Moulding articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10286579-B2
Application number	US-201214237766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2012
Priority date	Aug 8, 2011
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A mold for forming a wind turbine blade is formed in two halves, each half 1a comprising a sandwich structure of a perforated outer layer, an inner aluminum honeycomb structure and an inner impermeable heat-conducting layer. An article in the form of a mat of glass fiber impregnated with epoxy resin is placed in the mold. A supply chamber 6 supplies heated pressurized air to the mold which passes into the honeycomb core of the mold through the perforated outer layer, and back through the outer layer into two exhaust chambers 7. A row of supply conduits 13 and exhaust conduits 16 connect the exhaust chambers 7 to the supply chamber 6. The air in each conduit 13, 16 is heated by a respective heat exchanger 18 supplied with heated water 9. The heated air cures the epoxy resin, and the mold is then cooled by supplying cold water to the heat exchangers 18, which, in turn cools the air supplied to the mold. The water used to cool the mold is then re-used for the subsequent heating of another article placed in the mold, in order to save energy. Alternatively, the article in the mold may be cooled using a separate supply of air which is not cooled in the heat exchangers 18.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for moulding an article, the apparatus comprising:
a mould having a structure which permits a flow of gas therethrough, the apparatus being arranged to supply gas to the mould at a plurality of supply ports and to cause the gas to flow through the mould so as to control the temperature of the article in the mould, and to be exhausted from the mould at a plurality of exhaust ports; and
a plurality of heat exchangers located externally to the mould, each heat exchanger being arranged to transfer heat between the gas flowing from at least one of the exhaust ports to at least one of the supply ports and a supply of liquid;
wherein the apparatus is arranged such that the supply liquid flows to the plurality of heat exchangers without flowing through the mould to control the temperature of the article in the mould.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one supply chamber for supplying gas to a first region of the surface of the mould and defining the plurality of supply ports; and
at least one exhaust chamber for exhausting gas from second, different region of surface of the mould and defining the plurality of exhaust ports.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of supply conduits external to the mould, each connected between a respective supply port and the associate heat exchanger; and
a plurality of exhaust conduits external to the mould, each connected between a respective exhaust port and the associated heat exchanger.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the mould is elongate, and the at least one supply chamber and the at least one exhaust chamber extend along substantially the full length of the mould, the apparatus further comprising:
at least one additional elongate supply chamber for supplying gas to a third, different region of the surface of the mould which extends along only part of the length of the mould, the or each additional supply chamber defining a plurality of additional supply ports; and
at least one additional elongate exhaust chamber for exhausting gas from a fourth, different region of the surface of the mould which extends along only part of the length of the mould, the or each additional exhaust chamber defining a plurality of additional exhaust ports.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising:
a plurality of additional supply conduits external to the mould, each connected between a respective additional supply port and a heat exchanger; and
a plurality of additional exhaust conduits external to the mould, each connected between a respective additional exhaust port and a heat exchanger.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the heat exchangers are distributed longitudinally along the apparatus.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the mould is of a generally tapered configuration, extending from a relatively large end to a relatively small end, and in which the or each additional supply chamber and the or each additional exhaust chamber extend along the part of the length of the mould from the relatively large end.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a structure for supporting the mould, the at least one supply chamber, the at least one exhaust chamber, the conduits and the heat exchangers.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the mould is formed in first and second parts, each of which is shaped to form a respective half of the article.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein gas exhausted from the first part of the mould is supplied to the second part of the mould, at least one of the heat exchangers being arranged to transfer heat between the gas flowing from the first part of the mould to the second part of the mould and a supply of liquid.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional, electric heat exchanger for providing additional control of the temperature of the gas.

12. A method of moulding an article, the method comprising:
providing a mould having a structure which permits the flow of gas therethrough;
placing the article in the mould;
causing gas to flow through the mould so as to control the temperature of the article in the mould;
supplying the gas to the mould at a plurality of supply ports;
exhausting the gas from the mould at a plurality of exhaust ports; providing a plurality of heat exchangers external to the mould, and using each heat exchanger to transfer heat between the gas flowing from at least one of the exhaust ports to at least one of the supply ports and a supply of liquid, wherein the supply of liquid flows to the plurality of heat exchangers without flowing through the mould to control the temperature of the article in the mould.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the article is sequentially heated and cooled, and wherein the same supply of liquid is used during the cooling of the article and the subsequent heating of a further article in the same mould.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12 , comprising heating the article in the mould using heat supplied from the at least one heat exchanger and subsequently cooling the article using gas which is supplied to the mould without passing through a heat exchanger.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the gas comprises air.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the liquid comprises water.

17. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the liquid comprises oil.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the article comprises at least part of a blade for a wind turbine.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the article comprises an outer shell for a wind turbine blade.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is arranged such that the supply liquid supplies heat to the gas in the heat exchanger in a first mode of operation, and removes heat from the gas in the heat exchanger in a second mode of operation.

Assignees

• Petersen Leif Kappel
• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Petersen Leif Kappel

Classifications

• B29L2031/085

  Wind turbine blades · CPC title

• B29C35/04 Primary

  using liquids, gas or steam · CPC title

• B29C35/045

  using gas or flames · CPC title

• B29C33/046 Primary

  using gas · CPC title

• Y02P70/523

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic