Wind Turbine Rotor Blade Extension to Close Energy Production Gaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing wind turbine rotor blades is complex due to conflicting requirements and is costly and time-consuming, requiring a method that can efficiently improve annual energy production with minimal design effort.
Innovation Solution
A method involving an existing rotor blade design, adding a root extension and modifying the tip section to match a reference energy production, utilizing a computer model to optimize the design and manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a new wind turbine rotor blade is designed from scratch to meet all requirements, then aerodynamic efficiency and mechanical stability are improved, but design time, cost, and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by starting with an existing, proven rotor blade design that has already been optimized for aerodynamic efficiency and mechanical stability. This pre-validated design serves as a foundation, eliminating the need to perform comprehensive aerodynamic and structural optimization from scratch, thus significantly reducing design time while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by taking an existing successful rotor blade design and replicating its core characteristics. Instead of creating a entirely new design, the method copies the proven design and makes targeted modifications (adding root extension and adjusting tip section) to achieve the desired performance improvements, thereby avoiding the time-consuming process of original design development
2Length of moving object
If an existing rotor blade design is extended by adding a root extension, then blade length and potential energy production are increased, but aerodynamic performance deteriorates due to the suboptimal root extension design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making differentiated modifications to specific parts of the rotor blade. The root extension is added to increase blade length for accessing higher wind speeds, while the tip section is separately optimized to maintain aerodynamic performance. Each part is designed with its specific function in mind, allowing the blade to achieve both increased length and maintained aerodynamic efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by adjusting the tip section geometry to compensate for the aerodynamic losses introduced by the root extension. By modifying parameters such as tip section chord length, twist angle, or airfoil profile, the design restores and optimizes aerodynamic performance despite the presence of the non-aerodynamic root extension
3Productivity
If the tip section is replaced to compensate for energy production gap, then annual energy production is improved, but design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the rotor blade into distinct modular sections: the root extension, the intermediate section, and the tip section. This modular approach allows independent optimization of each segment - the root extension for length, and the tip section for aerodynamic performance - while simplifying the overall design process through systematic breakdown of the blade into manageable, independently designable components
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of designing a wind turbine rotor blade, comprising the following steps: • providing a first wind turbine rotor blade design which includes a blade root and a blade tip, • providing a second wind turbine rotor blade design comprising the first wind turbine rotor blade design and a root extension, • determining an annual energy production gap by comparing an estimated annual energy production of a wind turbine comprising the second wind turbine rotor blade design to a reference annual energy production of a reference wind turbine comprising a reference wind turbine rotor blade design having the same length as the second wind turbine rotor blade design, • providing a final wind turbine rotor blade design based on the second wind turbine rotor blade design by replacing a tip section of the second wind turbine rotor blade design with an extended tip section, wherein a length of the extended tip section is selected such that the annual energy production gap is closed.