Wind Turbine Blade Root Structure to Prevent Insert Slippage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wind turbine blades face issues with high compressive stress and tensile stress in the root portion, leading to potential failure and reduced service life, and existing connection joints can fail due to damage, compromising load transfer capacity and risking blade detachment.

Innovation Solution

A root portion design for wind turbine blades featuring an inner and outer wall with a filler, mounting inserts, and a transversal holding arrangement comprising inlay and lateral beams that extend into mounting insert holes, providing enhanced load carrying capacity and preventing insert slippage, allowing for in-situ installation without complex machinery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If mounting inserts are used to connect the root portion to the hub, then the blade can be mounted to the hub, but the mounting inserts may slip out under high compressive and tensile stress, compromising load transfer capacity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemounting connection reliabilityVSAvoidload transfer capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The inlay beam is nested within the mounting insert hole, extending into the mounting insert to provide internal support and prevention of slippage. This nested structure allows the inlay beam to work together with the mounting insert, enhancing the overall connection reliability without adding external components that would increase device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The inlay beam extends in the longitudinal direction of the root portion, which is perpendicular to the transversal holding arrangement. This additional dimensional approach provides load distribution along the length of the mounting insert, preventing slippage under high stress conditions by utilizing the longitudinal dimension rather than only transversal support.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Force

If the root portion is subjected to high compressive stress during operation, then the blade can transfer loads to the hub, but the stress may lead to potential failure and reduced service life

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveload transfer capabilityVSAvoidservice life

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The inlay beam is specifically positioned within the mounting insert hole where the highest stresses occur during operation. By concentrating the reinforcement at this critical location rather than throughout the entire root portion, the solution addresses the local stress concentration issue while maintaining the overall structural integrity and extending service life under high compressive and tensile loads.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The inlay beam is installed in advance within the mounting insert hole to provide preemptive reinforcement against the high compressive and tensile stresses that will occur during blade operation. This beforehand cushioning prevents potential failure by strengthening the mounting connection before the damaging stresses are applied, thereby extending the service life of the blade.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Reliability

If a transversal holding arrangement is added to prevent insert slippage, then the mounting reliability is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemounting insert retentionVSAvoidholding arrangement complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The inlay beam is merged with the existing mounting insert structure by being installed within the mounting insert hole and extending into the mounting insert. This merging approach integrates the retention function into the existing mounting system rather than adding a separate, complex holding mechanism, thereby improving reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The inlay beam structure allows the mounting insert hole itself to serve the dual function of accommodating the mounting insert and housing the inlay beam for retention. This self-service approach uses the existing structural features of the root portion and mounting inserts to provide the holding function, avoiding the need for additional complex components or assembly steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12480467B2Root section, wind turbine blade and methods for producing and modifying a root portion of a wind turbine blade

Publication Date: 2025.11.25 GAMESA INNOVATION & TECH SL

AI summary

A root portion for a wind turbine blade is provided, including: an inner wall, an outer wall, a filler, an inner volume, mounting inserts, and a transversal holding arrangement, wherein the transversal holding arrangement includes at least one inlay beam extending from the inner wall and/or the outer wall into a mounting insert hole of at least one mounting insert for holding the mounting insert in the root portion during operation of the wind turbine blade, and wherein the mounting insert hole is a through hole and the at least one inlay beam extends from the inner wall through the mounting insert hole to the outer wall. A wind turbine blade with the root portion, a method of producing the root portion and a method for modifying a root portion is further provided.