Relating to wind turbine blade manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11761422-B2
Application number	US-201917298771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2019
Priority date	Dec 10, 2018
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

A wind turbine blade shear web comprises an elongate panel ( 28 ) having a first side and an opposing second side and a longitudinally extending flange ( 30 a, 30 b ) arranged along a longitudinal edge of the panel. The flange comprises a plurality of elongate flange sections ( 46 ) arranged along the first side of the panel and integrated therewith. Each flange section comprises a plurality of elongate flange elements arranged one on top of another and offset from one another in a longitudinal direction of the flange section ( 46 ) such that the offset between the flange elements defines a tapered portion at each of a first and second longitudinal end of the flange section. The tapered portions of longitudinally adjacent flange sections overlap to define at least one scarf joint between said adjacent flange sections.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shear web for a wind turbine blade, the shear web comprising:
an elongate panel including a first side and an opposing second side; and
a longitudinally extending flange arranged along a longitudinal edge of the panel, the flange comprising a first plurality of elongate flange sections integrated along the first side of the panel, and a second plurality of elongate flange sections integrated along the second side of the panel,
wherein each flange section includes a plurality of elongate flange elements stacked on top of one another with a longitudinal offset such that a first tapered portion and a second tapered portion are respectively formed at a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end of each flange section,
wherein the first tapered portion of each flange section is configured to overlap with the second tapered portion of an adjacent flange section so as to define at least one scarf joint,
wherein each flange section further includes an L-shaped cross-section comprising a base and an upstand extending away from the base,
wherein the upstands of the first plurality of flange sections face the upstands of the second plurality of flange sections so as to define a T-shaped cross-section of the flange, and
wherein the first longitudinal ends and the second longitudinal ends of the first plurality of flange sections are longitudinally offset from the first longitudinal ends and the second longitudinal ends of the second plurality of flange sections.

2. The shear web of claim 1 , wherein each flange element includes an L-shaped cross-section comprising an element base and an element upstand extending away from the element base.

3. The shear web of claim 1 , wherein in each flange section, one of an upward or downward facing scarfed surface is defined on the base at the first and second tapered portions so as to define the at least one scarf joint.

4. The shear web of claim 1 , wherein in each flange section, the upstand defines first and second scarfed surfaces respectively formed at the first and second tapered portions so as to define the at least one scarf joint.

5. The shear web of claim 1 , wherein each flange element is made of a fibrous material comprising fibers formed into a +/−45 degree biaxial fabric in which less than 30% of the fibers are oriented in a longitudinal direction of the flange element.

6. The shear web of claim 1 , wherein each flange section is of laminate construction in which the plurality of flange elements is disposed in a cured resin matrix.

7. A wind turbine blade comprising the shear web of claim 1 .

8. A method of manufacturing a shear web of a wind turbine, the method comprising;
arranging an elongate panel;
arranging a plurality of flange sections along a longitudinal edge of an elongate panel, each flange section including a plurality of elongate flange elements stacked on top of one another with a longitudinal offset such that a first tapered portion and a second tapered portion are respectively formed at a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end of each flange section,
overlapping the first tapered portion of each flange section with the second tapered portion of an adjacent flange section so as to define at least one scarf joint; and
integrating the plurality of flange sections and the elongate panel so as to form the shear web,
wherein the arranging of the plurality of flange sections comprises arranging a first plurality of flange sections on a first side of the elongate panel, and arranging a second plurality of flange sections on a second side of the elongate panel so as to form a flange with a T-shaped cross section, and
wherein the first longitudinal ends and the second longitudinal ends of the first plurality of flange sections are longitudinally offset from the first longitudinal ends and the second longitudinal ends of the second plurality of flange sections.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein each flange section includes an L-shaped cross section, and
wherein the arranging of the plurality of flange sections further comprises arranging the first plurality of flange sections against the second plurality of flange sections so as to define the T-shaped cross section.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein a layer of permeable material is arranged between adjacent flange sections of the first plurality of flange sections and between adjacent flange sections of the second plurality of flange sections.

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Preston Robert Charles

Classifications

• F03D1/0675 Primary

  of the blades · CPC title

• B29L2031/085

  Wind turbine blades · CPC title

• B29C70/48

  and impregnating the reinforcements in the closed mould, e.g. resin transfer moulding [RTM] {, e.g. by vacuum} · CPC title

• F05B2280/6003

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

• F05B2250/71

  curved · CPC title