General Electric Company

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Lm Wind Power A/s

Alan Majors Walker

Stephen Bertram Johnson

James Robert Tobin

Jamie Thomas Livingston

Thomas G Wakeman

Gilbert Farmer

Thomas Merzhaeuser

Bhupendra Kumar Gupta

Dean Thomas Lenahan

Shridhar Champaknath Nath

Andrew P Elovic

Norman Arnold Turnquist

Gary Michael Itzel

Christopher Charles Glynn

Roland J Menassa

Stefan Herr

Stanley Kevin Widener

Daniel Alan Hynum

Todd Alan Anderson

Larry W Plemmons

Andrew Mitchell Rodwell

Peggy Lynn Baehmann

Harvey M Maclin

Scott Gabell Riddell

Xu Chen

Francisco J Cunha

Jeffrey Glover

David Walter Parry

Murray Fisher

Eric Lee Bell

Robert Ingram Ackerman

Andrew McCalip

Don Conrad Johnson

Matthew G Gann

James Paul Davidson

Mohamad Sultan

Steven Alan Kyriakides

Danilo Veljkovic

Brian Scott Redmon

Nicholas Michael Seruntine

Ronald E Schlechtweg

David Patrick Cripps

Miguel Cabrera Lange

Terrill K Staley

Roland Joseph Menassa

A method for manufacturing a rotor blade root assembly includes placing outer skin layer(s) onto a blade mold and arranging a root plate with a plurality of through holes adjacent to an end face of the blade mold. The method also includes placing a plurality of root inserts atop the outer skin layer(s) and abutting against the root plate, with each of the root inserts defining a fastener hole. The method also includes inserting a root fastener into each of the aligned through holes and longitudinal fastener holes. Moreover, the method includes placing inner skin layer(s) atop the root inserts. Further, the root plate may include at least one fluid hole configured therethrough to provide a non-gas tight root plate. Alternatively, at least one seal may be arranged between the root plate and the blade mold that forms a non-gas tight connection with either or both of the root plate or the blade mold during a vacuum infusion process. Thus, the method includes securing the outer skin layer(s), the root inserts, the inner skin layer(s), and the root fasteners together to form the root assembly via the vacuum infusion process.

Method for manufacturing a wind turbine rotor blade root assembly

The present disclosure is directed to methods for manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades and components thereof. In one embodiment, the method includes forming an outer surface of a rotor blade panel from one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins. The method also includes printing and depositing at least one reinforcement structure onto an inner surface of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins to form the rotor blade panel, wherein the reinforcement structure bonds to the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins as the reinforcement structure is being deposited.

Methods for manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades and components thereof

The present disclosure is directed to a method of assembly of a rotor blade for a wind turbine. The method includes placing a first rotor blade section onto a first set location of an assembly fixture, wherein the first rotor blade includes a first locating datum such that the assembly fixture at the first set location constrains movement of the first rotor blade section at the first locating datum along a first direction; placing the first rotor blade section onto a second set location of the assembly fixture, wherein the first rotor blade includes a second locating datum such that the assembly fixture at the second set location constrains movement of the first rotor blade section at the second locating datum along a second direction; and positioning a second rotor blade section onto the first rotor blade section within the assembly fixture.

Modular blade structure and method of assembly

A method for manufacturing a rotor blade panel of a wind turbine includes placing one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins into a mold of the rotor blade panel. The method also includes printing and depositing, via a computer numeric control (CNC) device, a plurality of rib members that form at least one three-dimensional (3-D) reinforcement grid structure onto an inner surface of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins. Further, the grid structure bonds to the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins as the grid structure is deposited. Moreover, the method includes printing at least one additional feature into the grid structure.

Methods for manufacturing wind turbine rotor blade panels having printed grid structures

The present disclosure is directed to methods for manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades and components thereof, e.g. using 3D printing. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a rotor blade structure having a first surface and an opposing, second surface, the first and second surfaces being substantially flat. Another step includes printing a leading edge segment of the rotor blade onto the first surface, wherein heat from the printing bonds the leading edge segment to the first surface. The method also includes rotating the rotor blade structure having the leading edge segment attached thereto. A further step includes printing a trailing edge segment of the rotor blade onto the second surface, wherein heat from the printing bonds the trailing edge segment to the second surface. Another step includes securing one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins to the leading and trailing edge segments so as to complete the rotor blade.

The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine having a first rotor blade segment with a first spar cap segment and a second rotor blade segment with a second spar cap segment. The first and second spar cap segments are arranged together at an interface and are constructed of a composite material. Further, the rotor blade assembly includes a joint assembly at the interface of the first and second spar cap segments. The joint assembly is constructed of a first metal joint secured to the first spar cap segment and a second metal joint secured to second spar cap segment. Moreover, the first and second metal joints are welded together at a weld area.

Segmented wind turbine rotor blade with welded joint

A method provides for assembling a wind turbine blade from at least two blade segments, with each of the blade segments having a pressure side shell member, a suction side shell member, internal support structure, and ends with joint sections that are offset span-wise from the pressure side shell member to the suction side shell member. The blade segments are aligned in an end-to-end orientation and moved into a mating configuration with relative movement that includes overlapping the respective joint sections of adjacent blade segments. The overlapped joint sections are subsequently moved into engagement with each other and joined along respective joint profiles at a chord-wise joint.

Method for assembling a multi-segment wind turbine rotor blade with span-wise offset joints

A blade for the use in the generation of power has a leading edge and a trailing edge. A first shell portion of the blade extends from the leading edge to the trailing edge. A second shell portion of the blade also extends from the leading edge to the trailing edge. A root portion of the blade is positioned proximate the wind turbine and a tip portion which extends from the root portion away from the wind turbine. A trailing edge insert is positioned between the first shell portion and the second shell portion proximate the root portion. The trailing edge insert has a surface which extends between and separates the first shell portion from the second shell portion at the trailing edge, such that the insert provides a high lift profile for increased blade efficiency.

Flatback insert for turbine blades

A thermal barrier coating is provided which is adapted to be formed on an article subjected to a hostile thermal environment while subjected to thermally, mechanically and/or dynamically-induced stresses, such as a component of a gas turbine engine. The thermal barrier coating is composed of a bond layer that tenaciously adheres an insulative ceramic layer to the article. The bond layer is formed of a metallic oxidation-resistant material, and has an average surface roughness R.sub.a of at least about 7.5 micrometers, while the ceramic layer is characterized by being segmented by at least two sets of grooves. The grooves have substantially uniform widths of about 100 to about 500 micrometers, with adjacent grooves of each set being spaced about 10 to about 250 millimeters apart. The grooves promote the resistance of the thermal barrier coating to spalling, and are selectively located in the ceramic layer in order to tailor the stress relaxation capability of the thermal barrier coating to the size, geometry and service environment of the article. A preferred method for forming the grooves involves a liquid jet technique by which a portion of the ceramic layer is abraded by a high pressure liquid stream.

Thick thermal barrier coating having grooves for enhanced strain

The nozzle segment includes a vane having a plurality of axially spaced cavities for transmission of a cooling medium. In a closed circuit cooling system, air is transmitted radially inwardly and outwardly through inserts in leading and intermediate cavities, respectively, for flow through holes for impingement cooling of the adjoining vane surfaces. Radial inlet flow of cooling medium to an aft cavity likewise flows through an insert for impingement cooling of the aft cavity walls. The cooling medium flows from the aft cavity into a trailing edge cavity for impingement cooling of the trailing edge. The spent cooling flow passes through a channel in the diaphragm into the wheelspace. In the open air circuit, the spent impingement flow in the leading and intermediate cavities passes through openings in the vane wall for thin film cooling of the vane. An insert is received in the trailing edge cavity for impingement cooling of the trailing edge walls and flow towards the trailing edge on opposite sides of a tongue for turbulent flow through a multiplicity of openings through the trailing edge into the hot gas stream.

Closed or open air cooling circuits for nozzle segments with wheelspace

Power generation turbines having different power outputs for different power grid frequency applications have modular second and third stages, rotors, bucket wheels for all stages and other ancillary parts. The first and second turbines have sizes not geometrically scaled according to speed. Four-stage turbines having different outputs for different power grid frequencies not geometrically scaled have an identical annulus through the first, second and third stages, different geometry in the first and fourth stages, and identical geometry in the second and third stages.

Gas turbines having different frequency applications with hardware

A tube fitting for use with a flammable fluid is disposed in an auto-ignition zone of a gas turbine engine. The tube fitting has a pair of separable casings defining a passage to accommodate flow therethrough of the flammable fluid, and the casings have a pair of seals associated in sealing engagement with each other to seal about the passage. A restriction is arranged in one of the casings for limiting at least to a preselected flow rate any leakage flow of the flammable fluid from the passage past the seals upon an interruption in the sealing engagement thereof in the event of the occurrence of the separation of the casing.

Tube fitting for a gas turbine engine

The invention comprises the use of a split retaining ring cooperating with an inner nozzle support member to retain nozzle segments and a stationary seal without the use of threaded fasteners. Elimination of bolt heads from the rotor/stator cavity reduces windage losses and enables a shortening of the inner nozzle band overhang, reducing the requirement for high pressure cooling and cavity purge air.

Boltless turbine nozzle/stationary seal mounting

The present invention is a unique nozzle assembly for a high pressure turbine of a gas turbine engine. The nozzle assembly includes a series of circumferentially spaced vanes and a nozzle band. The nozzle band supports the vanes and includes a mounting flange extending radially from the nozzle band and adapted to be secured to the gas turbine engine. The nozzle band has an overhang portion axially downstream of the mounting flange. A pin fin bank is formed within the overhang portion for allowing cooling fluid to flow therethrough to cool the overhang portion.

Nozzle band overhang cooling

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Alan Majors Walker