Wind Turbine Blade Leading Edge Composite Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbine blades face issues with icing, leading to aerodynamic imbalances and erosion, which existing solutions attempt to address with heating elements that may fail or are not effective in maintaining optimal aerodynamic properties without them.
Innovation Solution
A composite protective cover comprising a UV-resistant thermoplastic material and fibre-reinforced cured epoxy resin is applied to the leading edge of fibre-reinforced turbine blade shells, providing enhanced erosion resistance and ice prevention, with the thermoplastic material being at least 5 times more resistant to erosion than the connecting resin and having a surface free energy of less than 35 mJ/m², ensuring the aerodynamic shape is maintained.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a heating element is installed to prevent icing, then ice buildup is reduced, but device complexity increases and reliability decreases due to potential heating element failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the heating element from the system entirely, extracting the problematic component that caused reliability issues. Instead, it uses a protective cover made of UV-resistant thermoplastic material with low surface free energy that passively prevents ice buildup through its inherent properties, eliminating the need for active heating systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cover material inherently resists ice buildup and erosion through its special properties (UV resistance, low surface free energy) without requiring external energy input or active control systems. The material itself provides the protective function, making the system self-sufficient and more reliable.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective cover is added to protect against erosion, then erosion resistance improves, but aerodynamic properties may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover is applied only to specific areas of the turbine blade that are most susceptible to erosion, such as the leading edge and trailing edge, while maintaining the aerodynamic shape of the blade. The cover material is designed to match the aerodynamic requirements of each specific zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cover is made from UV-resistant thermoplastic material that combines erosion resistance with aerodynamic properties. This composite material allows the cover to serve dual purposes: protecting against erosion while maintaining the necessary aerodynamic shape for efficient blade operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If UV-resistant thermoplastic material is used for the protective cover, then erosion resistance improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies particular parameters for the thermoplastic material (UV resistance, surface free energy less than 35 mJ/m², erosion resistance at least 5 times greater than cured resin) to optimize performance. By defining these key parameters, the manufacturing process becomes more standardized and controllable, though still requiring precision in material selection and application.
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 effectively prevents ice buildup and erosion, maintaining the aerodynamic balance of wind turbine blades without the need for heating elements, ensuring the durability and performance of the turbine blades by using a composite protective cover that is both highly resistant to erosion and ice, thus ensuring the structural integrity and efficiency of the turbine blades.
Implementation Method 1
The thermoplastic material is preferably at least 5 times as resistant to erosion as the cured resin for connecting the blade shells. Erosion resistance will be measured using the method described in the example section, using artificial rain.
Implementation Method 2
a surface free energy of less than 35 mJ/m 2the nature of the layer of thermoplastic material decreases the chance of build up of ice on its surface
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a protected turbine blade, (100) comprising a first turbine blade shell (201) and a second turbine blade shell, (202) said turbine blade shells being fibre-reinforced turbine blade shells connected by cured resin (205) and provided with a protective cover (105) at the leading edge of the turbine blade for protecting the cured resin at the leading edge (103) of the turbine blade against erosion. According to the invention, the protective cover is a composite comprising a layer of UV-resistant thermoplastic material and a layer of cured epoxy resin, the UV-resistant thermoplastic material having the following properties - a surface free energy of less than 35 m J/m2, and - a erosion resistance of the thermoplastic material larger than the erosion resistance of the cured resin connecting the turbine blade shells, wherein the layer of cured epoxy-resin covers the cured resin used for connecting the first and second blade shells over at least part of the length of the distal half of the turbine blade, and is bonded to said turbine blade.