Trailing edge cap for a rotor blade and method of manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9890764-B2
Application number	US-201414225965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2014
Priority date	Mar 26, 2014
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A trailing edge protective cap for a rotor blade of a wind turbine and method of manufacturing same is disclosed. The method includes infusing a first material onto a first mold so as to form a first part having a length. While the first part is still in the first mold, the method may also include placing a second mold onto the first part. The method may then include infusing a second material onto the second mold and at least a portion of the first part so as to form a second part having a length. The first and second parts may then be joined or infused together along a portion their respective lengths so as to form the protective cap, wherein the protective cap includes a joined section and an open section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a trailing edge protective cap for a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
infusing a first resin material onto a first mold so as to form a first molded part comprising a length;
while still in the first mold, placing a separate, second mold onto at least a portion of the first molded part;
infusing a second resin material onto the second mold and a portion of the first molded part so as to form a second molded part comprising a length; and,
welding the first and second molded parts together along a portion their respective lengths so as to form the protective cap, wherein the protective cap comprises a joined section and an open section, the open section comprising a first leg and a second leg extending at opposite, diverging angles from an apex, the joined section forming a flat extension member comprising a length that extends from the apex beyond a trailing edge of the rotor blade so as to define an extended trailing edge, the extension member comprising a uniform thickness from the apex to the extended trailing edge along an entire span of the extended trailing edge.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first leg is configured to engage a pressure side of the rotor blade and the second leg is configured to engage a suction side of the rotor blade, wherein the open section is configured to protect the trailing edge of the rotor blade when installed on the rotor blade.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the extension member extends in a direction that generally aligns with one of the pressure side or suction side of the rotor blade.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the extension member comprises a solid cross-section along its length.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mold comprises a flat mold, the flat mold comprising a rectangular cross-section.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second mold comprises an angled mold, the angled mold comprising a triangular cross-section.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising aligning a maximum height of the second, angled mold with an end of the first mold, wherein a height of the angled mold tapers towards a center of the first mold.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the joined section and the open section of the trailing edge protective cap comprise a Y-shaped cross-section.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein welding the first and second molded parts together along a portion of their respective lengths further comprises plastic-welding the first and second molded parts together.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Pal Sujan Kumar
• A A W Wilfred

Classifications

• F03D1/0675 Primary

  of the blades · CPC title

• Y02E10/721

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B29D99/0025

  Producing blades or the like, e.g. blades for turbines, propellers, or wings · CPC title

• F03D13/10

  Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors · CPC title

• Y02P70/523

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic