Wind Turbine Blade Shell Guide Flanges for Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing wind turbine blade manufacturing systems face challenges in handling and aligning blade half shells during the assembly process, leading to inefficiencies in production time and resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
The integration of guide flanges on the blade shells allows for precise alignment and secure handling, using guide holes and rods for accurate placement and retention, enabling easier manipulation and assembly of the blade shells, and the use of lifting devices at the post-moulding station for improved access and processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If blade half shells are transferred from mould to post-moulding cradle for further processing, then occupancy time of the blade mould is reduced and production cycle time is reduced, but handling challenges arise making manipulation and alignment difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Guide flanges are formed as integral parts of the blade shells during the initial moulding process, before transfer to the post-moulding cradle. This preliminary formation of handling features eliminates the need for separate alignment operations later, resolving the contradiction by enabling both rapid transfer (improving productivity) and easy alignment (improving ease of operation).
Solution Approach 2:
The guide flanges act as intermediary elements between the blade shells and the post-moulding cradle. These flanges provide a mechanical interface that simplifies the transfer and alignment operations, allowing the blade shells to be easily manipulated and positioned during handling while maintaining the reduced mould occupancy time.
2Manufacturing precision
If integrated guide flanges are formed as part of the blade shell, then alignment precision and handling ease are improved, but device complexity increases due to additional forming requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The guide flanges are merged with the blade shell structure, forming a single integrated component during the moulding process. This combining of the guide flanges with the main blade structure eliminates the need for separate alignment devices or fixtures, thereby improving alignment precision without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide flanges serve multiple functions: they provide alignment features for the post-moulding cradle, serve as attachment points for handling equipment, and maintain structural integrity of the blade shell. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, offsetting the increased mould complexity with functional consolidation.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is described a system and apparatus for the manufacture of a wind turbine blade (10) where portions of a blade, preferably blade half shells (102), are formed in suitable moulds (92), before transferral to a post-moulding station where post-moulding operations can be performed. The blade shells are formed in the mould to have integrated flanges (106) which facilitate easy handling of the blade shells (102) during subsequent manufacturing operations. There is also described a blade cradle (80) of a post-moulding station to receive a wind turbine blade shell (102), where a lifting jack apparatus (88) can be located within the blade cradle structure for the application of a lifting force to a surface of a blade shell (102) received in the cradle, to facilitate access to all sections of the surface of the blade shell (102).