Wind Turbine Blade Glue Joint with Spacer Elements

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for manufacturing wind turbine blades face challenges in achieving strong and efficient glue joints, which are a weak link in the structural integrity of the blades, leading to issues with weight, adhesive use, and bonding performance.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves a composite structure for wind turbine blades with a reinforcement material embedded in a polymer matrix, featuring a blade shell part with a glue flange and spacer elements, allowing for precise control of glue joint properties and reduced adhesive use by injecting glue between carefully arranged surfaces, thereby enhancing mechanical strength and reducing material costs and weight.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If traditional glue application methods are used for joining blade shell parts, then the blade can be assembled, but the glue joint strength is insufficient and represents a weak link in structural integrity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveglue joint strengthVSAvoidstructural integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary substance (adhesive) and an intermediary structure (adhesive joint cavity) to join the blade shell parts. The adhesive is injected into a controlled cavity formed between the first and second blade shell parts, allowing the adhesive to act as a mediator that creates a strong bond while maintaining structural integrity. This resolves the contradiction by providing a reliable joining mechanism that strengthens the glue joint while ensuring overall structural reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameters of the adhesive joint by controlling the cavity geometry, adhesive injection pressure, and bonding surface preparation. By optimizing these parameters, the adhesive joint strength is enhanced to match or exceed the strength of the blade shell parts themselves, eliminating the weak link in the structure and improving overall reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If more adhesive is used to strengthen glue joints, then bonding strength improves, but material costs and weight increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveglue joint strengthVSAvoidblade weight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies adhesive only in the specific local region where it is needed - within the adhesive joint cavity between the blade shell parts. By concentrating the adhesive in this localized area rather than applying it broadly across the entire bonding surface, the patent achieves strong joints with minimal adhesive material, thereby reducing both weight and material costs while maintaining high glue joint strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses partial action by injecting adhesive only into the specific cavity regions where bonding is required, rather than applying adhesive to the entire surface. This targeted approach ensures sufficient bonding strength is achieved with the minimum necessary amount of adhesive, optimizing the balance between strength, weight, and cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Strength

If more adhesive is used to ensure strong bonding, then joint strength improves, but material costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveglue joint strengthVSAvoidadhesive用量
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent confines the adhesive to the specific adhesive joint cavity between the blade shell parts, applying the adhesive only where it is functionally necessary. This localized application strategy achieves strong bonding joints while minimizing the total quantity of adhesive material required, thereby reducing material costs without compromising joint strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs partial action by injecting adhesive only into the defined cavity spaces where bonding is needed, rather than applying adhesive to the entire bonding surface. This ensures that the minimum necessary amount of adhesive is used to achieve the required joint strength, optimizing the balance between bonding performance and material cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

4Ease of manufacture

If traditional bonding methods are used, then assembly can proceed, but manufacturing precision and control of glue joint properties are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly processVSAvoidglue joint property control
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent prepares the adhesive joint cavity in advance during the molding process, creating defined bonding surfaces and controlled cavity geometries before the actual assembly. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the blade shell parts are assembled, the adhesive can be precisely injected into the pre-formed cavities, achieving high manufacturing precision and consistent glue joint properties while maintaining ease of assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent controls key parameters such as cavity geometry, bonding surface area, and adhesive injection conditions to achieve precise control over glue joint properties. By optimizing these parameters during the design and manufacturing process, the patent ensures consistent high-quality bonds while maintaining an efficient assembly process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3475063B1Wind turbine blade with improved glue joint and related method
Publication Date: 2023.09.06 LM WIND POWER AS
  • EP3475063B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3475063B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3475063B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Blade shell part (70) for a wind turbine blade (10) and a wind turbine blade (10). The blade shell part (70) is made of a composite structure comprising a reinforcement material embedded in a polymer matrix, the blade shell part (70) extending from a tip end to a root end, wherein the blade shell part (70) comprises: a blade shell body (74) with a leading edge (76) and a trailing edge (56), and a first glue flange (78) extending from the leading edge (76) and having a first glue flange edge (80) and a first glue surface (82) with a first width (WI ), wherein the first glue flange (78) is provided with one or more spacer elements (84, 84A, 90, 90A). Further, a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade (10) is described.