Prefabricated Fiber Composite Half-Product for Wind Turbine Rotor Blades

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Solution Overview

Problem

The production of fiber-reinforced composite parts for wind turbines is laborious and time-consuming, limiting mold output and quality due to the need for laborious preparation work in molds to ensure high product quality.

Innovation Solution

The use of prefabricated half-products, consisting of a fiber mat with attached inlays, which are pre-manufactured to maintain fixed relative positions during the manufacturing process, simplifies the lamination process by reducing preparation work in the mold through pre-fabrication and attachment methods like gluing, sewing, or mechanical fastening.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If laborious preparation work is performed in molds to ensure high product quality, then product quality is improved, but manufacturing time increases and mold output decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct qualityVSAvoidmold output

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-attaching inlays to fiber mats before the molding process. This preparation work is performed outside the mold, allowing the actual molding process to focus only on impregnation and curing, thereby reducing the time required for preparation work inside the mold and increasing mold output while maintaining product quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the manufacturing process into two distinct phases: pre-fabrication of half-products (attaching inlays to fiber mats) and final assembly in the mold (impregnation and curing). This segmentation allows each phase to be optimized independently, with the pre-fabrication phase handled efficiently outside the mold and the final assembly phase completed quickly inside the mold.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If inlays are attached to fiber mats before molding, then preparation work in mold is reduced and productivity increases, but the attachment process itself requires additional steps and resources

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemold outputVSAvoidattachment process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the inlay attachment operation with the fiber mat assembly operation. By attaching inlays directly to the fiber mats during the pre-fabrication process, the patent combines what would otherwise be separate steps into a single integrated operation, reducing overall process complexity while maintaining the productivity benefits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8337163B2Fiber composite half-product with integrated elements, manufacturing method therefor and use thereof

Publication Date: 2012.12.25 GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECH LLC

AI summary

A prefabricated half-product for use in manufacture of a fiber-reinforced composite part of a wind turbine is provided, the half-product comprising at least one fiber mat and at least one inlay which is attached to the at least one fiber mat such that the relative position of the at least one inlay with respect to the at least one fiber mat remains substantially fixed during the manufacture of the fiber-reinforced composite part of the wind turbine. Furthermore, a method for manufacturing the half-product and method for the use of the half-product are provided.