Frangible Shear Web Support for Wind Turbine Blade Mold Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing large-scale composite structures like wind turbine blades face challenges in achieving a one-step mold closure without compromising the structural integrity or increasing weight and complexity, as shear webs can move or become sub-optimally bonded during the mold closure process, and prior solutions using permanent fixtures are cumbersome and costly.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of frangible supports made from various materials, designed to fail under specific conditions, which provide temporary structural support during assembly and are removable after bonding, allowing for a one-step mold closure without external fixtures and minimizing weight impact on the final blade.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If permanent fixtures are used to guide shear webs during mold closure, then positioning accuracy is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support elements are pre-positioned within the mold half before the shear webs are installed. These elements are designed to automatically guide and position the shear webs during the mold closure process, eliminating the need for complex permanent fixtures. The support elements are integrated into the mold structure itself, providing positioning functionality without adding device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support elements are designed as temporary, removable components rather than permanent fixtures. They are installed in the mold half, provide positioning guidance during assembly, and then removed after serving their purpose. This disposable approach reduces device complexity compared to permanent fixtures while maintaining positioning accuracy during the critical assembly phase.
2Manufacturing precision
If permanent fixtures are used to guide shear webs during mold closure, then positioning accuracy is improved, but blade weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support elements are pre-installed in the mold half before blade assembly begins. They provide the necessary positioning guidance for shear webs during the critical mold closure phase, ensuring manufacturing precision. After serving their temporary purpose, they are removed and do not become part of the final blade structure, thus avoiding any weight penalty.
Solution Approach 2:
The support elements are temporary fixtures that are installed only during the manufacturing process and removed before the blade is completed. This eliminates their weight from the final blade structure, unlike permanent fixtures that would add parasitic weight to the moving blade assembly.
3Productivity
If a one-step mold closure technique is employed, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to shear web movement
Solution Approach 1:
The support elements act as intermediary components between the mold half and the shear webs during the one-step mold closure process. They provide temporary support and positioning guidance to the shear webs, preventing movement and ensuring proper alignment during the bonding operation. This intermediary support enables the one-step closure technique to maintain both productivity and manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The support elements are pre-positioned in the mold half before the shear webs are installed and before the bonding process begins. This preliminary setup ensures that when the one-step mold closure occurs, the shear webs are already properly positioned and supported, preventing movement during the critical bonding phase while maintaining the efficiency of the one-step process.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein is a shear web support for wind turbine blade. Particularly, the present disclosure provides a frangible shear web support element that is designed to fail under certain specific conditions. The frangible support(s) enhance the structural rigidity of the shear web, allow for one-step mold closures, and rupture or disconnect once a predetermined condition (e.g. load threshold, load orientation/vector) is applied to the support element.