Sectional blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9765756-B2
Application number	US-99137009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2009
Priority date	May 7, 2008
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

The invention provides a sectional blade for a wind turbine. The blade comprises at least a first blade portion and a second blade portion extending in opposite directions from a joint. Further each blade portion comprises a spar section forming a structural member of the blade and running lengthways. The first blade portion and the second blade portion are structurally connected by at least one spar bridge extending into both blade portions to facilitate joining of said blade portions and the spar bridge joins the spar sections.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sectional blade for a wind turbine, the blade comprising:
at least a first blade portion and a second blade portion extending in opposite directions from a joint, where each blade portion comprises a spar section forming a structural member of the blade and running lengthways, and
at least one spar bridge extending into both the first blade portion and the second blade portion for structurally connecting said blade portions,
wherein the spar bridge comprises an extension protruding from one of the spar sections and thereby forms an extending spar section, and wherein the other one of the spar sections is adapted to receive the extension and thereby forms a receiving spar section,
wherein the spar bridge comprises two extending spar caps joined with two or more extending webs, and the receiving spar section comprises two receiving spar caps joined with two or more receiving webs, the receiving spar caps having a thickness that is tapered down toward the joint,
wherein the extending webs and the receiving webs overlap each other when the extending spar section is received in the receiving spar section so that shear forces between one of the spar sections and the spar bridge can be taken between the receiving webs and the extending webs, and
wherein a plurality of contact pads are positioned between the receiving webs and the extending webs in a space defined between the receiving spar section and the extending spar section.

2. The blade according to claim 1 , wherein at least one spar section forms a cavity, and wherein the spar bridge extends into said cavity.

3. The blade according to claim 1 , wherein the spar bridge terminates axially in an end at which it has a cross-section which is smaller relative to that of a mid section at the joint.

4. The blade according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the extending spar caps is tapered down away from the joint.

5. The blade according to claim 4 , wherein the thickness of the receiving spar caps is tapered down over an overlap between the receiving spar section and the extending spar section.

6. The blade according to claim 1 , wherein the shear forces are taken between the receiving webs and the extending webs via interlocking shapes and contact between the receiving webs and the extending webs.

7. The blade according to claim 6 , wherein a position of the interlocking shapes of the receiving webs and the extending webs relative to each other is supported by a support member extending transverse to the lengthways direction.

8. The blade according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving spar section forms a cavity with a shape which matches the shape of the extension so that contact between an inner surface of the cavity and an outer surface of the extension is established in the vicinity of the joint and so that a space between the inner surface of the cavity and the outer surface of the extension is established further away from the joint.

9. The blade according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the spar sections forms part of an aerodynamic outer surface of the blade.

10. The blade according to claim 1 , further comprising a fixing member being adapted to fix the spar bridge to at least one of the spar sections.

11. The blade according to claim 1 , further comprising a tension member arranged lengthways to provide tension between the first blade portion and the second blade portion.

12. The blade according to claim 11 , further comprising a tension adjustment structure facilitating readjustment of a tension in the tension member.

13. The blade according to claim 11 , further comprising a sensing structure for sensing a tension in the tension member.

14. The blade according to claim 11 , wherein the tension member comprises two opposite free ends, at least one of the ends being fixed to a spar section.

15. The blade according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the blade portions is provided with a bulkhead at the joint.

16. The blade according to claim 1 , wherein the joint facilitates non-destructive separation of the blade portions from each other.

17. The blade according to claim 1 , wherein said second blade portion forms a winglet.

18. A wind turbine comprising:
a sectional blade, the blade comprising:
at least a first blade portion and a second blade portion extending in opposite directions from a joint, where each blade portion comprises a spar section forming a structural member of the blade and running lengthways, and
at least one spar bridge extending into both the first blade portion and the second blade portion for structurally connecting said blade portions,

wherein the spar bridge comprises an extension protruding from one of the spar sections and thereby forms an extending spar section, and wherein the other one of the spar sections is adapted to receive the extension and thereby forms a receiving spar section,
wherein the spar bridge comprises two extending spar caps joined with two or more extending webs, and the receiving spar section comprises two receiving spar caps joined with two or more receiving webs, the receiving spar caps having a thickness that is tapered down toward the joint,
wherein the extending webs and the receiving webs overlap each other when the extending spar section is received in the receiving spar section so that shear forces between one of the spar sections and the spar bridge can be taken between the receiving webs and the extending webs, and
wherein a plurality of contact pads are positioned between the receiving webs and the extending webs in a space defined between the receiving spar section and the extending spar section.

Assignees

• Hancock Mark
• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Hancock Mark

Classifications

• F03D1/0675 Primary

  of the blades · CPC title

• F05B2260/301

  Retaining bolts or nuts · CPC title

• F05B2250/292

  tapered · CPC title

• F05B2230/50

  Building or constructing in particular ways · CPC title

• Y10T29/49336

  Blade making · CPC title