Turbine blade shear web alignment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9932958-B2
Application number	US-201314654190-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2013
Priority date	Dec 20, 2012
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A method of aligning shear webs for the construction of a wind turbine blade is provided. The method comprises providing one or more jigs ( 402 ), each configured to receive one or more spacer elements ( 701 ) and providing one or more spacer elements ( 701 ). First and second shear web panels are placed on the one or more jigs ( 402 ) to align them. The first and second shear web panels are restrained relative to each other and are separated by the one or more spacer elements. The first and second shear web panels are then removed together with the one or more spacer elements from the jig. A corresponding apparatus is also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of aligning shear webs for the construction of a wind turbine blade, the method comprising:
providing one or more jigs, each configured to receive one or more spacer elements;
providing one or more spacer elements;
placing first and second shear web panels on the one or more jigs to align them;
restraining the first and second shear web panels relative to each other, the shear web panels being separated by the one or more spacer elements; and
removing the first and second shear web panels together with the one or more spacer elements from the jig.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein restraining the first and second shear web panels includes applying adhesive to the one or more spacer elements to adhere the spacer elements to each of the shear web panels.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein restraining the first and second shear web panels includes applying an urging or clamping force to urge them together.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more jigs each comprise one or more recesses for receiving spacer elements.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the one or more jigs each comprise at least two recesses for receiving spacers, the recesses being located, in use, at different heights to one another on the jig such that the spacers are located at different heights when in position between the shear web panels.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the recesses are further displaced from one another on the jig such that, in use, the spacers are displaced from one another in a direction along the length of the shear web panels.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein each jig comprises a hole for passing a clamp through, the hole being positioned proximate to one of the spacer receiving recesses, the application of an urging force being achieved by applying a clamp to the shear web panels in the vicinity of the spacer element proximate to the hole.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein each of the one or more jigs comprise a body portion for receiving the spacer elements and a support member.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the support member includes a mounting assembly configured to receive the first and second shear web panels, with the body portion being located between the shear web panels when they are mounted on the jigs.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the mounting assembly comprises two mounting edges, the mounting edges configured to receive and support the first and second shear web panels in alignment.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the mounting edges have a form complementary to a flange on the shear web panels.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein the mounting assembly is located, in use, beneath points of coupling between the spacer elements to the panels by a distance sufficient to accommodate a flange along the edge of at least one of the shear web panels.

13. The method according to claim 8 wherein the body portion comprises first and second body panels having a separation between them to allow a portion of the spacers to extend into the spacing between the first and second body panels.

14. The method according to claim 4 wherein the jig is configured such that, in use, there is no jig structure above recesses in the jig so as to allow the shear webs to be lifted from the jig with the spacer elements.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein a body portion of the jig is comprised of two sections forming a substantially “L” shaped cross section, wherein, in use, a first section extends in a direction along the length of the shear web panel and a second section extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first section.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the first section has a recess to receive a first spacer and the second section has a recess to receive a second spacer.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of providing one or more jigs comprises providing a plurality of jigs spaced apart along the length of the shear web panels to receive the first and second shear web panels.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the height of one or more of the spacers, when mounted on each jig, and/or the height at which each jig supports the first and second shear web panels varies from jig to jig over the length of the panel.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the relative height of the spacers decreases from jig to jig along the spanwise length of the panel towards the blade tip end of the panel and/or the relative height at which each jig supports the first and second shear web panels increases from jig to jig along the spanwise length of the panel towards the blade tip end of the panel.

20. The method according to claim 1 wherein the spacers are comprised of a lightweight material.

21. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least some of the spacers comprise an engagement section for receiving a marker positioned on the inner surface of a turbine blade for correctly positioning the shear web panels in the blade.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein the spacers are received on the jigs so as to contact the shear web panels along the long edges of the shear web panels when the shear web panels are mounted on the jigs, and wherein the spacers positioned along one of the edges of the shear webs comprise an engagement section, the engagement section being of reduced length along the direction between the first and second shear web panels and extending in a direction towards the edge of the shear web and extending at least to said edge.

23. The method according to claim 21 wherein the spacers having an engagement section are substantially “T” shaped in cross section.

24. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more jigs are provided together with one or more spacer elements, the spacer elements being pre-loaded on the jigs.

25. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of placing the one or more spacer elements on the one or more jigs, the step being performed before placing the first and second shear web panels on the one or more jigs.

26. The jig for use in the method of claim 1 , the jig comprising:
one or more recesses for receiving one or more spacer elements; a mounting assembly configured to support first and second shear web panels such that the recesses for the spacer elements are located between the shear web panels when mounted on the jig.

27. The jig according to claim 26 comprising at least two recesses for receiving spacers, the recesses being located, in use, at different heights to one another on the jig such that the spacers are located at different heights when in position between the shear web panels.

28. The jig according to claim 27 wherein the recesses are displaced from one another on the jig such that, in use, the spacers are displaced from one another in a direction along the length of the shear web panels.

29. The jig according to claim 27 further comprising a hole for passing a clamp through, the hole being positioned proximate to one of the spacer receiving recesses, the application of the urging forced being achieved by applying a clamp to the shear web panels in the vicinity of the spacer element proximate to the hole.

30. The jig acc

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Sandercock Stephen
• Wardropper Steve

Classifications

• Y10T29/53435

  including assembly pallet · CPC title

• B25B11/00

  Work holders not covered by any preceding group in the subclass, e.g. magnetic work holders, vacuum work holders (for holding or positioning work for welding, soldering, or cutting by applying heat locally B23K37/04; specially adapted to machine tools B23Q3/00) · CPC title

• F03D13/10 Primary

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

• F16B11/006

  by gluing (gluing of plastics material B29C65/48) · CPC title

• F16B2001/0092

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic