Wind Turbine Blade CFRP Strip Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing and handling of long, heavy carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) pultruded strips for wind turbine blades are challenging due to their length and weight, requiring improved alignment and transfer methods to simplify the manufacturing process and reduce the risk of damage during transportation and assembly.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that allow stacks of CFRP strips to be pre-aligned outside a blade mould, using a support structure to maintain alignment and spacing, facilitating easy transfer into the mould with minimal realignment required, and incorporating a resin infusion process for integration with other blade materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If long, heavy CFRP pultruded strips are used for wind turbine blades, then the load bearing capacity is improved, but the ease of handling and alignment during manufacturing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The blade structure is segmented into multiple components: pre-fabricated CFRP strips, foam core sections, and shell segments. These segments are manufactured separately and then assembled together, making the handling and alignment process more manageable while maintaining the high strength benefits of long CFRP strips
Solution Approach 2:
A resin infusion process is introduced as an intermediary mechanism that bonds the CFRP strips to the foam core and shell structures. This intermediary process facilitates the assembly of heavy components by providing a controlled bonding mechanism that simplifies alignment and reduces manual handling requirements
2Strength
If long, heavy CFRP pultruded strips are used for wind turbine blades, then the load bearing capacity is improved, but the risk of damage during transportation and assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is divided into transportable segments with CFRP strips integrated into modular sections. This segmentation reduces the risk of damage during transportation by breaking down the overall structure into smaller, more manageable units that can be handled with standard equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates foam core sections and carefully engineered joint structures that provide cushioning and protection to the CFRP strips during assembly and operation. This beforehand cushioning prevents damage by absorbing stresses and misalignments that could otherwise harm the brittle CFRP components
3Manufacturing precision
If alignment of CFRP strips is performed inside the blade mould, then the manufacturing precision can be maintained, but the time and manual effort required increases
Solution Approach 1:
CFRP strips are pre-aligned and pre-assembled with foam core sections outside the blade mould to create pre-fabricated blade segments. This preliminary action transfers the alignment operation to a more accessible location with better lighting and workspace, significantly reducing the time and manual effort required while maintaining alignment precision through controlled manufacturing conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The resin infusion process serves as an intermediary that enables pre-alignment outside the mould. By using resin-bonded joints to connect segments, the system allows alignment to be performed in a controlled pre-assembly area, then maintains precision during final assembly through the bonding mechanism rather than relying solely on mechanical alignment inside the mould
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 approach reduces the time and manual effort needed for alignment, minimizes the risk of damage to the strips during handling, and streamlines the manufacturing process by maintaining precise alignment and spacing during transfer, thus enhancing the efficiency of wind turbine blade production.
Implementation Method 1
resin 38 infuses between the various laminate layers and fills any gaps in the laminate layup
Implementation Method 2
A vacuum pump 36 is used to withdraw air from the sealed region between the mould 20 and the vacuum bagging film 30
Implementation Method 3
the mould 20 is heated whilst the vacuum is maintained to cure the resin 38 and bond the various layers together
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A method of making a wind turbine blade in a blade mould is described. The wind turbine blade comprises a plurality of elongate reinforcing structures each comprising a stack of strips of fibre- reinforced polymeric material, and the method comprises: stacking strips of fibre-reinforced polymeric material to form a plurality of stacks (40), each defining a longitudinal axis; aligning the stacks relative to one another in an alignment zone outside the blade mould; supporting the stacks to maintain their relative alignment; transferring the plurality of stacks into the blade mould simultaneously while maintaining the relative alignment of stacks as the stacks are transferred; and integrating the stacks with other blade materials forming the blade in the blade mould. An apparatus for use in the method is also described.