Slope-Spliced Wind Turbine Blade Segment Connections for Lightweight Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine blades face challenges in transportation due to increasing length and thickness, and current segment connections, which often involve metal connections, increase weight and cost, particularly affecting remote installation sites.
Innovation Solution
A spanwise segment connection structure for wind turbine blades using a slope-shaped splicing surface with a structural adhesive layer and biaxial fabric reinforcement, enhancing bonding area and reducing stress concentration, combined with fiberglass butt joints for improved stability and reduced weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metal connections are used for segment splicing, then connection strength is improved, but blade weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces metal mechanical connections with a bonding system consisting of structural adhesive layers and biaxial fabric reinforcement. This substitution eliminates heavy metal components while maintaining connection strength through chemical bonding and distributed reinforcement, directly resolving the contradiction between connection strength and weight reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials including structural adhesive layers and biaxial fabric reinforcement layers to create a lightweight yet strong bonding system. The combination of adhesive materials and fabric reinforcement provides both bonding strength and structural integrity without the weight penalty of metal connections.
2Reliability
If metal connections are used for segment splicing, then connection reliability is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding system using structural adhesive and fabric reinforcement replaces expensive metal connection systems. This substitution reduces material costs and simplifies the manufacturing process by eliminating complex metal fabrication and assembly operations, thereby improving ease of manufacture while maintaining connection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the bonding parameters by using slope-shaped splicing surfaces that increase the bonding area. This parameter change allows for reduced adhesive thickness and material usage while maintaining or improving connection reliability, thereby reducing production costs.
3Power
If blade length is increased to utilize remote wind resources, then energy generation is improved, but transportation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the long blade into multiple segments that can be transported separately to remote locations. The segmentation principle enables transportation of blade components through difficult terrain and waterways, after which the segments are spliced together using the bonding system to form the complete long-blade structure for high-power energy generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from transporting one complete long blade to transporting multiple shorter segments that are then assembled in situ. This dimensional change in the transportation approach (from whole to parts) enables delivery to remote offshore or inland locations while maintaining the capability for high-power generation through the final assembled blade length.
4Reliability
If bonding area is increased through slope structure, then bonding reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses slope-shaped splicing surfaces that increase the bonding area between segments. This parameter change in the surface geometry improves bonding reliability by distributing stresses and increasing adhesive contact area, while the slope shape can be integrated into standard blade manufacturing processes, limiting the increase in manufacturing complexity.
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 solution reduces blade weight and production costs while ensuring reliable bonding and improved structural stability, facilitating transportation and installation of larger blades.
Implementation Method 1
a structural adhesive layer provided at the splicing surface for splicing and fixing the first and second segments
Implementation Method 2
a biaxial fabric reinforcement layer is provided on the outer side of a skin interface of the splicing surface... ensures the uniformity of the force on the blade shell structure
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 5
AI summary
The present invention relates to the field of wind turbine blade technology, in particular to a spanwise segment connection structure for wind turbine blades, comprising: a first segment and a second segment provided along the length direction of the wind turbine blade, wherein at least one splicing surface, in form of a slope structure, is provided between the first and second segments; and a structural adhesive layer provided at the splicing surface for splicing and fixing the first and second segments; wherein the bonding length of the structural adhesive layer conforms to the inclination angle of the slope structure, and a biaxial fabric reinforcement layer is provided on the outer side of a skin interface of the splicing surface. The weight of the blade is reduced and the production cost is reduced through the bonding and fixing of the first and second segments. The splicing surface in form of the slope structure increases the bonding area and reduces the stress concentration on the splicing surface of the first and second segments. In addition, the biaxial reinforcing layer at the skin interface of the splicing surface ensures the uniformity of the force on the blade shell structure, thereby improving the stability of the overall structure of the blade.