Segmented Wind Turbine Rotor Blade Casting for Faster Manufacturing

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Solution Overview

Problem

The manufacturing of large wind turbine rotor blades is time-consuming and costly due to the need for extensive preparation of thick inboard regions and the requirement for large floor space, as existing methods involve casting entire blades in one piece using either open-mould or closed-mould techniques, which are inefficient in terms of time and resource utilization.

Innovation Solution

Divide the rotor blade into an inboard section and an outboard section, each manufactured using different casting processes, allowing for optimized workflow scheduling and reduced preparation time by utilizing the advantages of both techniques, such as open-mould casting for the inboard section and closed-mould casting for the outboard section, thereby minimizing resource wastage and costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the entire rotor blade is manufactured as a one-piece structure using traditional infusion moulding, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the manufacturing time and floor space requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidmanufacturing time

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The rotor blade is divided into two separate sections: an inboard blade section and an outboard blade section. Each section is manufactured independently using different casting processes, then joined together. This segmentation allows the outboard section to be manufactured using faster closed-mould casting while the inboard section uses open-mould casting, reducing overall manufacturing time while maintaining structural integrity through the joining process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Strength

If the entire rotor blade is manufactured as a one-piece structure using traditional infusion moulding, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the floor space requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidfloor space

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

By dividing the blade into inboard and outboard sections manufactured separately, smaller moulds can be used that require less floor space. The inboard section uses an open-mould casting process with smaller footprint, while the outboard section uses closed-mould casting, both requiring less space than a single large mould for the entire blade

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Quantity of substance

If the inboard region is prepared with multiple layers of fibreglass mats to achieve the desired mass, then the structural requirements are met, but the preparation time increases considerably

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemass of inboard regionVSAvoidpreparation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The inboard section is separated from the outboard section, allowing the mass-critical inboard region to be manufactured independently using open-mould casting with pre-fabricated beams and multiple fibreglass layers. This segmentation allows the time-intensive mass-building process to occur in parallel with outboard section preparation, rather than sequentially

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A pre-fabricated beam is manufactured in advance and placed into the mould before completing the inboard section layup. This preliminary action reduces the overall preparation time by preparing critical load-bearing components separately before final assembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Productivity

If different casting processes are used for inboard and outboard sections, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing efficiencyVSAvoidprocess complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Different casting processes are applied to different sections based on their specific requirements: open-mould casting is used for the inboard section where mass and thickness are critical, while closed-mould casting is used for the outboard section where surface quality is paramount. This local optimization of manufacturing processes improves overall efficiency while managing complexity through targeted application

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11313346B2Method of manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades

Publication Date: 2022.04.26 SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY AS

AI summary

Provided is a method of manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades, wherein each rotor blade includes an inboard section and an outboard section, and wherein an inboard blade section including a root end and a transition region is manufactured using a first casting process; and an outboard blade section including an airfoil region is manufactured using a second casting process, which second casting process is different from the first casting process. The invention further describes a wind turbine rotor blade manufactured using such a method.