Patent Application
20210387294
This application claims priority to EP Application No. 20179656.2, having a filing date of Jun. 12, 2020, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The following relates to a method for producing a wind turbine blade having a blade body comprising a body part and a tip part, the blade being produced by using a mold.
Wind turbines are commonly known. They comprise a tower and a nacelle arranged on top of the tower. The nacelle comprises a hub, to which several, usually three rotor blades are attached. They interact with blowing wind making the hub rotate. The hub is coupled to an electric generator for producing electric power, as commonly known.
A wind turbine blade respectively a rotor blade is a hollow construction with an elongated blade body having a root section usually of cylindrical shape, by which it is attached to the hub. The root section is followed by the long blade body section, which changes its shape significantly from the root to the tip, as it merges from the cylindrical cross-section at the root section to an airfoil cross-section, which then runs to the tip.
Such a blade is built of several blade building elements comprising among others fiber plies or laminates, wooden or polymer core elements or a web with spar caps etc. These building elements are embedded in a resin matrix. Usually, two different ways of manufacturing the turbine blade are known. In a first alternative, the blade comprises two shells, i.e. an upper and a lower shell, which are manufactured separately in respective molds and which are then attached to each other for finally building the blade. Each half shell, which may also be seen as a blade building element, extends from the root to the tip. In a second alternative, the blade is manufactured in a one-shot procedure. In this procedure, all separate building elements for producing the whole blade, like the already mentioned fiber plies or laminates, the core elements, the webs and spar caps etc., are placed in a respective shell, which is part of the mold, with one or several mandrels being inserted in this construction for filling the inner space of this construction to avoid resin entering and filling the hollow inner of the blade. When all separate elements are arranged, the construction is set under vacuum and the resin is infused, so that all elements are embedded in the resin matrix in a single shot.
For producing such a wind turbine blade, no matter if it is produced with separate upper and lower shells, or in a one-shot procedure, the blade design especially in view of the length of the blade is usually specified at an early stage of the development of the turbine on a non-mature design applying certain design uncertainty factors. Based on this early frozen design, the geometry of the mold for the half shells or the one-shot procedure is determined, which mold is then manufactured defining the final blade geometry. Such a mold is, in view of the length of the blade, a very complex and especially long construction, which needs to be designed to carry the relatively high load of the finally produced blade or blade part. The mold design is adapted to the blade design. For each specific blade design a separate mold needs to be built. However, during the long-lasting development, the blade design may be adapted and change both with regard to its design and maybe the specific loads. It may therefore be possible that the blade design changes especially regarding the blade length. This however entails problems with the previously determined mold concept, as the mold is already produced. The mold then needs to be cut and new mold pieces need to be built and inserted to provide a mold with the updated geometry. For this reason, the length of the blade is usually not changed.
An aspect relates to provide an improved method for producing a wind turbine blade.
For addressing the problem, embodiments of the invention proposes a method for producing a wind turbine blade having a blade body comprising a body part and a tip part, the blade being produced by using a mold, which method is characterized in that a pre-fabricated tip part having a first connection interface is arranged adjacent to the mold for producing the body part, whereby building elements for building the blade body part are arranged in the mold providing a second connection interface which corresponds to and connects to the first connection interface, whereafter both connection interfaces are fixed by applying a fixing agent and curing it.
Embodiments of the invention propose a method, in which the main part of the blade, i.e. the body part comprising the root section and the body section, is manufactured in the mold by arranging respective building elements in the mold. This body part set-up may be realized in different ways, to which will be referred later. Accordingly, only a part of the whole blade is manufactured in the mold. The other part, i.e., the tip part, is a pre-fabricated hollow blade part, which is produced with its specific design in a separate mold, which mold is exactly designed to the requested tip part design. This pre-fabricated tip part, which can be fabricated in advance of the arrangement of the body part building elements in the mold or parallel to this process, is then transported and positioned adjacent to the blade body part mold and brought in a specific position relative to the body part building elements. For connecting the pre-fabricated tip part and the body part respectively the building elements, the pre-fabricated tip part has a first connection interface and the body part respectively the building elements have or provide a second connection interface. Both connection interfaces correspond to each other in their geometry, so that a kind of form-fit connection is possible. In the final arrangement, the first connection interface connects to the second connection interface. For finally connecting the pre-fabricated tip part with the respective building elements of the body part and therefore finally with the body part itself, a fixing agent is applied at least to and in the area of both connection interfaces for firmly connecting the respective blade parts.
The inventive method allows for changing the blade design, especially in regard of the blade length, also at a later stage of the development without the necessity to make major changes in the overall blade mold. Due to the split concept, according to which a pre-fabricated tip part is used, while the main blade body part is separately produced, it is possible to build the mold for the blade body part, as usual, at a very early stage of the development, as the design of the blade body part usually does not change. Only a change in the design of the tip part, especially the length of the tip part, is sometimes necessary or appropriate in view of any design changes. For this specific tip part design, a separate, small mold is then produced, when the final tip part design is at hand, allowing for the production of the specifically needed tip part, which is then connected to the body part in various ways, which will be described later.
It is therefore possible to use one and the same mold for producing the blade body part of a series of various blade designs, which all have the same body part in common, but which are different in regard of the tip part design. So, it is possible to build only one main body part mold for producing the body part for the various blades, while for each specific blade type a specific, small tip part mold is produced. The proposed manufacturing concept decreases the time between manufacturing of different blade variations, due to the use of a standardized mold respectively a standardized blade body part and individual tip parts. A family of blades may therefore be designed and manufactured simultaneously, as the same body part design is used throughout the whole blade family, produced in the standardized mold, and only the tip parts are individually designed and produced. Furthermore, this allows for developing more site-specific blades and even turbine specific blades, as the tip part can be customized for the given condition. Therefore, the inventive concept with a standardized blade body part, which can also be referred to as an inboard part, having a standardized second connection interface, and the individualized tip part, which can also be referred to as an outboard part also having a standardized connection interface, allows for a high variation in the manufacturing and design process. It is easily possible to adjust the length of the final blade, as far as the loadings allow.
A major feature of the concept is the fact, that corresponding connection interfaces are provided at the pre-fabricated tip part and the body part, i.e. the first and the second connection interface, which correspond to and connect to each other. Both connection interfaces comprise slanted connection interfaces for realizing a scarf joint, whereby the connection interfaces overlap. The tip part for example has at its inner end, which is connected to the body part, a slanted connection face, which ramps down from the outside to the inside, so that a slanted connection interface, which extends around the whole circumference of the tip part end, can be arranged in the form-corresponding second connection interface provided by the building elements, which second connection interface ramps up from the inside to the outside, so that this body part connection area overlaps the tip part connection area in a form-fit manner, with the slanted or ramped faces being adjacent or in contact with each other, and which are then finally and firmly fixed to each other by the cured fixing agent. Using slanted connection faces respectively realizing a scarf joint allows for a very smooth but relatively long transition and connection area, which allows for a very firm connection.
The slanted faces are provided at a shell of the tip part and by the building elements building a shell of the body part. The tip part as well as the final body part comprise a respective shell, which, as commonly known, is hollow, and in which the respective webs and spar caps and core elements etc. are arranged. These shells are usually made of fiber plies or fiber laminates, made of glass fibers or carbon fibers or a combination of both types. These webs or laminates are usually resin-infused. During manufacture of the tip part and the respective body part the respective fiber plies or laminates are arranged in the respective mold. For realizing the respective connection interfaces, they are arranged such that in the final cured state of the pre-fabricated tip part a respective slanted face is realized at the end of the pre-fabricated tip part, and that, depending on the respective final method of producing the body part, either a respective slanted area is built by the respective multi-layered fiber plies or laminates, which is then finally resin-infused, when the tip is already inserted, or, when pre-fabricated shells making the body part are used, that the respective shells comprise respective resin-embedded slanted faces, which will be referred to later on. Realizing these slanted faces in the respective shell area allows for a very large transition and connection area, which extends around the whole circumference of the blade, as already mentioned.
In addition to providing the slanted faces at the respective shell or shell building elements etc., it is also possible, that additional slanted faces are provided at at least one longitudinal web or beam provided in the tip part and at least one longitudinal web or beam building element provided in the body part. As already mentioned, one or more webs with respective spar caps and core elements etc., which have a beam-like shape, extend through the blade and therefore from the body part to the tip part. As both parts are manufactured separately, also a connection between the respective body part and tip part webs or beams is appreciated. Also, this connection can be used for firmly connecting both parts, as also at these webs or beams respective slanted faces may be realized. The respective web or beam parts are axially aligned, so that their slanted faces are adjacent and connect to each other and can finally also be fixed together by the respective fixing agent. So, not only the shells, but also the webs or beams are part of the overall first and second connection interfaces.
As previously mentioned, the pre-fabricated tip part and the body part are produced separately and in separate molds. The body part may, as already mentioned, be manufactured in various ways. According to a first embodiment, the separate building elements of the entire body part are arranged in the mold and are completely infused with the resin used as the fixing agent and are embedded in a resin matrix together with both connection interfaces after curing the resin. According to this first alternative, the body part is completely set up with all its separate building elements in the respective body part mold. All respective fiber plies or laminates, webs, spar caps, core elements etc. are arranged piece by piece in the respective mold in a way, that the second connection interface is provided at the tip side end of the body part, to which second connection interface the first connection interface of the tip part is connected afterwards. When all building elements of the body part are arranged, and when the pre-fabricated tip part is positioned, so that both connection interfaces are in the right position relative to each other, the mold is sealed, so that it can be evacuated. The sealing also covers the area of the connection interfaces, so that also this area may be evacuated, if need be also the entire tip part is included in the sealed area. After sealing the respective area, and after evacuating it, a liquid resin is infused, which completely embeds all blade body part building elements and also the connection area respectively both connection interfaces, so that all building elements and the connection area is completely infused and embedded in the resin. Afterwards, the resin is cured, so that all building elements and the connection interfaces are embedded in a respective hardened resin matrix, which stabilizes the whole setup and which also provides for an extremely firm connection of the tip part to the now stable, cured body part.
The transition from the tip part to the body part is realized by the respective transition area in the connection area. In this area, both the tip part and the body part have a respective shell, which is built by the respective fiber plies and laminates infused in the respective resin matrix, as also the tip part certainly has a resin matrix embedding the tip part building elements like the fiber plies or laminates, webs, spar caps etc., so that a very stable transition area, which is in its setup completely equivalent to the adjacent respective shell areas, is realized.
This first alternative of the inventive method may further be characterized by the following steps:
The blade building elements building the body part are arranged step by step in the mold. At first, as they build the overall outer shell, fiber plies or fiber laminates are arranged in the lower mold half. They are arranged over the whole length of the mold half and are arranged at the tip side end such, that they provide a first part of the second connection interface, a slanted connection face or area. This is easily possible, as a number of webs or laminates are stacked, which can be staggered or scaled in an axial direction realizing a ramped or slanted area, which realizes a first part of the second connection interface.
Thereafter, the pre-fabricated tip part is arranged such, that the lower part of its first connection interface realized at the outer side of the shell of the tip part is connected to the part of the second connection interface realized by the respective fiber plies or laminates. The tip part is for example positioned vertically over this end part of the fiber plies or laminate stack and then lowered, so that both slanted areas overlap, seen in an axial direction.
After positioning the tip part, the respective web or beam like the core elements etc. as building elements for the body part are arranged in the mold and, if they are also part of the second connection interface, they are aligned and positioned relative to the connection interfaces at the web or beams of the tip part.
Now, the fiber plies or fiber laminates of the body part are wrapped over the web or beam etc., so that they build the upper fiber plies or fiber laminate stack for the upper side of the shell, enclosing or enveloping all webs or beams etc. in the inner. Thereby, also the second part of the second connection interface is realized and is overlapped over the upper side of the first connection interface, which therefore is also covered or enveloped.
As now all building elements for the body part are arranged in the mold, the mold is closed by placing an upper mold half on the lower mold half. The mold arrangement is sealed, which sealing, as mentioned, also covers or extends at least over the connection area, whereafter a vacuum is applied. Now, a liquid resin used as a fixing agent is applied, which embeds the shell building elements and the first and second connection interfaces, and which is finally cured to build the resin matrix.
In a further embodiment of this first alternative, at least one mandrel may be arranged as a building element, which mandrel is pulled from the body part into the tip part and is inflated before the building elements for building the body part shell are arranged for covering the further building elements. If such a mandrel is used, it is arranged after the tip part is in position and after the further building elements like the webs, spar caps, beams, etc. are arranged in the mold. These one or maybe two mandrels are pulled from the body part into the tip part and are then inflated, as a mandrel or each mandrel is a kind of airbag having a very distinct shape. It serves two purposes, i.e., for avoiding that any resin flows into the inner of the blade, which has a hollow inner. The mandrels prevent this resin flow. Furthermore, the one or the several mandrels support the arrangement of the fiber plies or laminates, when they are overlapped for covering the webs, beams, spar caps etc., keeping the fiber plies or laminates, but also the webs and spar caps and beams like the core elements etc. in place.
As the tip part is pre-fabricated as a hollow element, and as no resin may fill the hollow tip part structure, it is necessary to arrange respectively extend the one or the several mandrels not only in the body part, but also in the tip part. Therefore, the one or all mandrels are pulled from the body part into the tip part. For pulling them, a pulling means or a puller is connected to the at least one mandrel and is guided through the tip part and a bore in the tip part to the outside of the tip part, which pulling means or puller is pulled through the bore for pulling the mandrel in the tip part. This pulling means or puller, a rope or a chain, allows for an easy handling of the mandrels and for also arranging them in the hollow tip part, where they, when they are inflated, line the inner of the tip part shell avoiding any resin filling the inner of the tip part.
The above-mentioned first method alternative discloses the manufacturing of the body part in a one-shot process, as all body part building elements are separately arranged in the body part mold and, after positioning the tip part, are completely infused in a one-shot resin infusion. Aside this one-shot method, it is also possible to build the body part in the respective mold by using two separate body part half shells, which are separately manufactured, and which are for building the body part arranged above each other and are fixed together by the respective fixing agent, after inserting the respective webs, spar caps, beams or core elements etc. Each body part half shell, which is a blade building element, comprises one part of the second connection interface, i.e., a respective slanted face at the tip side end of the respective half shell, so that, when both half shells are arranged above each other, a complete second connection interface extends around the circumference of the split body part shell in form of a slanted face, which overlaps the slanted first connection interface. For fixing the half shells together and also for fixing the connection interfaces, so that the tip part is firmly connected to both half shells, a respective fixing agent in form of a glue is used. In this embodiment, no resin infusion is necessary, as both half shells are already resin-infused, with all their building elements like fiber plies or fiber laminates, webs, spar caps, core elements etc. being embedded in a respective resin matrix. It is only necessary to firmly glue the half shells together for building the respective blade body part.
This inventive method may therefore be characterized by the following steps:
Also here, the first and the second connection interfaces may either only be realized by respective slanted faces of the tip part and the respective body part half shells. In addition, also the respective webs and beams or core elements etc. of the tip part and of the final body part may have respective connection geometries, which are also part of the respective first and second connection interface, along which connection geometries the webs, beams etc. are finally connected by using a glue. As here no resin infusion takes place, no mandrels are used and no vacuum is applied.
Instead, a glue is used, which is applied to respective connection surfaces provided at the respective body part half shells and the connection interfaces, which glue is applied to these respective faces when appropriate, for example before the second body part half shell is placed on the lower first body part half shell, while certainly also a glue may be provided, when the respective further building elements like the webs, spar caps, core elements etc. are arranged in the lower body part half shell. Certainly, the glue is provided at the respective stage or time.
Finally, a third manufacturing method is disclosed, which also uses two pre-fabricated body part half shells, with each half shell being a building element of the body part. In this alternative, both body part half shells with the inserted webs, spar caps, beams etc. are already firmly fixed to each other by using a glue, before the pre-fabricated tip part is positioned and connected to the second connection interface of this glued body part. The tip part is brought in alignment with the glued body part, and is then moved axially, so that its first connection interface is inserted into the second connection interface or vice versa. Certainly, a respective glue is already applied on the respective connection interfaces, so that after reaching its final position, the glue may be cured and the pre-fabricated tip part is firmly connected to the glued body part.
This method may be characterized by the following steps:
If webs or core elements etc. are arranged both in the tip part and the body part, also these webs or beams etc. may have respective parts of the first and second connection interfaces. Therefore, when the tip part is aligned and positioned relative to the glued body part, also the respective webs or beams of both the tip part and the body part are axially aligned with their respective connection interface parts being connected and fixed together by using the glue.
While the first alternative is a one-shot method, the second and third alternative are a so-called “butterfly”-technology. In this technology, usually a mold is used, which has a first mold for building the first body part half shell and a second mold for building the second body part half shell. Both molds are hinged together. For arranging the second body part half shell on top of the first body part half shell the mold comprising the second body part half shell is swiveled around the hinge connection, so that the second body part half shell, which is fixed in the mold by a vacuum suction, is swiveled over the first body part half shell, whereafter they are fixed in the various described ways.
Beside the inventive method, embodiments of the invention also refer to a wind turbine blade manufactured by a method as described above.
Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:
At the end opposite to the tip 5, a first connection interface 6 is provided in form of a slanted face 7, which extends around the whole circumference of the tip part 1, which has an airfoil-like cross-section. The slanted face 7 ramps down at the outside of the shell 2 to the end of the shell 2. This first connection interface 6 is used for firmly connecting the tip part 1 to the body part.
Furthermore,
A lower mold half 9 is used for accommodating blade building elements 10. First blade building elements 10 in form of fiber plies or fiber laminates 11 are arranged in the mold half 9 completely lining the mold half 9, as
As
The part of the webs or laminates 11, which are arranged in the lower half shell 9, builds a first part 14 of the second connection interface 12, while the part of the webs or laminates 11 which extends to the side and which is finally flapped to the other side builds the second part 15 of the second connection interface 12.
After arranging the webs or laminates 11, which may be glass fiber plies or laminates or carbon fiber plies or laminates or a combination thereof, several further building elements 10 in form of at least one web 16 and at least one beam 17 like a core or the like is arranged in the lower mold half 9. The web 16 is finally connected to the web 3 of the tip part 1, while the beam 17 is connected to the beam 4 of the tip part 1. Although not shown, it is possible, that also the ends of the webs 3 and 16 and of the beams 4 and 17 have slanted faces, so that they are also part of the first and second connection interface 6, 12, and are also firmly fixed to each other.
After arranging the further building elements 10, the pre-fabricated tip part 1 is arranged and positioned at the mold 8 respectively the lower mold half 9. It is placed on respective support elements 18, which are respective pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders 19 and which carry, in pairs, respective support beams 20 corresponding to the shape of the tip part 1. The tip part 1 is placed on the support elements 18, which may be lowered or lifted in order to align the tip part 1 correctly to the lower mold half 9. When it is finally positioned, the lower side of the slanted face 7, i.e., of the first connection interface 6 lies on the first part 14 of the second connection interface 12, they overlap and provide a first part of a scarf joint. The fiber plies or fiber laminate layers 11 still extend to the side of the lower mold half 9.
In the next step, as shown in
As shown, both mandrels 21 are connected to a pulling means or a puller 22 in from of respective ropes or cables 23, which are guided through the lower mold half 9 and the pre-fabricated tip part 1 and which leave the tip part 1 through a bore 24, as shown in
When the mandrels are in place, they are inflated, see the arrows P3, for filling the inner space and for providing a fixing means or a fixer for the web 16 and the beam 17 and for the fiber plies or laminates 11, which are, see
When flapping the plies or laminates 11, as shown by the arrow P4 in
As
Finally, when the resin is cured, the blade is a single piece having a shell extending from the root to the final tip, with the web and the beam extending through the whole blade.
This inventive alternative allows for changing the design of the final blade during its development. The mold 8 is a standardized mold, which allows for the production of standardized blade body parts. Each blade of a blade system having various blade lengths has the same body part, which is produced on the mold 8. As the tip part 1 is produced separately, its design, especially its length, can easily be changed due to development changes. For each separate tip part 1 a specific, but smaller and simpler mold is produced. So, it is possible to adapt the overall blade design or to customize the blade design to the specific needs on site, as only the specific tip needs to be adapted, but not the main body part.
Also here, a pre-fabricated tip 1 is used, having a shell 2 with a not shown web 3 and a beam 4. It is also provided with a first connection interface 6 having a surrounding slanting face 7, just like the tip part 1 of the previous embodiment.
Again, a mold 8 is used, in or on which the respective body part building elements 10 are arranged. These building elements 10 comprise two pre-fabricated body part half shells, i.e. a first body part half shell 26 and a second body part half shell 27. Both are pre-fabricated, for which respective molds or mold halves are used, in which all building elements, i.e. all fiber plies or laminates are arranged and resin-infused and cured, so that each half shell is a stable workable item.
The first body part half shell 26 is arranged in the mold 8, which may be a lower mold half 9, in which this body part half shell 26 may be produced. It comprises a first part 14 of the second connection interface 12, as shown in
The second body part half shell 27 comprises a second part 15 of the second connection interface 12, which is, also shown by the respective lines, a slanted face. When both half shells 26, 27 are arranged above each other, the first and second part 14, 15 build the complete second connection interface extending around the inner circumference of the shell arrangement.
After placing the first body part half shell 26 in the mold 8 or the lower mold part 9, or after producing it there, the tip part 1 is arranged correspondingly to the way of
Afterwards, the second body part half shell 27 is placed on the arrangement, as shown by the arrow P6. It covers the first half shell 26, in which, although not shown, the web 16 and the beam 17 etc. are arranged and aligned to the also not shown web 3 and beam 4 of the tip part 1. The second part 15 of the second connection interface 12 covers or connects to the upper part of the slanted face 7 of the first connection interface 6.
For firmly fixing all elements, a glue is used, which is applied to the respective connection surfaces, i.e. the surfaces extending along the half shell 26, 27 and the respective webs or beams etc., and along the respective first and second connection interfaces 6, 12. Certainly, the glue is applied to the respective surface at the appropriate time. For example, a glue is provided to the first part 14 and the lower side of the slanted face 7, before the tip part 1 is put in place. The glue is then provided to the connection surfaces of both half shells 26, 27 and the webs etc., and the second part 15 and the upper side of the slanted face 7, before the second half shell 27 is put in place.
When the glue is finally cured, a single blade is built, which can also be simply adjusted in its length, as also here the blade body part, built by the respective half shells 26, 27, has a standardized geometry, shape and length, while the pre-fabricated tip 1 can be individualized according to its needs.
Finally,
In this embodiment, again, a first and a second half shell 26, 27 are used. Here, both half shells 26, 27 are glued together before the tip 1 is attached. Therefore, the glue is applied to both half shells 26, 27 and the second half shell 27 is placed on the first half shell 26. Again, the respective first and second parts 14, 15 for the second connection interface 12 having a surrounding slanted connection face, which corresponds in its form to the slanted face 7 of the first connection interface 6. Now, after the half shells 26, 27 are glued together, and after the glue is cured, a glue is also provided on the respective first and second connection interfaces 6, 12, and the tip 1 is arranged and pushed into the hollow body part built by both half shells 26, 27. The ramped first connection interface 6 is inserted in the also ramped second connection interface 12, so that they overlap. They are firmly fixed together by the glue, which is then cured.
Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.
For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20179656.2 | Jun 2020 | EP | regional |
