Method for manufacturing a sharp-edged composite part for a wind turbine blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12540598-B2
Application number	US-202218697823-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2022
Priority date	Nov 10, 2021
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a composite part ( 70 ) for a wind turbine blade ( 10 ), the method comprising the steps of providing a mould ( 50 ) comprising a mould depression ( 51 ) with a floor surface ( 53 ) and an adjacent receiving section ( 54 ), and a mould inlay ( 60 ) having an insertion section ( 61 ) and a first side ( 63 ); arranging the insertion section ( 61 ) in the receiving section ( 54 ) of the mould depression ( 51 ) so that a junction of the first side ( 63 ) and the floor surface ( 53 ) forms a first mould edge ( 66 ); arranging a fibre material ( 74 ) on a moulding surface ( 52 ) adjacent to the junction and the first side ( 63 ); infusing the fibre material ( 74 ) with a resin ( 75 ) and curing the infused fibre material ( 74 ) to manufacture the composite part ( 70 ) having a first part edge ( 73 ) being formed by the junction, wherein the material of the first side ( 63 ) is chemically inert with the resin ( 75 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method of manufacturing a composite part ( 70 ) for a wind turbine blade ( 10 ), the method comprising the steps of:
providing a mould ( 50 ) comprising a mould depression ( 51 ) with a floor surface ( 53 ) and an adjacent receiving section ( 54 ); providing a mould inlay ( 60 ) having an insertion section ( 61 ) and a first side ( 63 ); arranging the insertion section ( 61 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ) in the receiving section ( 54 ) of the mould depression ( 51 ) so that a junction of the first side ( 63 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ) and the floor surface ( 53 ) of the mould depression ( 51 ) forms a first mould edge ( 66 ) and so that a moulding surface ( 52 ) is formed at least by the floor surface ( 53 ) of the mould depression ( 51 ) and the first side ( 63 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ); arranging a fibre material ( 74 ) on the moulding surface ( 52 ) adjacent to the junction and the first side ( 63 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ); and infusing the fibre material ( 74 ) with a resin ( 75 ) and curing the infused fibre material ( 74 ) to manufacture the composite part ( 70 ) having a first part edge ( 73 ) being formed by the junction of the first side ( 63 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ) and the floor surface ( 53 ) of the mould depression ( 51 ), wherein the material of the first side ( 63 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ) is chemically inert with the resin ( 75 ), wherein the first side ( 71 ) is configured to be mated to a first side of a spar cap for the wind turbine blade, wherein the receiving section ( 54 ) of the mould depression ( 51 ) comprises a longitudinal groove ( 55 ) and the insertion section ( 61 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ) comprises a corresponding protrusion ( 62 ) matching the shape of the longitudinal groove ( 55 ), wherein the step of arranging the mould inlay ( 60 ) in the receiving section ( 54 ) of the mould depression ( 51 ) comprises arranging the protrusion ( 62 ) in the groove ( 55 ) so as to retain the mould inlay ( 60 ) in the mould ( 50 ).

2 . A method of manufacturing a composite part ( 70 ) for a wind turbine blade ( 10 ), the method comprising the steps of:
providing a mould ( 50 ) comprising a mould depression ( 51 ) with a floor surface ( 53 ) and an adjacent receiving section ( 54 ); providing a mould inlay ( 60 ) having an insertion section ( 61 ) and a first side ( 63 ); arranging the insertion section ( 61 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ) in the receiving section ( 54 ) of the mould depression ( 51 ) so that a junction of the first side ( 63 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ) and the floor surface ( 53 ) of the mould depression ( 51 ) forms a first mould edge ( 66 ) and so that a moulding surface ( 52 ) is formed at least by the floor surface ( 53 ) of the mould depression ( 51 ) and the first side ( 63 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ); arranging a fibre material ( 74 ) on the moulding surface ( 52 ) adjacent to the junction and the first side ( 63 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ); infusing the fibre material ( 74 ) with a resin ( 75 ) and curing the infused fibre material ( 74 ) to manufacture the composite part ( 70 ) having a first side including a first part edge ( 73 ), the first part edge ( 73 ) being formed by the junction of the first side ( 63 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ) and the floor surface ( 53 ) of the mould depression ( 51 ), wherein the material of the first side ( 63 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ) is chemically inert with the resin ( 75 ), wherein the first side ( 71 ) is configured to be mated to a first side of a spar cap for the wind turbine blade so that a first surface of the composite part ( 70 ) including the first part edge ( 73 ) and a first surface of the spar cap form a substantially continuous surface; and demoulding the composite part ( 70 ) from the mould depression ( 51 ).

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first mould edge ( 66 ) is substantially sharp, and wherein the first part edge ( 73 ) of the composite part ( 70 ) formed by the junction is correspondingly substantially sharp.

4 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the moulding surface ( 52 ) extends along a curved and/or twisted course in the longitudinal direction (L).

5 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein an intermediate draft angle (βI) of the first side ( 71 ) of the composite part ( 70 ) is negative and wherein the step of demoulding the composite part ( 70 ) comprises demoulding the composite part ( 70 ) together with the mould inlay ( 60 ) from the mould depression ( 51 ).

6 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the mould inlay ( 60 ) comprises a plurality of mould inlay segments ( 67 ) arranged end-to-end in series in the receiving section ( 54 ) of the mould ( 50 ).

7 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the mould ( 50 ) is formed in one piece.

8 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein a second side ( 64 ) of the mould inlay ( 60 ), which is opposite of the first side ( 63 ), is arranged in contact with a first lateral side ( 56 ) of the receiving section ( 54 ), wherein the first lateral side ( 56 ) forms a positive first draft angle ( 1 ) with respect to a parting line (β) of the mould depression 51 , and wherein the mould depression ( 51 ) comprises a second lateral side ( 57 ) being opposite of the first lateral side ( 56 ) and forming a positive second draft angle (β 2 ) with respect to a parting line (β) of the mould depression ( 51 ), wherein the step of demoulding the composite part ( 70 ) comprises:
removing the composite part ( 70 ) and the mould inlay ( 60 ) from the mould depression ( 51 ) along the parting line (β) and separating the composite part ( 70 ) from the mould inlay ( 60 ).

9 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of infusing the fibre material ( 74 ) with a resin ( 75 ) and curing the infused fibre material ( 74 ) comprises the steps of:
arranging a vacuum foil ( 90 ) over the fibre material ( 74 ) so as to create a mould cavity ( 59 ) bounded by the moulding surface ( 52 ) and the vacuum foil ( 90 ); evacuating the mould cavity ( 59 ) via a vacuum source ( 92 ); infusing the fibre material ( 74 ) in the mould cavity ( 59 ) with the resin ( 75 ); causing or letting the resin ( 75 ) cure to manufacture the composite part ( 70 ); and debagging the composite part ( 70 ) by removing the vacuum foil ( 90 ).

10 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
cutting the composite part ( 70 ) to provide a second side ( 72 ) tapering along the longitudinal direction (L), the second side ( 72 ) being opposite of a first side ( 71 ) of the composite part ( 70 ); and mating and bonding the first side ( 71 ) of the composite part ( 70 ) including the first part edge ( 73 ) to a first side ( 82 ) of a spar cap ( 80 ) at an end section ( 81 ) of the spar cap ( 80 ).

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the composite part ( 70 ) is a first composite part, and the method further comprises the steps of:
providing a second composite part ( 70 ′) by a method according to claim 10 ; cutting the second composite part ( 70 ′) to provide a second side ( 72 ′) tapering along the longitudinal direction (L), the second side ( 72 ′) being opposite of a first side ( 71 ′) of the second composite part ( 70 ′); and mating and bonding the first side ( 71 ′) of the second composite part ( 70 ′) including the first part edge ( 73 ′) to a second side ( 83 ) of the spar cap ( 80 ) at the end section ( 81 ) of the spar cap ( 80 ) and so that the end section ( 81 ) of the spar cap ( 80 ) flares towards an end ( 84 ) of the spar cap ( 80 ).

12 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising mating a first side of the composite part

Assignees

• Lm Wind Power As

Inventors

• Nytoft Thomas

Classifications

• F05B2280/6003

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

• F05B2230/23

  by permanently joining parts together · CPC title

• B29D99/0028 Primary

  hollow blades · CPC title

• F03D1/0682 Primary

  incorporated into the shell structure · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title