Integrated demolding and surface treatment device for curing wind turbine blades

Abstract

To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides an integrated device for demolding and surface treatment of cured wind turbine blades, comprising: a supercritical CO2 (carbon dioxide) demolding unit, including: a reaction vessel for containing the cured blade and mold; and a fluid system connected to the reaction vessel via pipeline, the fluid system including a CO2 storage tank, a high-pressure pump, and a heater; a laser surface treatment unit, including: a laser; an optical path system including a reflector and a focusing lens to guide and focus the laser emitted by the laser onto the surface of the cured blade; and a defect detection system including a collecting mirror and a spectrometer; wherein the laser surface treatment unit is located downstream of the supercritical CO2 demolding unit. This utility model fundamentally solves the problems of process separation and low efficiency in existing technologies by physically integrating the supercritical CO2 demolding unit and the laser surface treatment unit into a single structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of wind turbine blade manufacturing equipment, specifically to an integrated device for demolding and surface treatment of cured wind turbine blades. Background Technology

[0002] Wind power, as a clean and renewable energy source, occupies an increasingly important position in the global energy structure. Wind turbine blades are a key component in wind turbine generators for capturing wind energy, and their manufacturing process is complex with extremely high quality requirements. Typically, wind turbine blades are formed by laying fiber-reinforced materials in a large mold, followed by resin infusion and curing. However, after curing, the blades still require a series of critical post-processing steps, including demolding, surface cleaning, and defect repair. The efficiency and quality of these processes directly affect the final performance, service life, and overall production cost of the blades.

[0003] In existing technologies, industry improvements often focus on optimizing single steps in the molding process. For example, Chinese patent application CN 114043747 A discloses a method for eliminating the need for grinding on the main beam of a wind turbine blade. This method involves coating a chemical release agent on the surface of a mold (11) and laying a release cloth (2) before laying the main beam fabric layer (3). L-shaped right-angle strips (4) are placed at the corners of the fabric layer for compaction. Finally, vacuum-assisted resin infusion and curing are performed. The aim is to obtain a smooth, grinding-free product in one step through precise mold preparation and layer control.

[0004] However, the applicant has discovered in practice that such existing technologies have inherent defects in their structural layout and process flow. First, the technology heavily relies on chemical release agents. As described in step three, a chemical reagent must be coated on the entire inner surface of the mold (11). This process arrangement inevitably leads to the formation of a chemical interface layer between the cured blade and the mold. After the blade is demolded, the residue of this chemical interface layer will inevitably adhere to the blade surface, forming a chemical contamination film that is difficult to detect with the naked eye. This contamination film will seriously affect the adhesion of subsequent protective coatings or paints, and may cause problems such as blistering and peeling of the coating during long-term service, posing a serious safety hazard. In addition, the application of chemical release agents and the subsequent cleaning process both rely on manual operation, which is not only inefficient, but also poses a threat to the production environment and the health of operators due to the volatile chemicals.

[0005] More importantly, the existing technology suffers from severe structural fragmentation and functional deficiencies. It merely provides a set of tooling and methods for molding and demolding, but offers no structural solutions for the inevitable surface defects that arise after demolding. Although its goal is "no grinding required," in the actual production of large composite materials, minor surface defects (such as pinholes and cracks) are almost unavoidable due to complex factors such as resin flow, residual bubbles, and fiber deflection. The existing technology stops abruptly after the demolding step, and the system consisting of components such as the mold (11), injection pipe (8), and extraction pipe (9) completely lacks the structure for defect detection and repair of the demolded blades. This means that once a defect occurs, the massive blades, weighing tens of tons, must be lifted from the mold station and transferred to another completely independent station for manual inspection and grinding repair. This huge separation in physical location between processes, and the reliance on large lifting equipment for transfer, not only greatly extends the production cycle and increases the risk of secondary damage to the blades during transfer, but is also the root cause of low production efficiency. This design approach, which treats demolding and surface repair as two completely unrelated and separate processes, fundamentally limits the improvement of post-processing efficiency and automation levels for wind turbine blades. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an integrated device for demolding and surface treatment of cured wind turbine blades, in order to solve the technical problems in the prior art where demolding treatment relies on chemical reagents and leaves residual pollution, and surface repair relies on manual labor, involves process separation, and is inefficient.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides an integrated device for demolding and surface treatment of cured wind turbine blades, comprising: a supercritical CO2 demolding unit 100, which includes: a reaction vessel for accommodating the cured blade and the mold; and a fluid system connected to the reaction vessel via pipeline, the fluid system including a CO2 storage tank, a high-pressure pump, and a heater; a laser surface treatment unit 200, which includes: a laser; an optical path system including a reflector and a focusing lens to guide and focus the laser emitted by the laser onto the surface of the cured blade; and a defect detection system including a collecting mirror and a spectrometer; wherein the laser surface treatment unit is located downstream of the supercritical CO2 demolding unit, thereby forming an integrated continuous processing structure.

[0008] According to one embodiment of this utility model, the integrated device structurally integrates two core functions. First, by setting up a supercritical CO2 demolding unit, the chemical demolding agent in the prior art is physically replaced, eliminating the source of chemical residue pollution from a structural perspective and providing a clean substrate for subsequent coating. Second, by setting up a laser surface treatment unit, a physical carrier is provided for automated, high-precision defect detection and repair. Most importantly, by physically arranging the laser surface treatment unit downstream of the demolding unit, the two functional units structurally form a continuous, integrated processing station, fundamentally solving the inefficiency problem caused by the separation of processes and the need for long-distance workpiece transfer in the prior art.

[0009] Preferably, it also includes a central control system, which is an industrial control computer containing a computer host, and is electrically connected to the supercritical CO2 demolding unit and the laser surface treatment unit respectively.

[0010] According to one embodiment of this utility model, by adding a central control system and establishing an electrical connection with the two major functional units, the device is upgraded from physical integration to control integration. This electrically connected structural layout provides the necessary control path and structural foundation for the collaborative work and seamless automation between the two major units, and is a prerequisite for realizing the intelligent and automated operation of the entire device as an organic whole.

[0011] Preferably, the fluid system of the supercritical CO2 demolding unit has a series pipeline structure, wherein the CO2 storage tank is a vertical cylindrical tank, and its outlet is connected to the inlet of the high-pressure pump through a first pipeline; the outlet of the high-pressure pump is connected to the inlet of the heater through a second pipeline; the heater is a structure of two cylindrical cavities connected in series, and its outlet is connected to the inlet of the reactor through a third pipeline.

[0012] According to one embodiment of this utility model, this series pipeline structure of "pressurization first, heating later, and injection" ensures, from a physical construction perspective, that the working medium can be reliably prepared into a supercritical state. Specifically, the vertical cylindrical storage tank structure ensures the stability of raw material storage; the series connection between the high-pressure pump and the heater ensures that the fluid simultaneously meets the pressure and temperature conditions required for supercriticality before entering the reactor; and the heater, employing a two-chamber structure in series, improves heating uniformity and efficiency by increasing the heating area and time. This overall structure provides a reliable hardware guarantee for achieving stable and efficient physical demolding.

[0013] Preferably, the high-pressure pump has a specific structure of a horizontal cylindrical pump body, with its overall length greater than its height, thus forming a stable structure with a low center of gravity.

[0014] According to one embodiment of this utility model, by further defining the structure of the high-pressure pump as a horizontal plunger pump with a low center of gravity, the inherent advantages of its physical shape are utilized to significantly improve the stability of the equipment during operation and reduce vibration. This structural optimization directly leads to the stability of the output fluid pressure, thereby enabling more precise maintenance of the supercritical state of carbon dioxide and further improving the reliability and consistency of the demolding process.

[0015] Preferably, the supercritical CO2 demolding unit further includes a recovery pipeline, wherein the bottom outlet of the reactor is connected to the inlet of a gas-liquid separator, the gas-liquid separator is a vertical tank structure, and its gas phase outlet is connected back to the CO2 storage tank through a recovery device, thereby forming a closed-loop circulation system.

[0016] According to one embodiment of this utility model, by adding a recovery pipeline consisting of a reaction vessel, a gas-liquid separator, a recovery device, and a storage tank, a material closed loop is formed in the overall structure of the device. The gas-liquid separator structure of the vertical tank utilizes gravity to achieve efficient separation. This closed-loop structure allows for the recovery and recycling of the working medium, carbon dioxide, not only achieving the green and environmentally friendly design goal from a structural perspective but also providing a solid structural foundation for reducing the long-term operating costs of the equipment.

[0017] Preferably, the optical path system of the laser surface treatment unit has a folded optical path structure, wherein the laser is a cuboid box shape with its light outlet facing the reflector, the reflector is a plane reflector with its mirror surface normal forming a preset angle with the optical axis of the focusing lens, and the focusing lens is a lens-type focusing lens located above the surface of the curing blade.

[0018] According to one embodiment of this utility model, this folded optical path structure, consisting of a laser, a reflector, and a focusing lens, is ingeniously designed. By folding the optical path once through the reflector, the bulky laser can be flexibly arranged in non-core areas, greatly optimizing the spatial layout of the equipment and making it more compact. This structure achieves the goal of precisely guiding and focusing a high-energy laser beam onto the blade surface without sacrificing functionality, making it a preferred structural solution for achieving high-precision surface treatment.

[0019] Preferably, the defect detection system of the laser surface treatment unit has a signal transmission structure, wherein the collecting mirror is an optical device with a conical head, and its signal output end is connected to the signal input end of the spectrometer through a flexible optical fiber, and the spectrometer is a cuboid box structure.

[0020] According to one embodiment of this invention, a high-fidelity signal transmission path is provided for the "sensing" stage of defect detection by employing an optical fiber connection between the collecting mirror and the spectrometer. As a flexible connector, the optical fiber can adapt to the complex movements of the robotic arm, and its anti-electromagnetic interference properties ensure that the weak optical signals collected from the blade surface can be transmitted to the analytical instrument without loss and accurately. This structure provides reliable, high-quality raw data input for the subsequent control system to perform precise defect localization and repair path planning.

[0021] In summary, this invention fundamentally solves the problems of process separation and low efficiency in existing technologies by physically integrating the supercritical CO2 demolding unit and the laser surface treatment unit into a single structure. At the same time, by replacing chemical demolding methods with physical demolding structures, it avoids environmental pollution and potential product quality risks. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of an integrated device for demolding and surface treatment of cured wind turbine blades according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a supercritical CO2 demolding unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a laser surface treatment unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of this utility model clearer, the utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Please see Figures 1 to 3 . Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of an integrated device for demolding and surface treatment of cured wind turbine blades according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a supercritical CO2 demolding unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a laser surface treatment unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] This embodiment provides an integrated device for demolding and surface treatment of cured wind turbine blades, comprising: a supercritical CO2 demolding unit, including: a reaction vessel 4 for accommodating the cured blade and mold; and a fluid system connected to the reaction vessel 4 via pipeline, the fluid system including a CO2 storage tank 1, a high-pressure pump 2, and a heater 3; a laser surface treatment unit, including: a laser 9; an optical path system including a reflector 10 and a focusing lens 11 to guide and focus the laser emitted by the laser 9 onto the surface of the cured blade; and a defect detection system including a collecting mirror 13 and a spectrometer 12; wherein the laser surface treatment unit is located downstream of the supercritical CO2 demolding unit, thereby forming an integrated continuous processing structure.

[0028] According to one embodiment of this utility model, the integrated device structurally integrates two core functions. First, by setting up a supercritical CO2 demolding unit, the chemical demolding agent in the prior art is physically replaced, eliminating the source of chemical residue pollution from a structural perspective and providing a clean substrate for subsequent coating. Second, by setting up a laser surface treatment unit, a physical carrier is provided for automated, high-precision defect detection and repair. Most importantly, by physically arranging the laser surface treatment unit downstream of the demolding unit, the two functional units structurally form a continuous, integrated processing station, fundamentally solving the inefficiency problem caused by the separation of processes and the need for long-distance workpiece transfer in the prior art.

[0029] Furthermore, it also includes a central control system 15, which is an industrial control computer containing a computer host. The central control system 15 is electrically connected to the supercritical CO2 demolding unit and the laser surface treatment unit respectively.

[0030] According to one embodiment of this utility model, by adding a central control system 15 and establishing an electrical connection with the two major functional units, the device is upgraded from physical integration to control integration. This electrically connected structural layout provides the necessary control path and structural foundation for the collaborative work and seamless automation between the two major units, and is a prerequisite for realizing the intelligent and automated operation of the entire device as an organic whole.

[0031] Furthermore, the fluid system of the supercritical CO2 demolding unit has a series pipeline structure, wherein the CO2 storage tank 1 is a vertical cylindrical tank, and its outlet is connected to the inlet of the high-pressure pump 2 through a first pipeline; the outlet of the high-pressure pump 2 is connected to the inlet of the heater 3 through a second pipeline; the heater 3 is a structure of two cylindrical cavities connected in series, and its outlet is connected to the inlet of the reactor 4 through a third pipeline.

[0032] According to one embodiment of this utility model, this series pipeline structure of "pressurization first, heating later, and injection" ensures, from a physical construction perspective, that the working medium can be reliably prepared into a supercritical state. Specifically, the vertical cylindrical storage tank 1 ensures the stability of raw material storage; the series connection between the high-pressure pump 2 and the heater 3 ensures that the fluid simultaneously meets the pressure and temperature conditions required for supercriticality before entering the reactor 4; and the heater 3, employing a two-chamber structure in series, improves heating uniformity and efficiency by increasing the heating area and time. This overall structure provides a reliable hardware guarantee for achieving stable and efficient physical demolding.

[0033] Furthermore, the high-pressure pump 2 has a specific structure of a horizontal cylindrical pump body plunger pump, the overall length of which is greater than its height, thus forming a stable structure with a low center of gravity.

[0034] According to one embodiment of this utility model, by further defining the structure of the high-pressure pump 2 as a horizontal plunger pump with a low center of gravity, the inherent advantages of its physical shape are utilized to significantly improve the stability of the equipment during operation and reduce vibration. This structural optimization directly leads to the stability of the output fluid pressure, thereby enabling more precise maintenance of the supercritical state of carbon dioxide and further improving the reliability and consistency of the demolding process.

[0035] Furthermore, the supercritical CO2 demolding unit also includes a recovery pipeline, wherein the bottom outlet of the reactor 4 is connected to the inlet of a gas-liquid separator 6, the gas-liquid separator 6 is a vertical tank structure, and its gas phase outlet is connected back to the CO2 storage tank 1 through a recovery device, thereby forming a closed-loop circulation system.

[0036] According to one embodiment of this utility model, by adding a recovery pipeline consisting of a reaction vessel 4, a gas-liquid separator 6, a recovery device, and a storage tank 1, a material closed loop is formed in the overall structure of the device. The gas-liquid separator 6 in the vertical tank utilizes gravity to achieve efficient separation. This closed-loop structure allows for the recovery and recycling of the working medium, carbon dioxide, not only achieving the green and environmentally friendly design goal structurally but also providing a solid structural foundation for reducing the long-term operating costs of the equipment.

[0037] Furthermore, the optical path system of the laser surface treatment unit has a folded optical path structure, wherein the laser 9 is a cuboid box shape with its light outlet facing the reflector 10, the reflector 10 is a plane reflector with its mirror surface normal forming a preset angle with the optical axis of the focusing lens 11, and the focusing lens 11 is a lens-type focusing lens located above the surface of the curing blade.

[0038] According to one embodiment of this utility model, this folded optical path structure, consisting of a laser 9, a reflector 10, and a focusing lens 11, is ingeniously designed. By folding the optical path once through the reflector 10, the bulky laser 9 can be flexibly arranged in non-core areas, greatly optimizing the spatial layout of the equipment and making it more compact. This structure achieves the goal of precisely guiding and focusing a high-energy laser beam onto the blade surface without sacrificing functionality, making it a preferred structural solution for achieving high-precision surface treatment.

[0039] Furthermore, the defect detection system of the laser surface treatment unit has a signal transmission structure, wherein the collecting mirror 13 is an optical device with a conical head, and its signal output end is connected to the signal input end of the spectrometer 12 through a flexible optical fiber. The spectrometer 12 is a cuboid box structure.

[0040] According to one embodiment of this invention, by employing an optical fiber connection between the collecting mirror 13 and the spectrometer 12, a high-fidelity signal transmission path is provided for the "sensing" stage of defect detection. As a flexible connector, the optical fiber can adapt to the complex movements of the robotic arm, and its anti-electromagnetic interference properties ensure that the weak optical signals collected from the blade surface can be transmitted to the analytical instrument without loss and accurately. This structure provides reliable, high-quality raw data input for the subsequent control system to perform precise defect localization and repair path planning.

[0041] Specifically, in this embodiment, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The entire integrated device operates as follows: First, the cured wind turbine blade 17, along with its mold, is hoisted and placed into the reactor 4 of the supercritical CO2 demolding unit. The reactor 4 is designed as an open-top, trough-shaped container to facilitate the vertical loading and unloading of large blades. Subsequently, the central control system 15 initiates the demolding process. Liquid carbon dioxide is extracted from the vertical CO2 storage tank 1 and enters a horizontal plunger pump for high-pressure processing. This plunger pump is precisely controlled by a temperature control system 8 to ensure stable output pressure. The pressurized carbon dioxide flows through a heater 3 composed of two series-connected cylindrical cavities, where it is heated above the critical point (31.1℃, 7.38MPa), forming supercritical CO2 fluid. This fluid is then injected into the reactor 4, utilizing its high permeability to penetrate into the tiny gaps between the blade and the mold, achieving physical demolding. To enhance demolding efficiency and uniformity, the reactor 4 is also connected to a circulation pump 5 via pipeline, forming a forced circulation loop to ensure sufficient fluid flow within the reactor. After demolding, the gas mixture inside the vessel is discharged from the bottom and enters the vertical gas-liquid separator 6. The separated gaseous carbon dioxide is returned to the storage tank 1 via the CO2 recovery outlet and recovery device, thus achieving recycling.

[0042] After demolding, the blade is conveyed to the downstream laser surface treatment unit. The central control system 15 then initiates the surface treatment program. First, the defect detection system starts working. A collecting mirror 13 with a conical head, mounted at the end of the robotic arm, scans the blade surface, collects the reflected optical signals, and transmits them non-destructively through a flexible optical fiber to a cuboid-shaped spectrometer 12 for analysis to identify and precisely locate surface defects. Once a defect is detected, the central control system 15 controls the robotic arm to move to the defect location. Next, the laser processing system starts. A cuboid-shaped laser 9 powered by a generator 16 emits a high-energy laser beam. This beam is deflected once by a plane mirror 10 and then precisely focused on the defect area on the blade surface by a lens-type focusing mirror 11 for cleaning or surface modification. Optionally, a repair material spraying head mounted on the same end effector can then be used to precisely spray repair resin or other materials onto the treated defect for further repair. The entire process is uniformly scheduled by the central control system 15, achieving a high degree of automation and integration of the demolding and surface repair processes.

[0043] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the scope of implementation of the present utility model. All equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the scope defined by the claims of the present utility model shall still fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0044] [List of Labels in the Attached Image]

[0045] 1: CO2 storage tank

[0046] 2: High-pressure pump

[0047] 3: Heater

[0048] 4: Reactor

[0049] 5: Circulation pump

[0050] 6: Gas-liquid separator

[0051] 8: Temperature control system

[0052] 9: Laser

[0053] 10: Reflector

[0054] 11: Focusing lens

[0055] 12: Spectrometer

[0056] 13: Collection Mirror

[0057] 15: Central Control System

[0058] 16: Generator

[0059] 17: Wind turbine blades

[0060] 18: CO2 recovery outlet

Claims

1. An integrated demolding and surface treatment device for curing wind turbine blades, characterized in that, include: A supercritical CO2 demolding unit includes: a reactor (4) for containing the cured blades and mold; and a fluid system connected to the reactor (4) by pipeline, the fluid system including a CO2 storage tank (1), a high-pressure pump (2) and a heater (3); A laser surface treatment unit includes: a laser (9); an optical path system including a reflector (10) and a focusing lens (11) to guide and focus the laser emitted by the laser (9) onto the surface of the cured blade; and a defect detection system including a collecting lens (13) and a spectrometer (12). The laser surface treatment unit is located downstream of the supercritical CO2 demolding unit, thus forming an integrated continuous processing structure.

2. The integrated device for demolding and surface treatment of cured wind turbine blades as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a central control system (15), which is an industrial control computer containing a computer host. The central control system (15) is electrically connected to the supercritical CO2 demolding unit and the laser surface treatment unit respectively.

3. The integrated device for demolding and surface treatment of cured wind turbine blades as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The fluid system of the supercritical CO2 demolding unit has a series pipeline structure, wherein the CO2 storage tank (1) is a vertical cylindrical tank, and its outlet is connected to the inlet of the high-pressure pump (2) through a first pipeline; the outlet of the high-pressure pump (2) is connected to the inlet of the heater (3) through a second pipeline; the heater (3) is a structure of two series cylindrical cavities, and its outlet is connected to the inlet of the reactor (4) through a third pipeline.

4. The integrated device for demolding and surface treatment of cured wind turbine blades as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The high-pressure pump (2) has a specific structure of a horizontal cylindrical pump body plunger pump, the overall length of which is greater than its height, thus forming a stable structure with a low center of gravity.

5. The integrated device for demolding and surface treatment of cured wind turbine blades as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The supercritical CO2 demolding unit also includes a recovery pipeline, wherein the bottom outlet of the reactor (4) is connected to the inlet of a gas-liquid separator (6), the gas-liquid separator (6) is a vertical tank structure, and its gas phase outlet is connected back to the CO2 storage tank (1) through a recovery device, thereby forming a closed-loop circulation system.

6. The integrated device for demolding and surface treatment of cured wind turbine blades as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The optical path system of the laser surface treatment unit has a folded optical path structure, wherein the laser (9) is a cuboid box shape, and its light outlet faces the reflector (10). The reflector (10) is a plane reflector, and its mirror normal forms a preset angle with the optical axis of the focusing lens (11). The focusing lens (11) is a lens-type focusing lens, located above the surface of the curing blade.

7. The integrated device for demolding and surface treatment of cured wind turbine blades as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The defect detection system of the laser surface treatment unit has a signal transmission structure, wherein the collecting mirror (13) is an optical device with a conical head, and its signal output end is connected to the signal input end of the spectrometer (12) through a flexible optical fiber. The spectrometer (12) is a cuboid box structure.

Images