Movable Insert Mold for Variable Length Wind Turbine Blades
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost of manufacturing wind turbine blades is exacerbated by the need for multiple molds of different lengths, which is inefficient and costly, as traditional methods require a new mold for each blade length, limiting flexibility and increasing production costs.
Innovation Solution
A method using a primary mold with a movable insert that can be positioned in different ways to form blade bodies of varying lengths, eliminating the need for separate molds for each length and allowing for the production of blades with different lengths using the same mold system, thereby reducing production costs and increasing flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a new mold is manufactured for each blade length, then manufacturing precision and blade quality are ensured, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into a fixed portion and a movable insert portion. The insert can be segmented into different configurations to accommodate various blade lengths, allowing the same base mold to produce multiple blade length variants without compromising manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be repositioned or reconfigured for different blade length requirements. This dynamic capability enables a single mold to adapt to multiple production scenarios while maintaining consistent quality standards.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple molds of different lengths are manufactured, then adaptability to produce various blade lengths is achieved, but device complexity and investment cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mold system is designed with universal capability through the movable insert mechanism. A single base mold can produce multiple blade length variants by reconfiguring the insert, eliminating the need for separate dedicated molds for each blade length and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable insert provides dynamic adaptability, allowing the mold configuration to change based on production requirements. This enables the same physical mold to serve multiple functions for different blade lengths without increasing device complexity.
3Device complexity
If traditional fixed molds are used, then manufacturing process simplicity is maintained, but production flexibility and energy output optimization are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The movable insert introduces controlled dynamics to the otherwise simple fixed mold system. This enables production flexibility to optimize for different wind farm requirements and maximize annual energy production while maintaining relative simplicity in the overall mold design.
Solution Approach 2:
The ability to change the insert configuration allows modification of key production parameters such as blade length. This enables optimization of blade specifications to match specific wind farm conditions, thereby maximizing energy output while keeping the base mold system simple.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a wind turbine blade body manufacturing method, the method comprising the steps of: providing a mould (40) having an elongated mould surface (43), placing a movable insert (50) on the mould surface, in a first position, forming, with the insert in the first position, a first blade body having a first length (L1), placing the insert (50) on the mould surface, in a second position, and forming, with the insert in the second position, a second blade body having a second length (L2) which is different from the first length.