Wind Rotor Blade Material Applicator with Reduced-Height Edge Teeth

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for applying materials to wind turbine rotor blades, such as erosion protection, struggle to maintain consistent material thickness and avoid abrupt transitions that can negatively impact aerodynamic properties.

Innovation Solution

A material applicator with a base unit featuring varying tooth heights and a flexible design, allowing for reduced tooth presence in edge regions, ensures a smooth transition of material thickness and adapts to the rotor blade's curvature, preventing edges that could disrupt aerodynamics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a material applicator with uniform teeth height is used, then consistent material thickness is achieved in the central region, but abrupt edges are created at the boundary with the rotor blade surface

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial thickness consistencyVSAvoidaerodynamic disruption from material edges

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The material applicator features teeth with varying heights across its width: full-height teeth in the central region for consistent material application, and reduced-height teeth at the edges to create gradual transitions. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by maintaining precision where needed while eliminating harmful edges at boundaries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The applicator teeth are segmented into different height zones (full-height central teeth and reduced-height edge teeth), allowing independent optimization of material application quality in different regions. This segmentation enables the central region to maintain consistent thickness while edge regions prevent abrupt transitions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If the base unit is made rigid to maintain tooth positioning, then material application precision is improved, but adaptability to rotor blade curvature is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetooth positioning accuracyVSAvoidadaptability to rotor blade curvature

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The base unit is designed with flexible properties that allow it to dynamically adapt to the curved surface of the rotor blade while the teeth maintain their relative positioning. This dynamic flexibility resolves the contradiction by enabling both precision tooth positioning and adaptability to varying blade geometries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The base unit is constructed as a flexible structure that can conform to the rotor blade's curvature, allowing the applicator to maintain accurate tooth positioning relative to the surface while adapting to different blade shapes and sizes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentEP4070890B1Method of applying a material to a surface of a wind energy rotor blade and material applicator

Publication Date: 2025.09.10 WOBBEN PROPERTIES GMBH

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AI summary

A method for applying a coating material to a surface of a rotor blade (200) is provided. A material applicator (300) is placed on a surface (201) of the rotor blade (200), the material applicator (300) having a plurality of teeth (320). The length of the teeth (220) determines the thickness of the applied coating material. The coating material (210) is fed to the material applicator (300). The material applicator (300) is guided along a surface (201) of the rotor blade (200). The material applicator (300) has an edge region (301) without teeth or with teeth (321, 322) of reduced height, so that the thickness of the applied coating material is reduced in the edge region.