Injection method and device for connecting and repairing a shear web

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10544776-B2
Application number	US-201715661494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2017
Priority date	Jul 27, 2017
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

A method and device for connecting and repairing a shear web includes the method steps of dry-fitting a shear web insert in a rotor blade assembly to establish a perimeter gap at an angled perimeter interface between the shear web insert and the rotor blade assembly, the angled perimeter interface positioned between the shear web insert and at least one adjacent surface of a first shear web, a second shear web, a first side of the rotor blade assembly, and a second side of the rotor blade assembly, and then injecting a bonding paste into the perimeter gap. The rotor blade assembly can include a connecting device having at least one pre-fabricated clip.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for connecting and repairing a shear web, the method comprising:
dry-fitting a shear web insert in a rotor blade assembly to establish a perimeter gap at an angled perimeter interface between the shear web insert and the rotor blade assembly, the shear web insert defining a first side face and an opposing, second side face, the angled perimeter interface positioned between the shear web insert and at least one adjacent surface comprising a first shear web, a second shear web, a first side of the rotor blade assembly, and a second side of the rotor blade assembly;
forming the angled perimeter interface such that a first gap is defined between the first side face of the shear web insert and the at least one adjacent surface, and a second gap is defined between the second side face of the shear web insert and the at least one adjacent surface; and
injecting a bonding paste into the perimeter gap.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising;
coupling at least one first connecting device across a portion of the perimeter gap, the at least one first connecting device disposed partially on a first side face of at least one of the first shear web and the second shear web; and,
coupling at least one second connecting device across a portion of the perimeter gap, the at least one second connecting device disposed partially on an opposing, second side face of at least one of the first shear web and the second shear web.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each of the at least one first and second connecting devices comprises at least one pre-fabricated clip further comprising horizontal and vertical portions, the at least one pre-fabricated clip horizontal portions coupled to at least one of the inner surface of the first side of the rotor blade assembly and the inner surface of the opposite second side of the rotor blade assembly.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the vertical portions of at least two pre-fabricated clips extend from the respective horizontal portions in opposing directions a sufficient distance to couple with an opposing vertical portion.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising;
coupling at least one first and second positioning device segments along an inner surface of at least one of a first side or a second side of the rotor blade assembly for dry-fit positioning the shear web insert, and,
placing a plurality of spacers along at least one of a bottom face, a first end, or a second end of the shear web insert, the plurality of spacers aligned in the perimeter gap along a first side face of the shear web insert.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the angled perimeter interface is configured such that the first gap is smaller than the second gap.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein an angle in the angled perimeter interface ranges from about 0 degrees to about 50 degrees.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first gap ranges from about 0 millimeters to about 30 millimeters and the second gap ranges from about 5 millimeters to about 75 millimeters.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying the bonding paste using at least one injection device comprising a shoe and a nozzle.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising overflowing the bonding paste from the perimeter gap such that it squeezes out from the perimeter gap on both the first and second side faces of the shear web insert.

11. A rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine, the rotor blade assembly comprising a first side and a second side, wherein the first side of the rotor blade assembly corresponds to one of a pressure side or a suction side of the rotor blade assembly, and an opposite second side of the rotor blade assembly corresponds to the other pressure side or suction side of the rotor blade assembly, the rotor blade assembly comprising:
a first blade segment defining a joint end, the first blade segment including a first shear web with an angled interface at the joint end;
a second blade segment coupled to the joint end of the first blade segment, the second blade segment including a second shear web with an angled interface at the joint end;
at least one first connecting device coupled across at least a portion of the joint end, the at least one first connecting device coupled at least partially on a first side face of at least one of the first shear web and the second shear web;
at least one second connecting device coupled across at least a portion of the joint end, the at least one second connecting device coupled at least partially on an opposing, second side face of at least one of the first shear web and the second shear web;
a shear web insert positioned between the first shear web and second shear web, the shear web insert defining a perimeter gap at an angled perimeter interface between the shear web insert and the angled interfaces of the first and second shear webs; and,
bonding paste injected into the angled perimeter interface, wherein the bonding paste is configured to overflow the perimeter gap such that the bonding paste squeezes out from the perimeter gap on both the first and second side faces of the shear web insert.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , further comprising
at least one first and second positioning device segments coupled along an inner surface of at least one of the first side or the second side of the rotor blade assembly; and,
a plurality of spacers placed along at least one of a bottom face, a first end, or a second end of the shear web insert, the plurality of spacers aligned in the perimeter gap along the first side face of the shear web insert.

13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the angled perimeter interface comprises a first gap defined between the first side face of the shear web insert and the at least one adjacent surface, and a second gap defined between the second side face of the shear web insert and the at least one adjacent surface.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the angled perimeter interface is configured such that the first gap is smaller than the second gap.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the angle in the angled perimeter interface ranges from about 0 degrees to about 50 degrees.

16. A connecting device assembly, comprising;
first and second connecting devices each comprising at least one pre-fabricated clip comprising horizontal and vertical portions, the horizontal portions of the at least one pre-fabricated clip coupled to at least one of an inner surface of a first side of the rotor blade assembly or an inner surface of an opposite, second side of the rotor blade assembly, wherein the vertical portions of at least two of the pre-fabricated clips extend from the respective horizontal portions in opposing directions a sufficient distance to couple with an opposing vertical portion.

17. The connecting device assembly of claim 16 , wherein the vertical portions of at least two pre-fabricated clips extend from the respective horizontal portions in opposing directions a sufficient distance to couple with an opposing vertical portion.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Danielsen Darren John

Classifications

• B29C66/972

  by extrusion of molten material · CPC title

• B29C66/116

  Single bevelled joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being bevelled in the joint area · CPC title

• B29C65/7838

  from the inside, e.g. of tubular or hollow articles (B29C66/3242 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C65/7805

  the parts to be joined comprising positioning features · CPC title

• B29C65/542

  by injection · CPC title