Modular Composite Beam Flange Design for Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for manufacturing wind turbine blades face challenges in controlling the quality of unidirectional flange material, leading to poor mechanical properties and increased costs, and require costly tooling for design variations and prototyping, limiting design flexibility and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A modular structural composite beam design featuring pre-cured elongate elements and a surrounding skin member, allowing for varying flange sizes and configurations, improved shear load performance, and reduced production costs through continuous production processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the unidirectional flange is moulded within the fairing, then the beam structure is integrated, but the quality control of flange material becomes difficult leading to poor mechanical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The beam is divided into separate components: flanges are pre-cured outside the fairing and then bonded to the aerodynamic fairing halves. This segmentation allows quality control during separate manufacturing while maintaining structural integrity through bonding.
Solution Approach 2:
Flanges are pre-cured in a controlled environment before being assembled into the final beam structure. This preliminary action ensures proper material quality and mechanical properties are achieved before integration into the fairing.
2Manufacturing precision
If a separate tool is used to mould the beam, then quality control improves, but the cost of the separate tool increases overall component cost
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing itself serves as the moulding tool for the flanges. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for dedicated separate tools, reducing tooling costs while maintaining quality control through the controlled bonding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process merges the fairing structure with the moulding function. The fairing acts both as the aerodynamic component and as the moulding fixture, eliminating separate tooling requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If completely new tools are made for new design or variation, then design flexibility is achieved, but prototyping time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows dynamic reconfiguration of beam designs by changing the array configuration of elongate elements within the fairing, rather than requiring static retooling. This enables rapid design variations without manufacturing new tools.
Solution Approach 2:
Design variations are achieved by changing parameters such as the number, size, and arrangement of elongate elements in the array, rather than changing the fundamental tooling. This allows quick adaptation to new designs.
4Productivity
If automation is implemented for different beam designs, then production efficiency improves, but the cost of automation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The modular array system allows automated assembly of different beam configurations using the same basic tooling. Robots or automated systems can reconfigure the array of elongate elements without requiring expensive retooling, achieving both productivity and cost-effectiveness.
Data Source
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AI summary
A modular fibre reinforced plastic flange <(5)> for a structural composite beam <(10)> which compresses a body <(40)> formed of a plurality of elongate elements <(42)> arranged in an array, wherein the dimensions of the body are substantially determined by the number and arrangement of the elongate elements in the array, and a skin member <(20,30)> at least partially surrounding the array. Also, a structural composite beam comprising the modular fibre reinforced plastic flange <(5)> and a shear web <(50)> connected to the skin member of the modular flange. A method of making the modular flange and beams, and a kit of parts for making the modular flange are also disclosed.