Root section, wind turbine blade and methods for producing and modifying a root portion of a wind turbine blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12480467-B2
Application number	US-202318840399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2023
Priority date	Feb 24, 2022
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A root portion for a wind turbine blade is provided, including: an inner wall, an outer wall, a filler, an inner volume, mounting inserts, and a transversal holding arrangement, wherein the transversal holding arrangement includes at least one inlay beam extending from the inner wall and/or the outer wall into a mounting insert hole of at least one mounting insert for holding the mounting insert in the root portion during operation of the wind turbine blade, and wherein the mounting insert hole is a through hole and the at least one inlay beam extends from the inner wall through the mounting insert hole to the outer wall. A wind turbine blade with the root portion, a method of producing the root portion and a method for modifying a root portion is further provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A root portion for a wind turbine blade, comprising:
an inner wall; an outer wall; a filler between the inner wall and the outer wall; an inner volume defined by the inner wall; mounting inserts for mounting the root portion to a hub of a wind turbine, the mounting inserts being disposed within the inner volume between the inner wall and the outer wall, wherein the mounting inserts are supported by the filler and extend in a longitudinal direction of the root portion; and a transversal holding arrangement extending in a transversal direction from the inner wall and/or the outer wall into the filler, wherein the transversal holding arrangement is connected to at least one mounting insert for holding the at least one mounting insert in the root portion during operation of the wind turbine blade; wherein the transversal holding arrangement comprises at least one inlay beam extending from the inner wall and/or the outer wall into a mounting insert hole of the at least one mounting insert for holding the at least one mounting insert in the root portion during operation of the wind turbine blade; and wherein the mounting insert hole is a through hole and the at least one inlay beam extends from the inner wall through the mounting insert hole to the outer wall.

2 . The root portion according to claim 1 , wherein the transversal holding arrangement comprises at least one lateral beam extending from the inner wall and/or the outer wall into a lateral recess of the at least one mounting insert for holding the at least one mounting insert in the root portion during operation of the wind turbine blade.

3 . The root portion according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one lateral beam extends from the inner wall and/or the outer wall between two mounting inserts and into a lateral recess of each of the two mounting inserts for holding the at least one mounting insert in the root portion during operation of the wind turbine blade.

4 . The root portion according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one lateral beam and/or the at least one inlay beam comprises a cylindrical shape.

5 . The root portion according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one lateral beam and/or the at least one inlay beam comprises a cuboid shape.

6 . The root portion according to claim 1 , wherein the transversal holding arrangement comprises an inner plate structure at the inner wall outside the inner volume and/or an outer plate structure at the outer wall outside the inner volume.

7 . The root portion according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one lateral beam and/or the at least one inlay beam extends from the inner plate structure to the outer plate structure.

8 . The root portion according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one lateral beam and/or the at least one inlay beam is fixed to the inner plate structure and/or the outer plate structure.

9 . A wind turbine blade comprising a tip portion and a root portion according to claim 1 .

10 . A method for producing a root portion according to claim 1 , comprising:
providing the root portion with an inner wall, an outer wall, a filler between the inner wall and the outer wall, an inner volume defined by the inner wall, and mounting inserts for mounting a wind turbine blade to a hub of a wind turbine, wherein the mounting inserts are supported by the filler and extend in a longitudinal direction of the root portion; establishing at least one root portion hole through the inner wall and the filler to at least one mounting insert and/or through the outer wall and the filler to the at least one mounting insert; and installing the transversal holding arrangement in the at least one established root portion hole in contact with the at least one mounting insert.

11 . A method for modifying a root portion of a wind turbine base blade installed in a wind turbine, wherein the root portion comprises an inner wall, an outer wall, a filler between the inner wall and the outer wall, an inner volume defined by the inner wall, and mounting inserts for mounting the wind turbine base blade to a hub of a wind turbine, the mounting inserts being disposed within the inner volume between the inner wall and the outer wall, wherein the mounting inserts are supported by the filler and extend in a longitudinal direction of the root portion and the wind turbine base blade, comprising:
establishing at least one root portion hole through the inner wall and the filler to at least one mounting insert and/or through the outer wall and the filler to the at least one mounting insert; and installing a transversal holding arrangement in the at least one established root portion hole in contact with the at least one mounting insert; wherein the transversal holding arrangement is installed with at least one inlay beam extending from the inner wall and/or the outer wall into a mounting insert hole of the at least one mounting insert for holding the at least one mounting insert in the root portion during operation of the wind turbine blade; and wherein the mounting insert hole is provided as a through hole and the at least one inlay beam is located to extend from the inner wall through the mounting insert hole to the outer wall.

Assignees

• Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Innovation & Technology SL

Inventors

• Artal Lorente Daniel
• Gonzalez Vazquez Francisco Javier
• Quispitupa Yupa Amilcar
• Verburg Riezu Yonatan

Classifications

• F03D1/0681

  Spar caps · CPC title

• F03D1/0684

  Shear webs · CPC title

• F03D80/301

  Lightning receptor and down conductor systems in or on blades · CPC title

• F03D1/0679

  Load carrying structures, e.g. beams · CPC title

• F03D1/0687

  of the blade tip region · CPC title