Segmented Wind Turbine Rotor Blade Design for Transport and Load Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbines face stress and fatigue on components, particularly pitch bearings, due to varying wind loads, and current rotor blades are cumbersome for transportation due to their fixed, single-piece design.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an inner and outer blade portion with a rotatable element that allows the outer blade to pivot relative to the inner blade, reducing load on pitch bearings and enabling disassembly for compact transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rotor blades are designed as single-piece fixed structure, then structural strength is improved, but transportation complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor blade is divided into multiple separable sections (blade root section, intermediate section, and tip section) that can be detached from each other. This segmentation allows the blade to be transported in smaller, more manageable pieces through standard transportation channels, while the sections can be reassembled at the installation site to form the complete blade structure with full structural strength.
2Adaptability or versatility
If pitch mechanisms are used to adjust rotor blade angle, then wind load adaptation is improved, but stress and fatigue on pitch bearings increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor blade incorporates a pitch mechanism that enables dynamic adjustment of the blade's angle of attack relative to the wind direction. This dynamic capability allows the turbine to adapt to varying wind conditions, optimizing power generation while reducing extreme load stresses on the blade structure and pitch bearings through active control.
Solution Approach 2:
The pitch mechanism changes the operational parameters of the rotor blade by adjusting the blade angle (pitch angle) in response to wind speed and turbine load conditions. This parameter adjustment allows the system to operate efficiently across a range of wind speeds while reducing peak loads that would otherwise cause excessive stress and fatigue on pitch bearings.
3Productivity
If rotor blades are made longer for higher power generation, then energy output is improved, but transportation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
Long rotor blades designed for higher power generation are divided into multiple modular sections that can be transported separately using conventional transportation infrastructure. The segmented sections are then assembled on-site to achieve the full blade length required for optimal energy capture, combining the benefits of long blades for high productivity with the practicality of standard transportation methods.
Data Source
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AI summary
A wind turbine (100) includes a hub (110) rotatable about an axis and a blade (112) coupled to the hub (110). The blade (112) includes an inner blade portion (128) having a first end (120) and a second end (134). The inner blade portion (128) is coupled to the hub (110) at the first end (120) and extends radially outward from the hub (110) to the second end (134). The blade (112) further includes an outer blade portion (130) having a first end (138) and a second end (122). The first end (138) of the outer blade portion (130) is pivotably coupled to the second end (134) of the inner blade portion (128).