Precured Composite Spar Laminate for Wind Turbine Blade Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Long wind turbine blades are heavy, reducing efficiency at low wind conditions and are difficult to manufacture and transport due to their size and weight, necessitating the development of lightweight and efficient solutions.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a wind turbine blade with an external aerodynamic surface supported by longitudinally-extending spars made of a laminate of precured composite material, featuring a truss structure for internal support, which tapers towards the outboard end and includes a combination of pressure, suction, and aft spars, along with truss attachment members for enhanced structural efficiency and load distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wind turbine blades are made longer to produce energy more efficiently, then energy production efficiency is improved, but blade weight increases causing reduced efficiency at low wind conditions and difficulty in manufacturing and transport
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is divided into multiple blade sections that can be manufactured separately and assembled together. Each blade section contains its own spars and structural components, allowing for modular construction that reduces overall blade weight while maintaining the benefits of longer blade span for improved energy production
Solution Approach 2:
The spars are constructed using composite materials consisting of multiple layers bonded together, providing high strength-to-weight ratio. This allows the blade to be longer for improved energy production while keeping the weight manageable through the use of lightweight composite construction
2Productivity
If wind turbine blades are made longer to produce energy more efficiently, then energy production efficiency is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases due to size and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is divided into multiple blade sections that can be manufactured separately using standardized processes and then assembled together. Each blade section can be produced in a controlled manufacturing environment with consistent quality standards, reducing overall manufacturing difficulty while enabling longer blade designs for improved energy production
Solution Approach 2:
The spars and structural components are pre-manufactured and precured before final assembly into the blade sections. This preliminary preparation allows for quality control and standardization in the manufacturing process, reducing complexity when assembling the complete blade structure
3Productivity
If wind turbine blades are made longer to produce energy more efficiently, then energy production efficiency is improved, but transport difficulty increases due to size and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is divided into multiple transportable blade sections that can be shipped separately to the installation site and then assembled. This segmentation allows each section to be transported using standard logistics infrastructure while the complete assembled blade achieves the longer span needed for improved energy production efficiency
4Strength
If blade spars use traditional composite construction, then structural strength is maintained, but blade weight increases reducing efficiency at low wind conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The spars are constructed using multi-layer composite materials with optimized fiber orientations and material compositions that provide high strength-to-weight ratio. This allows the blade to maintain structural strength while reducing weight for improved efficiency at low wind conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The spar construction uses varying material properties and layer configurations at different locations along the blade span, optimizing the strength-to-weight ratio for each specific structural requirement while minimizing overall blade weight
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration results in a lighter, more efficient wind turbine blade that can withstand significant loads while maintaining structural integrity and ease of transportation and assembly, improving energy production efficiency across varying wind conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of adhesive layers interposed between adjacent precured composite layers
Implementation Method 2
at least one of the spars includes a laminate of precured composite material, the laminate of precured composite material including: a plurality of stacked precured composite layers
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C~2F
AI summary
A wind turbine blade, comprises: an external aerodynamic surface having a longitudinally-extending spanwise axis, a chordwise axis extending transverse to the spanwise axis, and a thickness axis extending transverse to both the chordwise and spanwise axes; and a plurality of longitudinally-extending spars providing internal support for the aerodynamic surface, wherein at least one of the spars includes a laminate of precured composite material, the laminate of precured composite material including: a plurality of precured composite layers; and a plurality of adhesive layers interposed between adjacent precured composite layers.