Search

CN-115066552-B - Paint applicator tool tip for use with an automated device for repairing leading edge damage on a wind turbine blade

CN115066552BCN 115066552 BCN115066552 BCN 115066552BCN-115066552-B

Abstract

A paint applicator tool head configured for use with a robotic maintenance device includes a tool head body having a frame, a supply container, a drive for actuating delivery of a paint flow from the supply container, a feed tube, a nozzle receiving the flow from the feed tube, and a spreading tool, such as a roller brush or spatula, receiving the flow from the nozzle. The paint applicator tool head is moved over the surface of the wind turbine blade containing the damage by the articulating arm of the maintenance device so that the roller brush or spatula may apply multiple layers of paint to cover and fill the damage. The nozzle continuously supplies paint directly onto the roller brush or spatula, and the drive means may be configured to independently regulate the supply of two or more different components in the supply container, which may be mixed to form paint.

Inventors

  • 1. J.b.k. Jensen
  • A. PETERSON
  • A.B. Krogstrup
  • A.A. Westgard
  • C. E. NELSON
  • L Flandersson
  • A. Tucson

Assignees

  • 维斯塔斯风力系统有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20201218
Priority Date
20191218

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A paint applicator tool tip (80) configured for use with a robotic maintenance device (40) for repairing damage around a leading edge (22) of a wind turbine blade (20), the paint applicator tool tip characterized by: A tool bit body (110) including a frame (112) and an interface component (66) configured to mechanically and electrically couple with a corresponding interface (64) provided on an articulating arm (48) of the robotic maintenance device; A spreading tool (122) mounted on the frame and configured to move along a surface of the wind turbine blade to spread paint on the surface; A supply container (114) defining at least two chambers (130, 132) configured to hold different components that can be mixed together to form a coating to be dispensed onto the dispensing tool for application to the wind turbine blade; a drive device (116) operatively engaged with the supply container and actuated to deliver a flow of paint from the supply container, the drive device comprising independent actuators (140, 150) associated with each of the at least two chambers; A mixing component (138) connected to the supply container, the mixing component configured to receive the different components from the at least two chambers and mix the different components into the coating material, and A control system (90) operatively connected to the drive means, the control system operating the independent actuators at independently adjustable speeds to supply each of the different components at a mixing ratio suitable for generating the coating material when mixing at the mixing element, Wherein the control system varies the speed of the independent actuators to vary the flow rate of paint being dispensed onto the dispensing tool, the flow rate being adjusted in accordance with the speed of movement of the dispensing tool to continuously apply paint to the dispensing tool during operation of the paint applicator tool tip.
  2. 2. The paint applicator tool tip of claim 1 wherein the independent actuators of the drive arrangement are defined by pistons, each of the pistons being configured to move relative to one of the at least two chambers to cause associated components to flow out of the chamber and into the mixing member, and the drive arrangement further comprising independent actuation motors engaged with each of the pistons.
  3. 3. The paint applicator tool tip of claim 1 or 2, wherein the mixing component is defined by a static mixer configured to mix the different components as they flow through an elongated length of the static mixer.
  4. 4. The paint applicator tool head of claim 1 or 2, further characterized by: a discharge container connected to the mixing part, and A valve operatively connected to the mixing component, the discharge vessel, and the dispensing tool, the valve controlling the delivery of the coating stream exiting the mixing component into the discharge vessel or into the dispensing tool, Wherein the valve initially directs the paint to flow into the discharge vessel until the mixing rate of the different components has reached a desired threshold, and then directs the paint to flow into the dispensing tool.
  5. 5. The paint applicator tool tip of claim 1, wherein the spreading tool is a spatula (242), the spatula comprising: A flexible compression plate (244) having a front edge (246), a rear edge (248), opposite side edges (250, 252), an outer surface (256), and an inner surface (258), the compression plate (244) further having a central region (264) defined by a central axis (266), and One or more spacers (260, 306) positioned proximate to the inner surface (258) of the compression plate (244), wherein the one or more spacers (260, 306) are configured to define a gap between an outer surface (234) of the wind turbine blade (20) and the inner surface (258) of the compression plate (244), and A feed tube (118) for supplying paint to the spatula (242), Wherein the spatula (242) is configured to shape the coating into a coating (230) over the damaged area (26) of the wind turbine blade (20).
  6. 6. The paint applicator tool head of claim 5, wherein the one or more spacers (260, 306) define a height profile (270) that corresponds to a shape of the coating (230) from the applicator tool (240).
  7. 7. The paint applicator tool tip of claim 6, wherein the height profile (270) has a maximum adjacent the central region (264) of the compression plate (244) and tapers to substantially zero adjacent the side edges (250, 252) of the compression plate (244).
  8. 8. The paint applicator tool head of any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the compression plate (244) is selectively movable relative to the one or more spacers (306).
  9. 9. The paint applicator tool head of claim 6 or 7, wherein relative movement between the squeeze plate (244) and the one or more spacers (306) varies the height profile (270).
  10. 10. The paint applicator tool tip of any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the one or more spacers comprise a plurality of ribs (260) coupled to the inner surface (258) of the compression plate (244) and extending from the front edge (246) toward the rear edge (248), and wherein the plurality of ribs (260) define grooves (262) between adjacent ribs (260).
  11. 11. The paint applicator tool tip of claim 10, wherein a height of the plurality of ribs (260) varies, and wherein the height of the plurality of ribs (260) has a maximum adjacent the central region (264) of the compression plate (244) and decreases in height away from the central region (264) and toward the side edges (250, 252).
  12. 12. The paint applicator tool tip of claim 5, wherein the one or more spacers comprise one or more ridges (306) having a front edge (308), a rear edge (310), an upper edge (312), and a lower edge (314).
  13. 13. The paint applicator tool tip of claim 12, wherein the lower edge (314) is at an acute angle relative to the upper edge (312), and wherein the lower edge (314) is configured to engage the outer surface (234) of the wind turbine blade (20).
  14. 14. The paint applicator tool head of claim 12 or 13, wherein the one or more ridges (306) are separate from the compression plate (244).
  15. 15. The paint applicator tool head of claim 12 or 13, wherein the one or more ridges (306) are positioned proximate the inner surface (258) of the compression plate (244) about the central region (264), and wherein the one or more ridges (306) extend in a direction generally parallel to the central axis (266).
  16. 16. The paint applicator tool head of claim 12 or 13, wherein the squeeze plate (244) is coupled to a rigid support (320), wherein the one or more ridges (306) are coupled to the feed tube (118), and wherein the rigid support (320) is slidable relative to the feed tube (118).
  17. 17. A paint applicator tool head as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the spreading tool is a roller brush rotatably coupled to the frame, the roller brush being mounted on the frame at opposite ends in such a way that the roller brush is free to rotate relative to the frame and rotation of the roller brush is actuated by moving the paint applicator tool head back and forth along the surface of the wind turbine blade by the articulating arm.
  18. 18. The paint applicator tool head of claim 1 or 2, further characterized by: A curing device mounted on the frame at a location spaced apart from the spreading tool, the curing device configured to apply thermal energy and/or light towards the paint after application of the paint on the surface of the wind turbine blade to help cure and solidify a repaired area covered by the paint.
  19. 19. A method for automatically repairing damage around a leading edge (22) of a wind turbine blade (20) connected to a wind turbine (10), the method characterized by: Coupling a paint applicator tool tip (80) to an articulating arm (48) of a robotic maintenance device (40) that has been positioned along the leading edge of the wind turbine blade such that the articulating arm is capable of moving the paint applicator tool tip into position around a location on the wind turbine blade containing damage; Actuating a drive device (116) associated with a supply container (114) operatively connected to the paint applicator tool tip such that individual actuators (140, 150) of the drive device move relative to corresponding chambers (130, 132) of the supply container containing different components of paint that can be mixed together to form a paint for the wind turbine blade to deliver streams of the different components into a mixing component (138); mixing the streams of the different components with the mixing component to generate a stream of coating material that is delivered to a dispersion tool (122); moving the paint applicator tool tip with the articulating arm to move the dispensing tool along a surface (30) of the wind turbine blade to apply multiple layers of the paint to the surface of the wind turbine blade to cover and repair the damage on the wind turbine blade, and Controlling the independent actuators of the driving means to move at independently adjustable speeds so as to supply the different components at desired mixing ratios suitable for generating the coating material when mixing at the mixing member, Wherein: The speed of the independent actuator of the drive means is varied to vary the flow rate of the coating being delivered to the dispensing tool, the flow rate being adjusted in accordance with the speed of movement of the dispensing tool to continuously apply the coating to the dispensing tool during operation of the coating applicator tool tip.
  20. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the spreading tool is a spatula (242), the spatula comprising: A flexible compression plate (244) having a front edge (246), a rear edge (248), opposite side edges (250, 252), an outer surface (256), and an inner surface (258), the compression plate (244) further having a central region (264) defined by a central axis (266), and One or more spacers (260, 306) positioned proximate to the inner surface (258) of the compression plate (244), wherein the one or more spacers (260, 306) are configured to define a gap between an outer surface (234) of the wind turbine blade (20) and the inner surface (258) of the compression plate (244), and A feed tube (118) for supplying paint to the spatula (242), Wherein the spatula (242) is configured to shape the coating into a coating (230) over a damaged area (26) of the wind turbine blade (20), and the method is further characterized by: -engaging the applicator tool (240) to the outer surface (234) of the wind turbine blade (20); -supplying the coating material to the applicator tool (240); Moving the applicator tool (240) along the outer surface (234) of the wind turbine blade (20), and -Dispensing the coating from the applicator tool (240) to form the coating (230) over the damaged area (26) of the wind turbine blade (20).

Description

Paint applicator tool tip for use with an automated device for repairing leading edge damage on a wind turbine blade Technical Field The present application relates generally to wind turbines and, more particularly, to an automated robotic device and method for repairing damage along the leading edge of a wind turbine blade without removing the blade from the tower of the wind turbine or manually repairing by a rope technician (rope ACCESS TECHNICIAN). Background Wind turbines are used to generate electrical energy using renewable resources and without burning fossil fuels. Typically, wind turbines convert kinetic energy from wind into electrical power. A conventional wind turbine power plant comprises a foundation, a tower supported by the foundation, and an energy generating unit located at the top of the tower. The energy generating unit typically includes one or more nacelles to house a plurality of mechanical and electrical components (such as generators, gearboxes, and main bearings), and the wind turbine also includes a rotor operatively coupled to the components in the nacelle through a main shaft extending from the nacelle. Single rotor wind turbines and multi-rotor wind turbines (which may have multiple nacelles) are known, but for efficiency, the following description primarily relates to a single rotor design. The rotor in turn includes a central hub and a plurality of blades extending radially from the central hub and configured to interact with wind to rotate the rotor. The rotor is supported on a main shaft that is operatively coupled, either directly or indirectly, to a generator housed inside the nacelle. Thus, when the wind rotates the blades, electrical energy is generated by the generator. Wind power has grown significantly over the past few decades, and many wind turbine power plants have been located both on land and offshore. As mentioned above, the blades interact with the wind to produce mechanical rotation of the rotor, which may then be converted into electrical energy. Wind turbine blades are complex structures that must be constructed to withstand long term operation in harsh environments while also maximizing lift and minimizing drag. The blades move at varying speeds through the surrounding environment surrounding the wind turbine, but typically such movement is high speed. Thus, the blades typically experience erosion and damage over time during operation due to friction from the air and potential impact from particulate matter, debris, or other items in the air, particularly air friction or potential impact along the leading edge facing the direction of movement through the wind. Erosion or damage along the leading edge of the blade adversely affects the aerodynamic quality of the blade over time, resulting in lower power generation for a given incoming wind speed. Such erosion and damage to the blade may be corrected by routine maintenance and repair procedures. The blade is typically formed from an outer shell of layered fibrous composite material, aluminum, or similar material, with an outer skin defined by a series of layers of paint (polymer elastomer, paint, etc.) surrounding and covering the outer surface of the outer shell. The shell encloses the internal components of the blade (including, for example, the shear web and spar caps) and isolates them from the environment. The outer skin may be defined by a plurality of different layers of material, including at least an outermost facing layer (topcoat), a second layer underlying the outermost facing layer, and a third layer underlying the second layer. Other layers are typically present under the third layer as well, including substrates typically made of fibrous composites or the like. The facing layer, the second layer, and the third layer may be formed of different colored materials to more easily reveal the depth of the eroded or damaged portion into the outer skin of the blade. Damage to the blade outer skin may be categorized into a number of different severity levels based on which layer the damage extends to, e.g., erosion of the third layer will be a "category 2" severity level, which will be higher than cutting of the second layer, which will be a "category 1" severity level. For low levels of damage or erosion, such damage may be repaired by depositing a coating on the area to fill the damage and restore the blade to its original condition along its leading edge. These types of repairs of wind turbine blades are conventionally performed in three ways. First, the blade may be removed from the rest of the wind turbine and lowered to the ground to complete the repair. This repair process is time consuming and expensive due to the need to remove, move, and reassemble the blades relative to the top of the tower. Second, operators with rope technology can rope down the wind turbine blades while still being attached to the rotor hub to evaluate the blades and repair them as needed. Again, this repair process is ti