Methods of manufacturing rotor blade components for a wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9574544-B2
Application number	US-201314107040-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2013
Priority date	Dec 16, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

Methods of manufacturing rotor blade components for a wind turbine and rotor blade components produced in accordance with such methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method generally includes providing a mold of the rotor blade component; coating at least a portion of an interior surface of the mold with an elastomeric material; inserting a foam material within the mold; and, removing the rotor blade component from the mold, wherein the elastomeric material forms a cover skin around at least a portion of the rotor blade component. In an alternative embodiment, the method includes providing at least one support member defining a profile for the rotor blade component on a mold surface; coating at least a portion of the support member with an elastomeric material; and, allowing the elastomeric material to cure on the mold surface so as to form the rotor blade component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a rotor blade component for a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
providing a mold of the rotor blade component;
inserting a foam material within the mold so as to form the rotor blade component;
removing the rotor blade component from the mold; and,
spraying at least a portion of the rotor blade component with an elastomeric material,

wherein the elastomeric material forms a cover skin around at least a portion of the rotor blade component.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric material comprises a polyurea material.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coating at least a portion of an interior surface of the mold with an elastomeric material.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising assembling one or more support members within the mold before inserting the foam material within the mold.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more support members are formed from at least one of a laminate composite material a metal material, a polymer material, or a wood material.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising assembling a porous material within the mold before inserting the foam material within the mold.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the foam material comprises a low-density foam.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotor blade component comprises one of a rotor blade shell, a leading edge extension, a trailing edge extension, a blade root enhancement, a low-load bump, a winglet, a vortex generator, or an airflow modifying element.

9. A method of manufacturing a rotor blade component for a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
providing at least one support member for the rotor blade component on a mold surface, wherein the support member defines a profile of the rotor blade component;
coating at least a portion of the support member with an elastomeric material; and,
allowing the elastomeric material to cure on the mold surface so as to form the rotor blade component.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising coating at least a portion of the mold surface with the elastomeric material so as to form a base of the rotor blade component.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the elastomeric material comprises a polyurea material.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein coating at least a portion of the support member with an elastomeric material further comprises spraying at least a portion of the support member with an elastomeric material.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the mold surface corresponds to a surface of the rotor blade.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein coating at least a portion of the support member with an elastomeric material is completed uptower of the wind turbine.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one support member comprises at least one of a laminate composite material a metal material, a polymer material, a wood material.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the rotor blade component comprises one of a rotor blade shell, a leading edge extension, a trailing edge extension, a blade root enhancement, a low-load bump, a winglet, a vortex generator, or an airflow modifying element.

17. A rotor blade component for a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the rotor blade component comprising:
a body defining a profile of the rotor blade component, the body comprising an internal volume;
a foam material configured within the internal volume of the body;
a cover skin surrounding at least a portion of the foam material and defining an exterior surface of the rotor blade component, the cover skin comprising an elastomeric material; and,
a porous material configured between the foam material and the cover skin,
wherein the rotor blade component is configured to flex with the rotor blade during operation of the wind turbine.

18. The rotor blade component of claim 17 , wherein the elastomeric material comprises a polyurea material.

19. The rotor blade component of claim 17 , further comprising one or more support members configured within the foam material.

20. The rotor blade component of claim 17 , wherein the rotor blade component comprises one of a rotor blade shell, a leading edge extension, a trailing edge extension, a blade root enhancement, a low-load bump, a winglet, a vortex generator, or an airflow modifying element.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Tobin James Robert
• Gobeli William Max
• Caruso Christopher Daniel

Classifications

• Y02P70/523

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y10T29/49336

  Blade making · CPC title

• F03D1/0675 Primary

  of the blades · CPC title

• Y02E10/721

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F05B2280/4003

  Synthetic polymers, e.g. plastics · CPC title