Removable Insert Wind Turbine Blade Mold
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost of manufacturing new molds for wind turbine blades of varying lengths, as existing molds are substantial and require significant investment for each length change, limiting flexibility and increasing production costs.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize a removable insert on a wind turbine blade mold to modify its surface, allowing for the production of blades of different lengths without altering the mold, by applying a vacuum to retain the insert and using a rib structure for secure positioning, enabling the formation of blades with varying lengths using the same mold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a new mold is manufactured for each blade length, then the blade length can be precisely controlled, but the manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is segmented into a fixed base mold and a removable insert that can be exchanged to produce different blade lengths. This segmentation allows the expensive base mold to be reused while only the smaller, cheaper insert needs to be manufactured for each blade length variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The base mold is designed to be universal and can accommodate multiple inserts for producing blades of different lengths. This multi-functionality eliminates the need to manufacture separate complete molds for each blade length, significantly reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining precision.
2Shape
If different molds are used for different blade lengths, then the blade geometry can be optimized for each length, but the device complexity and investment increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the mold into a standard base mold and variable inserts, the system maintains geometric optimization capabilities through customized inserts while keeping the overall mold system simple and reusable.
Solution Approach 2:
The base mold serves as a universal platform that can produce multiple blade geometries by simply changing the insert, reducing device complexity compared to having separate complete molds for each blade configuration.
3Ease of manufacture
If the mold is modified to produce shorter blades, then the production cost decreases, but the mold structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The mold structure is segmented such that only a small removable insert needs to be added to the tip end, while the majority of the mold structure remains unchanged and simple.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of permanently modifying the expensive base mold, a relatively cheap and simple removable insert is used that can be easily replaced or removed, avoiding complex permanent modifications to the main mold structure.
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
Enables the production of wind turbine blades of different lengths using the same mold, reducing manufacturing costs and maintaining identical aerodynamic surfaces while allowing for variations in internal structure, thus accommodating different load requirements without the need for new molds.
Implementation Method 1
A vacuum may be applied between the insert and the mould to retain the insert in position on the mould surface
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade body, the method comprising the steps of: providing a mould (40) having a mould surface (43) for forming a first blade body having a first length, the mould having a mould root end and a mould tip end (42); placing a removable insert (50) on the mould surface towards the mould tip end to form a modified mould surface for forming a second blade body having a second length which is less than the first length; and forming the second blade body on the modified mould surface.