Interlocking Tabs for Wind Turbine Blade Aerodynamic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aerodynamic devices mounted on wind turbine blades, such as Gurney flaps, often suffer from gaps between sections that can lead to air leakage, reducing performance and increasing noise due to the challenges of precise positioning and secure attachment during retrofitting.
Innovation Solution
The device comprises interlocking tabs on adjacent sections that overlap each other, ensuring a secure and gap-free attachment by allowing precise alignment before adhesive contact, thereby preventing air leakage and enhancing performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the device is formed in multiple sections to facilitate handling and mounting, then the ease of operation is improved, but gaps between sections cause air leakage reducing performance
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into multiple sections that can be handled and mounted separately, improving ease of operation while maintaining aerodynamic integrity through interlocking tabs
Solution Approach 2:
Adjacent sections are connected through interlocking tabs that merge their functions, creating a continuous aerodynamic surface that prevents air leakage while allowing separate mounting
2Ease of manufacture
If the device is formed in multiple sections, then the device complexity is reduced for manufacturing and handling, but gaps between sections increase noise emissions
Solution Approach 1:
The device is manufactured in separate sections that are easier to produce and handle, with interlocking tabs that eliminate gaps to prevent noise-generating air leakage
Solution Approach 2:
The potential harm of gaps causing noise is converted into a benefit by using interlocking tabs that deliberately close the gaps, transforming the segmentation advantage into a noise-prevention solution
3Reliability
If the device is positioned accurately before adhesive contact, then the reliability of attachment is improved, but the difficulty of positioning increases during field mounting
Solution Approach 1:
The interlocking tabs are designed to preliminarily align and secure adjacent sections before adhesive contact occurs, ensuring accurate positioning while simplifying the field mounting process
Data Source
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AI summary
A device for attaching to a surface of a wind turbine blade is described. The device comprises a plurality of sections to be arranged end-to-end along a portion of the blade. Each section of the device comprises: a baseplate for bonding to the surface of the blade; a first panel extending from the baseplate; first and second end walls extending respectively along transverse edges of the baseplate and the first panel; a first tab extending from the first end wall; and a second tab extending from the second end wall, the second tab being transversely offset from the first tab. The tabs are arranged such that when the sections are positioned end-to-end with a first end wall of a first section adjacent to a second end wall of a second section, the first tab of the first section overlaps the second end wall of the second section, whilst the second tab of the second section overlaps the first end wall of the first section. An associated method of mounting the device is also described, which avoids the risk of compromising adhesive and/or sealant during the mounting process.