A wind turbine blade leading edge impact protection structure

Abstract

This utility model discloses an impact-resistant protection structure for the leading edge of a wind turbine blade, including a support base and a top plate. The top plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the leading edge bonding portion of the wind turbine blade. The support base includes an arc-shaped plate and a support block. The two ends of the arc-shaped plate are respectively fixedly connected to the inner wall of the leading edge bonding portion and are located on the upper and lower sides of the top plate. The support block is fixed to the concave surface of the arc-shaped plate, and the support block and the top plate are elastically connected by an elastic component. When the leading edge is impacted, the support block and the top plate are compressed, causing the elastic component to contract and form a buffer. The top plate, support base, and elastic component disposed inside the blade constitute a mechanical buffer mechanism, which can effectively absorb and disperse the impact energy from the leading edge, thereby reducing the damage to the leading edge bonding portion caused by the impact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of wind power generation technology, specifically to an impact-resistant protection structure for the leading edge of a wind turbine blade. Background Technology

[0002] Wind turbine blades are the core components of wind turbine generators that capture wind energy, and they operate in a complex outdoor environment for extended periods. During operation, wind turbine blades not only have to withstand enormous aerodynamic loads, but also endure the combined effects of various factors such as sand particles, flying insects, rainwater, ambient temperature differences, and ultraviolet aging, making them highly susceptible to corrosion and damage.

[0003] In particular, the leading edge of a wind turbine blade is the part that directly bears the impact and is the most vulnerable area to damage. After a period of use, the protective coating and adhesive areas on the leading edge may experience wear, peeling, or even tearing. Leading edge damage leads to a deterioration of the blade's aerodynamic shape, increases aerodynamic noise, reduces the power generation efficiency and operational stability of the wind turbine, and in severe cases, may even endanger the structural safety of the blade itself, thus directly affecting the economic benefits of the wind farm.

[0004] Existing wind turbine blade protection measures mainly focus on surface anti-corrosion coatings or leading edge protective films. These measures have a certain protective effect against minor erosion, but for larger impact loads caused by rain erosion, hail, birds, etc., their internal structure lacks effective buffering and support design, making it difficult to provide sufficient impact resistance and structural redundancy. This leads to accelerated fatigue damage (such as deformation and cracking) of the leading edge bonding part under long-term impact.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an impact-resistant protection structure that can improve the overall strength of the leading edge structure of wind turbine blades and provide internal buffering and support to effectively resist impact loads and extend the service life of the blades. Utility Model Content

[0006] This invention aims to solve the problems of insufficient impact resistance, easy damage to the leading edge bonding part, and lack of internal buffer and support in existing wind turbine blade leading edge protection structures. It provides a wind turbine blade leading edge impact protection structure that can improve the leading edge impact resistance, enhance structural strength, and has an elastic buffer mechanism.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the above problems is: a wind turbine blade leading edge impact protection structure, including a support base and a top plate. The top plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the leading edge bonding part of the wind turbine blade. The support base includes an arc-shaped plate and a support block. The two ends of the arc-shaped plate are respectively fixedly connected to the inner wall of the leading edge bonding part and are located on the upper and lower sides of the top plate. The support block is fixed to the concave surface of the arc-shaped plate, and the support block and the top plate are elastically connected by an elastic component. When the leading edge is impacted, the support block and the top plate are squeezed together, causing the elastic component to contract to form a buffer.

[0008] Preferably, the elastic component includes a guide post and a fixing sleeve respectively disposed on the support block and the top plate and slidably sleeved together, wherein the fixing sleeve is provided with a compression spring, and the two ends of the compression spring abut against the end faces of the guide post and the top plate respectively.

[0009] Preferably, it also includes a reinforcement component, which includes two sets of support rods. The two sets of support rods are arranged obliquely, with one end connected and fixed to the end of the arc-shaped plate, and the other end connected and fixed to the bonding part between the web and the main beam.

[0010] Preferably, the reinforcement assembly further includes a set of vertical stiffeners and two sets of diagonal stiffeners. The two ends of the vertical stiffeners are respectively connected and fixed to the upper and lower sets of support rods. One end of the two sets of diagonal stiffeners is connected and fixed to the web plate, and the other end is respectively connected and fixed to the adhesive part between the end of the vertical stiffener and the support rod.

[0011] Preferably, the reinforcing component further includes a set of transverse stiffeners, the two ends of which are fixedly connected to the vertical stiffeners and the convex surface of the arc plate, respectively.

[0012] Preferably, the bonding joints between the reinforcing component and the web, the bonding joints between the reinforcing component and the main beam, and the bonding joints between the web and the main beam are all provided with multiple reinforcing layers.

[0013] Preferably, the reinforcing layer is made of fiberglass cloth or carbon fiber cloth.

[0014] Preferably, it also includes a leading edge protective film adhered to the outer surface of the leading edge, the leading edge protective film comprising, from the inside out, an adhesive layer, a buffer layer and a protective layer, and a warning coating is also sprayed on the outer surface of the leading edge.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, this utility model has the following advantages and effects:

[0016] This invention features dual buffer protection: the internal top plate, support base, and elastic components form a mechanical buffer mechanism that effectively absorbs and disperses impact energy from the leading edge, thereby reducing damage to the leading edge bonding area. The buffer layer in the external leading edge protective film provides another layer of protection, forming a dual buffer protection system that improves the impact resistance of the blade's leading edge. This invention constructs a stable internal support frame through an arc-shaped plate and reinforcing components (including support rods and various stiffeners), effectively transferring and dispersing the force on the leading edge to the blade's main spars and web, enhancing the overall structural strength and rigidity of the leading edge bonding area, and effectively preventing tearing of the leading edge under impact or high loads. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the protective structure of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the protective structure of this utility model.

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A partial structural diagram of the area marked by the middle circle.

[0020] Attached Figures: Support 1, Arc Plate 11, Support Block 12, Top Plate 2, Main Beam 3, Web Plate 4, Elastic Component 5, Guide Column 51, Fixing Sleeve 52, Compression Spring 53, Reinforcing Component 6, Support Rod 61, Vertical Rib 62, Diagonal Rib 63, Horizontal Rib 64, Protective Film 7, Warning Coating 71, Adhesive Layer 72, Buffer Layer 73, Protective Layer 74. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through embodiments. The following embodiments are explanations of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0022] Example: See Figure 1 - Figure 3 This embodiment relates to a wind turbine blade leading edge impact protection structure, specifically used to enhance the impact resistance and structural strength of the wind turbine blade leading edge, resisting impact damage caused by rain erosion, hail, birds, etc. This structure is installed on the inner wall of the wind turbine blade leading edge. Specifically, it includes a support base 1 and a top plate 2. The top plate 2 (adhesive-bonded) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the adhesive portion of the wind turbine blade leading edge, serving as an inner lining that directly bears the impact force of the blade's leading edge skin.

[0023] The support base 1 includes an arc-shaped plate 11 and a support block 12. The arc-shaped plate 11 is the main body providing structural support, and its two ends are fixed to the inner wall of the front edge bonding part by adhesive bonding. It is located on the upper and lower sides of the top plate 2, forming an internal arched support structure. The support block 12 (adhesive bonding or integral molding) is fixed to the concave surface of the arc-shaped plate 11 (the side facing the top plate 2), and its position is aligned with the top plate 2.

[0024] The elastic component 5 is disposed between the support block 12 and the top plate 2 to achieve an elastic connection between the two. When the leading edge skin is subjected to a large impact such as hail or birds, the skin drives the top plate 2 to move inward, squeezing the support block 12 and causing the elastic component 5 to contract, thereby generating a buffering effect, absorbing the impact energy, and buffering the impact force at the leading edge bonding area. This effectively alleviates deformation and cracking at the leading edge skin bonding area, thereby improving the service life of the blade.

[0025] This embodiment features a design for the elastic component 5. The elastic component 5 employs a guide post 51, a fixed sleeve 52, and a compression spring 53. The fixed sleeve 52 is fixed to the support block 12. The guide post 51 is fixed to the top plate 2 and slidably fitted within the fixed sleeve 52. The compression spring 53 is disposed inside the fixed sleeve 52. One end of the spring abuts against the end face of the guide post 51, and the other end abuts against the bottom plate (or the end face of the top plate 2) inside the fixed sleeve 52. This structure ensures that when the top plate 2 is subjected to impact, the compression spring 53 is compressed, and the top plate 2 moves inward along the spring compression direction, thus providing a buffering effect.

[0026] This embodiment also includes a reinforcement component 6 to enhance the connection strength between the leading edge structure and the blade body. Specifically, the reinforcement component 6 includes two sets of support rods 61. These two sets of support rods 61 are obliquely arranged, with one end connected and fixed to both ends of the arc-shaped plate 11, and the other end connected and fixed to the bonding portion between the blade web 4 and the main beam 3. Through these two sets of support rods 61, the load of the leading edge is distributed to the main beam 3 of the blade, which is the main load-bearing structure, thereby improving the overall structural strength of the leading edge.

[0027] This embodiment further refines the internal structure of the reinforcement component 6, forming a more stable structure. Specifically, the reinforcement component 6 also includes a set of vertical stiffeners 62 and two sets of diagonal stiffeners 63. The two ends of the vertical stiffeners 62 are respectively connected and fixed to the upper and lower sets of support rods 61. One end of each set of diagonal stiffeners 63 is connected and fixed to the blade web 4, while the other end is respectively connected and fixed to the bonding portion between the vertical stiffeners 62 and the support rods 61. This stiffener design forms a triangular stable structure (similar to a truss), which not only transfers the load to the main beam 3 but also evenly distributes it to the web 4, improving the leading edge structure's resistance to lateral and torsional loads.

[0028] In all the structural component connections mentioned above, multiple reinforcing layers are provided in key stress-bearing connection areas such as the bonding joints between the reinforcing component 6 and the web 4, the bonding joints between the reinforcing component 6 and the main beam 3, and the bonding joints between the web 4 and the main beam 3. The reinforcing layers are preferably made of fiberglass cloth or carbon fiber cloth. Through layer-by-layer laying and resin curing, a high-strength connection is formed, effectively improving the shear and tear resistance of the connection points and, to a certain extent, avoiding structural failure caused by stress concentration.

[0029] To form a complete internal and external protection system, this embodiment also includes a leading edge protective film 7 adhered to the outer surface of the leading edge. See also Figure 3 The protective film 7 comprises, from the inside out:

[0030] Adhesive layer 72: Fiberglass tape can be used to firmly fix the protective film 7 to the outer surface of the blade.

[0031] Buffer layer 73: Can be made of highly elastic materials such as polyurethane, providing buffering and absorption against daily erosion such as small particles and rainwater.

[0032] Protective layer 74: Composed of highly wear-resistant, UV-resistant, and weather-resistant materials (such as polytetrafluoroethylene filled with graphite reinforcing agents), serving as the outermost protective barrier.

[0033] Furthermore, since the paint and protective film 7 are usually transparent and colorless or white, it is difficult for maintenance personnel on the ground to judge the extent of damage to the protective structure and determine whether the protective film 7 needs repair. The outer surface of the leading edge skin can also be sprayed with a warning coating 71, such as a high-visibility color (e.g., orange or red), to facilitate visual inspection on the ground and drone inspection, and to facilitate timely repair when the protective film 7 is damaged or detached.

[0034] The above description in this specification is merely illustrative of the present invention. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to replace them, as long as they do not depart from the content of this specification or exceed the scope defined in the claims, all of which shall fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A wind turbine blade leading edge impact protection structure, characterized in that, The device includes a support base and a top plate. The top plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the leading edge bonding portion of the wind turbine blade. The support base includes an arc-shaped plate and a support block. The two ends of the arc-shaped plate are respectively fixedly connected to the inner wall of the leading edge bonding portion and are located on the upper and lower sides of the top plate. The support block is fixed to the concave surface of the arc-shaped plate, and the support block and the top plate are elastically connected by an elastic component. When the leading edge is impacted, the support block and the top plate are squeezed together, causing the elastic component to contract to form a buffer.

2. The wind turbine blade leading edge impact protection structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic component includes a guide post and a fixing sleeve respectively disposed on the support block and the top plate and slidably sleeved together. The fixing sleeve is provided with a compression spring, and the two ends of the compression spring abut against the end faces of the guide post and the top plate respectively.

3. The wind turbine blade leading edge impact protection structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a reinforcement component, which includes two sets of support rods. The two sets of support rods are arranged obliquely, with one end connected and fixed to the end of the arc plate, and the other end connected and fixed to the bonding part between the web plate and the main beam.

4. The wind turbine blade leading edge impact protection structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The reinforcement assembly also includes a set of vertical stiffeners and two sets of diagonal stiffeners. The two ends of the vertical stiffeners are respectively connected and fixed to the upper and lower sets of support rods. One end of the two sets of diagonal stiffeners is connected and fixed to the web plate, and the other end is respectively connected and fixed to the adhesive part between the end of the vertical stiffener and the support rod.

5. The wind turbine blade leading edge impact protection structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The reinforcement assembly also includes a set of transverse stiffeners, the two ends of which are fixedly connected to the vertical stiffeners and the convex surface of the arc plate, respectively.

6. The wind turbine blade leading edge impact protection structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bonding joints between the reinforcing component and the web, the bonding joints between the reinforcing component and the main beam, and the bonding joints between the web and the main beam are all provided with multiple reinforcing layers.

7. The wind turbine blade leading edge impact protection structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The reinforcing layer is made of fiberglass cloth or carbon fiber cloth.

8. The wind turbine blade leading edge impact protection structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a leading edge protective film adhered to the outer surface of the leading edge. The leading edge protective film consists of an adhesive layer, a buffer layer, and a protective layer from the inside out, and a warning coating is also sprayed on the outer surface of the leading edge.

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