Wind Turbine Blade Shear Web Alignment Using Telescopic Supports
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of large wind turbine blades faces challenges in maintaining the perpendicularity and alignment of shear webs during assembly, leading to inconsistent bond lines and structural integrity issues due to inadequate support structures.
Innovation Solution
The use of telescopic support members with actuators, such as pneumatic cylinders, to adjust the position of shear webs within the shell halves, ensuring proper alignment and bond line thickness by applying force to maintain vertical orientation during the bonding process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional support structures are used to hold shear webs during assembly, then the shear webs can be positioned within the shell, but the shear webs tend to lean on the supportive poles or beams and do not remain vertical, leading to inconsistent bond lines
Solution Approach 1:
A positioning jig is introduced as an intermediary device between the support structure and the shear web. The positioning jig includes a body with a reference surface that engages with a locating surface on the blade mould, and a positioning element that contacts the shear web to maintain its vertical orientation during bonding, preventing the shear web from leaning on the support poles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the direct mechanical support of shear webs by poles or beams with a more precise positioning system using a positioning jig that incorporates geometric constraints (reference surface engaging with locating surface) to eliminate the need for heavy mechanical support structures while achieving better alignment precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If heavy support structures are used to maintain shear web verticality, then alignment may be improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning jig serves as a simple intermediary device that transfers the geometric precision of the blade mould's locating surface to the shear web positioning, eliminating the need for complex active support structures while achieving the required alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning jig replicates the geometric relationship between the shear web and the blade mould by using a reference surface that copies the locating surface geometry, ensuring consistent positioning without requiring complex computational or active control systems.
3Ease of operation
If shear webs are supported by poles or beams during assembly, then the shear webs can be held in position, but the bond line thickness becomes inconsistent and the mounting flange may not be fully in contact with the shell part
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning jig acts as a mediator that ensures the shear web is correctly positioned relative to the blade mould before bonding occurs. The reference surface of the positioning jig engages with the locating surface on the mould, ensuring that the shear web's mounting flange is properly aligned with the bonding surface, resulting in consistent bond line thickness and full contact.
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 method enhances the quality and reproducibility of bond lines, improves structural stability, and reduces manufacturing costs by facilitating easier and more precise placement of shear webs in wind turbine blades.
Implementation Method 1
The support member comprises an actuator, such as a pneumatic cylinder, for adjusting the length of the support member
Implementation Method 2
adhesively joining the one or more shear webs to the first shell half, and adhesively joining the second shell half to the first shell half and to the one or more shear webs
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5b
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade (10). The method comprises arranging one or more shear webs (50, 55, 70) within a first shell half, adhesively joining the one or more shear webs to the first shell half, and adhesively joining the second shell half to the first shell half and to the one or more shear webs. The step of arranging the one or more shear webs within the first shell half comprises arranging at least one telescopic support member (80) between the inside surface (38b) of the first shell half (38) and the lateral surface (62) of at least one of the shear webs (70), wherein the telescopic support member (80) comprises an actuator (82) for adjusting the length of the telescopic support member.