Wind Turbine Blade Test Rig Counterbalanced Resonance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current wind turbine blade testing rigs require large, expensive, and time-consuming facilities to handle the heavy loads and oscillating movements, causing structural damage and high transportation costs, especially as blade sizes increase.

Innovation Solution

A test rig with a fixing structure, a loading mass structure, and an actuation structure that establishes counterbalanced resonance between the loading mass and the blade, allowing for reduced reaction forces into the ground and enabling more flexible, lighter, and movable testing setups, using adjustable loading arms and actuators to optimize oscillation frequency and minimize structural impact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a heavy load rotates eccentrically to test blade fatigue resistance, then the blade oscillation and bending can be achieved, but very large heavy duty building facilities are required due to the large forces transferred into the floor and building components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefatigue resistance evaluationVSAvoidbuilding facility requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies counterbalancing masses arranged in opposition to the loading mass, creating counterbalanced resonance that cancels out reaction forces. This allows the test rig to operate without requiring extremely heavy duty building facilities, as the opposing masses neutralize the forces that would otherwise be transferred to the building structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #8Anti-weight (Counterweight)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses controlled mechanical vibration through the actuation structure to create oscillating movement and bending of the blade. By establishing counterbalanced resonance between the loading mass and the blade, the system achieves the necessary vibration for fatigue testing while minimizing the transmission of forces to the building structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

2Power

If the blade size increases to meet wind turbine requirements, then the power generation capacity increases, but the test rig requires foundations that are expensive and time consuming to construct

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewind turbine power generationVSAvoidtest rig foundation construction

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The counterbalanced resonance system with opposing masses eliminates the need for expensive and time-consuming heavy duty foundations. By canceling out reaction forces through the counterbalancing mechanism, the test rig can be constructed with lighter, more economical foundations that are easier and faster to build.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #8Anti-weight (Counterweight)

3Reliability

If a heavy load is used to create oscillating movement for fatigue testing, then the blade can be tested under realistic loading conditions, but the test equipment has significant impact on the ambient environment and building structure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefatigue test accuracyVSAvoidbuilding structure impact

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses counterbalancing masses arranged in opposition to the loading mass to cancel out reaction forces. This allows accurate fatigue testing under realistic loading conditions while minimizing the impact on the building structure and ambient environment, as the counterbalanced resonance neutralizes the forces that would otherwise harm the surrounding infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #8Anti-weight (Counterweight)

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 allows for cost-effective, convenient testing of large wind turbine blades in various facilities with reduced environmental impact, enabling efficient fatigue testing and improved design reliability while minimizing structural damage and transportation costs.

Implementation Method 1

an actuation structure which can apply a force to the loading mass structure so that a counterbalanced resonance is established, for example, between the loading mass and a blade which is fixed in the fixing structure

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectResonance: Resonance

Data Source

PatentUS8650970B2Test rig for testing blades for a wind turbine

Publication Date: 2014.02.18 VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS AS

AI summary

A test rig for testing blades for a wind turbine includes a fixing structure where a root end of a wind turbine blade can be fixed, a loading mass structure extending from the fixing structure, and an actuation structure which can apply a sinusoidal force to the loading mass structure so that a counterbalanced resonance is established between the loading mass structure and a blade which is fixed in the fixing structure. Due to the counterbalanced resonance, the force from the test rig onto the floor or other building components can be reduced relative to that known from the traditional rigs for blade testing.