Wind Turbine Rotor Blade Internal Heating Mat Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wind turbine rotor blades often experience icing in low ambient temperatures, leading to safety risks and performance degradation due to imbalance and reduced yield.

Innovation Solution

Integration of electrically heatable silicone mats with heating elements inside the rotor blade, which can be attached using adhesives or adhesive tapes, providing efficient heating to prevent ice accumulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If heating mats are attached to the outer surface of the rotor blade, then the heating effect is strong, but the attachment is complex and not suitable for series production

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheating effectVSAvoidattachment complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by attaching heating mats to the inner surface of the rotor blade instead of the outer surface. This inversion simplifies the attachment process by allowing direct bonding to the blade's internal structure during manufacturing, making the process suitable for series production while maintaining effective heating through the blade thickness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The heating system is extracted from the external environment and integrated into the internal structure of the rotor blade. The heating mats are positioned inside the blade cavity, separating the heating function from the external blade surface and enabling simpler attachment during manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Manufacturing precision

If adhesive is sprayed to attach heating mats, then the surface quality of the adhesive layer is improved, but the application process requires precise control

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadhesive layer surface qualityVSAvoidapplication process control

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex spray application control with a simpler roller application method. The roller mechanically applies adhesive in a controlled manner, eliminating the need for precise spray parameter control while achieving sufficient adhesive layer quality for bonding the heating mats.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If heating mats are integrated into steel segment rotor blades, then the heating function is achieved, but the installation is not readily possible with conventional methods

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheating functionVSAvoidinstallation feasibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The heating mats are integrated into the rotor blade structure during the manufacturing process itself, before the blade is completed and installed. This preliminary integration into the steel segment structure during fabrication makes the heating function reliably available without requiring separate installation steps that would be difficult with conventional methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

The solution effectively prevents ice formation, ensuring safety, maintaining rotor balance, and optimizing energy production by easily scalable, cost-effective, and service-friendly implementation suitable for various blade materials.

Implementation Method 1

the heating mats are designed as silicone gel heating mats and have an electrical heating element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

The silicone mats are attached with silicone inside or in a cavity of the rotor blade

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP2635807B1Rotorblade with heating system for a wind turbine

Publication Date: 2015.05.13 WOBBEN PROPERTIES GMBH

Figure 1~2
Figure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a wind turbine rotor blade comprising at least one electrically operable heating mat (400) which is fixed in the interior (200) of the rotor blade (100).