Wind Turbine Blade Shear Web Positioning Jig
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine blade manufacturing methods require sophisticated and costly equipment for accurately positioning shear webs, which is impractical for larger blades and increases production costs and labor inputs.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing positioning jigs that securely engage with the shear web and guide it into a predetermined position within the blade shell mould, leveraging the mould tool as a locating device to ensure accurate placement without the need for automated or gantry-type equipment, allowing for single shear web designs and reduced material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If sophisticated positioning equipment is used to accurately position shear webs, then positioning precision is improved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces positioning jigs as intermediary devices that simplify the positioning process. These jigs are temporary tools used during manufacturing to hold shear webs in correct positions, eliminating the need for complex automated positioning equipment. The jigs are removed after the adhesive cures, having served their purpose as mediators between the shear web and the final structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning jigs are designed as simple, inexpensive, single-use or limited-use tools. They are not permanent fixtures but temporary aids that are discarded or reused a limited number of times, replacing expensive, complex positioning equipment with simple wooden or metal blocks that serve their function and are then removed.
2Manufacturing precision
If automated or gantry-type equipment is used for shear web positioning, then positioning precision is improved, but manufacturing cost and labor inputs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning jigs are designed to be self-aligning and self-positioning through simple geometric features. Workers place the jigs manually, and the jigs themselves provide the positioning function without requiring automated systems. The adhesive curing process also provides self-service by naturally bonding the shear web to the spar cap once positioned.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning jigs are simple, inexpensive tools that replace expensive automated equipment. They are basic wooden or metal blocks that can be manufactured cheaply and discarded after use, significantly reducing manufacturing costs and labor inputs compared to automated systems.
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple shear webs are used with cross-connectors, then structural stability is improved, but material usage and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cross-connector stabilizer from the design, eliminating the need for additional stabilizing elements between shear webs. By removing this requirement, the design reduces material usage while maintaining structural integrity through alternative means such as proper adhesive bonding and positioning during manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a single shear web instead of multiple shear webs with cross-connectors. This partial action approach achieves the necessary structural stability with less material by relying on the adhesive bonding process and proper positioning rather than over-engineering with multiple redundant structural elements.
Data Source
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AI summary
A positioning jig (25) and a method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade comprising moulding a first and a second blade shell portion in respective first and second mould tools; positioning a shear web (15) in a spanwise direction within a first shell portion (20) in a said first mould tool (7); anchoring said shear web in position in said first shell portion; and closing said second shell portion (21) over said first shell portion to thereby generate a wind turbine blade shell defining a chordwise extent between a trailing edge and a leading edge thereof, and a spanwise extent between a root region and a tip thereof and wherein said shear web, bordered by a first (24) and a second longitudinal edge, extends in a thickness direction of said blade; said method further comprising: providing a positioning jig; and securing said positioning jig to said shear web, prior to its introduction into said first shell portion and guiding said shear web into its predetermined standing position in said first shell portion, with its first longitudinal edge adjacent said first shell portion, by engaging a reference surface (33) of said positioning jig with a locating surface (12) at said first mould tool thereby to bring said positioning jig into its guide position with said shear web in its predetermined standing position; and removing said positioning jig from said first mould tool prior to closing said second shell portion over said first shell portion. A shear web, especially an upper edge thereof, may be additionally secured to the blade shell using ligaments (30) prior to removal of the positioning jig.