Variable Width Adhesive Strips for Rotor Blade Bonding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional rotor blades require oversized adhesive strips due to constant width along their length, leading to excessive material and adhesive usage, as the width is determined by maximum forces acting on the strip, which are variable along the blade.

Innovation Solution

The adhesive strips are designed with variable widths along their length, changing linearly in sections to match the varying forces, reducing the overall bonding area and minimizing material and adhesive usage without compromising stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If adhesive strips have constant width along their length, then bonding reliability is ensured, but material usage and adhesive consumption increase excessively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding reliabilityVSAvoidmaterial usage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The adhesive strip width is varied along its length to match the local bonding requirements. The width is greatest where forces are highest and tapers to smaller widths where forces are lower, ensuring adequate bonding reliability only where needed rather than using uniform width throughout.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The width parameter of the adhesive strip is changed continuously or in sections along its length. This parameter variation allows the bonding area to be optimized for each location based on the force distribution, reducing overall material consumption while maintaining necessary bonding strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If adhesive strip width is determined by maximum forces, then bonding strength is sufficient, but bonding area becomes oversized

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding strengthVSAvoidbonding area
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using the maximum force requirement across the entire adhesive strip length, the width at each location is determined by the local force requirements. This creates a variable width profile where the bonding area is optimized for each section rather than being uniformly oversized.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The adhesive strip provides full bonding strength only where required by maximum forces, and reduced width where lower forces act. This partial optimization approach eliminates excessive bonding area while maintaining sufficient strength at critical locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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 approach results in a significant reduction of the adhesive area by approximately 44%, saving material and adhesive while maintaining rotor blade stability, as the width of the adhesive strips is adapted to the specific sections based on calculated or empirically determined bonding widths.

Implementation Method 1

The invention relates to a rotor blade with at least one bond between two components in the form of a bonded strip

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Data Source

PatentEP3608088B1Rotor blade with bondings with continuously variable widths and a method of manufacturing a rotor blade
Publication Date: 2022.10.19 SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY SERVICE GMBH
  • EP3608088B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3608088B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Rotor blade with at least one bond between two components in the form of an adhesive strip (2, 3) having a length and a width (B) which has at least one longitudinal section (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6) wherein the width (B) of the adhesive strip (2, 3) changes along the at least one longitudinal section (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6).