Partitioned rotor blade of a wind turbine, and rotor blade segment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11746741-B2
Application number	US-202117152475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2021
Priority date	Jan 22, 2020
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

The invention is directed to a partitioned rotor blade for a wind turbine, which, with respect to a longitudinal axis of the rotor blade, is formed by a first rotor blade segment and a second rotor blade segment. The first rotor blade segment has at a first connection end, a first connecting region along the longitudinal axis, and the second rotor blade segment has at a second connection end, which is associated with the first connection end, a second connecting region along the longitudinal axis. The two connecting regions are connected at a partition interface of the rotor blade and form a common segmentation region. In the segmentation region, a common outer contour of the rotor blade is formed by the connection of both rotor blade segments. The outer contour is singly curved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A partitioned rotor blade for a wind energy system, the partitioned rotor blade defining a longitudinal axis and comprising:
at least a first rotor blade segment and a second rotor blade segment along said longitudinal axis;
said first rotor blade segment having a first connecting region terminating in a first connecting end and said second rotor blade segment having a second connecting region terminating in a second connecting end;
said first and second connecting ends conjointly defining a partition interface transverse to said longitudinal axis;
a connecting assembly mutually connecting said first and second connecting regions at said partition interface to define a common segmentation region;
said rotor blade having a common outer contour of single curvature in said segmentation region formed by the connection of said first and second rotor blade segments;
said common outer contour being singly curved in said segmentation region to define only one curvature transverse to said longitudinal axis;
said partitioned rotor blade having a profile thickness and a profile depth which are constant in said segmentation region;
wherein said connecting assembly includes connecting devices in each of said first and second connecting regions to mutually connect said first and second rotor blade segments; and,
said segmentation region extends at least over said connecting devices along said longitudinal axis.

2. The partitioned rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein said first and second connecting regions are arranged along said longitudinal axis.

3. The partitioned rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein a slope of a pre-bending of said rotor blade is constant in said segmentation region along said longitudinal axis.

4. The partitioned rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein said rotor blade has a constant twist in said segmentation region along said longitudinal axis.

5. The partitioned rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein all geometric measurements of said outer contour of said rotor blade are constant in said segmentation region.

6. The partitioned rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein said wind energy system includes a hub; and, said segmentation region has an end facing toward said hub; said rotor blade has a border region bordering on said end of said segmentation region; and, said rotor blade further comprises a first profile depth in said segmentation region and a second profile depth in said border region; and, said first profile depth is greater than said second profile depth.

7. The partitioned rotor blade of claim 1 , said wind energy system includes a hub; and, said segmentation region has an end facing toward said hub; said rotor blade has a border region bordering on said end of said segmentation region; and, said rotor blade further comprises a first profile thickness in said segmentation region and a second profile thickness in said border region; and, said first profile thickness is greater than said second profile thickness.

8. The partitioned rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein said connecting devices are bearing sleeves.

9. The partitioned rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein said connecting assembly includes connecting devices in each of said first and second connecting regions for mutually connecting said first and second rotor blade segments; and, said segmentation region extends transversely to said longitudinal axis at least over said connecting devices in each of said first and second connecting regions.

10. The partitioned rotor blade of claim 9 , wherein the connecting devices are bearing sleeves.

11. The partitioned rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein said segmentation region extends from said partition interface to both sides thereof along said longitudinal axis by more than one meter in each direction along said longitudinal axis.

12. The partitioned rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein said rotor blade has a length extending from a mounting end to a rotor blade tip; and, said partition interface is located in a range of 15 to 40% of the length of said rotor blade measured from said mounting end.

13. The partitioned rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein said rotor blade has a length extending from a mounting end to a rotor blade tip; and, said partition interface is located in a range of 60 to 90% of the length of said rotor blade measured from said mounting end.

14. A rotor blade segment for a partitioned rotor blade of a wind turbine, the rotor blade segment comprising:
a first connection end with a first connecting region along a longitudinal axis; the first connection end being associated with a second connection end of a further rotor blade segment for connection purposes;
the outer contour of the rotor blade being singly curved in the first connecting region to define only one curvature transverse to said longitudinal axis; and,
said first connecting region having a profile thickness and a profile depth which are constant in said first connecting region.

15. A partitioned rotor blade for a wind energy system, the partitioned rotor blade defining a longitudinal axis and comprising:
at least a first rotor blade segment and a second rotor blade segment along said longitudinal axis;
said first rotor blade segment having a first connecting region terminating in a first connecting end and said second rotor blade segment having a second connecting region terminating in a second connecting end;
said first and second connecting ends conjointly defining a partition interface transverse to said longitudinal axis;
a connecting assembly mutually connecting said first and second connecting regions at said partition interface to define a common segmentation region;
said rotor blade having an outer contour being doubly curved;
said rotor blade having a pre-bending along said longitudinal axis;
said rotor blade having a common outer contour in said segmentation region formed by the connection of said first and second rotor blade segments;
said outer contour being singly curved in said segmentation region to define only one curvature transverse to said longitudinal axis;
said partitioned rotor blade having a profile thickness and a profile depth which are constant in said segmentation region;
a slope of said pre-bending of said rotor blade being constant in said segmentation region along said longitudinal axis; and,
wherein said connecting assembly includes connecting devices in each of said first and second connecting regions to mutually connect said first and second rotor blade segments; and, said segmentation region extends at least over said connecting devices along said longitudinal axis.

16. A partitioned rotor blade for a wind energy system, the partitioned rotor blade defining a longitudinal axis and comprising:
at least a first rotor blade segment and a second rotor blade segment along said longitudinal axis;
said first rotor blade segment having a first connecting region terminating in a first connecting end and said second rotor blade segment having a second connecting region terminating in a second connecting end;
said first and second connecting ends conjointly defining a partition interface transverse to said longitudinal axis;
a connecting assembly mutually connecting said first and second connecting regions at said partition interface to define a common segmentation region;
said rotor blade having an outer contour being doubly curved;
said rotor blade having a first aerodynamic profile and a second aerodynamic profile, wherein said first aerodynamic profile is twisted in relation to said second aerodynamic profile along the longitudinal axis;
said rotor blade having

Assignees

• Nordex Energy Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Lipka Thomas
• Nickel Andreas
• Block Tim Berend

Classifications

• F03D1/0633 Primary

  of the blades · CPC title

• F03D1/0675 Primary

  of the blades · CPC title

• F05B2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• F05B2240/302

  Segmented or sectional blades · CPC title

• F05B2260/301

  Retaining bolts or nuts · CPC title