Wind Turbine Blade Maintenance Attachment for Shape-Adaptive Traversal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for maintaining wind turbine blades are costly, labor-intensive, and pose safety risks due to the need for workers to perform maintenance at high altitudes, and they do not account for shape changes of the blades.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising an attaching means that conforms to the shape of the blade, a moving means for traversal along a rope, and maintenance means for performing tasks such as imaging, examining, washing, polishing, and applying materials, all while being operated remotely via tensioned ropes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid attachment structure is used to maintain device attachment to the wind turbine blade, then the attachment stability is improved, but the device cannot adapt to shape changes of the blade surface during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The attaching means is designed to deform and change shape in accordance with the contour of the wind turbine blade surface. This dynamic adaptation allows the attaching means to maintain reliable attachment while accommodating shape changes of the blade during device movement, resolving the contradiction between attachment stability and adaptability to shape changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The attaching means changes its physical parameters (shape and configuration) to match the blade surface contour. By allowing the attaching means to deform and adjust its geometric parameters, the device can maintain stable attachment while adapting to varying blade shapes during the maintenance process.
2Reliability
If a custom-shaped attachment device is designed to match the specific blade geometry, then the attachment reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases and cannot be used on different blade types
Solution Approach 1:
The attaching means is designed with universal adaptability to attach to different types of wind turbine blades. Instead of creating custom-shaped attachments for each blade type, the device uses a standardized interface that can accommodate various blade geometries through the deformable attaching means, reducing device complexity while maintaining attachment reliability across different blade types.
Solution Approach 2:
The attaching means can change its shape and configuration parameters to adapt to different blade geometries. This parameter variability allows a single device design to maintain reliable attachment across multiple blade types without increasing overall device complexity, as the attaching means itself adapts rather than requiring custom device designs.
3Device complexity
If manual attachment and detachment methods are used, then the device simplicity is maintained, but the maintenance time and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The attaching means is designed to automatically attach to and detach from the wind turbine blade without requiring manual intervention. The self-attaching mechanism reduces maintenance time and labor requirements while maintaining device operation simplicity, as the attachment process occurs automatically when the device approaches the blade.
4Reliability
If the attaching means is made rigid to ensure stable attachment, then the attachment stability is improved, but the attaching means cannot deform to match blade shape changes during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The attaching means transitions from a rigid structure to a dynamic, deformable structure that can change shape in accordance with the blade contour. This dynamic capability allows the attaching means to maintain stable attachment while adapting to shape changes during device movement along the blade surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The attaching means employs flexible or deformable structural elements that can conform to the blade surface geometry. These flexible components maintain attachment stability through continuous contact while adapting their shape to match blade contours, resolving the contradiction between rigidity for stability and flexibility for shape adaptability.
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
Enables safe and cost-effective maintenance on wind turbine blades, accommodating shape changes, and allows for remote operation, reducing the need for human workers at high altitudes.
Implementation Method 1
an attaching means that enables the device to attach to a part of an object, the attaching means being configured to deform in accordance with a shape of a part of the object
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
A device for performing maintenance on an object is provided. The device for performing maintenance on an object comprises an attaching means that enables the device to attach to a part of an object, the attaching means being configured to deform in accordance with a shape of a part of the object, a moving means that enables the device to move on the object, and a maintenance means that performs maintenance on the object. In one embodiment of the present invention, the attaching means is configured so that the device maintains a state of attaching to the part of the object by the deformation of the attaching means even when a shape of a part of the object changes in association with the movement.