Wind Turbine Blade Tip Assembly for Flexible Length Changes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for producing wind turbine blades are inflexible, as the blade design, especially the length, is typically finalized early in the development process. This restricts the ability to make changes or adaptations later on without significant modifications to the mold, which can be costly and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A method is proposed where a pre-fabricated tip part with a standardized connection interface is used in conjunction with a mold-produced body part. The body part and tip part are connected using a fixing agent, allowing for changes in blade design, particularly in blade length, without requiring major changes to the overall mold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a standardized mold is used for producing the body part, then manufacturing cost and time are reduced, but the adaptability to design changes in the tip part is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is divided into two separate parts: a body part produced in a standardized mold and a tip part that can be customized. This segmentation allows the body part to be manufactured efficiently using a fixed mold while the tip part can be adapted to different design requirements without modifying the original mold.
Solution Approach 2:
The body part is pre-fabricated in a standardized mold before the tip part is attached. This preliminary action allows the standardized mold to be used repeatedly for producing the body part, improving manufacturing efficiency while leaving the tip part design flexible for later customization.
2Loss of time
If the blade design is finalized early in development, then the mold can be manufactured sooner, but the ability to adapt design changes later is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the blade into body and tip parts, the design process can be finalized in stages. The body part design can be fixed early to enable mold manufacturing, while the tip part design remains flexible for later modifications without requiring mold changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The body part design is finalized and manufactured in advance using a standardized mold, allowing development to proceed without waiting for complete blade design finalization. The tip part can then be designed and attached later, enabling design iterations without delaying overall production.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a separate mold is built for each blade design variation, then design flexibility is maintained, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blade design is segmented into a standardized body part and a variable tip part. This allows a single standardized mold to produce the body part for multiple blade variations, eliminating the need for separate molds for each design while maintaining flexibility through tip part customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized mold for the body part serves multiple functions by producing body parts for various blade designs. This universal mold reduces device complexity and manufacturing costs while the tip part maintains design flexibility for different applications.
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 approach enables the production of wind turbine blades with varying tip part designs while maintaining a standardized body part mold. It reduces the time and cost associated with producing different blade variations and allows for more flexible design adaptations throughout the development process.
Implementation Method 1
both connection interfaces are fixed by applying a fixing agent and curing it
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method for producing a wind turbine blade having a blade body including a body part and a tip part, the blade being produced by using a mold, wherein a prefabricated tip part having a first connection interface is arranged adjacent to the mold for producing the body part, whereby building elements for building the body part are arranged in the mold providing a second connection interface which corresponds to and connects to the first connection interface, whereafter both connection interfaces are fixed by applying a fixing agent and curing it.