A method of manufacturing a shell of a wind turbine blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023249421-A1
Application number	US-202118015166-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 8, 2021
Priority date	Jul 10, 2020
Publication date	Aug 10, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a shell (36 and 38) of a wind turbine blade (10) is disclosed. The method comprises providing a mould (9) having a marker (11) at pre-determined locations. One or more layers of fiber fabrics are provided on surface of the mould (9) to form a shell half structure (36 and 38). Resin is infused through the one or more layers of fiber fabrics and subsequently cured to obtain the shell half structure (36 and 38). A reference portion (19) is marked on the shell half structure (36 and 38) to assemble one or more components on the shell half structure (36 and 38), by detecting a location of the marker (11) in the mould (9) by a detection device (13). The above method facilitates accurate positioning of component such as shear webs (7).

First claim

1 . A method of manufacturing a shell ( 36 and 38 ) of a wind turbine blade ( 10 ), the
method comprises:
providing a mould ( 9 ) having a marker ( 11 ) at pre-determined locations;
laying one or more layers of fiber fabrics on surface of the mould ( 9 ) to form a shell half structure ( 36 and 38 );
infusing resin through the one or more layers of fiber fabrics and subsequently curing the same to obtain the shell half structure ( 36 and 38 );
marking a reference portion ( 19 ) on the shell half structure ( 36 and 38 ) to assemble one or more components in the shell half structure ( 36 and 38 ), by detecting a location of the marker ( 11 ) in the mould ( 9 ) by a detection device ( 13 )
wherein the detection device ( 13 ) is a radar type detection device.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the marker ( 11 ) is provided along a length of the mould ( 9 ) in a continuous or segmented manner.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the marker ( 11 ) is metallic or
non-metallic strip.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the location of the marker ( 11 ) is detected by positioning the detection device ( 13 ) on the surface of the shell half structure ( 36 and 38 ).

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reference portion ( 19 ) on the surface of the shell half structure ( 2 ) are made at a distance ranging from 500 mm to 3000 mm along the surface of the shell half structure ( 2 ).

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reference portion ( 19 ) on the surface of the shell half structure ( 2 ) is continuous.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the marker ( 11 )
is made of at least one of steel or aluminum.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more components positioned on the shell half structure ( 2 ) with reference to the detected position of the marker ( 11 ) includes a shear web ( 7 ), box beam, spar
beam and box spar.

9 . A method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade ( 10 ) having a profiled contour including a pressure side ( 36 ) and a suction side ( 38 ), and a leading edge ( 18 ) and a trailing edge ( 20 ) with a chord having a chord length extending
therebetween, the wind turbine blade ( 10 ) extending in a spanwise direction between a root end and a tip end, the method comprises: providing a mould ( 9 ) having a marker ( 11 ) at pre-determined locations;
laying one or more layers of fiber fabrics, on surface of the mould ( 9 ) to form a first shell half structure ( 36 ) and a second shell half structure ( 38 ) separately; infusing resin through the one or more layers of fiber fabrics with a resin and subsequently curing the same to obtain the first and the second shell half structure ( 36 and 38 );
marking a reference portion ( 8 ) on at least one of the first shell half and the second shell half structure ( 36 and 38 ), by detecting a location of the marker ( 11 ) in the mould ( 9 ) using a detection device ( 13 );
fixing a shear web ( 7 ) with reference to the marked reference position ( 19 ) in an inner surface ( 17 ) of at least one of the first shell half structure ( 36 ) and the second shell half structure ( 38 );
joining the first shell half structure ( 36 ) with the second shell half structure ( 38 ) to obtain a wind turbine blade ( 10 );

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the marker ( 11 ) is provided along a length of the mould ( 9 ) in a continuous or segmented manner.

11 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the marker ( 11 ) is metallic or
non-metallic strip.

12 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the location of the marker
( 11 ) is detected by positioning the detection device ( 3 ) on the surface of the shell half structure ( 36 and 38 ).

13 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the detection device ( 13 ) is a radar type detection device.

14 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the reference portions ( 19 )
on the surface of the shell half structure ( 2 ) are made at a distance ranging from 500 mm to 3000 mm along the surface of the shell half structure ( 5 ).

15 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the reference portion ( 19 ) on the surface of the shell half structure ( 2 ) is continuous.

16 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the marker ( 11 ) is made of at least one of steel or aluminum.

17 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the layers of fiber fabrics
on the mould ( 9 ) include aramid fiber fabrics, glass fiber fabrics, carbon fiber fabrics or hybrid fiber fabrics made of glass and carbon.

18 . A mould ( 9 ) for manufacturing a shell ( 36 ) of a wind turbine blade ( 10 ), the mould ( 9 ) comprising:
an inner surface ( 21 ) and an outer surface ( 23 ), wherein the inner surface ( 21 ) is defined by an aerodynamic shape of the wind turbine blade ( 10 ) and extends in a spanwise direction; at least one marker ( 11 ) embedded within the inner surface ( 21 ) of the blade shell ( 36 and 38 ) at a predetermined depth from the inner surface ( 21 ) of the blade shell ( 36 and 38 ), wherein, the location of the marker ( 11 ) is detectable by a detection device ( 13 ) for positioning a component on an inner surface ( 17 ) of the blade shell ( 36 and 38 ), wherein the detection device ( 13 ) is a radar type detection device.

19 . The mould ( 9 ) according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one marker ( 11 ) is integrally laid in the mould ( 9 ) or positioned in a groove defined in the inner
surface ( 17 ) of the mould ( 9 ).

20 . The mould ( 9 ) according to claim 18 , wherein the predetermined depth from the inner surface ( 17 ) ranges from about 20 mm to about 150 mm.

21 . A system for determining a reference position in a wind turbine blade ( 10 ) to mount one or more components on the shell half structure ( 36 and 38 ), the system comprising:
a mould ( 9 ) according to claim 18 ; and
a detection device ( 13 ) configured to detect the location of at least one marker ( 11 ) in the mould ( 9 ) by positioning a detection device ( 13 ) on the surface of a shell half structure ( 36 and 38 ),
wherein the detection device ( 13 ) is a radar type detection device.

Assignees

• Lm Wind Power As

Inventors

• Zhuravlov Pavlo

Classifications

• B29C70/541 Primary

  Positioning reinforcements in a mould, e.g. using clamping means for the reinforcement (positioning inserts in moulds B29C33/12; lay-up on a mould B29C70/30) · CPC title

• B29C65/7817

  in the form of positioning marks · CPC title

• B29C70/443

  and impregnating by vacuum or injection · CPC title

• B29D99/0028

  hollow blades · CPC title

• B29D99/0025 Primary

  Producing blades or the like, e.g. blades for turbines, propellers, or wings · CPC title