Wind Turbine Blade Inspection Window for Bond Paste Verification

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Turbine blade field failures often occur due to inadequate bond width between shell members, particularly at the trailing edge, leading to catastrophic failures, necessitating an improved method to ensure the minimum design bond width is achieved.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating inspection windows in the turbine blade shell members to visually verify the migration of bond paste to the minimum design bond width, using either internal or external light sources to detect the bond paste's presence and ensure a uniform bond width, with the option of dual inspection windows for alignment and confirmation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If bond paste is applied between shell members to ensure minimum design bond width, then bond strength is improved, but it becomes difficult to verify whether the minimum bond width has been achieved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebond strengthVSAvoidverification difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates inspection windows into the blade design during the manufacturing process, before bonding operations. These windows are pre-positioned to align with the minimum bond width location, enabling future verification of bond paste application without requiring post-bonding disassembly or complex measurement tools.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a light source as an intermediary tool that shines through the inspection window to detect bond paste migration. The light acts as a mediator between the inspector and the bond paste, making the invisible bond width verification visible through simple optical detection rather than complex measurement equipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If inspection windows are added to verify bond paste migration, then measurement capability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebond width verificationVSAvoidblade structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies inspection windows only at specific critical locations where bond width verification is needed (at the minimum bond width location along the bond line), rather than throughout the entire blade structure. This localized approach provides necessary measurement capability while minimizing the addition of structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses optical copying principles where light passes through the inspection window to create a visual representation of bond paste migration. Instead of complex physical measurement tools, the system uses light transmission to 'copy' the bond paste position information into a visible format that can be easily assessed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If dual inspection windows are used with light sources to detect bond paste migration, then verification reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebond verification reliabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The inspection windows are incorporated into the blade mold design during the initial manufacturing process, so that the windows are created along with the blade shells themselves. This preliminary integration avoids the need for post-manufacturing modifications and simplifies the overall manufacturing process despite the added verification capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method ensures that the bond paste reaches the minimum design bond width, reducing the risk of blade failures by providing a visible indication of bond paste migration, thereby ensuring a uniform and adequate bond at the trailing edge.

Implementation Method 1

If a light source is external to the inspection window and light shines externally through the inspection window without reflection, then the bond paste has not yet migrated to the inspection window or a location where it would reflect the light

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 2

the resin curing to a translucent state and sealing the passage while providing visible access into the blade

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight transmission: Refraction

Data Source

PatentEP3015701B1Wind turbine blade with bond paste inspection window and associated method

Publication Date: 2017.10.18 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO

AI summary

A wind turbine blade 16 has an upper shell member 20 and a lower shell member 22 bonded at a leading 24 and trailing edge 26 of the blade 16 with a bond paste 34 applied between respective forward and rearward edges of the shell members 20,22. At least one of the shell members 20,22 includes a first inspection window 42 defined therein along one of the leading edge or trailing edge at a location corresponding at least to a design minimum bond width 53 of the bond paste 34 applied at the respective leading edge or trailing edge 24,26. The inspection window 42 provides a visible access through the shell member 20,22 such that a visible indication is generated through the inspection window 42 when bond paste 34 is injected and reaches the minimum bond width 53 location in the chord-wise direction.