 30a of the blade 30. The upper pressure plate 3 and the lower pressure plate 2 cooperate to position and clamp the pre-assembled impeller. The rotary drive component 4 is used to drive the upper pressure plate 3 and the lower pressure plate 2 to flip and switch the welding surface.

[0064] The third station 300 is equipped with a locking fixture 5 and a swing table 6. The swing table 6 is used to drive the locking fixture 5 to swing the impeller assembly, so that the welding robot arm can complete the welding operation of the connection edge between the outer blade plate 32 and the upper cover 10.

[0065] Each workstation is equipped with a welding robotic arm for completing welding operations;

[0066] The lateral limiting device 7 includes two clamping blocks 71 and a clamping drive member 72. The opposing surfaces of the two clamping blocks 71 are provided with limiting grooves 71a that match the insertion edge 30a on the blade 30. The clamping drive member 72 drives at least one clamping block 71 to move and position and clamp the insertion edge 30a of the blade 30. The opposing surfaces of the support block 11 and the pressing block 12 of the pressing device 1 are provided with contoured surfaces that fit against the outer blade plate 32 and the inner blade plate 31.

[0067] This invention achieves uniform contact with the arc surfaces of the inner blade plate 31 and the outer blade plate 32 by using the contoured surfaces of the support block 11 and the pressure block 12 facing each other. In conjunction with the positioning of the insertion edge 30a by the lateral limiting device 7, the welding edge 30b is quickly aligned to the welding reference position, realizing rapid and accurate alignment of the welding edge 30b of the inner blade plate 31 and the outer blade plate 32, reducing the number of manual interventions and adjustments. Furthermore, by accurately positioning the insertion edge 30a, the spatial position accuracy of the insertion edge 30a after the blade 30 is formed is directly guaranteed, and the positional deviation between the insertion edge 30a and the through groove of the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20 is controlled within a reasonable range, solving the problem of insufficient positioning accuracy caused by forced assembly.

[0068] During the welding process, the inner blade 31 and outer blade 32 are stacked correspondingly, and after the welding edges 30b of the two are initially aligned, they are placed on the support block 11 of the pressing device 1, ensuring that the arc surface of the outer blade 32 is in contact with the contoured surface of the support block 11. The lateral limiting device 7 is activated, and the clamping drive 72 drives the two clamping blocks 71 to move closer to each other in the horizontal direction until the limiting groove 71a is completely fitted and clamps the insertion edge 30a of the blade 30. The clamping is confirmed to be in place by a magnetic switch. At this time, the relative position of the inner blade 31 and outer blade 32 is fixed and there is no relative displacement space. The pressure block 12 moves toward the support block 11 under the action of external force, and the contoured surface on the pressure block 12 is used to fit the arc surface of the inner blade 31, applying a preset pressure to make the welding edges 30b completely fit together, so that the welding edges 30b of the two are initially aligned. The welding robot arm is started and moves to weld according to the preset path, welding the two welding edges 30b on the blade 30. b. Perform full welding operation; after welding, the blades 30 are transferred to the pre-assembly area. In the pre-assembly area, the operator inserts the blades 30 into the through slots of the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20 in sequence through the insertion edge 30a until the blades 30 fill the circumference of the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20, forming a pre-assembled impeller composed of the upper cover 10, the lower cover 20 and multiple blades 30; the pre-assembled impeller is transferred to the second station 200, and the impeller is positioned and clamped by the upper pressure plate 3 and the lower pressure plate 2. The welding robot arm performs full welding operation on the connection between the insertion edge 30a and the upper cover 10. After welding, the rotary drive 4 drives the upper pressure plate 3 and the lower pressure plate 2 to rotate 180° synchronously according to the preset program. The welding robot arm continues to complete the remaining full welding operation on the connection between the insertion edge 30a and the lower cover 20; after welding, the upper pressure plate 3 and the lower pressure plate 2 move upward to reset, and the pre-assembled impeller is transferred to the third station 300. The locking fixture 5 clamps the impeller along its axial direction. The swing table 6 drives the impeller to swing via the locking fixture 5. The welding robot arm welds the outer blade 32 to the first contact position 30c of the upper cover 10. After welding, the impeller is transferred to the subsequent manual welding station via a conveyor line. The operator performs supplementary welding on the second contact position 30d and the third contact position 30e, which were not covered by the pre-welded parts, to complete the overall assembly welding of the impeller. It should be noted that the first contact position 30c refers to the front half of the contact edge between the outer ring of the outer blade 32 and the upper cover 10; the second contact position 30d refers to the annular contact surface between the upper edge of the inner ring of the inner blade 31 and the inner surface of the upper cover 10; and the third contact position 30e refers to the annular contact surface between the lower edge of the inner ring of the inner blade 31 and the inner surface of the lower cover 20.

[0069] In this invention, welding operations are performed at all three workstations using welding robotic arms. However, due to interference from the robotic arms' movement trajectories and limited working space, fully automated welding at all positions is not possible. Therefore, the assembly welding equipment also includes a fourth workstation 400. The fourth workstation 400 is equipped with a welding machine and a support for welding the inner blade 31 to the second contact position 30d and the third contact position 30e of the upper cover 10 and lower cover 20. This ensures no welding omissions, forming a three-dimensional welded and fixed structure between the outer blade 32 and the upper cover 10 and lower cover 20, the inner blade 31 and the upper cover 10 and lower cover 20, and the inner blade 31 and the outer blade 32. This improves the overall rigidity of the impeller, eliminates the risk of structural loosening during operation, and significantly extends the impeller's service life. Furthermore, the addition of the fourth workstation 400 creates a complete automated closed loop for the welding process, including segmented welding, pre-assembly welding, and inner ring repair welding, aligning with the trend of automated production with multi-workstation parallel operations.

[0070] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pressure block 12 is connected to a downward driving member 13; the downward driving member 13 drives the pressure block 12 to move downward so that the welding edges 30b of the inner blade plate 31 and the outer blade plate 32 fit together, and the welding robot arm welds the two welding edges 30b to form the blade 30.

[0071] In the above scheme, the width of the limiting groove 71a is adapted to the insertion edge 30a, which can limit the offset of the inner blade 31. By controlling the downward movement of the pressure block 12, the inner blade 31 is deformed to different degrees, thereby adjusting the position deviation of the welding edge 30b. However, since impellers of the same specification may have different degrees of differences in blade thickness, arc curvature, and welding edge 30b position, the fixed downward movement distance cannot meet the welding requirements. Therefore, in this scheme, a distance sensor and a vision camera are set on the pressure block 12. The vision camera is used to capture the position deviation of the welding edge 30b of the inner blade 31 and the outer blade 32 in real time, and the distance sensor is used to receive the position deviation and control the downward movement distance of the pressure block 12.

[0072] A vision camera is installed at the position corresponding to the welding edge 30b of the pressure block 12. The vision camera captures the positional deviation of the welding edge 30b in real time, including translational deviation and angular deviation. After receiving the deviation signal using a distance sensor, the PLC control system dynamically adjusts the downward movement distance of the pressure block 12 so that the welding edge 30b of the inner blade plate 31 and the outer blade plate 32 is automatically aligned to the welding reference position. This controls the fitting gap of the welding edge 30b and ensures the product quality of the impeller.

[0073] In this scheme, the rotary drive component 4 includes a crossbeam 41 and a rotating assembly 42 disposed at both ends of the crossbeam 41; the lower pressure plate 2 is fixed on the crossbeam 41, and the upper pressure plate 3 is connected to the lower pressure plate 2 through guide assemblies 43 distributed at the four corners.

[0074] Two sets of cylinder groups 44 are also provided on the crossbeam 41. The driving ends of the two sets of cylinder groups 44 are connected to the upper pressure plate 3, which are used to drive the upper pressure plate 3 to move away from or towards the lower pressure plate 2.

[0075] The impeller, after pre-assembly, is placed at the center of the lower pressure plate 2. The PLC control system starts two sets of cylinders 44, and the cylinder piston rods retract synchronously, driving the upper pressure plate 3 to descend at a constant speed along the guide posts of the four corner guide components 43. The clearance groove 2a of the upper pressure plate 3 precisely corresponds to the insertion edge 30a of the blade 30, and the polyurethane anti-slip pad on the clamping surface is in contact with the surface of the upper cover 10. When the pressure sensor detects that the clamping force reaches the preset value, it sends a feedback signal to the system, the cylinder group 44 stops operating and maintains the pressure, completing the positioning and clamping of the impeller assembly. At this time, the upper pressure plate 3 is parallel to the lower pressure plate 2, and the impeller has no displacement or deformation.

[0076] Two sets of cylinders 44 are symmetrically distributed and achieve synchronous extension and retraction through a PLC control system. In coordination with the guide component 43, the clamping and releasing action of the upper pressure plate 3 is fast and smooth. With the rapid flipping of the rotating component 42, the switching time of the welding surface of a single impeller at the second station 200 is shortened. At the same time, the clamping position signal of the cylinder group 44 and the flipping positioning signal of the rotating component 42 are linked with the PLC control system to automatically trigger the welding robot arm to operate without manual intervention. This makes the clamping, welding, flipping and re-welding process at the second station 200 seamlessly connected, further enhancing the automation closed-loop efficiency of the entire equipment and improving the overall production line capacity.

[0077] Based on the above embodiment, a locking fixture 5 is installed on the side of the lower pressure plate 2 facing the upper pressure plate 3; the locking fixture 5 is used to pre-lock multiple blades 30 between the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20; the upper pressure plate 3 is provided with a clearance hole 31b at the position corresponding to the locking fixture 5, and an annular arc surface 31a adapted to the upper cover 10 is provided below the clearance hole 31b.

[0078] The assembled impeller is placed on the lower pressure plate 2 using the locking fixture 5, which serves as a preliminary positioning tool. As the upper pressure plate 3 moves closer to the lower pressure plate 2, when the annular arc surface 31a on the upper pressure plate 3 contacts the upper arc surface of the upper cover 10, the upper pressure plate 3 continues to press down, which enables the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20 to be inserted into the multiple blades 30. This ensures that the blades 30 fit tightly with the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20, avoids performance loss caused by the positional deviation of the blades 30 after welding, and reduces the product defect rate.

[0079] As a preferred structure of the above embodiment, the locking fixture 5 includes a base 51, a top plate 52, and a connecting column 53 fixedly connected between the base 51 and the top plate 52; the upper surface of the base 51 is a raised spherical structure and is in contact with the bottom surface of the lower cover 20; a plurality of positioning pins 54 are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the base 51 located on the connecting column 53; the positioning pins 54 cooperate with the through holes on the lower cover 20 to restrict the rotational freedom of the lower cover 20 in the circumferential direction; the diameter of the top plate 52 is larger than the diameter of the center hole of the upper cover 10, and cooperates with the base 51 to clamp the impeller axially.

[0080] The upper surface of the base 51 adopts a raised spherical design. The radius of curvature of this sphere matches the radius of curvature of the concave curved surface of the bottom surface of the lower cover 20, so as to achieve surface contact and fit between the base 51 and the lower cover 20. It has self-positioning characteristics and can achieve rapid centering of the lower cover 20 without repeated manual calibration, reducing the difficulty of operation. At the same time, multiple positioning pins 54 set in the circumferential direction of the connecting column 53 on the base 51 form a precise fit with the through hole on the lower cover 20, restricting the circumferential rotation of the lower cover 20. The top plate 52 can completely cover the center hole of the upper cover 10 and form a surface contact with the top surface of the upper cover 10. Together with the base 51, it can axially clamp the impeller. After clamping, the axial movement of the impeller can be controlled within 0.02mm, which provides a guarantee for the stability of the relative position of the blade 30 with the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20 during the subsequent welding process.

[0081] This invention also provides a method for assembling and welding a modular wind turbine impeller, using modular wind turbine impeller assembly and welding equipment, and includes the following steps:

[0082] Blade 30 fabrication: The inner blade plate 31 and the outer blade plate 32 are installed into the first station 100. The positions of the inner blade plate 31 and the outer blade plate 32 are aligned by the pressing device 1 and the transverse limiting device 7. The two welding edges 30b of the inner blade plate 31 and the outer blade plate 32 are welded by the welding robot arm to complete the blade 30 fabrication.

[0083] Impeller pre-assembly: The welded blades 30 are inserted and positioned with the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20 through the insertion edge 30a to obtain a pre-assembled impeller;

[0084] Double-sided welding: The pre-installed impeller is installed into the second station 200 and clamped by the upper pressure plate 3 and the lower pressure plate 2. The welding robot first welds and fixes the insertion edge 30a to the upper cover 10 through the through groove of the upper pressure plate 3. The upper pressure plate 3 and the lower pressure plate 2 are flipped and switched by the rotation drive component 4. The welding robot then welds and fixes the insertion edge 30a to the lower cover 20 through the through groove of the lower pressure plate 2.

[0085] Curved surface welding: The welded impeller is installed into the locking fixture 5 of the third station 300. The locking fixture 5 is driven by the swing table 6. The welding robot arm is used to weld the first contact position 30c between the outer blade plate 32 of the impeller and the upper cover 10.

[0086] Repair welding and forming: Fix the welded impeller on the support of the fourth station 400, and manually repair the second contact position 30d and the third contact position 30e between the inner blade plate 31 of the impeller and the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20 by welding to obtain the finished impeller.

[0087] By employing a multi-station modular welding process involving blade 30 prefabrication, overall pre-assembly, surface welding, and precise repair welding, combined with a collaborative operation mode of automated equipment and manual operation, the problems of chaotic traditional impeller welding processes, low positioning accuracy, numerous welding blind spots, poor quality stability, and low production efficiency have been solved. This process effectively controls the relative positional accuracy of blade 30 with upper cover 10 and lower cover 20, ensuring the aerodynamic performance of the impeller.

[0088] like Figures 10-15 As shown, the present invention also provides a wind turbine impeller, which is manufactured using modular wind turbine impeller assembly and welding equipment, including: an upper cover 10, a lower cover 20, and a plurality of blades 30 disposed between the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20 and distributed circumferentially.

[0089] The blade 30 includes an inner blade plate 31 and an outer blade plate 32. The inner blade plate 31 and the outer blade plate 32 are provided with multiple insertion edges 30a on the contact edges with the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20. The upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20 have positioning grooves 10a for the insertion edges 30a to be inserted.

[0090] The blade 30 is located on the upper and lower edges of the insertion edge 30a and is connected to the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20 by welding.

[0091] This invention solves the problems of traditional impeller blade 30 positioning relying on manual labor, low accuracy, and easy displacement by setting insertion edges 30a on the contact edges of the inner blade plate 31 and outer blade plate 32 of the blade 30 with the upper cover 10 and lower cover 20, and correspondingly opening positioning grooves 10a in the upper cover 10 and lower cover 20 for the insertion edges 30a to be inserted. Through the gap fit between the insertion edges 30a and the positioning grooves 10a, the blades 30 are accurately distributed along the circumferential direction of the upper cover 10 and lower cover 20, and the circumferential angle error of the blades 30 can be controlled within ±0.05°. At the same time, it restricts the axial and radial displacement of the blades 30, provides a stable reference for subsequent welding, and avoids impeller dynamic balance failure caused by the position displacement of the blades 30 during the welding process.

[0092] The outer edge of the positioning groove 10a expands outward to form a flared structure, providing ample operating space for the welding head of the welding robot arm to enter. This allows the welding head to maintain the optimal welding angle of 15°-45° with the weld, ensuring stable formation of the molten pool during welding, a weld penetration depth ≥3mm, and a weld continuity rate of 100%. At the same time, it avoids interference between the welding head and the upper cover 10, lower cover 20, and blade 30, reducing the difficulty of welding operations and improving welding efficiency.

[0093] By setting the welding part of the blade 30 at the upper and lower edges of the insertion edge 30a, the weld and the insertion edge 30a form a cooperative stress-bearing structure, which solves the problems of small connection area, obvious stress concentration, and easy weld cracking caused by direct surface welding of the impeller blade 30 to the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20 in the traditional method. The upper and lower edges of the insertion edge 30a are closely fitted with the inner wall of the positioning groove 10a, and after welding, an integrated connection structure of groove, edge and seam is formed, which effectively disperses the centrifugal force and aerodynamic load when the impeller is running at high speed and extends the service life of the impeller.

[0094] Based on the above embodiments, the inner blade plate 31 and the outer blade plate 32 have an irregular arc structure, and a hollow structure is formed between the inner blade plate 31 and the outer blade plate 32, and the thickness of the hollow structure is gradually distributed.

[0095] The inner blade 31 and the outer blade 32 are fixedly connected by continuous welding on both sides of the inner and outer edges of the impeller, forming a complete blade 30 main structure.

[0096] The inner blade 31 and outer blade 32 adopt an irregular arc design, and their arc curves are optimized based on computational fluid dynamics simulation to accurately match the airflow path from the inlet to the outlet of the blade 30. This structure solves the problems of airflow separation and large vortex losses that are easy to occur in traditional regular arc blades 30 by optimizing the pressure distribution on the blade surface; it realizes the adhesion flow of air on the surface of the blade 30, reduces aerodynamic drag, and at the same time reduces the aerodynamic noise generated by airflow impact.

[0097] The hollow structure formed between the inner blade 31 and the outer blade 32 is an optimized design of the internal space of the blade 30 while ensuring the structural strength of the blade 30. This structure solves the problems of high weight and high rotational inertia of traditional solid blades 30 by removing redundant material in the non-stressed areas inside the blade 30; it reduces the weight of the blade 30, lowers the overall rotational inertia of the impeller, and reduces the centrifugal load when the impeller is running at high speed; in addition, the hollow structure also has excellent heat dissipation and noise reduction effects. When the blade 30 is running, the aerodynamic heat generated is quickly dissipated through the air convection inside the hollow structure, preventing the material properties of the blade 30 from deteriorating due to high temperature. At the same time, the hollow structure can buffer and absorb the sound waves generated by the vibration of the blade 30, further reducing the operating noise of the fan, which is superimposed with the noise reduction effect of the optimized blade curvature.

[0098] The inner blade 31 and the outer blade 32 are welded together on the two sides of the inner and outer edges of the impeller to form a complete blade 30. The double-side welding simplifies the manufacturing process of the blade 30. The welding process can be carried out continuously by an automated robotic arm along a preset trajectory along the edge of the blade 30. The weld is consistent and the welding defect rate is reduced, which solves the problems of complex welding process and large quality fluctuation of traditional blade 30.

[0099] Based on the above embodiment, the insertion edges 30a on the inner blade plate 31 and the outer blade plate 32 are staggered; multiple insertion edges 30a on the contact edge between the inner blade plate 31 and the outer blade plate 32 and the lower cover 20 are bent and extended toward the outside of the impeller.

[0100] The interlocking edges 30a on the inner blade 31 and the outer blade 32 are designed with staggered distribution, which realizes the uniform distribution of welding stress in the circumferential direction of the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20. At the same time, the staggered interlocking edges 30a make the blade 30 form a multi-point fixed structure with the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 20, which improves the torsional stiffness of the blade 30. When the impeller is impacted by a sudden airflow, the blade 30 does not have obvious circumferential displacement, and the running stability is significantly enhanced.

[0101] On the side of the inner blade 31 and outer blade 32 that contacts the lower cover 20, multiple insertion edges 30a bend and extend towards the outside of the impeller to form an L-shaped hook structure. This, together with the straight edge of the insertion edge 30a of the upper cover 10 for positioning, forms an axial limiting structure with a hook at the bottom and a top at the top, reducing the axial movement of the blade 30. At the same time, the bending structure makes the insertion edge 30a and the positioning groove 10a mechanically engage, preventing the blade 30 from falling off or shifting due to external force before welding, thus improving pre-assembly efficiency.

[0102] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the application as defined herein, and are to be considered as covering any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this application. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this application without departing from its scope. Thus, if such modifications and modifications fall within the scope of this application and its equivalents, this application intends to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. A modular wind turbine impeller assembly and welding equipment, characterized in that, include: The first station is equipped with a pressing device and a lateral limiting device, which are used to press the welding edges of the inner blade plate and the outer blade plate into a fitted state. The second station is equipped with an upper pressure plate, a lower pressure plate, and a rotary drive. The upper pressure plate and the lower pressure plate are provided with clearance grooves along the insertion edges of the corresponding blades. The upper pressure plate and the lower pressure plate cooperate to position and clamp the pre-assembled impeller. The rotary drive is used to drive the upper pressure plate and the lower pressure plate to flip and switch the welding surface. The third station is equipped with a locking fixture and a swing table. The swing table is used to drive the locking fixture to swing the impeller assembly, so that the welding robot arm can complete the welding operation of the connection edge between the outer blade plate and the upper cover. Each workstation is equipped with a welding robotic arm for completing welding operations; The lateral limiting device includes two clamping blocks and a clamping drive. The opposing surfaces of the two clamping blocks are provided with limiting grooves that match the insertion edge on the blade. The clamping drive drives at least one of the clamping blocks to move and position and clamp the insertion edge of the blade. The width of the limiting groove is adapted to the insertion edge, which can limit the inner blade plate from shifting. A hollow structure is formed between the inner blade and the outer blade; the insertion edges on the inner blade and the outer blade are staggered, and the blades are inserted and positioned with the upper cover and the lower cover through the insertion edges. Multiple insertion edges on the contact edges of the inner blade and the outer blade with the lower cover bend and extend towards the outside of the impeller to form an L-shaped hook structure, which, together with the straight edge positioning of the upper cover insertion edge, forms an axial limiting structure with a lower hook and an upper top. The support block and the pressing block of the pressing device have contoured surfaces that fit against the outer blade and the inner blade. The pressing block is connected to a pressing drive. The pressing drive drives the pressing block to move downward, and the contoured surfaces on the pressing block fit against the arc surface of the inner blade. A preset pressure is applied, and by controlling the downward movement of the pressing block, the inner blade deforms to different degrees, so that the welding edges of the inner blade and the outer blade fit together. The welding robot arm welds the two welding edges to form a blade. The pressure block is equipped with a distance sensor and a vision camera. The vision camera is used to capture the positional deviation of the welding edge between the inner blade plate and the outer blade plate in real time. The distance sensor is used to receive the positional deviation and control the downward movement distance of the pressure block so that the welding edge between the inner blade plate and the outer blade plate is automatically aligned to the welding reference position. It also includes the fourth workstation; The fourth station is equipped with a welding machine and a support, used for welding the inner leaf plate to the second and third contact positions of the upper and lower covers.

2. The assembly and welding equipment for modular wind turbine impellers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotary drive includes a crossbeam and rotating components disposed at both ends of the crossbeam. The lower pressure plate is fixed on the crossbeam, and the upper pressure plate is connected to the lower pressure plate through guide components distributed at the four corners; Two sets of cylinders are also provided on the crossbeam. The drive ends of the two sets of cylinders are connected to the upper pressure plate and are used to drive the upper pressure plate to move away from or towards the lower pressure plate.

3. The modular wind turbine impeller assembly and welding equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, A locking fixture is installed on the side of the lower pressure plate facing the upper pressure plate; The locking fixture is used to pre-lock the multiple blades between the upper cover and the lower cover; The upper pressure plate is provided with a clearance hole corresponding to the position of the locking fixture, and an annular arc surface adapted to the upper cover is provided below the clearance hole.

4. The assembly and welding equipment for modular wind turbine impellers according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The locking fixture includes a base, a top plate, and a connecting post fixedly connected between the base and the top plate; The upper surface of the base is a raised spherical structure and is in contact with and fits against the bottom surface of the lower cover. Multiple positioning pins are evenly distributed on the base in the circumferential direction of the connecting column. The positioning pins cooperate with the through holes on the lower cover to restrict the rotational freedom of the lower cover in the circumferential direction. The diameter of the top plate is larger than the diameter of the center hole of the top cover, and it cooperates with the base to clamp the impeller axially.

5. A method for assembling and welding a modular wind turbine impeller, using the assembly and welding equipment for a modular wind turbine impeller as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Blade manufacturing: The inner blade and outer blade are installed in the first station. The positions of the inner blade and outer blade are aligned by the pressing device and the lateral limiting device. The welding robot arm is used to weld the two welding edges of the inner blade and the outer blade to complete the blade manufacturing. Impeller pre-assembly: The welded blades are inserted and positioned with the upper and lower covers through the insertion edge to obtain a pre-assembled impeller; Double-sided welding: The pre-installed impeller is installed into the second station and clamped by the upper and lower pressure plates. The welding robot first welds the insertion edge to the upper cover through the through slot of the upper pressure plate. The upper and lower pressure plates are flipped and switched by the rotation drive component. The welding robot then welds the insertion edge to the lower cover through the through slot of the lower pressure plate. Curved surface welding: The welded impeller is installed into the locking fixture in the third station. The locking fixture is moved by the swing table. The welding robot arm is used to weld the first contact position between the outer blade plate of the impeller and the upper cover. Repair welding and forming: The welded impeller is fixed on the support of the fourth station. The second and third contact positions between the inner blade plate and the upper and lower covers of the impeller are repaired by manual welding to obtain the finished impeller.

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