Used Wind Turbine Blade Load-Carrying Assembly for High-Value Reuse
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The disposal of used wind turbine blades poses significant waste management challenges due to their large size and weight, and existing methods primarily focus on crushing them into small particles, which is energy-intensive and lacks high-value secondary uses.
Innovation Solution
Reusing wind turbine blades as structural components in load carrying assemblies, maintaining their inherent strength and elasticity, without milling them into small particles, and integrating them with connection elements to form rigid structures suitable for carrying loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If wind turbine blades are crushed into small particles for secondary use, then waste management is achieved, but substantial amounts of energy are consumed and high-value secondary uses are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers the full structural value of decommissioned wind turbine blades by reusing them as load-bearing elements in new constructions, rather than discarding them through crushing. This approach preserves the blades' inherent strength and elasticity while achieving waste management goals.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the utilization parameter of the blades from 'material to be processed into particles' to 'structural component for load-bearing applications'. This parameter change eliminates the need for energy-intensive crushing while maintaining waste management effectiveness.
2Loss of substance
If wind turbine blades are crushed into small particles, then waste management is achieved, but high-value secondary uses are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers the full structural value of decommissioned wind turbine blades by reusing them as load-bearing elements in new constructions, rather than discarding them through crushing. This approach preserves the blades' inherent strength and elasticity while achieving waste management goals.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure by combining reused wind turbine blades with concrete and steel reinforcement elements. This composite approach maintains the high value of the blades by utilizing their structural properties while complementing them with other materials to create a complete load-bearing system.
3Use of energy by moving object
If wind turbine blades are reused as structural components, then energy consumption is reduced and high-value secondary use is achieved, but the blades must be integrated with connection elements to form rigid structures
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite structure by combining reused wind turbine blades with concrete and steel reinforcement elements. This composite approach maintains the high value of the blades by utilizing their structural properties while complementing them with other materials to create a complete load-bearing system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the blade utilization into functional sections, using specific portions of the blades for load-bearing purposes and integrating them with connection elements at strategic locations. This segmentation approach manages structural complexity by focusing integration efforts at key junctions rather than throughout the entire structure.
4Strength
If individual blade sections are used in the assembly, then the inherent strength and elasticity of each blade is utilized, but multiple blades must be combined to achieve sufficient rigidity for the assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual blade sections into a unified load-bearing assembly. By combining the inherent strength and elasticity of several blades through structural integration, the system achieves the rigidity required for construction applications while preserving the advantages of each individual blade section.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure by combining reused wind turbine blades with concrete and steel reinforcement elements. This composite approach maintains the high value of the blades by utilizing their structural properties while complementing them with other materials to create a complete load-bearing system.
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
Provides a high-value secondary use for wind turbine blades, reducing energy consumption and concrete usage, while creating robust load carrying structures suitable for various applications.
Implementation Method 1
While each of the blades or blade sections exhibits a comparatively high degree of elasticity, the assembly according to the present invention is comparatively rigid and well suited for carrying even high loads.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4
Figure 5
AI summary
Load carrying assembly (10), comprising a plurality of length sections of used wind mill blades (11) arranged in a preferably symmetrical structural pattern around a common longitudinal axis. The wind mill blade sections are attached to one another by a plurality of spaced apart connection elements (12, 13, 14). The structural pattern is typically symmetrical around a central axis.