Fixing device for fixating a segment of a wind turbine blade to a mould

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10569485-B2
Application number	US-201415107690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Dec 23, 2013
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

For fixating a blade segment (1a) of a rotor blade of a wind turbine to a mould (20a), in which the blade segment is manufactured, a fixing device (10) is provided comprising a first portion (11) for selectively applying a clamping force on the fixating extension and a second portion (12) for fixating the fixing device to the mould. In the fixing device (10) one of the first and second portions comprises a cylinder portion (15a) with a threaded structure, and a threaded abutment structure (15b) encircling the cylinder portion and engaging its threaded structure. The respective other portion comprises an aperture (14) and a recess with a second abutment structure (16a) within the aperture. The aperture (14) is adapted to receive the cylinder portion (15a) such that the cylinder portion (15a) protrudes the aperture (14) along its cylinder axis, and the second abutment structure (16a) is adapted to engage and exert a force on the threaded abutment structure (15b) in a direction parallel to the cylinder axis. One of the first and second portions (11,12) comprises a lateral opening (18) allowing a retaining web (19a) of the respective other portion to abut therein.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mould for manufacturing a blade segment of a rotor blade for a wind turbine, the blade segment having a fixating extension, comprising:
a hollow for forming the blade segment;
a rim at an edge of the hollow;
a flange extending perpendicularly from the rim and away from the hollow; and
a fixing device disposed on the flange, the fixing device comprising:
a first portion comprising a first abutment structure to selectively exert a clamping force on the fixating extension of the blade segment; and
a second portion for fixating the fixing device to the mould, wherein the fixing device comprises a clamping force structure and a retaining structure, the clamping force structure comprising:
an aperture and a recess with a second abutment structure within the aperture, the aperture and the recess being arranged in one of the first and second portions;
a clamping drive having a cylinder portion with a threaded structure and a threaded abutment structure encircling the cylinder portion and engaging the threaded structure; and
a third abutment structure arranged in the other one of the first and second portions,

wherein the aperture is adapted to receive the clamping drive cylinder portion such that the cylinder portion protrudes the aperture along its cylinder axis, wherein the second abutment structure is adapted to engage and exert a force on the threaded abutment structure in a direction parallel to the cylinder axis, and wherein the third abutment structure is adapted to receive a force from the clamping drive cylinder portion in a direction towards the first abutment structure to exert the clamping force; and
the retaining structure comprising:
a lateral opening arranged in one of the first and second portions, and
a retaining web arranged on the other one of the first and second portions, the retaining web being adapted for insertion into the lateral opening along an insertion direction, wherein the lateral opening is adapted to lock a movement of the retaining web in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction and to the direction of the clamping force,

wherein the lateral opening extends from the aperture and allows the clamping drive cylinder portion to shift into the aperture in a direction perpendicular to the cylinder axis, and
wherein the first portion of the fixing device is arranged to selectively apply a clamping force against the rim thereby clamping the fixating extension between the first portion and the rim.

2. The mould according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining web extends in parallel to the cylinder axis.

3. The mould according to claim 1 , wherein the first and third abutment structures are aligned to the cylinder axis of the clamping drive cylinder portion.

4. The mould according to claim 3 , wherein the one of the first and second portions comprising the clamping drive cylinder portion further comprises a bracket having first and second terminals with the first and second terminals comprising the third abutment structure, the bracket holding the clamping drive cylinder portion between the first and the second terminals, such that the first and the second terminals are aligned to the cylinder axis, and connecting the clamping drive cylinder portion to the one of the first and second portions.

5. The mould according to claim 4 , wherein the retaining web extends between the first and second terminals, the retaining web being rigidly connected to the bracket and to the one of the first and second portions.

6. The mould according to claim 4 , wherein the clamping drive cylinder portion comprises a driving terminal, the driving terminal protruding one of the first and second terminals to rotationally adjust the cylinder portion.

7. The mould according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises a handle attachment.

8. The mould according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping drive cylinder portion is received permanently in one of the first and second portions.

9. A method for manufacturing a rotor blade for a wind turbine in the mould according to claim 1 , the rotor blade being comprised of first and second blade segments having a fixating extension, the method comprising
providing the first blade segment in the hollow of the mould, such that the hollow faces upwards and the fixating portion overlies the rim,
providing the first portion of the fixing device and clamping the fixating extension between the first portion and the rim of the mould;
providing the second blade segment in the hollow of a further mould such that the hollow faces upwards;
turning the mould such that the hollow with the first blade segment faces the second blade segment in the hollow of the further mould;
arranging the first blade segment on the second blade segment; and
unclamping the fixating extension between the first portion and the rim.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein clamping the fixating extension between the first portion and the rim comprises exerting a clamping force on the fixating extension towards the rim via the first abutment structure of the first portion.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the clamping force is generated by rotating the cylinder portion such that the threaded abutment structure travels away from the rim and abuts against the second abutment structure within the recess.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein providing the first portion of the fixing device comprises shifting the cylinder portion through the lateral opening into the aperture in a direction perpendicular to the cylinder axis, such that the threaded abutment structure is received in the recess portion.

13. The mould according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping drive comprises a driving terminal for rotating the cylinder portion, the driving terminal having engagement structure configured to receiving a device that drives the cylinder portion rotationally in order to shift or force the threaded abutment structure along the cylinder portion and thus to generate a clamping force.

14. The mould according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining web extends between first and second terminals of a bracket and in parallel to the cylinder portion of the clamp drive, the retaining web thereby being configured to take up bending moments caused by forces in the direction transversal to the clamping force such that the clamp drive and its cylinder portion do not have to take up such forces.

15. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the threaded abutment structure is moved along the cylinder portion of the clamp drive by means of the rotation of a rotational drive or tool received in a driving terminal of the clamp drive.

16. A fixing device for fixating a blade segment of a rotor blade of a wind turbine to a mould in which the blade segment is manufactured, wherein the blade segment has a fixating extension, the fixing device comprising:
a first portion comprising a first abutment structure to selectively exert a clamping force on the fixating extension of the blade segment; and
a second portion for fixating the fixing device to the mould, wherein the fixing device comprises a clamping force structure and a retaining structure, the clamping force structure comprising:
an aperture and a recess with a second abutment structure within the aperture, the aperture and the recess being arranged in one of the first and second portions;
a clamping drive having a cylinder portion with a threaded structure and a threaded abutment structure encircling the cylinder portion and engaging the threaded structure; and
a third abutment structure arr

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Simonsen Claus Svend
• Thomsen Peter Frans

Classifications

• B29C33/26

  by pivotal movement · CPC title

• B29C33/22

  by rectilinear movement · CPC title

• B29L2031/085

  Wind turbine blades · CPC title

• B29C70/541 Primary

  Positioning reinforcements in a mould, e.g. using clamping means for the reinforcement (positioning inserts in moulds B29C33/12; lay-up on a mould B29C70/30) · CPC title

• B29K2105/06

  containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts · CPC title