Elastomeric Fairing for Modular Wind Turbine Blade Warping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modular wind turbine blades experience warping due to wind thrust, leading to aerodynamic inefficiencies and fairing damage, with existing solutions focusing on complex complementary elements for long blades rather than addressing the specific challenge of covering the joint gap effectively.
Innovation Solution
The use of flexible elastomeric materials for trailing and leading edge fairings, combined with a rigid framework, to absorb warping and ensure aerodynamic continuity, while incorporating metal elements for equipotential bonding and lightning protection, with a design that minimizes weight and maintains aerodynamic performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If rigid fairing materials are used to cover the joint gap, then manufacturing precision and structural stability are improved, but the fairing cannot absorb warping during operation, leading to aerodynamic inefficiency and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing incorporates flexible elastomeric materials (such as silicone) that can deform and absorb the warping movements of the blade during operation, while still maintaining aerodynamic continuity and covering the joint gap effectively
Solution Approach 2:
The fairing uses composite construction combining rigid framework elements for structural support and alignment with flexible elastomeric materials for warping absorption, creating a hybrid structure that achieves both manufacturing precision and operational adaptability
2Reliability
If complex complementary elements are added to the trailing edge (as in prior art), then aerodynamic performance and noise reduction are improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential function of covering the joint gap with aerodynamic continuity, eliminating unnecessary complex complementary elements, rotating shafts, sensors, and actuators that are present in prior art solutions for long blades
Solution Approach 2:
The fairing serves multiple functions simultaneously: covering the joint gap, maintaining aerodynamic continuity, absorbing warping, providing lightning protection through metal elements, and reducing noise, all within a single integrated structure rather than requiring multiple separate components
3Adaptability or versatility
If the fairing is made entirely of flexible material, then ability to absorb warping is improved, but structural strength and manufacturing precision decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing combines flexible elastomeric materials for warping absorption with rigid framework elements and metal reinforcement for structural strength, creating a composite structure that achieves both flexibility and strength simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the fairing have different material properties: flexible elastomeric material in areas requiring warping absorption, rigid framework and metal elements in areas requiring structural strength and alignment precision
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 effectively covers the joint gap, absorbs warping, and maintains aerodynamic continuity, reducing noise and weight, while ensuring equipotential bonding and lightning protection, thus enhancing the operational efficiency of modular wind turbine blades.
Implementation Method 1
The trailing edge fairing and the leading edge fairing are made of a flexible material, of the elastomer type, which absorbs to a greater extent the aforementioned warping experienced in the direction of the chord
Implementation Method 2
The fairing object of the invention must be perfectly integrated, that is, aligned with the shells both in the chord direction and in the span direction, providing aerodynamic continuity to the blade and closing a very small gap with respect to the total length of the modular blade
Data Source
AI summary
A fairing for a modular blade of a wind turbine generator, comprising including a joining zone disposed between two consecutive modules of the modular blade. The fairing is comprised of different components; the suction side fairing, the pressure side fairing and auxiliary components, such as tabs to facilitate the joining of the components. The leading edge fairing and the trailing edge fairing are constituted of an elastomeric material, preferably silicone, supported in a rigid glass fibre framework in order to absorb the warping experienced by the blade during the operation thereof. The attachment elements employed to join the fairings together and to the setbacks of the blade shell are rivets or similar. All the fairings incorporate the metal elements necessary to be equipotentially bonded, being linked to the lighting down-drop.