Conical Span-Wise Pin Joint for Segmented Rotor Blade Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbine rotor blades face challenges in withstanding increased bending moments due to larger sizes, requiring improved joint designs to enhance stiffness, buckling resistance, and strength, particularly in the assembly of segmented blades.
Innovation Solution
A span-wise extending pin design with a conical distal portion for ease of insertion, a pin portion with varying diameters and radial flanges for secure retention, and a method of blind assembly using a rod member and flange member to connect blade segments, enhancing torque and stability at chord-wise joints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If rotor blades are increased in size to capture more wind energy, then power generation capacity is improved, but bending moments and structural loads increase making the blade harder to support
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor blade is divided into multiple blade segments that can be assembled separately and joined together using pin joints. This segmentation allows the blade to be constructed in manageable sections while maintaining the ability to withstand increased bending moments through the distributed pin joint structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces span-wise extending pins that add a new dimensional approach to load distribution. Instead of relying solely on chord-wise reinforcement, the span-wise pins create a three-dimensional load path that distributes bending moments across multiple dimensions, effectively managing the increased forces from larger blade sizes.
2Ease of manufacture
If rotor blades are constructed in segments to facilitate assembly, then ease of assembly is improved, but structural integrity and stiffness at joint locations deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The pin joints are designed with pre-configured receiving sections and alignment features that ensure proper positioning before final securing. The beam structures include predetermined receiving ends that guide the span-wise pins into place, allowing for accurate assembly while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pin joints utilize composite construction combining beam structures, span-wise pins, and receiving sections made from materials with complementary properties. This composite approach allows the joint to achieve both the ease of assembly required for segmented construction and the structural integrity needed to maintain blade stiffness at connection points.
3Stability of the object's composition
If span-wise pins are used to secure blade segments, then buckling resistance is improved, but insertion difficulty increases due to tight tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving sections are prepared in advance with alignment features and tolerance compensation mechanisms that guide the span-wise pins during insertion. The beam structures include predetermined receiving ends that ensure proper positioning before the pins are fully inserted, reducing the difficulty of achieving tight tolerances during assembly.
4Force
If chord-wise members with pin joint slots are used to connect segments, then torque transfer is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The chord-wise members are integrated with the blade segments themselves, combining the structural function of the blade with the torque transfer function of the joint. This merging eliminates separate torque transfer components and reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining effective torque transfer capability through the pin joint slots.
Data Source
AI summary
A span-wise extending pin for joining blade segments of a rotor blade includes a distal portion having a length defined by a first end and an opposing, second end. The distal portion has a conical shape extending for at least a portion of the length thereof for providing ease of insertion of the pin into a pin joint slot of one of the first and second blade segments. The pin also includes a pin portion adjacent to the distal portion. The pin portion includes a first section and a second section. The second section is configured for securing within a beam structure of the first blade segment. The first section extends span-wise from a receiving end of the beam structure. The pin also includes a proximal portion having at least a rod member that extends span-wise through and secures together the pin portion and the distal portion.