Sharp-Edged Composite Inlay Moulding for Wind Blade Spar Caps
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing and transportation of large wind turbine blades are challenging due to stress concentrations at the pin joints of segmented blades, requiring additional composite parts to reinforce spar caps without altering the geometry of the spar cap.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a mould with a mould inlay is used to manufacture a composite part with a sharp edge that matches the spar cap geometry, ensuring a strong connection and reducing surface discontinuities, using a chemically inert mould inlay material like silicone to facilitate demoulding and reusability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If additional composite parts are added to reinforce the spar cap at the pin joint, then the strength is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The composite part integrates multiple functions into a single component: it reinforces the spar cap at the pin joint, provides a bonding interface for the shell part, and eliminates the need for separate bonding layers or additional structural elements. This merging approach maintains strength while reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite part serves multiple purposes simultaneously: structural reinforcement at the stress-concentration zone, bonding substrate for the shell part, and geometric matcher for surface continuity. This multi-functionality improves strength without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If the spar cap geometry is altered to accommodate composite parts, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The solution separates the spar cap from the composite reinforcement part, keeping the spar cap geometry unchanged (maintaining manufacturing precision) while adding a separately manufacturable composite part that provides the necessary reinforcement and bonding interface (improving ease of manufacture).
Solution Approach 2:
The composite part acts as an intermediary element between the spar cap and the shell part, providing both reinforcement and a bonding interface without requiring modifications to the spar cap itself. This mediator approach preserves the original spar cap geometry while achieving the desired manufacturing ease.
3Manufacturing precision
If a mould inlay is used to create a sharp edge on the composite part, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mould inlay is prepared in advance and positioned in the mould before composite material placement. This preliminary action creates the sharp edge geometry directly during moulding, achieving high manufacturing precision without requiring subsequent machining or complex multi-step processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The mould inlay serves as a physical template or copy of the desired sharp edge geometry, transferring this precise shape to the composite part during moulding. This copying approach achieves manufacturing precision through a relatively simple additive process rather than complex subtractive machining.
4Ease of operation
If the mould inlay material is chemically inert with the resin, then the ease of operation is improved, but the bonding strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The solution extracts the bonding function from the mould inlay itself and relocates it to a dedicated bonding layer applied to the composite part after demoulding. The mould inlay remains chemically inert for easy demoulding, while the separate bonding layer provides the necessary adhesion strength.
Solution Approach 2:
A bonding layer acts as an intermediary between the chemically inert composite part and the shell part, providing the necessary adhesion without requiring the mould inlay material to be reactive. This mediator approach separates the demoulding function (requiring chemical inertness) from the bonding function (requiring adhesion).
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
The method allows for a durable and efficient reinforcement of the spar cap without altering its geometry, reducing mould wear, and enabling easy demoulding and reusability of the mould inlay, thus improving manufacturing efficiency and composite part quality.
Implementation Method 1
infusing the fibre material with a resin
Implementation Method 2
curing the infused fibre material to manufacture the composite part
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a composite part (70) for a wind turbine blade (10), the method comprising the steps of providing a mould (50) comprising a mould depression (51) with a floor surface (53) and an adjacent receiving section (54), and a mould inlay (60) having an insertion section (61) and a first side (63); arranging the insertion section (61) in the receiving section (54) of the mould depression (51) so that a junction of the first side (63) and the floor surface (53) forms a first mould edge (66); arranging a fibre material (74) on a moulding surface (52) adjacent to the junction and the first side (63); infusing the fibre material (74) with a resin (75) and curing the infused fibre material (74) to manufacture the composite part (70) having a first part edge (73) being formed by the junction, wherein the material of the first side (63) is chemically inert with the resin (75).