Rotor Blade Connection Assembly for High Load Transfer in Thin Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine rotor blade connections face challenges in achieving easy manufacturing and improved load-bearing capabilities, particularly when multiple metal inserts are integrated in two rows, requiring a large wall thickness that is difficult to maintain uniformly.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a plurality of connection assemblies with metal inserts and transition materials arranged in inner and outer rows, allowing access from the front face, and featuring tapered surfaces that reduce wall thickness while ensuring smooth load transfer, using fibre-reinforced plastics and core materials for stability and ease of manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If multiple metal inserts are integrated into the blade laminate to improve load-bearing capabilities, then the load transfer capability is improved, but the wall thickness of the connection section increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single-row arrangement of metal inserts to a two-row arrangement (inner row and outer row), utilizing the circumferential dimension more effectively. This dimensional change allows load-bearing capacity to be doubled without proportionally increasing wall thickness, as the inserts are distributed across two concentric circles rather than stacked in a single line.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent embeds metal inserts within the blade laminate structure, nesting them into recesses formed in the laminate. The transition material is also nested around the metal inserts, creating a compact integrated structure that maximizes load transfer while minimizing the overall wall thickness required.
2Ease of manufacture
If the wall thickness of the connection section is reduced to maintain manufacturing efficiency, then manufacturing ease is improved, but the load-bearing capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connection section is segmented into two distinct rows of connection assemblies (inner row and outer row), each row bearing a portion of the total load. This segmentation allows the wall thickness to be optimized for each row's contribution, maintaining manufacturing efficiency while achieving superior load-bearing capability through distributed load paths.
3Strength
If connection assemblies are arranged in two rows to improve load transfer, then the load-bearing capability is improved, but the complexity of the connection section increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs identical or similar connection assemblies in both the inner row and outer row, making each assembly multi-functional in terms of load transfer. The same basic design of metal insert with threaded bore and surrounding transition material serves the dual purpose of withstanding tensile loads and facilitating efficient stress distribution, reducing design complexity despite the increased number of components.
Data Source
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AI summary
A wind turbine rotor blade element comprising • a connection section with a front face, an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein a distance between the inner surface and the outer surface forms a wall thickness, • a plurality of connection assemblies, each connection assembly having (i) a metal insert with a longitudinal axis, a circumferential outer surface and a joining portion for connecting the wind turbine rotor blade element to a wind turbine rotor hub or to another wind turbine rotor blade element, and (ii) a transition material generally aligned with the metal insert and having a tapering longitudinal section, the tapering longitudinal section having an axial outer surface positioned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the metal insert and an inclined outer surface positioned at an angle with reference to the longitudinal axis, • wherein the connection assemblies are embedded in the connection section such that the joining portions of the metal inserts are accessible from the front face of the connection section, wherein • the connection assemblies are arranged in an inner row closer to the inner surface of the connection section and an outer row closer to the outer surface of the connection section.