Wind Turbine Blade Infusion Promoting Layer Resin Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine blade manufacturing methods using stacked pultruded elements face challenges in detecting internal defects through non-destructive tests due to difficulties in controlling resin flow, leading to risks of back-filling and dry spots.
Innovation Solution
A composite structure with unidirectional infusion-promoting layers having higher permeability in the width direction than in the length direction, combined with surrounding layers, ensures controlled resin flow and prevents back-filling, allowing for proper infusion and non-destructive testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If infusion-promoting layers are arranged between adjacent pultruded elements to control resin flow, then the risk of back-filling and dry spots is reduced, but the complexity of the manufacturing process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs infusion-promoting layers with controlled porosity and permeability characteristics to facilitate resin flow through the stacked pultruded elements. These layers act as porous media that guide resin distribution while maintaining structural integrity, thereby improving infusion quality without requiring complex manufacturing equipment or processes.
2Productivity
If a stacked structure of pultruded elements is used to form the spar cap, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but detection of internal defects using non-destructive tests becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces infusion-promoting layers at specific locations between pultruded elements, creating local variations in permeability and resin flow characteristics. This localized modification allows resin to penetrate and saturate the stacked structure uniformly, ensuring that internal defects can be detected through the resin-impregnated structure while maintaining the manufacturing efficiency benefits of the stacked configuration.
3Speed
If resin flow is controlled through infusion-promoting layers, then infusion speed is improved, but the permeability requirements become more stringent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes composite construction by combining pultruded elements with infusion-promoting layers having different permeability characteristics. This composite approach allows the system to achieve high infusion speeds through the strategically placed promoting layers while the surrounding structural layers provide the necessary permeability control, distributing the precision requirements across multiple material components rather than demanding extreme precision from a single layer.
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
The solution enables faster resin infusion in the chordwise direction, preventing dry spots and allowing for effective non-destructive testing of the composite structure, while improving mechanical properties and fracture toughness.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one infusion-promoting layer has a first permeability parameter, K1, in the width direction and further a permeability parameter, K2, in the length direction, wherein K2 is less than K1
Implementation Method 2
the at least one surrounding layer has a second permeability parameter, K1a in the width direction, characterised in that K1 is greater than K1a, and wherein a first infusion speed, V1, of a resin through the at least one infusion-promoting layer is greater than a second infusion speed, V1a, of the resin through the at least one surrounding layer
Data Source
AI summary
A turbine blade and a method of manufacturing the wind turbine, wherein the wind turbine blade comprises a composite structure and a surrounding layer. The composite structure comprises a stack of pultruded elements where an infusion-promoting layer is arranged between adjacent pairs of pultruded elements (18). The infusion-promoting layers have a higher permeability than the surrounding layer so that the resin flows at a higher speed within the stacked structure than in the surrounding layer.