KR101368678B1 - Patch used for repairing wind turbine blade, and method for repairing blade using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a wind turbine blade repair patch and a blade repair method using the same. Wind turbine blade repair patch according to an embodiment of the present invention first release layer; An adhesive layer laminated on the first release layer and attached to a blade damage part in a state in which the first release layer is peeled off; A second release layer detachably attached to the adhesive layer; And a surface forming layer for forming the adhesive layer, stacked on the second release layer, wherein the adhesive layer is formed by impregnating a binder in the reinforcing fiber, and the adhesive material of the adhesive layer is cured while the adhesive layer is attached to the blade damage part. .

Description

Wind turbine blade repair patch and blade repair method using same {PATCH USED FOR REPAIRING WIND TURBINE BLADE, AND METHOD FOR REPAIRING BLADE USING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a wind turbine blade repair patch and a blade repair method using the same.

Wind turbines consist of blades, gear boxes, generators, control systems and towers. Here, the blade is a key component of a wind turbine that converts wind energy into mechanical energy. The blade consists of a shell structure that creates aerodynamic airfoil shape, and a box beam structure and a sandwich panel structure inside to withstand high bending loads and centrifugal forces.

That is, the blade is composed of a spar cap, a shear web, a skin, and a front / rear unidirectional fiber stack. Here, the spar cap and the shear web constitute the box beam to support most of the bending and shear loads, while the skin of the sandwich shell structure and the front / rear unidirectional fiber laminates carry both aerodynamic and structural loads.

On the other hand, as the blade becomes larger, the non-rigidity and the specific gravity of the blade material become important factors. The material of the blade is replaced by a fiber-reinforced polymer composite material having excellent non-rigidity and non-rigidity, and E-glass-based glass fiber is mainly used as a reinforcing fiber. In recent years, carbon fibers, which are lighter and stronger than glass fibers, have been used as some load members.

These blades are damaged by external conditions such as lightning, external shock, and aging caused by UV exposure, and blade manufacturing defects such as delamination, adhesive flaws, and resin spots or dry spots. May occur. For example, if a crack or the like occurs on the blade, it may increase the risk of an accident and reduce the productivity and efficiency of the wind turbine.

Conventionally, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0209347 (published on September 1, 2011) drills a damaged part to repair a damaged part of the blade, and pours an adhesive fluid into the hole, and then further holes around the damaged part. It has been disclosed a technique for fixing a hole by a fixing member such as a rivet.

However, due to the characteristics of the blade made of a composite material, there is a limit in effectively repairing the blade only by pouring the fluid on the damaged part of the blade. In addition, when a hole is drilled in the blade, there is a risk that the corresponding part is torn out by an external impact such as wind.

Therefore, there is a need to repair the damaged portion of the blade more effectively.

United States Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0209347 published 2011.09.01

Embodiment of the present invention is to repair the wind turbine blade to easily and effectively repair the damaged parts of the blades by bonding the adhesive layer impregnated in the reinforcing fibers such as resin to the damaged parts so as to meet the characteristics of the blade made of a composite material To provide a patch and a blade repair method using the same.

According to an aspect of the invention, the first release layer; An adhesive layer laminated on the first release layer and attached to a blade damage part in a state in which the first release layer is peeled off; A second release layer detachably attached to an upper portion of the adhesive layer; And a surface forming layer for forming the adhesive layer, stacked on the second release layer, wherein the adhesive layer is formed by impregnating a binder into a reinforcing fiber, and the adhesive layer is attached to the blade damage part. A wind turbine blade repair patch may be provided in which the bonding material of the adhesive layer is cured.

The second release layer may include a plurality of pores through which the remaining amount of the binder passes and contacts the surface forming layer.

The pores formed in the second release layer may have a larger diameter of pores formed in a portion of the surface forming layer that is in contact only with a lower surface of the surface forming layer than a diameter of pores formed in the portion that is in contact with the adhesive layer and the surface forming layer.

A resin absorbing layer stacked on the surface forming layer and absorbing the remaining amount of the binder, a vacuum film covering the resin absorbing layer, and a sealing member for adhering the vacuum film to the blade surface to form a sealed space; The apparatus may further include a vacuum pressing unit for compressing the second release layer, the surface forming layer, the resin absorbing layer, and the vacuum film by discharging the gas in the sealed space.

The vacuum compression unit is interposed between the surface forming layer and the resin absorbing layer, the suction unit for sucking the gas; And a connection part connected to the suction part and protruding outwardly of the vacuum film.

The suction port of the suction unit may be sealed by an absorbent member having absorbent power.

It may include a valve which can be opened and closed, further comprising a coupling unit for coupling the connection portion with the vacuum hose connected to the vacuum pump.

The binder may be provided with a thermosetting resin including at least one of epoxy, polyester, and vinyl ester.

The first release layer and the second release layer may be provided as a release film.

The adhesive layer may be provided as a prepreg in the form of a sheet.

According to another aspect of the invention, the step of peeling the first release layer; Attaching the adhesive layer to the damaged portion of the blade; Adhering the vacuum film to the blade surface to form the enclosed space; Discharging the gas in the sealed space to compress the second release layer, the surface forming layer, the resin absorbing layer, and the vacuum film; It may be provided a blade repair method comprising a; hardening the binder impregnated in the sealing member and the adhesive layer.

Wind turbine blade repair patch and a blade repair method using the same according to an embodiment of the present invention by bonding the adhesive layer impregnated in the reinforcing fiber with a binder such as a resin to the damaged portion of the blade to match the characteristics of the blade made of a composite material It can easily and effectively repair the damaged part.

1 shows a form in which the blades of a conventional wind turbine are damaged.
2 and 3 are a cross-sectional and exploded perspective view of the blade repair patch according to an embodiment of the present invention for repairing the damaged portion of the blade of FIG.
4 and 5 show another example of the blade repair patch of FIG. 2 in cross-sectional and exploded perspective views, respectively.
6 is a cross-sectional view of the blade repair patch of Figure 4 attached to the damaged portion of the blade.
7 is a cross-sectional view of a vacuum apparatus for vacuum pressurizing the blade repair patch of FIG. 4.
8 shows the blade repaired by the blade repair patch of FIG. 4.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a form of damage to a blade of a conventional wind turbine. 2 and 3 are a cross-sectional view and an exploded perspective view of the blade repair patch according to an embodiment of the present invention for repairing the damaged portion of the blade of FIG.

Referring to Fig. 1, a wind turbine 1 includes a tower 5, a rotor 3 equipped with a nacelle 4 and a plurality of blades 2 mounted on the tower 5. Here, the blade 2 may be damaged due to external conditions such as lightning, external impact, aging due to exposure to ultraviolet rays, and manufacturing defects such as peeling, adhesion defect, and resin shortage. For example, the blade 2 may be damaged by cracks or the like.

2 and 3, the blade repair patch 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is used to repair the damaged portion (8) present in the blade (2). Hereinafter, the blade 2 of the wind turbine 1 will be described as an example, but the blade repair patch 10 is not necessarily limited to the blade 2 of the wind turbine 1, and is composed of a composite material. It can also be used to repair various structures. Structures composed of composite materials may include, for example, Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP) water tanks.

The blade repair patch 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a first release layer 20, an adhesive layer 30, a second release layer 40, and a surface forming layer 50.

The first release layer 20 is peeled off to repair the damaged portion 8 of the blade 2. The first release layer 20 may be provided as a release film together with, for example, the second release layer 40 to be described later.

The adhesive layer 30 is stacked on the first release layer 20 and is formed by impregnating a binder in the reinforcing fiber. The adhesive layer 30 may be provided as a prepreg in the form of a sheet. Here, the reinforcing fibers may include at least one of woven fibers and unidirectional fibers in which any one or two or more of the unbended fabrics of plain weave, runner weave, twill, and random mat are mixed. In addition, the reinforcing fibers may include one or more of glass fibers, carbon fibers and aramid fibers. Glass fibers may be manufactured in the form of continuous fibers or short fibers, and have a property of not being corroded because they are resistant to high temperatures, do not burn, and are chemically durable. In addition, carbon fiber has high tensile strength and shear strength and has excellent thermal and electrical properties. Aramid fibers may comprise Kevlar fibers and have strong resistance to high temperatures and flames.

The binder may be made of a thermosetting resin comprising at least one of epoxy, polyester and vinyl ester. Epoxy resins may be defined as oligomeric compounds having two or more epoxy groups in one molecule. Polyester resins have a faster curing rate and lower material costs compared to epoxy resins. Vinyl ester resins have high fracture toughness and have excellent adhesion to glass fibers.

In the second release layer 40, a plurality of pores 41 and 42 are formed such that the remaining amount of the binder passes through the second release layer 40 and contacts the surface forming layer 50. Here, the pores 41 and 42 formed in the second release layer 40 may be formed at portions in contact with the circumference of the lower surface of the surface forming layer 50 to be described later than the diameter of the pores 41 formed in the portion in contact with the adhesive layer 30. The diameter of the formed pores 42 may be large.

The diameter of the pores 41 formed in the portion in contact with the adhesive layer 30 and the surface forming layer 50 at the same time is smaller than the diameter of the pores 42 formed in the portion in contact only around the lower surface of the surface forming layer 50, This is to allow the release layer 40 to be easily peeled from the adhesive layer 30. The diameter of the pores 42 formed in the portion in contact with the bottom surface of the surface forming layer 50 is larger than the diameter of the pores 41 formed in the portion in contact with the adhesive layer 30, the bonding material of the adhesive layer 30 This is to pass through the pores 42 and to effectively bond with the surface forming layer 50.

The surface forming layer 50 is stacked on the second release layer 40, and the adhesive layer 30 is formed. The surface forming layer 50 may be formed as a peel ply as a molding material capable of absorbing and transmitting the residual amount of the binder. The peel ply is made of a thin and permeable material. The peel ply allows the surface of the adhesive layer 30 to be treated smoothly and absorbs the remaining amount of the binder. The second release layer 40 and the surface forming layer 50 may be formed larger than the size of the adhesive layer 30 to cover the adhesive layer 30.

Based on the contents of FIGS. 2 and 3 described above, the blade repair patch 10 including the first release layer 20, the adhesive layer 30, the second release layer 40, and the surface forming layer 50 is used. The process of repairing the damaged portion 8 of the blade 2 will be described.

First, in order to repair the damaged part 8 of the blade 2, the first release layer 20 is peeled off.

Next, after adhering the adhesive layer 30 to the damaged portion 8 of the blade 2, the second release layer 40 is peeled off. Here, since the diameter of the pores 41 formed in the portion in contact with the adhesive layer 30 is smaller than the diameter of the pores 42 formed in the portion in contact with the lower surface of the surface forming layer 50, the second release layer ( 40 may be easily peeled from the adhesive layer 30.

Next, the binder impregnated in the adhesive layer 30 is cured. The adhesive layer 30 may be cured by heating means in a state of being pressed by a roller or the like. Through this, the repair of the damaged part 8 of the blade 2 is completed. For example, by heating the adhesive layer 30 to cover the top of the adhesive layer 30 with a heating sheet (not shown) to provide thermal energy to the adhesive layer 30, curing of the adhesive layer 30 may be promoted. The heating sheet (not shown) provides heat energy and may include a heating layer (not shown) and a coating layer (not shown) covering the heating line (not shown).

Unlike this, the peeling of the second release layer 40 and the curing of the adhesive layer 30 may be reversed. That is, the second release layer 40 may be peeled off after the adhesive layer 30 is cured.

4 and 5 show another example of the blade repair patch of FIG. 2 in cross-sectional and exploded perspective views, respectively. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the blade repair patch of Figure 4 attached to the damaged portion of the blade. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a vacuum apparatus for vacuum pressurizing the blade repair patch of FIG. 4. 8 shows a blade repaired by the blade repair patch of FIG. 4.

4 and 5, the above-described blade repair patch 10 may further include a resin absorbing layer 60, a vacuum film 70, a sealing member 80, and a vacuum pressing unit 90. For reference, in FIG. 5, elements related to the vacuum crimping unit 90 are not shown for convenience of description.

The resin absorbing layer 60 is stacked on the surface forming layer 50 and absorbs the residual amount of the binder. For example, the resin absorbing layer 60 may include a breather. The breather is made of cotton-like material and can be used to absorb the residual amount of binder.

The vacuum film 70 covers the upper portion of the resin absorbing layer 60. The vacuum film 70 may be made of, for example, a vinyl material, and is used when vacuum is pressurized by inhaling gas by the vacuum apparatus 100 to be described later.

Referring to FIG. 6, the sealing member 80 peels the first release layer 20, and attaches the vacuum film 70 to the damaged portion 8 of the blade 2. It is adhered to the surface of the blade 2 to form a closed space (S). The sealing member 80 may include, for example, a sealant. The sealant is removable with a tacky tape and can be used when forming a vacuum.

4 and 7, the vacuum pressing unit 90 discharges the gas in the space S enclosed by the sealing member 80 to release the second release layer 40, the surface forming layer 50, and the resin absorbing layer. 60 and the vacuum film 70 to be compressed. In this case, the suction part 92 of the vacuum pressing part 90 is interposed between the surface forming layer 50 and the resin absorbing layer 60, and the connection part 95 is connected to the suction part 92 to the outside of the vacuum film 70. It is formed to extend to protrude. Here, the suction port 93 of the suction unit 92 may be sealed by an absorbent member 94 having absorbing power. For example, the absorbing member 94 may be made of the same material as the breather described above. This is to prevent the surface forming layer from being sucked through the suction unit 92 during vacuum compression, so as to smoothly discharge the gas in the closed space S.

In addition, a coupling portion 91 including an openable and closeable valve 96 and coupling the vacuum hose 120 connected to the vacuum pump 110 to the connection portion 95 for discharging gas in the closed space S is provided. Can be. When the gas discharge of the closed space (S) is completed, the vacuum hose 120 can be released from the coupling portion 91 in a state in which the valve 96 of the coupling portion 91 is locked. The coupling part 91 may be provided integrally with the vacuum compression part 90 or may be provided to be coupled to and released from the vacuum compression part 90.

Hereinafter, the process of repairing the damaged part 8 of the blade 2 using the blade repair patch 10 based on the content of FIGS. 4-7 is demonstrated.

First, the first release layer 20 is peeled off, and the adhesive layer 30 is attached to the damaged portion 8 of the blade 2.

Next, the vacuum film 70 is adhered to the surface of the blade 2 by the sealing member 80 so that the sealed space S is formed.

Next, the second release layer 40, the surface forming layer 50, the resin absorbing layer 60, and the vacuum film 70 are compressed by discharging the gas in the enclosed space S by using the vacuum apparatus 100. do. At this time, prior to this process, the process of coupling the vacuum hose 120 connected to the vacuum pump 110 to the connection portion 95 by using the coupling portion 91 may be performed. In addition, when the gas discharge of the closed space (S) is completed, the vacuum hose 120 can be released from the coupling portion 91 in a state in which the valve 96 of the coupling portion 91 is locked.

Next, the sealing member 80 and the second release layer 40 are peeled off sequentially.

Next, the binder impregnated in the adhesive layer 30 is cured. Here, the adhesive layer 30 may be heated by heating means for promoting hardening in a state of being pressed by a roller or the like. For example, by heating the adhesive layer 30 to cover the top of the adhesive layer 30 with a heating sheet (not shown) to provide thermal energy to the adhesive layer 30, curing of the adhesive layer 30 may be promoted.

Referring to FIG. 8, the adhesive layer 30 remains attached to the damaged portion 8 of the blade 2 through the above-described process.

Thus, using the blade repair patch 10, it is possible to effectively repair the damaged portion 8 of the blade 2 made of a composite material. In addition, since the adhesive layer 30 of the blade repair patch 10 may be provided as a prepreg in the form of a sheet, the operator simply attaches the adhesive layer 30 to the damaged portion 8 of the blade 2, and then, In one process, a quick repair of the damaged part 8 of the blade 2 can be made. In addition, by providing the blade repair patch 10 in the non-pressure type of Figure 2 or the pressure type of Figure 4, it is possible to efficiently repair the damaged portion 8 of the blade 2 through the curing of the adhesive layer (30). have.

The foregoing has shown and described specific embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the technical idea of the present invention described in the following claims It will be possible.

1: Wind turbine 2: Blade
10: patch for blade repair 20: first release layer
30: adhesive layer 40: second release layer
50: surface forming layer 60: resin absorbing layer
70: vacuum film 80: sealing member
90: vacuum compression unit 92: suction unit
93: suction port 94: absorbing member
100: vacuum device

Claims (11)

A first release layer;
An adhesive layer formed by impregnating a binder in the reinforcing fiber, laminated on the first release layer, and attached to a blade damage part in a state in which the first release layer is peeled off;
A second release layer detachably attached to an upper portion of the adhesive layer;
A surface forming layer stacked on the second release layer and configured to mold the adhesive layer;
A resin absorbing layer stacked on the surface forming layer and absorbing the remaining amount of the binder;
A vacuum film covering an upper portion of the resin absorbing layer;
A sealing member for adhering the vacuum film to the blade surface to form a closed space; And
And a vacuum press unit for compressing the second release layer, the surface forming layer, the resin absorbing layer, and the vacuum film by discharging the gas in the sealed space.
The adhesive layer is formed by impregnating a binder in the reinforcing fiber,
Wind turbine blade repair patch that the adhesive layer of the adhesive layer is cured in a state that the adhesive layer is attached to the blade damage. The method of claim 1,
The second release layer is a wind turbine blade repair patch comprising a plurality of pores to allow the remaining amount of the binder to pass through and contact the surface forming layer. 3. The method of claim 2,
The pores formed in the second release layer is for repairing a wind turbine blade having a larger diameter of pores formed on a portion of the surface forming layer that is in contact only with a lower circumference of the surface forming layer than a diameter of pores formed on a portion in contact with the adhesive layer and the surface forming layer at the same time. patch. delete The method of claim 1,
The vacuum compression unit
An suction part interposed between the surface forming layer and the resin absorbing layer and sucking the gas; And
Wind turbine blade repair patch comprising a; connecting portion connected to the suction portion, protruding outwardly extending the vacuum film. 6. The method of claim 5,
The suction port of the suction unit is a wind turbine blade repair patch sealed by the absorbent member having an absorbing power. 6. The method of claim 5,
A patch for repairing a wind turbine blade, the valve comprising an opening and closing valve, the vacuum hose connected to a vacuum pump, and a coupling part for coupling the connection part. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 5 to 7,
The binder is a wind turbine blade repair patch provided with a thermosetting resin comprising at least one of epoxy, polyester and vinyl ester. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 5 to 7,
The first release layer and the second release layer is a wind turbine blade repair patch provided with a release film. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 5 to 7,
The adhesive layer is a wind turbine blade repair patch provided in the form of a prepreg (prepreg). In the blade repair method using the wind turbine blade repair patch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 5 to 7,
Peeling off the first release layer;
Attaching the adhesive layer to the damaged portion of the blade;
Adhering the vacuum film to the blade surface to form the enclosed space;
Compressing the second release layer, the surface forming layer, the resin absorbing layer, and the vacuum film by discharging the gas in the sealed space; And
Hardening the binder impregnated in the adhesive layer; blade repair method comprising a.

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