Wind Turbine Flange Bulge Stress Redistribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine flange designs face challenges in adapting to increased loads due to larger rotor diameters, requiring redesigns that increase material usage and manufacturing costs, while maintaining stability and stress distribution.
Innovation Solution
A flange design with improved stress distribution and reduced material usage, featuring a bulge on one side to redistribute loads and maintain the same outer diameter, allowing for higher load resistance without additional material or manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the size of wind turbine components is increased to handle higher loads, then the load resistance capability is improved, but the material usage and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flange features a bulge with increased wall thickness in specific regions (where the bulge is formed) rather than uniformly increasing thickness across the entire flange. This localized thickening concentrates material where stress is highest, improving load resistance capability while minimizing overall material usage compared to a uniform thickening approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The bulge introduces a curved, non-uniform geometry to the flange structure. This curvature redistributes stress flows more effectively through the flange, allowing the component to handle higher loads with the same or less material compared to a straight, uniform flange design.
2Stress or pressure
If the flange design is adapted to increased load conditions, then the stress distribution is improved, but the adjacent parts require redesign
Solution Approach 1:
The bulge is a localized modification to the flange geometry that improves stress distribution within the flange itself without requiring changes to the adjacent parts. The modified region is contained within the flange, allowing standard connection interfaces to remain unchanged.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange design separates the stress management function (handled by the bulge) from the connection function (handled by the flange interfaces). This segmentation allows the bulge to improve stress distribution independently without affecting the design of adjacent connecting parts.
3Strength
If the outer diameter of the flange is increased to improve stress performance, then the load resistance is improved, but the manufacturing costs and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the outer diameter uniformly across the entire flange, the bulge provides localized thickening only in the region where stress concentration occurs. This approach achieves improved stress performance while maintaining the original outer diameter and minimizing additional material costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved bulge geometry efficiently redirects stress flows through the flange structure, achieving enhanced stress performance without increasing the overall flange dimensions. This curvature-based stress redistribution avoids the need for larger, more expensive flange components.
Data Source
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AI summary
A flange (100) is provided including a longitudinal axis defining a first direction, a radial direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction, a neck (120) extending along the first direction, a flange plate (140) connected to the neck and including a connecting portion (110) adapted for holding a connecting device at a connecting side (150), the flange plate further including a non-connecting side being at a radially different location than the connecting side; the flange including a first plane (910) defining a first level of the neck, a second plane defining a second level, where flange plate and neck are connected, and a third plane defining a third level of the flange plate, wherein the three planes extend substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flange; the flange includes at least at the non-connecting side a bulge (160), which extends from a level between the first plane and the second plane to the third plane.