Wind Turbine Shield Positioning Mark
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Solution Overview
Problem
The accurate positioning of protective shields on wind turbine rotor blades is challenging due to their flexibility, affecting aerodynamic performance and annual energy production, as misalignment by even a few millimeters can significantly impact efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A preformed protective shield with marks, such as indicators or notches, that align with corresponding marks on the rotor blade, allowing for precise positioning and documentation of the shield's attachment, ensuring optimal alignment and aerodynamic efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible protective shield is used to protect the leading edge, then the shield can adapt to the contour of the rotor blade, but the flexibility makes it difficult to achieve accurate positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is preformed with a shape that approximately corresponds to the contour of the leading edge section before mounting. This preliminary shaping allows the flexible shield to adapt to the rotor blade contour while the marking system ensures accurate positioning during the mounting process, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and positioning accuracy
2Use of energy by moving object
If the shield is made aerodynamically optimized with varying thickness, then the aerodynamic performance is improved, but the positioning becomes more critical and difficult to achieve accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is designed with different thicknesses at different locations to optimize aerodynamic performance, with the center part being thickest and decreasing thickness towards the upper and lower edges. The marking system provides local reference points that guide precise positioning of this non-uniform structure, ensuring that the aerodynamically optimized configuration is correctly aligned on the rotor blade
3Ease of operation
If visual alignment methods are used to position the shield, then the mounting process is simple, but the positioning accuracy is insufficient for aerodynamic optimization
Solution Approach 1:
A marking system consisting of marks on the shield and corresponding reference marks on the rotor blade serves as an intermediary between the simple visual alignment process and the requirement for high positioning accuracy. The marks provide clear visual reference points that guide precise alignment while maintaining the simplicity of the mounting process
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a protective shield (20) for a rotor blade (10) of a wind turbine. The shield (20) is destined to protect the leading edge section (13) of the rotor blade (10) from erosion. It is furthermore destined to cover at least a part of the leading edge (131) of the rotor blade (10). It is preformed with a shape which approximately corresponds to the contour of the leading edge section (13) where it is destined to be mounted to. The shield (20) furthermore comprises a mark (30) which allows to accurately position the shield (20) at a predetermined position on the surface of the rotor blade (10) or which allows to accurately position a tool at a predetermined position on the surface of the shield (20). The invention is also related to a method of accurately positioning a protective shield (20) on the surface of a rotor blade (10) of a wind turbine and to a method of documenting how precisely the shield (20) has actually been attached to the surface of the rotor blade (10).