Wind Turbine Spar Cap Priming for Stronger Shell Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Challenges exist in applying primer to all surfaces of a pre-manufactured spar cap for wind turbine blades, particularly the bottom surface, which requires turning the spar cap upside down, leading to potential damage and reduced adherence, and the primer's effectiveness is diminished by moisture, affecting the structural integrity and increasing costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving applying a first primer layer on fibre-reinforced layers before arranging the spar cap, avoiding the need to turn the spar cap upside down, and applying subsequent primer layers to ensure strong adhesion, using vinyl ester or epoxy ester resins with polyester resin infusion, thereby enhancing adherence and reducing manufacturing time and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If primer is applied to all surfaces of the pre-manufactured spar cap including the bottom surface, then adhesion properties are improved, but the spar cap must be turned upside down which complicates the process and risks damage to the primer layer
Solution Approach 1:
The primer is applied to the bottom surface of the spar cap before the spar cap is placed in the mould, during the same operation when other surfaces are primed. This preliminary action ensures complete coverage including the bottom surface without requiring subsequent repositioning or separate application steps, thereby maintaining strong adhesion while simplifying the overall process.
2Ease of operation
If the spar cap is lifted using a sling after primer application, then the spar cap can be positioned in the mould, but the sling may damage the primed surfaces and reduce adhesion strength
Solution Approach 1:
The primer application to all surfaces including the bottom is completed before the spar cap is placed in the mould in a single operational sequence. By integrating the priming action into the initial positioning process rather than requiring post-positioning application, the method eliminates the need for damaging sling operations after priming while ensuring complete primer coverage for maximum adhesion strength.
3Loss of time
If primer application is delayed or prolonged, then more time is available for the process, but the primer reacts with moisture and its effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The method ensures continuous progression from primer application to resin infusion without unnecessary interruptions or delays. By applying primer to all surfaces including the bottom in the initial operation and immediately proceeding with mould closure and resin infusion, the process maintains continuous useful action that prevents moisture contamination and preserves primer effectiveness throughout the critical time window.
4Quantity of substance
If polyester resin is used instead of vinyl ester or epoxy ester, then cost is reduced, but adhesion properties are insufficient without adequate primer application
Solution Approach 1:
The method changes the parameter of primer application completeness by ensuring all surfaces including the bottom surface receive adequate primer coverage. This parameter change in primer application thoroughness compensates for the lower inherent adhesion properties of polyester resin, enabling the use of cost-effective polyester resin while maintaining sufficient adhesion strength through optimized primer coverage on all contact surfaces.
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 achieves improved adherence and structural integrity of wind turbine blades by ensuring primer application without damaging the primer layers and reducing the time from application to resin infusion, allowing for cost-effective use of polyester resin while maintaining strong adhesion.
Implementation Method 1
The use of a primer on the spar cap increase the adherence properties at the resin interface
Implementation Method 2
the primer may be based on isocyanate chemistry and react with moisture
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a blade shell member for a wind turbine blade. The method comprising providing a blade mould for the blade shell member and arranging a number of fibre-reinforced layers on a blade moulding surface of the blade mould. A first primer layer is applied on top of the fibre-reinforced layers, at a pre-determined spar cap region. Furthermore, a pre-manufactured spar cap having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side surface, a second side surface, a first end surface and a second end surface is arranged in the pre-manufactured spar cap on the spar cap region, such that the lower surface of the pre-manufactured spar cap contacts the first primer layer arranged on the spar cap region. A second primer layer is also applied to the upper surface of the pre-manufactured spar cap before the step of infusing the blade moulding cavity with resin and curing it. The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade, comprising the steps of manufacturing a pressure side shell half and a suction side shell half over substantially the entire length of the wind turbine blade and subsequently closing and joining the shell halves for obtaining a closed shell.