Connection joint for a sectional wind turbine rotor blade and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11015573-B2
Application number	US-201716473781-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2017
Priority date	Dec 28, 2016
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

A wind turbine blade includes a first blade section and a second blade section configured to be coupled together at a joint interface. The blade further includes a connection joint for coupling the first and second blade sections together. The connection joint includes a plurality of connecting elements integrated into the first and second blade sections at the first and second blade interfaces. The connection joint further includes cross pins and fasteners for making the connection. A method of making a wind turbine blade section and a wind turbine blade made from such sections are also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wind turbine rotor blade, comprising:
a first blade section having an upper shell half and a lower shell half that defines a suction side, pressure side, leading edge, and a trailing edge of the blade, the first blade section further including a first blade interface at one end of the first blade section;
a second blade section having an upper shell half and a lower shell half that defines a suction side, pressure side, leading edge, and a trailing edge of the blade, the second blade section further including a second blade interface at one end of the second blade section, wherein the first blade section and the second blade section are configured to be coupled together at the first and second blade interfaces; and
a connection joint for coupling the first and second blade sections together, the connection joint comprising a plurality of connecting elements integrated into the first and second blade sections at the first and second blade interfaces, each connecting element including an eye that defines at least in part a bore that extends from an exterior to an interior of one of the first or second blade sections,
wherein each of the first and second blade sections further include a first spar cap associated with the upper shell half and a second spar cap associated with the lower shell half,
wherein the plurality of connecting elements includes a first set of connecting elements integrated into the first and second spar caps of the first and second blade sections, and
wherein each of the first and second spar caps is formed from pultruded strips of fiber.

2. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second spar caps are integrated into the upper and lower shells such that the spar caps form part of an exterior surface of the first and second blade sections.

3. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein a width of the first and second spar caps increases in a longitudinal direction toward the first and second blade interface of the first and second blade sections, respectively.

4. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1 , further comprising a first trailing edge stringer associated with the upper shell half and a second trailing edge stringer associated with the lower shell half of each of the first and second blade sections, wherein the plurality of connecting elements include a second set of plurality of connecting elements integrated into the first and second trailing edge stringers of the blade sections.

5. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 4 , wherein the first and second trailing edge stringers are integrated into the upper and lower shells such that the trailing edge stringers form part of an exterior surface of the first and second blade sections.

6. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 4 , wherein the trailing edge stringers are formed from pultruded strips of fiber.

7. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of connecting elements includes a folded roving of fibers, wherein the eye of the plurality of connecting elements is defined at least in part by the fold in the fiber rovings.

8. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 7 , wherein the roving of fibers includes stacked plies of fiber material.

9. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 8 , wherein substantially all of the stacked plies of fiber material include unidirectional fiber plies.

10. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 7 , wherein the fibers include glass fibers, carbon fibers, or combinations thereof.

11. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the eyes of the plurality of connecting elements is formed by longitudinal side walls of the fiber rovings such that there are substantially no fiber endings at a boundary of the eyes along the portion formed by the fiber rovings.

12. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of connecting elements is made entirely from a composite material.

13. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of connecting elements is wedge shaped.

14. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second blade sections are moulded and the plurality of connecting elements are integrated into the first and second blade sections during moulding of the blade sections.

15. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of cross pins configured to be inserted through respective eyes of the plurality of connecting elements which form the bores through the first and second blade sections, wherein when the cross pins are received in the eyes, an exposed portion of the cross pins is configured to extend away from at least one of an exterior surface and an interior surface of the first and second blade sections.

16. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 15 , wherein the cross pins are slidably insertable into respective eyes of the plurality of connecting elements and are not otherwise fixedly secured to the first and second blade sections.

17. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 15 , wherein the cross pins include one or more grooves.

18. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 15 , wherein the cross pins include a pair of opposed bosses to provide a T-shaped cross pin, wherein each of the bosses includes a through hole configured to receive a fastener.

19. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of retention heads, wherein each retention head includes a through hole for receiving a fastener, and wherein each retention head is configured to abut a plurality of cross pins.

20. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 15 , wherein the cross pins include a U-shaped bracket having a base and a pair of legs extending from the base and preferably further comprising a pair of shoes, wherein each leg of the U-shaped bracket includes a raised knuckle and each shoe includes a recess, and wherein the shoes are configured to engage with the legs such that the raised knuckle engages with the recess.

21. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of fasteners for securing the first and second blade sections together at a joint interface.

22. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 21 , wherein the fasteners are configured to engage with an exposed portion of the cross pins when the cross pins are received through respective eyes of the plurality of connecting elements.

23. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 21 , wherein the plurality of fasteners include a plurality of U-bolts or stud bolts.

24. A method of making a wind turbine rotor blade section, comprising:
providing a moulding apparatus having a first mould half and a second mould half, each mould half including a moulding surface;
providing a plurality of connecting elements each having an eye;
laying a first assembly of fibers in the first and second mould halves of the moulding apparatus;
inserting the plurality of connecting elements in the first and second mould halves of the moulding apparatus;
laying a second assembly of fibers in the first and second mould halves of the moulding apparatus, wherein the plurality of connecting elements are generally positioned between the first and second assembly of fibers

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Bech Anton

Classifications

• F03D1/0675 Primary

  of the blades · CPC title

• F05B2280/6015

  Resin · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• F05B2240/302

  Segmented or sectional blades · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title