Wind Turbine Blade Protective Shell Molding Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbine blades face structural integrity issues due to debris impact, leading to aerodynamic losses and potential disintegration, with existing solutions requiring surface defects to be repaired before applying protective measures and risking air pocket formation that can cause explosive disintegration during lightning strikes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a blade plug with a surface topography matching the wind turbine blade, a mold to create a protective shell with a corresponding inner surface, and a mounting shell to ensure secure adhesion without air pockets, allowing for the application of a protective cover on both new and operational blades with surface defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a protective shell is applied to reinforce the wind turbine blade, then the structural integrity is improved, but air pockets may form between the shell and blade surface leading to potential explosive disintegration during lightning strikes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a protective shell that conforms to the blade surface through a molding process, creating a tight fit that eliminates air pockets. The shell is designed as a thin-walled structure that maintains structural integrity while adhering closely to the blade contour, preventing the formation of hazardous air spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective shell is pre-formed using a mold that captures the exact surface topology of the blade before application. This preliminary molding action ensures that the shell's inner surface perfectly matches the blade's outer surface, guaranteeing complete contact and eliminating air pockets during installation.
2Productivity
If the protective shell is applied immediately without surface repair, then the productivity is improved by reducing non-operative time, but the manufacturing precision may be compromised due to surface defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the state of the protective shell from rigid to compliant during the molding process, allowing it to adapt to surface irregularities. The shell material is selected to have sufficient flexibility to conform to defective surfaces while maintaining its protective function, thereby eliminating the need for prior surface repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective shell is created as a precise copy of the blade's surface geometry through molding. This copying process captures the existing surface topology including any defects, and the shell is designed to conform to this copied geometry, allowing application without requiring surface repair while maintaining aerodynamic integrity.
3Loss of energy
If the protective shell is made to fit closely to the blade surface, then the aerodynamic performance is maintained, but the complexity of ensuring proper fit and eliminating air pockets increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective shell is designed to self-conform to the blade surface through its inherent flexibility and the molding process. The shell's inner surface automatically adapts to the blade's geometry during application, eliminating the need for complex adjustment mechanisms or procedures to ensure proper fit and eliminate air pockets.
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 enhances structural integrity, maintains aerodynamic performance, and prevents explosive disintegration by ensuring a secure fit of the protective shell, allowing for immediate application without prior surface repair and eliminating air pockets.
Implementation Method 1
applying an adhesive to at least part of the inner surface of said protective shell and/or to at least part of the outer surface of at least a leading portion of said outer surface of said wind turbine blade
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for reinforcing a part of the outer surface of a wind turbine blade, said method comprises the steps: i) providing a blade plug having an outer surface resembling the topography of the outer surface of at least a leading portion of at least part of the length of a wind turbine blade; ii) casting a mold of part of the blade plug obtained in step i) in such a way that the topography of an inner surface of said mold corresponds to the topography of part of an outer surface of said blade plug provided in step i); iii) from the mold obtained in step ii), preparing a protective shell by making a casting of the inner surface of said mold; said protective shell is comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, said protective shell is being made from one or more predetermined materials; iv) starting from the topography of the surface of the wind turbine blade; or starting from a blade plug as obtained in step i) preparing an enlarged plug; said enlarged plug thereby comprising an outer surface resembling the topography of the outer surface of at least a leading part of said wind turbine blade; said outer surface of said enlarged plug is having larger dimensions than said outer surface of said blade plug; v) from the enlarged plug obtained in step iv), casting a mounting shell having an inner surface and an outer surface, in such a way that the topography of at least part of an inner surface of said mounting shell corresponds to the topography of part of an outer surface of said enlarged plug; vi) applying an adhesive to at least part of the inner surface of said protective shell and/or to at least part of the outer surface of at least a leading portion of said outer surface of said wind turbine blade; vii) fitting the inner surface of said protective shell onto at least a leading portion of the outer surface of said wind turbine blade; viii) fitting the inner surface of said mounting shell onto said outer surface of said protective shell; ix) applying a force to said mounting shell, and thereby also to said outer surface of said protective shell; wherein said force comprises a force component in a cord direction from the leading surface to the trailing surface of said wind turbine blade; wherein said force additionally comprises a force component in a direction perpendicular to the cord direction and perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of said wind turbine blade; thereby pressing said mounting shell and said protective shell against the outer surface of the wind turbine blade; x) allowing said adhesive applied in step vi) to cure, and subsequently removing said mounting shell from said wind turbine blade and from said protective shell.