Wind Turbine Blade Trailing Edge Shear Web
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine blade designs do not consistently provide satisfactory structural stability and support, particularly for very long blades, leading to potential structural failure and buckling issues.
Innovation Solution
A wind turbine blade design featuring a trailing edge shear web connected to the sandwich structures of the shell parts, made of materials like balsa or foamed polymer, which provides additional structural support and strengthens adhesive joints, reducing the risk of buckling and crack propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a thin aerodynamic shell is glued onto a spar beam or main laminates are integrated into the shell, then the blade can be manufactured with separate load-bearing structure and aerodynamic shell, but the structural stability and support are insufficient, leading to potential buckling and structural failure
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the trailing edge shear web with the sandwich structure by integrating the web into the core material of the sandwich structure. This combination creates a unified load-bearing system where the shear web and sandwich structure work together to prevent buckling and structural failure, while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through a integrated construction approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite materials by combining the trailing edge shear web with the sandwich structure's core material (such as balsa or foamed polymer). This composite construction provides enhanced structural stability and support, creating a hybrid material system that leverages the advantages of both the web's shear resistance and the core material's compressive strength.
2Reliability
If shear webs are used to reinforce the blade structure and prevent excessive bending or buckling, then structural stability is improved, but the complexity of the blade structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention reduces structural complexity by merging the trailing edge shear web with the sandwich structure. Instead of adding a separate, independent shear web component, the web is integrated into the existing sandwich structure's core material, creating a unified element that performs both functions without increasing overall component count or assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated trailing edge shear web serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a shear web to prevent buckling, provides structural support, and becomes part of the sandwich structure's core material. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby simplifying the overall blade structure while maintaining enhanced structural stability.
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
The design enhances structural stability and support, reducing the risk of structural failure and buckling, while allowing for easier manufacturing and improved aerodynamic properties.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure side shell part and a suction side shell part, each shell part comprising an inner skin, an outer skin and an intermediate core material
Implementation Method 2
a trailing edge shear web arranged between and connected to the sandwich structures of the shell parts
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A wind turbine blade is provided with two shell parts each at least partly made of a sandwich structure including an inner skin (76), an outer skin (74), and an intermediate core material (75, 77), wherein the shell parts are bonded together at least along their respective leading edges (18). The blade also comprises a longitudinally extending spacing section in which the respective trailing edges (58a, 58b) of the pressure side shell part and the suction side shell part are spaced apart, wherein a trailing edge shear web (45) is arranged between and connected to the sandwich structure of the suction side shell part (84, 86, 87) and the sandwich structure of the pressure side shell part (74, 76, 77).