Rotor Blade Peel Testing with Controlled Pull Angle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional peel-pull test devices are unsuitable for assessing the quality of the adhesive bond between a leading edge protector (LEP) shell and a wind turbine rotor blade due to differences in material properties and curvature, making it difficult to obtain reliable data on bond strength.
Innovation Solution
A testing apparatus and method that allows for a peel test to be performed directly on the rotor blade, maintaining a predetermined pull angle and using sensors to collect data on the adhesive bond between the LEP shell and the rotor blade, accommodating its curved surface and varying thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a conventional peel-pull test device is used to test adhesive bond strength, then consistent test results can be obtained on flat carrier plates, but the device cannot be used to test the adhesive bond between LEP shell and curved rotor blade surface
Solution Approach 1:
The test device incorporates a positioning arrangement that can dynamically adjust and maintain a predetermined pull angle between the adherent strip and the curved rotor blade surface during the test procedure. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the device to adapt to the curved geometry while maintaining consistent measurement conditions, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and adaptability to curved surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes the geometric parameters of the testing setup by allowing the pull angle and positioning to be adjusted according to the local curvature of the rotor blade surface. The positioning arrangement maintains the pull angle relative to the tangent of the curved surface at the test location, enabling accurate measurements on curved surfaces while preserving the essential measurement parameters needed for consistent results.
2Reliability
If the adherent sample is glued to a flat carrier plate for consistent testing, then reliable data can be collected, but the material properties differ from the actual rotor blade application
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential testing function from the conventional flat carrier plate setup and applies it directly to the actual rotor blade surface. By performing the peel test in situ on the curved rotor blade rather than on a separate flat carrier plate, the device obtains measurements that are representative of the actual application conditions while maintaining test consistency through the positioning arrangement that controls the pull angle.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning arrangement acts as an intermediary between the pulling means and the curved rotor blade surface, maintaining the predetermined pull angle relationship regardless of the surface curvature. This intermediary component enables accurate force measurement while adapting to the complex geometry, bridging the gap between consistent testing requirements and actual application conditions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the LEP shell and adhesive layer have non-uniform thickness on the curved rotor blade, then the actual bond conditions vary across the surface, but conventional test devices cannot accommodate these variations
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning arrangement enables local testing at different positions on the rotor blade surface, allowing the pull angle to be maintained relative to the local tangent of the curved surface at each test location. This local adaptation capability allows testing of non-uniform thickness regions while maintaining measurement consistency, as each test is performed with the pull direction appropriate to the local geometry rather than requiring global uniformity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention describes a testing apparatus (1) for use in a wind turbine rotor blade manufacturing facility, comprising a pulling means (10) adapted to pull an adherent strip (3T) from a surface of a rotor blade (2); a positioning arrangement (11) configured to maintain a predetermined pull angle (a) between the adherent strip (3T) and the surface of the rotor blade (2) during a test procedure; and a support frame (12) for holding the pulling means (10) and positioning arrangement (11), which support frame comprises a clamping arrangement (14) adapted to clamp about the leading edge (2LE) of the rotor blade (2). The invention further describes a method of performing a test procedure on a wind turbine rotor blade (2) using the inventive testing apparatus (1).