Copper Strand Conductor Joint for Wind Turbine Blade Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing conductor joints for connecting copper conductors to carbon fiber heating elements in wind turbine blades face challenges in efficiently transferring high electric power while avoiding hotspots and maintaining aerodynamic properties, and are difficult to service due to their location and potential lightning strikes.
Innovation Solution
A conductor joint with a layered structure of copper strands transversely disposed to the carbon fiber heating element, where strands are evenly distributed and extend beyond the heating element to form an overlapping joint, maximizing current transfer and minimizing hotspot formation, with a low-profile design to maintain blade integrity and lightning-proof capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a conventional conductor joint design is used to transfer high electric power, then the power transfer capability is improved, but hotspots are formed causing localized overheating and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The copper conductor is divided into multiple separate strands instead of a single solid conductor. These strands are quantitatively substantially evenly distributed on both sides of the heating element, which distributes the current flow across multiple paths and prevents concentration of current density at single points, thereby avoiding hotspot formation while maintaining high power transfer capability
Solution Approach 2:
The strands are disposed in a planar manner with specific spatial arrangement where adjacent strands lie in one plane and their ends extend beyond the heating element to overlap. This creates locally optimized current distribution zones where electric joints form between overlapping strands, ensuring uniform current density and preventing localized overheating
2Power
If the conductor joint is made thick to accommodate multiple copper strands, then the power transfer capability is improved, but the aerodynamic properties of the blade are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor joint is designed with strands disposed in a planar arrangement within the thickness direction of the heating element, rather than stacking strands in a volumetric configuration. The strands substantially lie in one plane and extend in the width direction, creating a low-profile joint that maintains the blade's aerodynamic shape while accommodating sufficient copper cross-sectional area for high power transfer
Solution Approach 2:
The conductor joint adopts a thin-film-like structure where multiple copper strands are arranged in a planar configuration with minimal thickness protrusion from the blade surface. This thin-profile design ensures the joint remains unnoticeable and preserves aerodynamic properties while the multiple strands collectively provide the necessary cross-sectional area for transferring dozens of kilowatts of power
3Reliability
If the conductor joint is designed with complex structure to ensure lightning resistance, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of manufacture is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The use of multiple separate copper strands inherently provides lightning resistance by distributing electrical pathways, preventing single-point failure during lightning strikes. This segmented structure achieves reliability without requiring complex additional protective components, maintaining manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The overlapping strand configuration acts as an intermediary structure that naturally provides lightning protection through distributed current paths. The electric joints formed between overlapping strands create redundant conductive pathways that dissipate lightning energy without requiring complex surge protection devices, thus maintaining ease of manufacture
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 solution ensures reliable high-power transfer, reduces the risk of hotspot damage, and maintains the aerodynamic properties of wind turbine blades, while being resistant to lightning strikes and easy to manufacture with a low-profile design.
Implementation Method 1
the copper conductor comprising strands separable from each other... suitable for transferring a power of more than ten kW
Implementation Method 2
carbon fiber heating element in a wind turbine blade for electric heating
Data Source
AI summary
A conductor joint for joining a copper conductor to a fiber-structured heating element whose dimensions are length (L)>>width (W)>>thickness (T), and which heating element comprises carbon fiber strands, wherein the copper conductor is transversely disposed to the longitudinal direction (L) of the heating element to form a layered structure in the thickness direction (T), on both sides of the heating element, the copper conductor comprising strands separable from each other. The strands of the copper conductor, the number and diameter of which are suitable for transferring a power of more than ten kW, are quantitatively substantially evenly distributed on both sides of the heating element, the strands are disposed in a planar manner in such a way that the strands substantially lie in one plane, adjacent to each other, and the ends of the strands extend, in the width direction (W) of the heating element, beyond the heating element, wherein the portions of the ends of the strands extending beyond the heating element overlap each other, and an electric joint is formed between the lateral faces of these overlapping strands.