Wind turbine components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10384404-B2
Application number	US-201515116099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2015
Priority date	Feb 3, 2014
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

A method of making a wind turbine component comprises providing a mold (7), placing a fibrous pre-form (60) in the mold (70), admitting resin into the mold and curing the resin. The method further comprises heating (58) the fibrous pre-form before placing the pre-form in the mold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of making a wind turbine component, the method comprising:
providing a mould, the mould defining a half shell of a wind turbine blade;
providing a fibrous pre-form, the fibrous pre-form comprising multiple layers of dry glass fibre fabric attached together;
heating the fibrous pre-form outside of the mould to a heated state;
placing the fibrous pre-form in the mould while in the heated state;
admitting resin into the mould; and
curing the resin.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
heating the fibrous pre-form to a first temperature before placing the fibrous pre-form in the mould, and
admitting resin into the mould at a second temperature, wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first temperature is between 30° C. and 80° C.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein heating the fibrous pre-form comprises arranging the fibrous pre-form in contact with one or more heating devices.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising arranging the fibrous pre-form over a support.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising arranging the or each heating device between the support and the fibrous pre-form.

7. The method of claim 5 , comprising arranging an insulating layer over the fibrous pre-form.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the or each heating device is a heating mat or heating blanket.

9. The method of claim 4 , comprising heating a plurality of fibrous pre-forms together.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising stacking the plurality of fibrous pre-forms on a support.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising arranging a heating device and/or an insulating layer between the fibrous pre-forms in the stack.

12. The method of claim 1 , comprising storing the fibrous pre-form in a heated state.

13. The method of claim 1 , comprising making and heating the fibrous pre-form simultaneously.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising making the fibrous pre-form on a heated surface.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wind turbine component is a wind turbine blade.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple layers of dry glass fibre fabric are attached together by stitching or adhesive.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
heating the mould while the fibrous pre-form is placed in the mould.

18. A method of making a wind turbine rotor blade from a pair of half shells, the method comprising:
providing a mould, the mould defining a half shell of the wind turbine blade;
providing a support adjacent to the mould, the support including a heated surface supporting one or more fibrous pre-forms on the heated surface and an insulating layer over the one or more fibrous pre-forms, the or each fibrous pre-form comprising multiple layers of dry glass fibre fabric attached together;
heating the one or more fibrous pre-forms on the support to a heated state;
removing at least one of the one or more fibrous pre-forms from the support and placing the at least one fibrous pre-form in the mould while in the heated state;
admitting resin into the mould; and
curing the resin.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the one or more fibrous pre-forms include a plurality of pre-forms arranged in a stack and being supported by the support, wherein each pre-form includes an insulating layer overlying the pre-form.

20. A method of making a wind turbine rotor blade from a pair of half shells, the method comprising:
providing a mould, the mould defining a half shell of the wind turbine blade and having heaters for heating the mould;
providing a support adjacent to the mould, the support including a heated surface supporting one or more fibrous pre-forms on the heated surface, the or each fibrous pre-form comprising multiple layers of dry glass fibre fabric attached together;
heating the one or more fibrous pre-forms on the support to a first temperature;
removing at least one of the one or more fibrous pre-forms from the support and placing the at least one fibrous pre-form in the mould while in a heated state;
activating the heaters on the mould to maintain the at least one fibrous pre-form at or near the first temperature;
admitting resin into the mould at a second temperature, wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature; and
curing the resin.

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Wardropper Steve
• Bacon Ryan

Classifications

• B29B13/023

  Half-products, e.g. films, plates · CPC title

• F05B2280/6003

  Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced · CPC title

• B29C31/08

  of preforms {to be moulded, e.g. tablets, fibre reinforced preforms, extruded ribbons, tubes or profiles; Manipulating means specially adapted for feeding preforms, e.g. supports conveyors (B29C31/066, B29C37/001, B29C43/085 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F03D1/0675 Primary

  of the blades · CPC title

• B29L2031/7504

  Turbines · CPC title