Method for making a wind turbine rotor blade half shell or wind turbine rotor blade and production mold therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9108376-B2
Application number	US-201313776214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2013
Priority date	May 23, 2012
Publication date	Aug 18, 2015
Grant date	Aug 18, 2015

Abstract

A method for making a wind turbine rotor blade half shell includes arranging a fibrous material in a mold, which has an inner side predetermining an aerodynamic surface of the half shell and has a pinching edge defining the profile of a trailing edge of the half shell. A liquid plastics material surrounding the fibrous material is cured. An insert is arranged in relation to the mold in a predetermined position, in which a surface of the insert and a bordering portion of the inner side of the mold conjointly define an acute angle tapering toward the pinching edge, so that a thinly tapering trailing edge of the half shell is formed between the surface of the insert and the bordering portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for making a wind turbine rotor blade half shell comprising the steps of:
arranging a fibrous material in a mold having an inner side which determines an aerodynamic surface area of the half shell and having a pinching edge defining the profile of a trailing edge of the half shell;
curing a liquid plastics material surrounding the fibrous material; and,
arranging an insert in a predetermined position in relation to the mold in which a surface of the insert and a bordering portion of the inner side of the mold conjointly define an acute angle tapering toward the pinching edge so that a thinly tapering trailing edge of the half shell is formed between the surface of the insert and the bordering portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fibrous material arranged in the mold reaches up to the surface of the insert.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the insert runs from the pinching edge up to a distance from the inner side that is greater than a material thickness of the half shell.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the insert is arranged in its position via positioning elements.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of fastening the insert in the arranged position with fastening elements.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of impregnating the fibrous material with liquid plastics material after arranging the fibrous material in the mold.

7. A method for making a wind turbine rotor blade comprising the steps of:
producing a first half shell by arranging a fibrous material in a mold which has an inner side determining an aerodynamic surface area of the first half shell and has a pinching edge which defines the profile of a trailing edge of the first half shell; curing a liquid plastics material surrounding the fibrous material; and, arranging an insert in a predetermined position in relation to the mold in which a surface of the insert and a bordering portion of the inner side of the mold conjointly define an acute angle tapering toward the pinching edge so that a thinly tapering trailing edge of the first half shell is formed between the surface of the insert and the bordering portion;
providing a second half shell; and,
adhesively bonding the first half shell to the second half shell.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein an end edge of the rotor blade is formed by the trailing edge of the first half shell.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the trailing edge of the first half shell forms an aerodynamic surface area on both a pressure side and a suction side of the rotor blade.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein an end edge of the rotor blade is formed by the trailing edge of the first half shell and the trailing edge of the first half shell forms an aerodynamic surface area on both a pressure side and a suction side of the rotor blade.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first half shell forms a pressure side of the rotor blade and a sloping surface of the first half shell that adjoins the surface of the insert during the production of the first half shell forms part of the suction side of the rotor blade or the first half shell forms a suction side of the rotor blade and a sloping surface of the first half shell that adjoins the surface of the insert during the production of the first half shell forms part of the pressure side of the rotor blade.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the second, half shell is adhesively bonded to the first half shell by an adhesive area that is adjacent to the sloping surface.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein during the adhesive bonding, the second half shell is in a further mold having an inner side which projects rearward beyond the second half shell and rearwardly continues an aerodynamic surface area of the second half shell and the first half shell adjoins the inner side of the further mold.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of filling an adhesive joint between the first and the second half shells in the region of an adhesive area with adhesive up to the inner side of the further mold.

15. A method for making a wind turbine rotor blade comprising the steps of:
providing a first half shell in a first mold;
providing a second half shell in a second mold which has an inner side which projects rearward beyond the second half shell and rearwardly continues an aerodynamic surface area of the second half shell; and,
adhesively bonding the first half shell, which lies against the inner side of the second mold, to the second half shell.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first half shell has a thinly tapering trailing edge with a sloping surface and, during the adhesive bonding to the second half shell, the sloping surface is in surface contact with the inner side of the second mold.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of filling an adhesive joint arranged between the first and the second half shells with adhesive up to the inner side of the second mold.

18. A production mold for making a wind turbine rotor blade half shell having an aerodynamic surface area and a trailing edge, the production mold comprising:
a mold having an inner side which is configured to predetermine the aerodynamic surface area of the half shell and having a pinching edge which defines the contour of the trailing edge of the half shell;
an insert defining a surface;
a positioning element configured to position said insert in a predetermined position in relation to said mold;
said inner side of said mold having a bordering portion at said pinching edge;
said surface of said insert and said bordering portion of said inner side of said mold conjointly defining an acute angle tapering toward said pinching edge in such a manner that a thinly tapering trailing edge of the rotor blade half shell can be produced between said surface of said insert and said bordering portion.

19. The production mold of claim 18 , wherein said positioning element is further configured to fasten said insert in said predetermined position.

20. The production mold of claim 18 , wherein said positioning element is a fastening member configured to fasten said insert in a predetermined position in relation to said mold.

Assignees

• Nordex Energy Gmbh

Inventors

• Austinat Dirk
• Frankowski Marco

Classifications

• F05B2280/6003

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

• B29C65/483

  Reactive adhesives, e.g. chemically curing adhesives · CPC title

• B29C66/7212

  characterised by the composition of the fibres · 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

• B29C66/301

  Three-dimensional joints, i.e. the joined area being substantially non-flat (B29C66/5223, B29C66/5224, B29C66/5225 take precedence) · CPC title