3D Printed Rotor Blade Reinforcement Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wind turbine rotor blade manufacturing methods are costly, labor-intensive, and inefficient, with high mold tooling expenses and low throughput, and the structural components often require additional adhesives and curing processes, which increase weight and costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of 3-D printing and additive manufacturing techniques to create fiber-reinforced rotor blade panels with customized reinforcement structures, including rib members of varying compositions, which bond directly to the outer skins during deposition, eliminating the need for additional adhesives and allowing for tailored properties such as stiffness and buckling resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional molding processes with spar caps are used, then structural strength and stiffness are improved, but manufacturing cost and labor intensity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameters by transitioning from conventional molding processes to 3-D printing additive manufacturing. This enables direct deposition of reinforcement structure material onto the inner surface of outer skins, eliminating the need for separate spar cap components and adhesive bonding processes, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and labor while maintaining structural strength
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials in the reinforcement structure deposited via 3-D printing, combining different materials with varying compositions to achieve optimized structural properties. The reinforcement structure uses composite material deposition to provide the necessary strength and stiffness while reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost
2Strength
If conventional molding processes with multiple layers are used, then structural properties are improved, but production time and throughput decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by depositing the reinforcement structure material directly onto the inner surface of the outer skins during the molding process itself, before final curing. This integration of reinforcement structure creation into the primary manufacturing process eliminates subsequent assembly steps and accelerates production throughput while maintaining structural properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the reinforcement structure creation with the outer skin formation processes. By combining these previously separate operations into a single integrated 3-D printing deposition process, the patent achieves both structural properties and improved production efficiency simultaneously
3Strength
If additional adhesives and curing processes are used for structural components, then bonding strength is improved, but weight and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the reinforcement structure material deposition with the outer skin material in a single continuous 3-D printing process. This integration eliminates the need for separate adhesive layers and additional curing processes, reducing overall weight while maintaining bonding strength through direct material continuity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the adhesive bonding step from the manufacturing process. By using 3-D printing to directly deposit reinforcement structure material that bonds inherently with the outer skins during the molding process, the patent removes the need for separate adhesives and their associated curing processes, thereby reducing weight and manufacturing complexity
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
This approach reduces production costs and time, enhances structural performance, and enables more efficient customization of rotor blades with improved stiffness and buckling resistance, while minimizing weight and tooling expenses.
Implementation Method 1
The reinforcement structure includes, at least, a first composition and a second composition... forming a plurality of rib members that intersect at a plurality of nodes to form at least one three-dimensional (3-D) reinforcement grid structure onto an inner surface of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins. The grid structure bonds to the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins as the grid structure is being deposited.
Data Source
AI summary
Rotor blade panels, along with methods of their formation, are provided. The rotor blade panel may include one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins having an inner surface; and, a plurality of reinforcement structures on the inner surface of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins, where the reinforcement structure bonds to the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins as the reinforcement structure is being deposited. The reinforcement structure includes, at least, a first composition and a second composition, with the first composition being different than the second composition.