Method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade and an apparatus for manufacturing a wind turbine blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745446-B2
Application number	US-202017783991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2020
Priority date	Dec 10, 2019
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade includes the use of an apparatus having an engagement part. The engagement part has: a support element having a first support edge and a second support edge, a belt extending around the support element and forming a primary engagement edge of the engagement part along the first support edge of the support element. The method includes: providing one or more pre-shaped elements, including a first pre-shaped element, in a first element position, positioning the engagement part in a first position, moving the support element in a first direction with a first velocity to extend underneath the first pre-shaped element, and at the same time moving the belt relative to the support element around the first support edge in a primary direction from below the first support edge to above the first support edge with a primary velocity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing at least a part of a wind turbine blade, the method comprising the use of an apparatus comprising an engagement part, the engagement part comprising:
a support element having a first support edge,
a belt extending around the support element and forming a primary engagement edge of the engagement part along the first support edge of the support element,

the method comprising:
providing one or more pre-shaped elements, including a first pre-shaped element, in a first element position,
positioning the engagement part in a first position,
moving the support element in a first direction with a first velocity to extend underneath the first pre-shaped element,
while moving the support element in a first direction with a first velocity, moving the belt relative to the support element around the first support edge in a primary direction from below the first support edge to above the first support edge with a primary velocity, wherein the first velocity and the primary velocity are the same,
positioning the engagement part in a second position, wherein the engagement part in the second position is arranged above a blade shell part,
releasing the pre-shaped element.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein releasing the pre-shaped element from the belt comprises:
moving the support element in a second direction with a second velocity,
while moving the support element in the second direction with the second velocity, moving the belt relative to the support element around the first support edge in a secondary direction from above the first support edge to below the first support edge with a secondary velocity, wherein the second velocity and the secondary velocity are the same.

3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-shaped element is aligned with a blade shell part in a second element position.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement part comprises a main body and wherein moving the support element in the first direction comprises extending the support element relative to the main body such that the support element protrudes to a protruded position relative to the main body.

5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement part comprises a main body and wherein moving the support element in the second direction comprises retracting the support element relative to the main body such that the support element retracts to a retracted position relative to the main body.

6. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the belt is fixed relative to a main body at a primary end and/or at a secondary end.

7. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the belt forms a closed loop around the support element.

8. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises an arm supporting the engagement part, wherein positioning the engagement part in the first position comprises arranging the arm in a first configuration.

9. Method according to claim 8 , wherein positioning the engagement part in the second position comprises arranging the arm in a second configuration.

10. Method according to claim 8 , wherein moving the support element in the first direction or a second direction comprises rearranging the arm to move the engagement part.

11. Method according to claim 8 comprising moving the apparatus by sliding the apparatus on a track relative to a mould for a blade shell part of a wind turbine blade.

12. Method according to claim 8 , wherein providing the one or more pre-shaped elements comprises providing a rack with the one or more pre-shaped elements.

13. Method according to claim 8 , wherein the apparatus comprises an alignment unit, and wherein positioning the engagement part in the first position is based on input from the alignment unit and/or wherein positioning the engagement part in the second position is based on input from the alignment unit.

14. Method according to claim 8 , wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of engagement parts including the engagement part and an auxiliary engagement part, wherein the engagement part and the auxiliary engagement part are spaced apart and wherein the pre-shaped element is collected by the engagement part and the auxiliary engagement part.

15. Method according to claim 14 wherein the engagement part and the auxiliary engagement part extend serially in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the support element of the engagement part may move in the first direction until the belt supports at least a first part of the pre-shaped element and an auxiliary support element of the auxiliary engagement part may move in an auxiliary first direction until the belt supports at least a second part of the pre-shaped element.

Assignees

• Blade Dynamics Ltd

Inventors

• Fish Harry

Classifications

• B29C70/543 Primary

  Fixing the position or configuration of fibrous reinforcements before or during moulding (for non-woven fabrics D04H3/08) · CPC title

• B29C70/30

  Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core · CPC title

• B29K2307/04

  Carbon · CPC title

• B29K2309/08

  Glass · CPC title

• B29L2031/085

  Wind turbine blades · CPC title