Pultruded components for a shear web of a wind turbine rotor blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10422315-B2
Application number	US-201514841879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2015
Priority date	Sep 1, 2015
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

The present subject matter is directed to a rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine having a pultruded component at an interface of a shear web and a spar cap. More specifically, the rotor blade assembly includes an upper shell member having an upper spar cap configured on an internal surface thereof and a lower shell member having a lower spar cap configured on an internal surface thereof. A shear web extends between the spar caps along a longitudinal length of the blade. Further, the shear web includes a first end and a second end. The first end is secured to the upper spar cap at a first interface and the second end is secured to the lower spar cap at a second interface. In addition, the shear web includes at least one pultruded component configured at either or both of the first or second interfaces between the first and second ends and the upper and lower spar caps, respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine, comprising:
an upper shell member having at least one upper spar cap arranged on an internal surface thereof;
a lower shell member having at least one lower spar cap arranged on an internal surface thereof;
a shear web comprising a first end and a second end;
a first pultruded component arranged at a first end of the shear web, the first pultruded component comprising generally parallel side walls that define at least one cavity therebetween for receiving the first end of the shear web, the generally parallel side walls comprising a first end and an opposing, second end that defines a maximum height, the first pultruded component further comprising a flange extending from each of the first ends of the generally parallel side walls and a support member extending at an angle from each of the second ends of the generally parallel side walls to on of the flanges so as to form a triangular cross-sectional shape that spans the maximum height of the generally parallel side walls; and,
a bonding agent within the at least one cavity for securing the first end of the shear web within the at least one cavity, the bonding agent also placed between the opposing flanges of the first pultruded component and at least one of the upper spar cap or the lower spar cap.

2. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second pultruded component arranged at the second end of the shear web.

3. The rotor blade assembly of claim 2 , wherein the bonding agent is placed between the first and second pultruded components and the upper and lower spar caps, respectively.

4. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the each of flanges defines a hollow passageway therethrough.

5. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first pultruded component is constructed, at least in part, from a thermoset material or a thermoplastic material.

6. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shear web is constructed of a core material enclosed, at least in part, by an outer skin layer.

7. A method for manufacturing a shear web for a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
providing a first pultruded component having generally parallel side walls each comprising a first end and an opposing, second end, the generally parallel side walls defining a first cavity therebetween for receiving a first end or a second end of the shear web, the generally parallel side walls defining a maximum height, the first pultruded component further comprising a flange extending from each of the first ends of the generally parallel side walls and a support member extending at an angle from each of the second ends of the generally parallel side walls to one of the flanges so as to form a triangular cross-sectional shape that spans the maximum height of the generally parallel side walls;
providing at least one panel having a first end and a second end, the panel being constructed of a core material;
securing the first end of the panel within the first cavity of the first pultruded component via a bonding material so as to form the shear web; and,
securing the flanges of the first pultruded component to a first spar cap of the rotor blade via a bonding agent.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising securing the second end of the panel within a second cavity of a second pultruded component and securing the second pultruded component to a second spar cap of the rotor blade.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein securing the first end of the panel within the cavity of the first pultruded component further comprises:
placing an outer layer of material in a shell mold;
placing the first pultruded component atop the outer layer in the shell mold;
placing the panel within the cavity of the first pultruded component, and
wrapping the outer layer around the first pultruded component and the panel.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein securing the opposing flanges of the first pultruded component to the first spar cap of the rotor blade further comprises at least one of welding, bonding, or mechanically fastening the at least one pultruded component to the first spar cap.

11. A shear web assembly for a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the shear web assembly comprising:
a panel having a first end and a second end, the first end configured for attachment to an upper spar cap of the rotor blade at a first interface, the second end configured for attachment to a lower spar cap of the rotor blade at a second interface;
at least one pultruded component comprising generally parallel side walls that define a cavity therebetween for receiving the first end or the second end of the shear web, the generally parallel side walls comprising a first end and an opposing, second end that defines a maximum height, the at least one pultruded component further comprising a flange extending from each of the first ends of the generally parallel side walls and a support member extending at an angle from each of the second ends of the generally parallel side walls to one of the flanges so as to form a triangular cross-sectional shape that spans the maximum height of the side walls, the cavity sized to receive the first end or the second end of the panel;
a bonding agent for securing the opposing flanges of the at least one pultruded component at the first interface or the second interface.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Yarbrough Aaron A
• Caruso Christopher Daniel

Classifications

• F05D2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• F03D1/0675 Primary

  of the blades · CPC title

• Y02E10/721

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title