Manufacturing of segmented wind turbine blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022018327-A1
Application number	US-201917289327-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 25, 2019
Priority date	Oct 29, 2018
Publication date	Jan 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade comprising the steps of manufacturing a pressure shell halves and arranging a spar structure ( 62 ) within one of the shell halves. The spar structure ( 62 ) comprises two parts releasably coupled to each other. The method results in a segmented wind turbine blade for easy transportation and re-assembly.

First claim

1 . A method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade having a profiled contour including a pressure side and a suction side, and a leading edge and a trailing edge with a chord having a chord length extending therebetween, the wind turbine blade extending in a spanwise direction between a root end and a tip end, the method comprising manufacturing a pressure side shell half and a suction side shell half over substantially the entire length of the wind turbine blade, closing and joining the shell halves for obtaining a closed shell, cutting the closed shell along a cutting plane ( 69 ) substantially normal to the spanwise direction of the closed shell to obtain a first and a second blade segment ( 70 ), each blade segment comprising part of the pressure side shell half and part of the suction side shell half, separating the first blade segment ( 68 ) from the second blade segment ( 70 ) and joining and sealing the first blade segment ( 68 ) to the second blade segment ( 70 ) for obtaining the wind turbine blade.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of arranging a spar structure ( 62 ) within one of the shell halves prior to closing and joining the shell halves.

3 . A method according to claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
a1) manufacturing a pressure side shell half and a suction side shell half over substantially the entire length of the wind turbine blade, b1) arranging a spar structure ( 62 ) within one of the shell halves, the spar structure ( 62 ) comprising a first part ( 64 ) and a second part ( 66 ), the first and second part ( 66 ) being releasably coupled to each other, c1) closing and joining the shell halves for obtaining a closed shell, d1) cutting the closed shell along a cutting plane ( 69 ) substantially normal to the spanwise direction of the closed shell to obtain a first and a second blade segment ( 70 ), each blade segment comprising part of the pressure side shell half and part of the suction side shell half, wherein the spar structure ( 62 ) extends across the cutting plane ( 69 ), e1) uncoupling the first and second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ), f1) separating the first blade segment ( 68 ) from the second blade segment ( 70 ), g1) joining and sealing the first blade segment ( 68 ) to the second blade segment ( 70 ) for obtaining the wind turbine blade.

4 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein the first part ( 64 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ) is fixed to the first blade segment ( 68 ).

5 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein the second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ) is fixed to the second blade segment ( 70 ), the second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ) extending beyond the second blade segment ( 70 ) into the first blade segment ( 68 ).

6 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein the second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ) comprises a spar member ( 67 ), such as a spar beam or a spar box, the spar box comprising at least one spar beam and at least one spar flange.

7 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein the first part ( 64 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ) comprises a sheath member for at least partly enclosing the second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ).

8 . A method according to claim 7 , wherein the sheath member is a conductive sheath member which is part of a lightning protection system of the wind turbine blade.

9 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein step b1) comprises fixing the first part ( 64 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ) to one or both of the shell halves within the first blade segment ( 68 ) to be obtained in step d1).

10 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein step b1) comprises fixing the second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ) to one or both of the shell halves within the second blade segment ( 70 ) obtained in step d1).

11 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein the spar structure ( 62 ) comprises at least one locking pin ( 74 ) for releasably coupling the first part ( 64 ) to the second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ) through aligned respective locking apertures in each of the first and second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ).

12 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein step e1) comprises cutting an access opening ( 80 ) through at least one of the shell halves for accessing the spar structure ( 62 ).

13 . A method according to claim 11 , wherein step e1) comprises withdrawing the locking pin ( 74 ) from the aligned respective apertures in each of the first and second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ), preferably via the access opening ( 80 ).

14 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises a step f2) or h1) of re-coupling the first and second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ).

15 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein the cutting plane ( 69 ) of step d1) coincides with an end surface of the first part ( 64 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ).

16 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein step f1) comprises transporting the separated first and second blade segments to a predetermined location.

17 . A wind turbine blade obtainable by the method according to claim 1 .

18 . A spar structure ( 62 ) for a wind turbine blade, the spar structure comprising a first part ( 64 ) and a second part ( 66 ), the first and second part ( 66 ) being releasably coupled to each other, wherein the second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ) comprises a spar member ( 67 ), such as a spar beam or a spar box, the spar box comprising at least one spar beam and at least one spar flange, and wherein the first part ( 64 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ) comprises a sheath member for at least partly enclosing the second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ).

19 . A spar structure ( 62 ) according to claim 18 , wherein the sheath member is a conductive sheath member for a lightning protection system of a wind turbine blade.

20 . A spar structure ( 62 ) according to claim 18 , wherein the spar structure ( 62 ) comprises at least one locking pin ( 74 ) for releasably coupling the first part ( 64 ) to the second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ) through aligned respective locking apertures in each of the first and second part ( 66 ) of the spar structure ( 62 ).

Assignees

• Blade Dynamics Ltd
• Lm Wind Power As

Inventors

• Roberts David
• Jønsson Lars Bang
• Mukherjee Manish
• Todd Paul
• Hancock Mark

Classifications

• F03D1/0675 Primary

  of the blades · CPC title

• F05B2240/302

  Segmented or sectional blades · CPC title

• F05B2260/30

  Retaining components in desired mutual position · CPC title

• F05B2230/10

  by removing material · CPC title

• B29D99/0028

  hollow blades · CPC title