Wind turbine rotor blade assembly having a structural trailing edge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11879426-B2
Application number	US-201917283379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2019
Priority date	Oct 29, 2018
Publication date	Jan 23, 2024
Grant date	Jan 23, 2024

Abstract

A rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade defining a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. Further, the rotor blade assembly includes at least one structural feature secured within the rotor blade and spaced apart from the trailing edge to define a void between the pressure side, the suction side, and the trailing edge. Moreover, the rotor blade assembly includes an adhesive filling the void between the pressure side, the suction side, and the trailing edge to provide an adhesive connection between the pressure side, the suction side, the trailing edge, and the structural feature(s). In addition, the adhesive contacts the structural feature(s) at an interface and defines a fillet profile.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for joining shell members of a rotor blade together, the method comprising:
providing a first shell member of the rotor blade;
providing at least one structural feature atop the first shell member of the rotor blade and spaced apart from a trailing edge of the rotor blade, wherein the at least one structural feature has a tapered chord-wise cross-section continuously decreasing towards the trailing edge of the rotor blade;
placing a second shell member of the rotor blade atop the first shell member to form the rotor blade, the rotor blade defining a void between the first shell member, the second shell member, the trailing edge, and the at least one structural feature;
applying pressure to at least one of the first shell member or the second shell member to compress the at least one structural feature, thereby forming a fillet profile within the void; and,
filling the void with an adhesive to provide an adhesive connection between the first shell member, the second shell member, the trailing edge, and the at least one structural feature.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fillet profile defines a convex curve that faces the trailing edge of the rotor blade, wherein filling the void with the adhesive to provide the adhesive connection between the first shell member, the second shell member, the trailing edge, and the at least one structural feature further comprises filling the convex curve with the adhesive.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the at least one structural feature atop the first shell member of the rotor blade and spaced apart from the trailing edge of the rotor blade further comprises at least one of pre-forming the at least one structural feature and securing the at least one structural feature to the first shell member or printing and depositing, via a computer numeric control (CNC) device, the at least one structural feature onto the first shell member of the rotor blade.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying pressure to at least one of the first shell member or the second shell member to compress the at least one structural feature causes the tapered chord-wise cross-section of the at least one structural feature to contact the inner surfaces of the first and second shell members of the rotor blade.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising providing the adhesive between the inner surfaces of the first and second shell members of the rotor blade and the at least one structural feature to secure the at least one structural feature within the rotor blade.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming the at least one structural feature, at least in part, of at least one of a thermoset material or a thermoplastic material and reinforcing the thermoset material and/or the thermoplastic material with one or more fiber materials.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein forming the at least one structural feature, at least in part, of at least one of the thermoset material or the thermoplastic material further comprises at least partially surrounding a core material with at least one of the thermoset material or the thermoplastic material.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one structural feature comprises a plurality of structural features, such that the step of providing the at least one structural feature atop the first shell member of the rotor blade and spaced apart from the trailing edge of the rotor blade further comprises arranging the plurality of structural features in an end-to-end configuration in a chord-wise direction.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one structural feature comprises a first structural feature having a first tapered cross-section in the chord-wise direction and a second structural feature having a second tapered cross-section in the chord-wise direction.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the core material is compressible.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one structural feature is compressible.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one structural feature is hollow.

13. A method for joining shell members of a rotor blade together, the method comprising:
providing a first shell member of the rotor blade;
providing at least one structural feature atop the first shell member of the rotor blade and spaced apart from a trailing edge of the rotor blade, wherein the at least one structural feature is formed, at least in part, of at least one of a thermoset material and a thermoplastic material, the at least one of the thermoset material and the thermoplastic material being reinforced with one or more fiber materials, the at least one structural feature further comprising a core material at least partially surrounded by the at least one of the thermoset material and the thermoplastic material, wherein the at least one structural feature has a tapered chord-wise cross-section continuously decreasing towards the trailing edge of the rotor blade;
placing a second shell member of the rotor blade atop the first shell member to form the rotor blade, the rotor blade defining a void between the first shell member, the second shell member, the trailing edge, and the at least one structural feature;
applying pressure to at least one of the first shell member or the second shell member to compress the at least one structural feature, thereby forming a fillet profile within the void; and,
filling the void with an adhesive to provide an adhesive connection between the first shell member, the second shell member, the trailing edge, and the at least one structural feature.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one structural feature is compressible.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one structural feature is hollow.

16. A method for joining shell members of a rotor blade together, the method comprising:
providing a first shell member of the rotor blade;
providing a plurality of structural features atop the first shell member of the rotor blade and spaced apart from a trailing edge of the rotor blade, wherein the plurality of structural features are arranged end-to-end in a chord-wise direction with respect to one another, wherein each of the structural features has a tapered chord-wise cross-section continuously decreasing towards the trailing edge of the rotor blade;
placing a second shell member of the rotor blade atop the first shell member to form the rotor blade, the rotor blade defining a void between the first shell member, the second shell member, the trailing edge, and the plurality of structural features;
applying pressure to at least one of the first shell member or the second shell member to compress the plurality of structural features, thereby forming a fillet profile within the void; and,
filling the void with an adhesive to provide an adhesive connection between the first shell member, the second shell member, the trailing edge, and the plurality of structural features.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein each of the structural features is compressible.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein each of the structural features is hollow.

Assignees

• Blade Dynamics Ltd

Inventors

• Edge Andrew Stuart
• Hayden Paul Trevor
• Behmer Harald
• Hancock Mark
• Fish Harry

Classifications

• F03D1/0675 Primary

  of the blades · CPC title

• B29C65/48

  using adhesives {, i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding} · CPC title

• B29C66/345

  Progressively making the joint, e.g. starting from the middle (B29C66/8341, B29C65/12, B29C65/14, B29C65/16 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C66/54

  Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles · CPC title

• B29C66/545

  one hollow-preform being placed inside the other · CPC title