Wind Turbine Rotor Blade Leading-Edge Fin Integration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbine rotor blades face issues with aerodynamic noise and impact damage from airborne particles, which can lead to structural damage and downtime due to detached fins from adhesive layers.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming a mould with partial negative leading-edge profiles to embed fin inserts during the resin transfer moulding process, creating a durable, radially extending finned leading-edge that is integral to the rotor blade, eliminating the need for separate attachment and potential detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fins are attached to the rotor blade using an adhesive layer, then leading-edge protection and noise reduction are improved, but the reliability deteriorates over time as the adhesive deteriorates and fins detach
Solution Approach 1:
The fin inserts are integrated directly into the rotor blade structure during the moulding process. The indentations in the mould create cavities where fin inserts are placed, and resin is injected to bond them permanently to the blade body, merging the fin attachment system with the blade manufacturing process itself rather than using separate adhesive layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The fin inserts are positioned in the indentations of the mould before the resin transfer moulding process begins. This preliminary placement ensures that fins are correctly positioned and permanently bonded during the initial manufacturing process, eliminating the need for subsequent attachment operations and ensuring long-term reliability.
2Reliability
If a finned leading edge is manufactured using separate attachment, then leading-edge protection is improved, but the device complexity increases due to multiple manufacturing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process merges the fin attachment step with the rotor blade manufacturing process. The mould includes integrally formed indentations that receive fin inserts, and the resin transfer moulding process simultaneously creates the blade structure and bonds the fins, eliminating separate attachment operations and reducing overall manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mould serves multiple functions: it forms the rotor blade structure, creates the indentations for fin positioning, and facilitates the bonding of fins during the same resin transfer moulding process. This multi-functionality reduces the number of specialized tools and processes needed.
3Reliability
If fins are attached separately to the rotor blade, then leading-edge protection is improved, but the loss of time increases due to downtime for repair when fins detach
Solution Approach 1:
The fin inserts are positioned and permanently bonded during the initial rotor blade manufacturing process. This preliminary action ensures that fins are securely attached before the blade enters service, eliminating the need for future repair operations and associated downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The fin attachment is merged with the blade manufacturing process, creating a permanent bond that lasts the lifetime of the blade. This eliminates the cyclical pattern of attachment-detachment-repair that causes downtime, as the fins remain securely attached throughout the blade's service life.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention describes a method of manufacturing a wind turbine rotor blade (20), which method comprises the steps of preparing a mould (1) by forming a partial negative leading-edge profile (10) in a first mould half (1L), which partial negative leading-edge profile (10) comprises a plurality of first indentations (10F) along a leading edge region (1L_LE) of the first mould half (1L); forming a partial negative leading-edge profile (10) in a second mould half (1U), which partial negative leading-edge profile (10) comprises a complementary plurality of second indentations (10F) along a leading edge region (1U_LE) of the second mould half (1U); and wherein the combined shape of a first indentation (10F) and a complementary second indentation (10F) corresponds to the negative shape of a leading-edge fin (20F) that will extend radially outward from the body of the rotor blade (20); and moulding the rotor blade (20) by laying moulding material in the mould parts (1L, 1U) and thereby arranging fin inserts (11F) in the indentation (10F) of the partial negative leading-edge profile (10) of the first mould half (1L); and performing a resin transfer procedure.