Segmented Wind Turbine Blades via Additive Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wind turbine blade manufacturing requires significant capital investment, centralized factory systems, and long lead times, limiting flexibility in design and increasing transportation costs due to the need for large molds and complex logistics.
Innovation Solution
The wind turbine blade is composed of layered sections coupled end-to-end, with a tubular structure and strengthening elements, manufactured using additive processes like 3D printing, allowing for localized production and easy design changes, reducing the need for large molds and centralized facilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional mold-based manufacturing is used, then blade structural integrity is ensured, but capital investment and manufacturing complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is divided into multiple modular sections that can be manufactured separately and assembled together. Each section contains internal bores for strengthening elements, allowing distributed manufacturing while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection interfaces and internal reinforcement continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade sections utilize composite material construction with fiber-resin materials that provide high strength-to-weight ratio. The composite structure incorporates strengthening elements within internal bores, creating a multi-layered composite system that achieves required structural integrity while reducing overall material usage and manufacturing complexity.
2Reliability
If centralized mold manufacturing is used, then production quality is controlled, but transportation costs and lead times increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the blade into smaller sections with standardized interfaces, the invention enables distributed manufacturing at multiple locations. Each section can be produced locally with controlled quality standards, then assembled on-site, eliminating the need for centralized mold manufacturing and long-distance transportation of complete blades.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade sections are pre-manufactured with integrated strengthening elements and connection interfaces built-in during the additive manufacturing process. This preliminary preparation of individual sections allows for quality control at the manufacturing stage while enabling rapid on-site assembly, significantly reducing overall lead time compared to centralized production and transportation.
3Length of moving object
If large molds are used for blade production, then blade size and power output increase, but transportation and logistics complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is segmented into multiple smaller sections that can be transported independently using standard logistics infrastructure. Each section contains internal bores for strengthening elements and features standardized connection interfaces. This segmentation allows assembly at the installation site, eliminating the need for specialized transportation equipment required for complete large-scale blades while achieving the same final blade size and power output.
4Strength
If conventional manufacturing processes are used, then blade strength is achieved, but manufacturing flexibility and design changes are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The modular section design with standardized interfaces allows different blade configurations to be assembled from the same basic sections. Design changes can be implemented by modifying individual section parameters or combinations rather than redesigning entire blades, maintaining structural integrity through consistent connection protocols while enabling rapid adaptation to different wind conditions and power requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing process allows for parameter changes in blade sections including varying wall thicknesses, bore locations and sizes, and strengthening element configurations. These parameter modifications can be made digitally without changing physical molds, enabling flexible design adaptation while maintaining the structural strength required for different operational requirements through optimized material distribution.
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 capital investment, eliminates the need for centralized manufacturing, and decreases lead times, enabling more flexible and cost-effective wind turbine blade design and production while minimizing transportation costs.
Implementation Method 1
Each section may be produced by an additive manufacturing process in which a material is deposited, layer by layer, in the shape of a two-dimensional cross section of the three-dimensional model
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
A wind turbine blade includes a plurality of layered sections coupled together end-to-end. Each section includes a side wall that forms a tubular structure and includes at least one bore. When the sections are coupled together, the bores generally align to form a conduit. A strengthening element extends through the conduit and is configured to reinforce the blade under load during use of the wind turbine. A wind turbine includes a tower, a nacelle, and a rotor including a hub and at least one wind turbine blade including a plurality of layered sections extending from the hub. A method of forming a wind turbine blade through an additive manufacturing process is also disclosed.