Metal Trailing Edge Protector with Release Mechanism for Wind Blades
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional trailing edge protectors for wind turbine rotor blades do not provide optimal protection and are difficult to remove without damaging the blade, often applying concentrated loads and becoming wedged during use.
Innovation Solution
A stiff metal assembly trailing edge protector with stiffening ribs and release means, ensuring the legs maintain a stable angle and allowing easy removal by applying forces away from the blade.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a flexible trailing edge protector is used to conform to the blade surface, then contact surface area is improved, but the protector becomes difficult to remove and may damage the trailing edge during removal
Solution Approach 1:
The protector is divided into two legs that can be independently positioned on the pressure and suction sides of the blade, with a flexible element connecting them. This segmentation allows the legs to conform to the blade surface while maintaining a gap between them, enabling easy removal by lifting the legs away from the trailing edge without damaging the blade.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact surfaces of the legs are designed with specific local properties - they are shaped to match the curvature of the blade's pressure and suction sides, providing optimal contact area for protection. Meanwhile, the legs themselves remain rigid structures that can be easily detached, resolving the contradiction between conformal contact and ease of removal.
2Reliability
If a rigid protector structure is used to maintain stability under load, then protection reliability is improved, but the protector cannot conform to the blade surface and creates concentrated loads
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible element connects the two rigid legs of the protector, allowing the structure to adapt to the blade's surface geometry while maintaining overall structural stability. This flexible connection distributes loads more evenly across the contact points, preventing concentrated loads on the trailing edge while preserving protection reliability.
3Area of stationary object
If the protector legs are allowed to deform under load to conform to the blade, then contact area is improved, but the legs become wedged and difficult to remove
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the protector into two separate legs connected by a flexible element, the design allows each leg to maintain its structural integrity and resist deformation under load. The legs can be independently positioned and removed, preventing the wedging effect that would occur with a single deforming structure, thereby reducing the force required for removal.
4Ease of manufacture
If a simple protector design is used to reduce complexity, then ease of manufacture is improved, but the protector cannot provide stable leg positioning and angle under load
Solution Approach 1:
The fixed angle between the legs is designed to optimize the protector's performance under various load conditions. By carefully selecting this geometric parameter, the protector achieves stable leg positioning without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms, maintaining ease of manufacture while ensuring structural stability during operation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4a~4c
AI summary
A trailing edge protector for a wind turbine rotor blade, comprising: • a body having central portion, first and second legs with first and second contact surfaces, wherein the legs extend from the central portion at a fixed angle, • an inlay having a first inlay section and a second inlay section, • wherein the trailing edge protector is designed to be placed at a trailing edge of a wind turbine rotor blade such that the first inlay section is arranged between the first contact surface and a suction side surface and the second inlay section is arranged between the second contact surface and a pressure side surface, wherein • the body is a metal assembly comprising at least one stiffening rib arranged at the central portion and mounted to both legs and • at least one leg comprises a release means adapted to exert a force moving the body in a direction away from the rotor blade.