Method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade, including the step of monitoring a process of infusing and/or curing a fiber lay-up with resin in a mold, wherein the monitoring is based on sensor data obtained from the resin infusion and/or curing process displayed in an augmented reality device, is provided. Displaying sensor data obtained from the resin infusion and/or curing process in an augmented reality device allows to better monitor the resin infusion and/or curing process. Thus, the quality of the manufactured wind turbine blade can be improved.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade, comprising: monitoring a process of infusing and/or curing a fiber lay-up with resin in a mold, wherein the monitoring is based on sensor data obtained from a resin infusion and/or curing process displayed in an augmented reality device, wherein the sensor data includes a measured physical quantity, the measured physical quantity including: a temperature of the mold, of the fiber lay-up arranged in the mold, and/or of the resin, or a viscosity of the resin; altering the process by heating the mold based on the sensor data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the physical quantity further includes, pressure, current position of the resin, refractive index, density, electric properties, and/or dielectric properties.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes a chemical information of the resin.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes location data and/or time data.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor data displayed in the augmented reality device are processed sensor data including a temperature distribution, a pressure distribution, a resin flow front representation and/or a resin curing representation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor data are displayed in the augmented reality device overlaid onto digital data of the mold and/or of the blade.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor data are collected by a sensor arranged in an internal structure of the mold and/or at an inner surface of the mold.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor data are collected by a sensor arranged on and/or within the fiber lay-up.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the sensor remains in the infused and cured fiber lay-up of the manufactured blade.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the altering the process further includes opening a resin inlet channel and/or increasing the infusion pressure.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor data is collected by a plurality of sensors arranged at discrete locations along a longitudinal direction of the wind turbine blade.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

(1) Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 depicts a wind turbine according to an embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2 depicts a cross-section view of a mold for manufacturing a wind turbine blade of the wind turbine of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 depicts a view similar as FIG. 2 but with resin partly infused into a fiber lay-up of the blade;

(5) FIG. 4 depicts a three-dimensional image of the blade of the wind turbine of FIG. 1 over-laid with augmented information from the manufacturing process as seen through an augmented reality device according to an embodiment;

(6) FIG. 5 depicts a three-dimensional image of the blade of the wind turbine of FIG. 1 over-laid with augmented information from the manufacturing process as seen through an augmented reality device according to another embodiment; and

(7) FIG. 6 depicts a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing the wind turbine blade of the wind turbine of FIG. 1.

(8) In the Figures, like reference numerals designate like or functionally equivalent elements, unless otherwise indicated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in accordance with exemplary embodiments, it is obvious for the person skilled in the art that modifications are possible in all embodiments.

(10) FIG. 1 shows a wind turbine 1 according to an embodiment. The wind turbine 1 comprises a rotor 2 having one or more blades 3 connected to a hub 4. The hub 4 is connected to a generator (not shown) arranged inside a nacelle 5. During operation of the wind turbine 1, the blades 3 are driven by wind to rotate and the wind's kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy by the generator in the nacelle 5. The nacelle 5 is arranged at the upper end of a tower 6 of the wind turbine 1. The tower 6 is erected on a foundation 7 such as a monopile or tripile. The foundation 7 is connected to and/or driven into the ground or seabed.

(11) In the following an improved method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade 3 is described with respect to FIGS. 2 to 6.

(12) FIG. 2 shows a mold 8 in cross-section for manufacturing one of the wind turbine blades three of FIG. 1. The mold 8 comprises a lower mold component 9 and an upper mold component 10. The mold 8 is shown in FIG. 2 in a closed state in which the upper mold component 10 is arranged on the lower mold component 9. Furthermore, a dry fiber lay-up 11 is arranged in the mold 10. The fiber lay-up 11 may also comprise a core material and/or reinforcement beams (not shown). Additionally, also a shear web may be arranged in the mold 8 (not shown).

(13) In step S1 of the method, the fiber lay-up 11 is casted by a known vacuum infusion process. In this vacuum infusion process, the fiber lay-up 11 is covered with a vacuum bag 12 (FIG. 2). Then, a vacuum is generated in a space covered by the vacuum bag 12. Next, one or more resin inlet channels 13 (not visible in the cross-section view of FIG. 2, only shown in FIG. 4) are opened, and resin 14 is infused into the fiber lay-up 11 due to the generated vacuum (FIG. 3). Then, the resin 14 is cured resulting in a fiber reinforced resin laminate structure.

(14) In order to monitor the resin infusion process and the resin curing process, there are several sensors 15, 16 arranged within the mold 8 and within the fiber lay-up 11. As an example, FIG. 2 shows sensors 15 arranged in the internal structure of the mold 8. The mold 8 comprises several boreholes 17 having an opening towards an inner surface 18 of the mold 8. Each of the sensors 15 is arranged in one of the boreholes 17 such that the respective sensor 15 is flush with the inner surface 18 of the mold 8.

(15) As a further example of the sensors, FIG. 2 shows sensors 16 arranged within the fiber lay-up 11, i.e. embedded in the fiber lay-up 11. The mold 8 may comprise one or more or all of the shown sensors 15, 16. The mold 8 may also comprise additional sensors not show in the figures.

(16) FIG. 4 shows a first example of monitoring the resin infusion process based on sensor data obtained with one or more of the sensors 15 and/or of the sensors 16 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the example of FIG. 4, the sensor 15, 16 are distributed—in addition to a circumferential direction, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3—also along a longitudinal direction L of the blade 3 at longitudinal positions X0, X1, X2, X3, X4 and X5.

(17) In step S2 of the method, sensor data are obtained by the sensors 15, 16. Step S2 can be performed before step S1, simultaneously with S1 or after step S1. For example, before opening the one or more resin inlet channels 13 (FIG. 4) for starting the infusion (step S1), sensor data such as the temperature of the mold 8 could be obtained (step S2). This allows to start the resin infusion (step S1) only when the mold 8 has an appropriate temperature. In another example, sensor data of the mold 8, the fiber lay-up 11 or the resin 14 could be obtained (step S2) during the infusion and/or curing of the resin 14 (step S1).

(18) In step S3, the obtained sensor data are processed by a computing unit (not shown) included, for example, in an augmented reality device 19. The sensors are, for example, connected wireless with the computing unit in the augmented reality device 19.

(19) The sensor data are, for example, interpreted and interpolated using data analytics models to prepare for visualization. The data are, in the example of FIG. 4, processed to derive a spatial distribution of a flow front of the resin 14.

(20) In step S4, the processed sensor data are displayed in the augmented reality device 19. The augmented reality device of FIG. 4 is in the form of augmented reality glasses 19 (AR-glasses) worn by a worker 20. The obtained and processed sensor data are displayed in the AR-glasses 19 overlaid onto a digital three-dimensional representation 21 of the blade 3.

(21) FIG. 4 shows a worker 20 who is monitoring the manufacturing process of the blade 3. In reality, the worker 20 is standing in front of the closed mold 8 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) and cannot look inside the mold 8. However, information about the infusion process is nevertheless made available for the worker 20 by means of the AR-glasses 19. FIG. 4 shows an example of what the worker 20 sees in the display of the AR-glasses 19. The worker 20 sees the three-dimensional model 21 of the blade 3 the AR-glasses 19. Furthermore, overlaid onto the three-dimensional model 21 are processed sensor data representing the flow front 22 (FIG. 4) of the infused resin 14 flowing through the fiber lay-up 11 (FIG. 3). Areas of the fiber lay-up 11′ which are already wetted with resin 14, i.e. impregnated parts of the blade 3, are denoted with 23 in FIG. 4. Areas of the fiber lay-up 11 which are still dry are denoted with 24 in FIG. 4.

(22) The worker 20 with the AR-glasses 20 can walk around the closed mold 8 and inspect the wetting process of the fiber lay-up 11, 11′. The AR-glasses 19 are equipped with a tracking system (not shown) which is capturing visual data of the closed mold 8 (FIG. 3) and is able to recognize the mold shape for tracking and subsequent overlay of augmented information in form of the resin flow front 22 (FIG. 4).

(23) The worker 20 monitors in step S5 the resin infusion process and/or the resin curing process based on the processed sensor data displayed in the AR-glasses 19.

(24) In case that the worker 20 recognizes, for example, that the resin flow front 22 is not developing as required, she can take measures to alter the infusion process in step S6. For example, if the worker 20 recognizes that there remain dry spots of the fiber lay-up 11 in certain areas, the mold 8 could be locally heated up. Heating up the mold 8 affects the viscosity of the resin 14. With higher temperature, the viscosity of the resin 14 decreases and, thus, the resin flow is improved.

(25) In embodiments, the mold 8 (FIG. 2,3) comprises resin inlet channels 13 in addition to the longitudinal position X0 also at one or more of the further longitudinal positions X1 to X5 (FIG. 4). In this case, the worker 20 could monitor the resin infusion process and as soon as the resin flow front 22 reaches or passes a certain position xl to X5, a resin inlet channel at this position could be opened.

(26) FIG. 5 shows another example of monitoring a resin infusion and/or curing process. As in the example of FIG. 4, the worker 20 sees in the AR-glasses 19 the three-dimensional model 21 of the blade 3. Furthermore, overlaid onto this three-dimensional model are processed sensor data representing a temperature distribution 25 (FIG. 4) of, for example, the inner surface 18 of the mold 8 (FIG. 2).

(27) 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.

(28) 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.