Spar configuration for jointed wind turbine rotor blades

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10830207-B2
Application number	US-201816114341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2018
Priority date	Aug 28, 2018
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A jointed wind turbine rotor blade includes a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. A beam structure extends span-wise from the first blade segment into a receiving section formed in the second blade segment. The receiving section includes opposite spar caps and opposite interconnecting webs. The spar caps have a constant thickness along the receiving section where the spar caps overlap with the beam structure and are formed of a material or combination of materials along the receiving section to produce a desired stiffness of the spar caps along the receiving section. The webs have a reduced amount of conductive material adjacent to a chord-wise joint between the blade segments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wind turbine rotor blade, comprising:
a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint, each of the blade segments having a pressure side shell member and a suction side shell member;
a beam structure extending span-wise from the first blade segment;
a receiving section formed in the second blade segment for receipt of the beam structure, the receiving section comprising opposite spar caps and opposite interconnecting webs,
wherein the spar caps comprise a constant thickness along the receiving section where the spar caps overlap with the beam structure to produce a desired stiffness of the spar caps along the receiving section, and wherein the interconnecting webs comprise a tapering thickness approaching the chord-wise joint line.

2. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the spar caps comprise a non-conductive material at a terminal end thereof at the chord-wise joint.

3. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 2 , wherein an entirety of the constant thickness of the spar caps at the chord-wise joint is defined by the non-conductive material, wherein the non-conductive material extends span-wise away from the chord-wise joint for a defined length.

4. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 2 , wherein the spar caps comprise a transition from a different material to the non-conductive material along the receiving section while maintaining the constant thickness along the receiving section.

5. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 4 , wherein the different material is a carbon material and the transition comprises tapering and overlapping sections of the carbon material and the non-conductive material.

6. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the interconnecting webs are formed from a carbon material and comprise a reduced amount of the carbon material at the chord-wise joint line as compared to a defined distance from the chord-wise joint line.

7. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 6 , wherein the interconnecting webs comprise a cutout region adjacent the chord-wise joint line.

8. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 7 , wherein the cutout region comprises a curved or semi-circular cutout.

9. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 6 , wherein the interconnecting webs comprise a transition from the carbon material to a non-conductive material at a distance from the chord-wise joint line.

10. A wind turbine rotor blade, comprising:
a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint, each of the blade segments having a pressure side shell member and a suction side shell member;
a beam structure extending span-wise from the first blade segment;
a receiving section formed in the second blade segment for receipt of the beam structure, the receiving section comprising opposite spar caps and opposite interconnecting webs; and
wherein the spar caps comprise a non-conductive material at a terminal end thereof at the chord-wise joint,
wherein the spar caps comprise a transition from a carbon material to the non-conductive material along the receiving section.

11. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 10 , wherein an entirety of the spar caps at the chord-wise joint is defined by the non-conductive material, wherein the non-conductive material extends span-wise away from the chord-wise joint for a defined length.

12. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 10 , wherein the transition comprises tapering overlapping sections of the carbon material and the non-conductive material.

13. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 10 , wherein the interconnecting webs comprise a reduced amount of carbon material at the chord-wise joint line as compared to a defined distance from the chord-wise joint line.

14. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 13 , wherein the interconnecting webs comprise a cutout region adjacent the chord-wise joint line.

15. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 13 , wherein the interconnecting webs comprise a tapering thickness of the carbon material approaching the chord-wise joint line.

16. A wind turbine rotor blade, comprising:
a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint, each of the blade segments having a pressure side shell member and a suction side shell member;
a beam structure extending span-wise from the first blade segment;
a receiving section formed in the second blade segment for receipt of the beam structure, the receiving section comprising opposite spar caps and opposite interconnecting webs; and
wherein the interconnecting webs comprise a reduced amount of carbon material at the chord-wise joint line as compared to a defined distance from the chord-wise joint line,
wherein the interconnecting webs comprise a cutout region adjacent the chord-wise joint line.

17. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 16 , wherein the interconnecting webs comprise a tapering thickness of the carbon material approaching the chord-wise joint line.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Merzhaeuser Thomas
• Aubrion Mathilde
• KUMAR Rishikesh
• Steffensen Soeren

Classifications

• F05B2280/2006

  Carbon, e.g. graphite · CPC title

• F05B2280/6003

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

• F05B2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• F05B2240/302

  Segmented or sectional blades · CPC title

• F03D1/0675 Primary

  of the blades · CPC title