Spar cap and production method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10914285-B2
Application number	US-201716073309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

A spar cap for a rotor blade of a wind power installation, having a longitudinal extent from a first end to a second end, a transverse extent orthogonal to the longitudinal extent, and a thickness orthogonal to the longitudinal extent and to the transverse extent. A method for producing a spar cap as mentioned at the outset. The spar cap has a longitudinal extent from a first end to a second end, a transverse extent orthogonal to the longitudinal extent, and a thickness orthogonal to the longitudinal extent and to the transverse extent, at least two tiers of a first fiber composite material, and at least one tier of a second fiber composite material, wherein the first fiber composite material has a matrix material and/or fibers which is/are different from that/those of the second fiber composite material, the second fiber composite material is disposed in a portion adjacent to the second end, in the direction of the thickness between the at least two tiers of the first fiber composite material, and the at least one tier of the second fiber composite material terminates ahead of the second end.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rotor blade comprising:
a rotor blade root;
a rotor blade tip; and
a spar cap including:
a first end located at a region of the rotor blade root;
a second end located in a region of the rotor blade tip;
a longitudinal axis extending from the first end to the second end;
a transverse axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
a thickness orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and to the transverse axis;
at least two tiers of a first fiber composite material comprising a matrix material and fibers; and
at least one tier of a second fiber composite material comprising a matrix material and fibers,
wherein at least one of the matrix material or the fibers of the first fiber composite material are different from the matrix material and the fibers of the second fiber composite material;
wherein the second fiber composite material is disposed in a portion adjacent to the second end in a direction of the thickness between the at least two tiers of the first fiber composite material;
wherein the at least one tier of the second fiber composite material terminates ahead of the second end,
wherein the fibers of the second fiber composite material comprise carbon fibers, and the fibers of the first fiber composite material comprise inorganic fibers,
wherein the number of tiers of the first fiber composite material is less at the second end than the number of tiers of the first fiber composite material at the first end, and
wherein two external tiers comprising the first fiber composite material are located in a region of the rotor blade that contains a reduction in the tiers of the first fiber composite material.

2. The rotor blade as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein a region at the second end comprises at least one tier of the first fiber composite material.

3. The rotor blade as claimed in claim 1 , comprising:
at least two tiers of the second fiber composite material,
wherein a number of tiers of the second fiber composite material is reduced toward the second end.

4. The rotor blade as claimed in claim 1 , comprising at least one of:
at least three or more tiers of the first fiber composite material; or
at least three or more tiers of the second fiber composite material.

5. The rotor blade as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one tier of the second fiber composite material has two mutually opposite ends, wherein the two mutually opposite ends are formed by a planar expanse of the tiers in the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis, and
wherein a same number of tiers of the first fiber composite material is disposed on both ends of the at least one tier of the second fiber composite material.

6. The rotor blade as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the matrix material of at least one of: the first fiber composite material or the second fiber composite material includes an insulative material; and
wherein the insulative material is at least one of: thermoplastic, thermosetting material, cement, concrete, or ceramic.

7. The rotor blade as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the fibers of at least one of: the first fiber composite material or the second fiber composite material extend substantially parallel with a direction of the longitudinal axis.

8. A wind power installation comprising:
the rotor blade as claimed in claim 1 ; and
an electrically conductive foil/film tier and a lightning interception installation of a lightning protection system, wherein the electrically conductive foil/film tier is connected to the lightning interception installation by way of an electrically conductive connection.

9. A wind power installation comprising:
a tower;
a nacelle; and
a rotor, wherein the rotor has at least one rotor blade as claimed in claim 1 .

10. A rotor blade comprising:
a spar cap including:
a first end;
a second end;
a longitudinal axis extending from the first end to the second end;
a transverse axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
a thickness orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and to the transverse axis;
at least two tiers of a first fiber composite material; and
at least one tier of a second fiber composite material,
wherein:
the first fiber composite material has a matrix material and/or fibers that are different from a matrix material and fibers of the second fiber composite material;
the second fiber composite material is disposed in a portion adjacent to the second end in a direction of the thickness between the at least two tiers of the first fiber composite material;
the at least one tier of the second fiber composite material terminates ahead of the second end; and

an electrically conductive foil/film tier and a lightning interception installation of a lightning protection system, wherein the electrically conductive foil/film tier is connected to the lightning interception installation by way of an electrically conductive connection,
wherein at least one of:
the foil/film tier has a longitudinal axis that extends in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the rotor blade, the longitudinal axis of foil/film tier being at most ⅕ of the longitudinal axis of the rotor blade;
the foil/film covers a region in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the rotor blade in which the at least one tier of the second fiber composite material terminates;
the foil/film tier is disposed in an external half of a thickness of a rotor blade wall that is measured transversely longitudinal direction of the rotor blade;
the foil/film tier is disposed on one or a plurality of tiers of fiber composite material that do not provide structure support for the rotor blade;
the foil/film tier is disposed and configured for resisting an expected lightning current load; or
the foil/film tier has a plurality of clearances and/or meshes.

11. A method for producing a rotor blade as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising:
stacking the at least two tiers of the first fiber composite material; and
stacking the at least one tier of the second fiber composite material.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 ,
wherein the number of tiers of the first fiber composite material is reduced toward the second end.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 ,
wherein at least two tiers of the second fiber composite material are laid up in such a manner that the number of tiers of the second fiber composite material is reduced toward the second end.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:
incorporating an electrically conductive foil/film tier and connecting the foil/film tier to a lightning interception installation of a lightning protection system by way of an electrically conductive connection.

Assignees

• Wobben Properties Gmbh

Inventors

• Rubner Florian
• Vinke Daniel

Classifications

• B32B2262/0269

  Aromatic polyamide fibres · CPC title

• B32B9/045

  of synthetic resin · CPC title

• B32B3/30

  characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. {hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs (apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26)} · CPC title

• F05B2280/2006

  Carbon, e.g. graphite · CPC title

• B32B2262/103

  Metal fibres · CPC title