Wind turbine blade connector assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9790918-B2
Application number	US-201214233139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2012
Priority date	Jul 27, 2011
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

It comprises bushings in at least a first circumferential row in a blade portion and suitable for receiving studs in a hub portion. Bushings comprise an elongated body with lateral faces, lateral faces inclined to each other and major and minor faces into which the lateral faces converge. The connector assembly allows an efficient releasable connection of blade root and hub in a wind turbine rotor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wind turbine blade connector assembly for connecting a blade portion to a hub portion in a wind turbine rotor, the connector assembly comprising:
a plurality of bushings arranged in a first row and in a second row along a circumference of one of the blade portion or the hub portion and suitable for receiving corresponding studs,
wherein the bushings comprise an elongated body having major and minor faces and two lateral faces, the lateral faces extending at least partially into one of the blade portion or the hub portion, and the lateral faces being inclined to each other and converging into the respective major and minor faces,
the bushings in the first row arranged upside-down relative to the bushings in the second row and between the bushings in the second row such that the major faces of the bushings in the first row alternate with the minor faces of the bushings in the second row;
the body of each bushing configured for receipt of a triangular pattern of three studs, wherein a first stud is adjacent the minor face and second and third studs are spaced apart and adjacent the major face; and
wherein the plurality of bushings thereby provide an outer ring of the studs and a concentric inner ring of the studs interspaced between the outer ring of studs.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the body of at least some of the bushings has a substantially trapezoidal shaped cross-section.

3. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the body of at least some of the bushings has rounded edges.

4. The connector assembly of claim 3 , wherein the body of at least some of the bushings is bell shaped.

5. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the body of at least some of the bushings is symmetrical about an axis passing through a centre of the blade portion corresponding to the plane containing the cross-section.

6. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the major and minor faces of the body of at least some of the bushings tapers towards one end of the bushing.

7. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the body of the bushings are configured for threadably receiving the studs.

8. A wind turbine comprising a rotor including a blade and a hub, the blade and the hub being connected to each other by means of the blade connector assembly of claim 1 .

9. A method for connecting a blade portion to a hub portion in a wind turbine rotor, the method comprising at least the following steps:
providing a first layer of fibre materials in a mould;
providing a first row of bushings on the first layer of fibre materials along a circumference, the bushings comprising an elongated body having major and minor faces and two lateral faces and configured for receipt of three studs in a triangular pattern wherein a first stud is adjacent the minor face and second and third studs are spaced apart and adjacent the major face, the lateral faces inclined to each other and converging into the respective major and minor faces;
providing a second layer of fibre materials over the first row of bushings;
providing a second row of the bushings on the second layer of fibre materials arranged upside-down relative to and between the first row of bushings row such that the major faces of the bushings in the first row alternate with the minor faces of the bushings in the second row;
providing a third layer of fibre materials over the second row of bushings;
heating the mould during a given period of time;
cooling the mould during a given period of time; and
wherein the plurality of bushings thereby provide an outer ring of the studs and a concentric inner ring of the studs interspaced between the outer ring of studs.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the fibre materials are pre-impregnated fibre materials.

Assignees

• Feigl Luca
• Alstom Renewable Technologies

Inventors

• Feigl Luca

Classifications

• F03D1/0675

  of the blades · CPC title

• F03D1/0658 Primary

  Arrangements for fixing wind-engaging parts to a hub · CPC title

• F05B2250/13

  trapezial · CPC title

• F05B2260/301

  Retaining bolts or nuts · CPC title

• Y02E10/721

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic