Thermoplastic Rotor Blade Welding Gap Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermoplastic welding techniques for wind turbine rotor blade components face challenges in maintaining intimate contact between surfaces during the heating and cooling cycle, leading to unintended gaps and the need for expensive adhesives or fasteners for bonding thermoset and thermoplastic materials.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of a thermoplastic insert larger than the tolerance gap between components, heated to flow and fill the gap, with applied pressure to maintain direct contact during welding, and optional steps for securing and smoothing the insert, including the use of temporary barriers and fiber materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional thermoplastic welding techniques are used, then welding process is simple, but intimate contact between surfaces cannot be maintained during heating and cooling cycle
Solution Approach 1:
A thermoplastic insert is placed between the components at the interface before welding begins. This insert is specifically sized to be larger than the tolerance gap, ensuring that when heated and pressed, it will flow into and fill the gap completely, maintaining intimate contact between surfaces throughout the welding cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The welding process utilizes controlled heating to change the physical state of the thermoplastic insert from solid to flowing state, allowing it to fill the tolerance gap. Pressure is then applied to maintain the flowing state and ensure complete gap filling, followed by cooling to solidify the material and create a strong bond.
2Strength
If adhesives or fasteners are used to bond thermoset and thermoplastic materials, then bonding strength is improved, but weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses thermoplastic material for both the components being joined and the insert material itself. This homogeneity allows all parts to be welded together using the same thermoplastic welding process, eliminating the need for different bonding methods or additional materials like adhesives or fasteners, thereby reducing weight while maintaining bonding strength.
3Reliability
If adhesives or fasteners are used to bond thermoset and thermoplastic materials, then bonding is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By using thermoplastic material throughout (components and insert), the welding process becomes standardized and simplified. This eliminates the need for multiple bonding techniques and additional materials, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining reliable bonds through the thermoplastic welding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermoplastic insert acts as a consumable element that is used once during the welding process to facilitate the bond. After serving its purpose of filling the gap and enabling welding, the insert becomes part of the welded joint structure, eliminating the need for expensive reusable adhesives or fasteners.
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 method improves the quality and reduces costs by ensuring intimate contact between thermoplastic components during welding, enhancing the bonding process and reducing the need for adhesives or fasteners, thus improving manufacturing efficiency and weight reduction.
Implementation Method 1
heating the thermoplastic insert and the first and second thermoplastic components such that the thermoplastic insert begins to flow
Implementation Method 2
applying pressure to the interface such that the thermoplastic insert and the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components remain substantially in direct contact with each other at the interface
Implementation Method 3
welding the thermoplastic insert and the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components together at the interface
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to methods for joining rotor blade components using thermoplastic welding. The method includes arranging a first thermoplastic component and a second thermoplastic component together at an interface, determining a size of a tolerance gap between the first and second components at the interface, placing a thermoplastic insert between the first and second components at the interface, the insert being larger than the tolerance gap, heating the insert and the first and second components such that the insert begins to flow so as to fill the tolerance gap between the first and second components, applying pressure to the interface such that the insert and the first and second blade components remain substantially in direct contact with each other at the interface, and welding the insert and the first and second components together at the interface, wherein the heat and the applied pressure between the insert and the first and second components at the interface maintain the insert and the first and second substantially in direct contact at the interface during welding.