Wind Turbine Blade Mould Assembly Root Insert Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in manufacturing wind turbine blade shell parts lies in correctly aligning and arranging root end inserts, which can result in undesired displacement, wrinkle formation, and costly repair operations due to slight deviations in angle and position relative to fibre layers.
Innovation Solution
A mould assembly with a lowering device featuring synchronized hydraulic cylinders and a valve assembly allows for precise placement of root end inserts onto the moulding surface, reducing human involvement and ensuring accurate alignment through a two-step motion mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual alignment and arrangement of root end insert is performed, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but manufacturing precision and reliability deteriorate due to slight deviations causing displacement, wrinkle formation, and bending
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment with an automated lowering device that uses hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders to precisely position the root end insert. The synchronized movement of multiple cylinders eliminates human error in alignment while maintaining the necessary adaptability through controllable motion sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The lowering device incorporates self-alignment capabilities through synchronized hydraulic/pneumatic cylinders that automatically coordinate their movement. The system performs its own alignment function without requiring manual intervention, ensuring consistent precision across multiple operations.
2Productivity
If manual placement of root end insert is used, then device complexity is low, but productivity and consistency deteriorate due to costly repair operations and manual errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual placement operations with an automated lowering device controlled by synchronized hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders. This substitution eliminates manual errors and the need for costly repair operations, significantly improving manufacturing efficiency and consistency despite the increased system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The synchronized hydraulic/pneumatic cylinder system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor and coordinate the movement of multiple cylinders. This feedback control ensures precise, consistent placement of the root end insert, reducing variability and eliminating the need for rework, thereby improving overall productivity.
3Manufacturing precision
If simple lowering mechanism is used, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to inability to correct synchronization loss during lowering
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly integrated into each hydraulic/pneumatic cylinder enables the system to self-correct synchronization issues. When synchronization loss is detected, the valve assembly automatically resets the piston position without requiring external intervention, maintaining high placement accuracy while managing system complexity through self-diagnosis and self-correction capabilities.
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 solution significantly reduces wrinkle formation and the need for costly repairs by enabling precise and automatic placement of root end inserts, ensuring consistent alignment and reducing manual errors during the manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
two synchronized hydraulic cylinders, each hydraulic cylinder comprising a piston chamber and a rod chamber
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~8b
AI summary
The present invention relates to a mould assembly (100) for manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell part, and to a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell part using the mould assembly (100). The mould assembly (100) comprises a lowering device (85), which is adapted to carry and lower a root end insert onto the moulding surface of the mould, the lowering device (85) being attached to the mould and comprising a frame (86) for carrying the root end insert. Two synchronized hydraulic cylinders (91, 92) are used as driving means for lowering the frame, each hydraulic cylinder comprising a piston chamber and a rod chamber, wherein the piston chamber and the rod chamber of each cylinder are connected to each other via a respective valve assembly (110) comprising a fluid line (96) and a valve (97).