Offset Joint Design for Segmented Wind Turbine Blade Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing joint designs for segmented wind turbine rotor blades are time-consuming and require complex alignment fixtures, making the assembly process inefficient and costly as turbine sizes increase.
Innovation Solution
A chord-wise joint design with an offset span-wise joint profile that allows for simpler assembly by overlapping and engaging joint sections between pressure and suction side shell members, using internal support structures like spar caps and shear webs, enabling alignment and joining without axial insertion, and utilizing various joining mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If axial insertion joint design is used for blade segments, then the joint can connect segments end-to-end, but the assembly process becomes time-consuming and requires multiple alignment fixtures and motion stops
Solution Approach 1:
The joint profile is offset in the spanwise direction rather than aligned axially, transforming the joint connection from a one-dimensional axial insertion to a two-dimensional overlapping configuration. This dimensional change eliminates the need for complex axial alignment while maintaining structural integrity through the offset joint geometry that engages between blade segments
2Reliability
If axial insertion joint design is used for blade segments, then the joint can connect segments, but multiple alignment fixtures and motion stops are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for external alignment fixtures and motion stops by integrating the alignment function directly into the offset joint profile geometry. The joint sections themselves provide the alignment features through their offset configuration, removing the separate alignment device components and simplifying the overall system
3Power
If larger rotor blade sizes are used, then energy production increases, but manufacturing and assembly costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor blade is divided into multiple segments that can be manufactured separately and assembled using the offset joint design. This segmentation allows for more economical manufacturing of individual segments compared to building one large blade, while the simplified offset joint assembly process reduces the overall manufacturing and assembly costs of the complete large-scale rotor blade
Data Source
AI summary
A method provides for assembling a wind turbine blade from at least two blade segments, with each of the blade segments having a pressure side shell member, a suction side shell member, internal support structure, and ends with joint sections that are offset span-wise from the pressure side shell member to the suction side shell member. The blade segments are aligned in an end-to-end orientation and moved into a mating configuration with relative movement that includes overlapping the respective joint sections of adjacent blade segments. The overlapped joint sections are subsequently moved into engagement with each other and joined along respective joint profiles at a chord-wise joint.