Cradle for a wind turbine blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9539759-B2
Application number	US-201314374991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2013
Priority date	Feb 2, 2012
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A blade support cradle is described, which can be used to support a section of a wind turbine blade using an array of vacuum clamps. The cradle provides a secure and reliable system for the support of a blade section during and after blade manufacture, allowing for various operations to be easily carried out on the surface of the blade section. A method for receiving a blade section in the cradle is further described. In addition, the cradle may be used as part of a blade post-molding station in a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cradle for supporting at least a section of a wind turbine blade, the cradle comprising:
a cradle body and
at least one array of support members extending between a first end and a second end of the cradle, wherein the at least one array of support members comprise vacuum clamps arranged to receive a surface of the at least a section of a wind turbine blade, and
wherein support members comprise a support surface having at least one aperture defined thereon, wherein at least one vacuum clamp is moveably mounted within the at least one aperture, the at least one vacuum clamp linearly actuatable from a first recessed position where the at least one vacuum clamp is held within the at least one aperture, to a second projecting position wherein the at least one vacuum clamp projects out from the at least one aperture, the at least one vacuum clamp standing proud of the support surface.

2. The cradle of claim 1 , wherein the cradle body comprises an open-framed body, and wherein the vacuum clamps are translationally moveable relative to the cradle body.

3. The cradle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one array of support members is arranged in a line between the first end and the second end of the cradle, wherein the line is configured to substantially correspond to a location of a shear web in a section of a wind turbine blade to be received in the cradle.

4. The cradle of claim 1 , wherein the cradle further comprises first and second arrays of support members, wherein the first and second arrays are arranged in substantially parallel lines between the first end and the second end of the cradle, wherein the substantially parallel lines are arranged to extend along either side of a notional line corresponding to a location of a shear web in a section of a wind turbine blade to be received in the cradle.

5. The cradle of claim 1 , wherein the cradle is arranged to selectively control pressure applied by the vacuum clamps of the at least one array of support members.

6. The cradle of claim 1 , wherein the cradle is arranged to receive a section of a wind turbine blade comprising a portion of an upwind or a downwind section, and wherein the cradle comprises at least one array of secondary support members extending between the first end and the second end of the cradle, wherein the at least one array of secondary support members are arranged to support a leading edge or a trailing edge of the section of the wind turbine blade.

7. The cradle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one array of secondary support members comprise vacuum clamps arranged to receive a surface of the at least a section of a wind turbine blade.

8. The cradle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one array of secondary support members is formed from a plurality of individual support modules, wherein the plurality of individual support modules are selectively removeable from the at least one array of secondary support members.

9. The cradle of claim 1 , the cradle further comprising:
a first array of secondary support members arranged to support a leading edge of the at least a section of a wind turbine blade;
a second array of secondary support members arranged to support a trailing edge of the at least a section of a wind turbine blade; and
at least one array of primary support members arranged to support a portion of the at least a section of a wind turbine blade between the leading edge and the trailing edge.

10. A post-moulding station to receive an upwind wind turbine blade shell and a downwind wind turbine blade shell from a blade mould, the post-moulding station comprising first and second cradles, wherein the first and second cradles each comprise the cradle as claimed in claim 1 .

11. A method of receiving a section of wind turbine blade in the cradle as claimed in claim 1 having an array of primary support members comprising vacuum clamps extending between the first end and the second end of the cradle, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a first cradle to receive the section of wind turbine blade;
positioning the section of wind turbine blade within the cradle such that a plurality of vacuum clamps bear against a surface of the section of wind turbine blade; and
applying a vacuum in the plurality of vacuum clamps to retain the section of wind turbine blade in the cradle.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises the step of:
controlling the vacuum applied in the plurality of vacuum clamps, comprising:
dividing the array of primary support members into a plurality of sets of vacuum clamps arranged in a numbered sequence between the first end and the second end;
starting at the first end of the cradle, applying a vacuum to a first set of vacuum clamps of the plurality of sets of vacuum clamps;
applying a vacuum to a second set of vacuum clamps of the plurality of sets of vacuum clamps;
releasing the vacuum in the first set of vacuum clamps of the plurality of sets of vacuum clamps to allow the section of wind turbine blade to settle on the second set of vacuum clamps of the plurality of sets of vacuum clamps; and
re-applying a vacuum in the first set of vacuum clamps,

wherein the controlling step further comprises:
sequentially repeating the above steps of applying, releasing, and re-applying a vacuum for adjacent sets of vacuum clamps in the array of primary support members, from the first end to the second end, to allow an entire section of wind turbine blade received in the cradle to settle on an entire array of vacuum clamps.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method comprises the additional step of:
configuring a profile of the support members in the cradle by:
adjusting the at least one array of support members to correspond to a profile of a blade mould master plug used to design blade moulds used to form the section of wind turbine blade to be received in the cradle.

14. A cradle for supporting at least a section of a wind turbine blade, the cradle comprising:
a cradle body and
at least one array of support members extending between a first end and a second end of the cradle, wherein the at least one array of support members comprise vacuum clamps arranged to receive a surface of the at least a section of a wind turbine blade, and
wherein the cradle further comprises at least one edge rail provided along at least a portion of a first side of the cradle, wherein the at least one edge rail is arranged to receive a blade processing tool for operation on at least a portion of a section of a wind turbine blade received in the cradle.

15. The cradle of claim 14 , wherein the cradle body comprises an open-framed body, and wherein the vacuum clamps are translationally moveable relative to the cradle body.

16. The cradle of claim 14 , wherein the at least one array of support members is arranged in a line between the first end and the second end of the cradle, wherein the line is configured to substantially correspond to a location of a shear web in a section of a wind turbine blade to be received in the cradle.

17. The cradle of claim 14 , wherein the cradle further comprises first and second arrays of support members, wherein the first and second arrays of support members are arranged in substantially parallel lines between the first end and the second end of the cradle, wherein the substantially parallel lines are arranged to extend along either side of a notional line corresponding to a location of a shear web in a section of a wind turbine blade to be received in the cradle.

18. The cradle of cl

Assignees

• Lm Wp Patent Holding As

Inventors

• De Waal Malefijt Bernard Willem
• Duegaard Jensen Rasmus

Classifications

• B29C65/7841

  Holding or clamping means for handling purposes (clamping means for the purpose of applying pressure on the parts to be joined, in the area to be joined B29C66/81; work holders in general B25B; devices for holding or positioning work for welding metal B23K37/04) · CPC title

• B29C31/00 Primary

  Handling, e.g. feeding of the material to be shaped {, storage of plastics material before moulding; Automation, i.e. automated handling lines in plastics processing plants, e.g. using manipulators or robots (discharging moulded articles from the mould B29C37/0003; storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing B29C70/54; baling of rubber B29B15/02)} · 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

• Y10T29/4998

  Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material · CPC title

• B29C66/1142

  Single butt to butt joints · CPC title