Wind Turbine Blade Tip Extensions Using Foam Adhesive Strips
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for attaching accessory components like tip extensions, winglets, and vortex generators to wind turbine rotor blades are costly, time-consuming, and prone to inconsistent results due to the use of hazardous adhesives and require complex installation procedures, including cutting the blade tip for tip extensions, which risks damage to the main blade structure.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing double-sided adhesive tape strips with release liners, allowing the add-on components to be slid onto the blade with a separated trailing edge, enabling precise placement and repositioning, and providing a strong bond with reduced shear stress through the use of adhesive tape strips with a lower shear modulus than the base portion, such as VHB or SAFT foam-based strip material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional adhesives are used for attaching add-on components, then strong bonding is achieved, but installation time increases and hazardous materials handling is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the adhesive system by using foam-based adhesive strips with different density and viscosity characteristics. These foam adhesives have lower viscosity and different curing characteristics that allow for faster application and reduced installation time while maintaining bonding strength, eliminating the need for lengthy curing processes required by conventional adhesives.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs single-use foam adhesive strips that are pre-applied to the add-on components. These disposable adhesive strips eliminate the need for complex adhesive application equipment and hazardous material handling procedures, reducing both installation time and safety requirements while providing sufficient bonding strength for the attachment.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional cutting method is used for tip extensions, then integration with blade structure is achieved, but risk of damage to main blade structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical cutting system with an adhesive bonding system. Instead of using cutting tools that mechanically remove material and risk damaging the blade structure, the invention uses foam-based adhesive strips to bond the tip extension to the blade. This substitution of mechanical cutting with chemical adhesive bonding eliminates the risk of structural damage while achieving stable integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces foam-based adhesive strips as an intermediary bonding agent between the tip extension and the blade structure. This intermediary material provides a flexible, damage-free bonding interface that distributes stresses evenly and avoids the concentrated stresses and potential damage associated with mechanical cutting and fastening methods.
3Productivity
If double-sided strain isolation tapes are used, then installation speed increases, but repositioning capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs foam-based adhesive strips that exhibit dynamic bonding characteristics. These adhesives provide initial tack that allows for positioning and adjustment during installation, then progressively develop full bonding strength. This dynamic behavior enables both fast installation and limited repositioning capability, unlike rigid double-sided tapes that immediately bond upon contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the viscosity and curing parameters of the adhesive system by using foam-based materials with specific rheological properties. These parameters allow the adhesive to remain workable for a sufficient time during installation, enabling repositioning if needed, while still providing rapid initial bonding to maintain installation speed advantages.
4Strength
If liquid or paste adhesives are used, then strong bonding is achieved, but application consistency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the adhesive in the form of pre-formed foam strips that are manufactured with consistent adhesive distribution before application. This preliminary preparation of the adhesive in a controlled manufacturing environment ensures uniform application and consistent bonding strength, eliminating the variability associated with manual application of liquid or paste adhesives.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses foam-based adhesive strips that function as flexible thin film carriers for the adhesive material. These foam strips provide a uniform, controlled delivery system for the adhesive, ensuring consistent application thickness and distribution across the bonding surface, which improves manufacturing precision compared to free-form liquid or paste application.
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
This method reduces installation costs and time, ensures accurate placement of components, and minimizes risk to the blade structure by allowing for easier and more precise attachment of add-on components without the need for hazardous adhesive curing processes.
Implementation Method 1
double-sided adhesive tape strips with release liners, allowing the add-on components to be slid onto the blade with a separated trailing edge, enabling precise placement and repositioning, and providing a strong bond with reduced shear stress through the use of adhesive tape strips with a lower shear modulus than the base portion
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for installing an add-on component 102 onto a tip of a wind turbine blade, the associated blade 16, and the component, are provided. The add-on component 102 has a span-wise end and a separated trailing edge, and is slidable onto the blade tip. Strips of a double-sided adhesive tape 110 are attached onto either or both pressure and suction side surfaces of the blade adjacent the blade tip, or onto interior surfaces of the add-on component 102, the tape strips 110 having a release liner 112 on an opposite exposed side thereof. An extension tail 113 is configured with the release liner 112 that extends beyond the span-wise end of the add-on component 102 when the add-on component is placed and held at a desired position on the blade 16. The add-on component 102 is slid onto and maintained in position on the blade tip and, starting from the tape strip furthest from the separated trailing edge, extension tails of the respective tape strips 110 are sequentially peeled through the separated trailing edge and away from the add-on component 102.