Automated Production for Wind Turbines

Mold assembly and method for manufacturing spar caps for wind turbine blades using stacked pultruded plates that improves efficiency and quality compared to manual placement. The mold has adjustable sidewalls that can move in the transverse direction. This allows precise alignment of the pultruded plates without manual intervention. The plates are laid between the sidewalls, infused, unmolded, then the sidewalls can be adjusted further for final alignment. This reduces misalignment errors and eliminates the need for post-processing to improve quality. The adjustable sidewalls allow automated alignment instead of manual placement, improving throughput and reducing costs.

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Automated robotic system for repairing wind turbine blade damage without blade removal. The system uses a robotic arm with a specialized tool head that applies coatings to repair blade leading edge erosion. The tool head contains a mixing chamber, feed tube, and roller brush. A drive mixes coating components at adjustable ratios. The roller brush applies the mixed coating to the blade surface. This allows automated repair of blade damage in situ, eliminating the need for manual access or blade removal.

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A gantry system for manufacturing large wind turbine blades in a vertical orientation to overcome the challenges of working on horizontally-laid blades. The gantry has a frame that bridges the blade cross-section, allowing robotic units to access both sides simultaneously. The gantry can move along the blade length while the robotic arms move in 6 degrees of freedom. This enables simultaneous robotic processing of the entire blade cross-section. The gantry can also rotate and swing the robotic arms for precise positioning. A control system coordinates gantry locomotion, robotic motion, and tool center points based on blade geometry. Sensors monitor blade shape for accurate processing.

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Floating metal platform for offshore wind turbines that is more suited for mass production compared to prior art designs. The platform has multiple identical elongated elements with parallel members connected by buoyancy elements. The elements are arranged in a regular pattern around a center hub. This simplifies the structure and allows automation of fabrication. The buoyancy elements provide stability while the parallel members resist bending. The hub connects the elements to form the platform. The platform design enables serial production of wind turbines using existing monopile fabrication facilities.

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A method and device for assembling large rotor bearings in wind turbines to simplify installation. The method involves using a guide rail and carriage system to slide the bearing pads into the intermediate space between the rotor shaft and outer ring. This allows easier access and lifting of the heavy bearing pads using cranes or other devices. The carriage system allows radial displacement of the pads to accurately position them for screwing onto the shaft and ring.

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Optimizing laminate quality and strength of curved composite parts formed using automated fiber placement (AFP) by reducing through-the-thickness gap and overlap accumulation. The method involves iteratively modifying the layup model to distribute gaps and overlaps evenly along the part length. This is done by calculating a specific overlap ratio (SOR) for each section, dividing the number of overlaps by the nominal thickness, and aiming for a predetermined range of SOR values. If the SOR variance is too large, the layup start points are adjusted to redistribute gaps and overlaps. This iterative process ensures consistent overlap and gap spacing to prevent ply undulations from curved AFP parts.

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Analyzing layup strategies for automated fiber placement (AFP) manufacturing processes to improve quality, reduce time, and minimize rework. The analysis considers factors like number of tows per course, tow width, steering, course sequencing, and ply stagger. By optimizing these parameters based on the part geometry and AFP machine constraints, it enables faster, higher quality manufacturing with less rework compared to naive approaches.

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Method for assembling wind turbine blades using a moving assembly line and locating features on the spar structure. The method involves moving the spar-mounted fixture through the assembly line while attaching blade segments to the locating features. This allows simultaneous blade assembly at multiple stations. The line can have pulsed or continuous conveyance. The blades are fully assembled at the end. The locating features on the spar guide blade placement. This enables automated, efficient blade assembly for large blades that can't be easily infused.

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Assembly process for large wind turbine blades using a specialized crane setup on a self-elevating platform. The process involves stacking the blades horizontally using a small crane, an auxiliary crane, and a main crane. The blades are then lifted and placed on the platform deck. The platform enters the turbine site and lifts the hub using the main crane onto the hub installation mechanism. This allows the blades to be easily rotated and installed on the turbine. The specialized crane setup allows handling and assembly of large turbine blades without requiring multiple cranes or exceeding lifting limits.

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A gantry system and method for manufacturing oversized wind turbine blades that enables automated blade manufacturing in a vertical orientation to address the challenges of handling and working on large blades. The system involves a frame that spans the blade width and has wheels to move it along the length. Robotic arms attached to the frame can move in 6 degrees of freedom to perform blade manufacturing tasks on both sides simultaneously. A control unit coordinates the gantry, robots, and blade geometry using sensors and a digital blade model to compensate for blade shape variations. This allows precise vertical manufacturing of large blades without requiring horizontal workspaces.

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Automated wind turbine blade manufacturing system using robots for efficient and stable grinding and coating of wind turbine blades. The system uses robots for grinding and coating operations instead of manual labor. It has a central platform with robotic arms symmetrically positioned on either side of the blade. The robotic arms have telescopic extensions, lifting mechanisms, and angle adjustments for precise blade contact. The platform also has trolleys for moving the blade ends and turning mechanisms for blade tips and roots. The robotic cells are connected by tracks and have sensors for blade weight. This allows automated blade handling and processing without human intervention.

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Automated impeller blade forming and assembly workstation for high efficiency impeller production. The workstation has a fence, robot, blade insertion machine, storage box, positioner, stacking tables, and mid-piece shelf. The robot transfers impellers, the positioner moves them for blade insertion, the blade machine inserts blades, and the stacking tables store front/rear pieces. The mid-piece shelf has hooks to hang impellers for transport. This allows automated blade insertion and impeller transfer, improving efficiency compared to manual assembly.

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Automated system for assembling wind turbine hub bearings using visual recognition to improve efficiency, safety, and reduce operator workload compared to manual assembly. The system uses a manipulator with a fine-tuning traverse mechanism, bearing rotator, and bearing picker to precisely position and install the bearings. It also has a nitrogen counterweight balance system for lifting the heavy bearings. Visual inspection and measurement systems help ensure proper alignment and fit. The automated assembly reduces risk of bumping quality, improves production speed, and eliminates the need for operators to climb ladders and manually install the bearings.

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Automated, intelligent wind turbine hub assembly production line to improve efficiency, flexibility, and reduce labor costs compared to manual assembly. The line uses AGVs, robots, manipulators, and machine vision to move and assemble components like hubs, bearings, and fasteners. It replaces cranes and manual lifting with automated transportation. The line integrates dispersed stations into a sequential flow with hub feeding, fixing, transportation, bearing installation, fastener pre-assembly, tensioning, and accessory assembly.

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Wind turbine design and assembly method that simplifies attaching the rotor blades to the hub, especially at high altitudes where precise alignment is difficult. The wind turbine has a protruding spring element on the hub that guides and deforms as the blade is installed. This allows the blade to be easily positioned and secured, even with vibrations and movement at height, by deforming the spring. It avoids the need for precise alignment and fitting of bolts or pins through narrow gaps at height.

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Method and tool for assembling hubs, generators, and frames in direct drive wind turbines to enable efficient and safe assembly of large direct drive wind turbines. The method involves vertically moving the hub and generator towards each other, attaching them to form an assembly, rotating the assembly while holding the hub, and attaching it to the frame. The tool has a manipulator to grip the hub, supports to hold it, and allows vertical and rotational movement. This allows lifting, lowering, and rotating the hub while attached to the generator for assembly. The vertical movement reduces the required height for assembly.

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A method to assemble wind turbines more quickly and safely by allowing workers to remain inside the tower during component lifts instead of evacuating and repositioning. The method involves lowering the new component onto the tower with the mounting interface vertically overlapping the existing one. Alignment and connection are done while the gap remains within a threshold. A verification device checks the gap. Cameras and alignment guides help.

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Automated logistics system for wind turbine blade production that improves efficiency and reduces labor by eliminating manual handling of materials over long distances. The system uses robotic manipulators and conveyors to move materials between the blade mold and workstations. The blade production scheduling is entered into a computer which coordinates the robots to transport empty frames from offline storage to the mold, fill them with materials, and then move the full frames to offline storage for emptying at workstations. This provides automated, real-time material delivery without manual transport between the mold and workstations.

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Automated assembly system for wind turbine hubs that transfers and grips the hub components to assemble them onto the hub. The system has a worktable, gantry, track-type material mover, main gripper, and auxiliary gripper. The hub is placed on the worktable facing down. The track mover moves the main gripper to the hub. The main gripper descends with the help of a threaded rod. Three linkage assemblies on the main gripper open the claw heads to enclose the hub. This transfers the hub onto the wind turbine.

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Faster assembly method for wind turbine blade sections like split blades, that involves using a support with primary and secondary surfaces to assemble the blade halves. The method involves arranging the first blade half on the primary surface with its outer face facing it. Then arranging the second blade half on the secondary surface with its outer face facing it. Applying force to the first half urges the outer faces together. This allows the blade halves to be joined without separate alignment steps. A configurable connection feature helps with positioning.

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