Wind Turbine Blade Heating Layout for Efficient Anti-Icing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anti-icing solutions for wind turbine blades are complicated and costly, failing to efficiently distribute heating power based on the varying heat requirements along the blade's length and edges, leading to inefficiencies and increased fatigue loads.
Innovation Solution
A wind turbine blade design with integrated electrical connector and heating element layers, glass fabric layers, and power wires, allowing independent heating of different blade regions, with heating elements placed during or after shell manufacturing, and connected via metallic blocks and power wires for efficient power distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If multiple heating elements are installed after blade manufacturing, then heating coverage can be improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heating elements are integrated into the blade structure during the manufacturing process rather than being installed afterward. This preliminary integration simplifies the overall system by combining multiple functions (structural support and heating) into a single manufacturing step, reducing both device complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining adequate heating coverage
2Ease of manufacture
If heating elements are uniformly distributed, then manufacturing is simplified, but heating efficiency decreases due to varying heat requirements along the blade
Solution Approach 1:
The heating elements are distributed non-uniformly along the blade, with higher density near the leading edge and tip where heat requirements are greater, and lower density toward the trailing edge and root. This local variation in heating element distribution optimizes heating efficiency by matching the thermal needs of different blade regions while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
3Device complexity
If heating elements are integrated during manufacturing, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heating elements are merged with the blade manufacturing process itself, becoming an integral part of the blade structure. This merging reduces device complexity by eliminating separate installation steps and connections, while the manufacturing precision requirements are managed through standard composite material layup techniques that are already part of the blade production process
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
The solution provides a simpler, cheaper, and more effective anti-icing system that accurately distributes heat based on blade requirements, reducing fatigue loads and ensuring reliable operation.
Implementation Method 1
The heating unit used in the existing heating anti-icing system is either uniformly disposed on the surface of the blade or divided into several heating zones along the length direction
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
An anti and/or de-icing blade and manufacturing method for said blade comprising a pressure side shell (7) and a suction side shell (8), said shells (7,8) comprising at least one electrical connector layer (5) extending from the leading edge (3) towards the trailing edge (4), at least one heating elements layer (6) electrically in contact with the electrical connector layer (5), glass fabric layers (9) at least inwardly in contact with the electrical connector (5) or with heating elements layer (6), a connector component (10) extending transversally through the glass fabric layers (9) and being electrically connected with the electrical connector layer (5) and with a metallic block (11) which is drilled by an inter-connector (12) so that the electrical connector layers (5) from each shell (7,8) are electrically connected and the blade is able to be heated when electrically fed from power source.