General Electric Company

Ge Infrastructure Technology, LLC

Blade Dynamics Limited

Lm Wind Power A/s

Ge Vernova Infrastructure Technology LLC

General Electric Renovables Espana, S.l.

Andrew Mitchell Rodwell

Scott Jacob Huth

Thomas Merzhaeuser

Aaron Alpheus Yarbrough

Amir Riahi

Scott Iverson Shillig

Xu Chen

Robert Thomas Thatcher

Rohit Agarwal

Christopher Daniel Caruso

Donald Joseph Kasperski

Rama Razeghi

Jens Zangenberg Hansen

Louis Rondeau

Michael Koefoed

Mohammad Salah Attia

Jeppe Jørgensen

Andrew Ross Collier

Gilbert Otto Kraemer

Jamie Thomas Livingston

Alan Majors Walker

Predrag Popovic

Jianqiang Chen

William Francis Carnell, Jr

Joel Meador Hall

Brett Matthew Thompson

John Anthony Conchieri

James Paul Davidson

Edward McBeth Stewart

Mahdi Baviloliaie

Jon Stuart Wright

Ashley Simone Wilford

David Patrick Cripps

Rishikesh Kumar

Matthew Brian Dudon

Julie Ann Shepherd

Nicholas Michael Seruntine

Alec Antonio Lopez

Jasper Knoblock

Graham Andress Aldinger

Madhi Baviloliaie

Miguel Cabrera Lange

Paul Trevor Hayden

Scott Jacob Hutch

A segmented rotor blade for a wind turbine. The segmented rotor blade including at least a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a joint. Each of the first and second blade segments including at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface. A joint assembly coupling the first blade segment to the second blade segment via a dovetail connection at the joint. The joint assembly including at least one receiving section defining a receiving cavity, a joining structure received within the at least one receiving section to establish a dovetail connection, and a securement assembly securing the joining structure within the at least one receiving section so as to secure the dovetail connection.

Segmented rotor blade for a wind turbine and methods for joining the same

A method of joining first and second blade components of a rotor blade includes arranging the first blade component and the second blade component together at an interface. The first and second blade components are formed of different materials having different stiffnesses. The method further includes providing a gap at the interface of the blade components. Further, the method includes securing the blade components together by at least partially filling the gap with a filler material. Moreover, the method includes further securing the blade components together via an infusion process, wherein, during the infusion process, additional filler material further fills the gap or covers at least a portion of the filler material. In addition, the method includes allowing the filler material(s) to cure. Thus, upon curing, the filler material(s)—smoothly transitions a load between the different materials of the blade components, thereby limiting an associated stress at the interface.

Jointed wind turbine rotor blade having improved transitions between varying material combinations

A rotor blade includes first and second blade segments extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. The first blade segment includes a beam structure that connects with the second blade segment via a receiving section. A chord-wise gap exists between an edge of the beam structure and an edge of the receiving section. The beam structure defines a first pin joint slot, whereas the receiving section defines a second pin joint slot that aligns with the first pin joint slot. First and second bushings are arranged in first ends of the first and second pin joint slots, each having a flange extending within the chord-wise gap. As such, the flanges abut against each other within the chord-wise gap so as to fill the chord-wise gap with a predetermined defined gap or interference. Further, a chord-wise extending pin is positioned through the bushings so as to secure the first and second blade segments together.

Jointed wind turbine rotor blade with chord-wise extending pin bushings designed to minimize chord-wise gap

The present disclosure relates to a spar cap () for a wind turbine blade () comprising: a plurality of spar cap layers () and a first interlayer () arranged between the first spar cap layer () and the second spar cap layer () and comprising: a number of first interlayer areas (), including a first primary interlayer area (), comprising a first number of interlayer sheets () comprising a first plurality of fibres (); and a number of second interlayer areas (), including a second primary interlayer area (), comprising a second number of interlayer sheets () comprising a second plurality of fibres (), wherein the first number of interlayer sheets () is of a different characteristic than the second number of interlayer sheets ().

Optimized spar cap structure for wind turbine blade

A method for manufacturing a structural component of a blade segment for a segmented rotor blade of a wind turbine includes forming first and second portions of the structural component. The first and second portions include respective holes that align in a chord-wise direction. The method also includes placing the first and second portions of the structural component into a mold such that their respective holes align in the chord-wise direction. Further, the method includes placing a tooling pin through the aligned holes. In addition, the method includes infusing the first and second sides together in the second mold via a resin material so as to form the structural component. Moreover, the method includes removing the tooling pin after the structural component has cured.

Method for manufacturing a structural component of a blade segment for a rotor blade of a wind turbine

A rotor blade for a wind turbine including a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. Each of the first and second blade segments include one or more shell members and an internal support structure. The internal support structure of the first blade segment includes a beam structure extending between a receiving end and a second end. The internal support structure of the second blade segment includes a receiving section that receives the receiving end of the beam structure of the first blade segment. The rotor blade further includes one or more connection locations where the first and second blade segments are secured together. Moreover, when the beam structure is received within the receiving section, a gap including a varying thickness is defined and maintained between the beam structure and the receiving section in a span-wise direction of the rotor blade.

Rotor blade segments secured together via internal support structures that define a variable size gap therebetween

An interlayer sheet for a spar cap is provided. The interlayer sheet includes a first fibre layer having a first plurality of fibres with a first upper fibre surface and a first lower fibre surface, and a second fibre layer having comprising a second plurality of fibres with a second upper fibre surface and a second lower fibre surface. The first fibre layer is arranged on top of the second fibre layer, such that the first lower fibre surface is in contact with the second upper fibre surface. The first fibre layer is of a different characteristic than the second fibre layer. A number of the interlayer sheets may be arranged between a plurality of pre-cured fibre-reinforced elements to make a spar cap for a wind turbine blade.

Optimized interlayer for a spar cap for a wind turbine blade

A method of manufacturing a blade component of rotor blade of a wind turbine includes providing a plurality of pultrusions constructed of one or more fibers or fiber bundles cured together via a resin material. The method also includes placing a protective cap over at least one end of one or more of the plurality of pultrusions. Further, the method includes heat treating a surface of the plurality of pultrusions while the protective cap remains over the at least one end. Moreover, the method includes removing the protective cap from the at least one end. The method further includes arranging the plurality of pultrusions in a mold of the blade component. In addition, the method includes infusing the plurality of pultrusions together so as to form the rotor blade component.

Methods for manufacturing blade components for wind turbine rotor blades

A method for manufacturing a structural component of a blade segment for a rotor blade includes providing a mold of the structural component having an outer wall that defines an outer surface of the structural component. The method also includes laying up one or more fiber layers in the mold so as to at least partially cover the outer wall. As such, the fiber layer(s) form the outer surface of the structural component. Further, the method includes providing one or more metal mesh layers having one or more ends. Moreover, the method includes providing a cover material to the end(s) of the metal mesh layer(s). In addition, the method includes placing the metal mesh layer(s) with the covered end(s) atop the fiber layer(s). Thus, the method includes infusing the fiber layer(s) and the metal mesh layer(s) together via a resin material so as to form the structural component.

A rotor blade includes a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. Each of the first and second blade segments has at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface. The first blade segment includes a beam structure having a receiving end with at least one span-wise extending pin extending therefrom. The second blade segment includes a receiving section that receives the beam structure. The receiving section includes a chord-wise member having a pin joint slot defined therethrough. The pin joint slot receives the span-wise extending pin at the receiving end of the beam structure so as to secure the first and second blade segments together. Moreover, the chord-wise member, the pin joint slot, and/or the span-wise extending pin includes at least one compliant structure formed of a compliant material that allows a deformation thereof to follow a shear deformation of the rotor blade.

Compliant structures for jointed rotor blades

A rotor blade for a wind turbine includes a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. The blade segments each have at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface and an internal support structure. The internal support structure of the first blade segment includes a beam structure that structurally connects with the internal support structure of the second blade segment via a receiving section. The rotor blade further includes one or more pin joints positioned on at least one of internal support structures of the blade segments. Further, at least one of internal support structures is constructed, at least in part, of a resin material having a plurality of fibers cured therein. The fibers are arranged with varying fiber orientations along a span of the rotor blade at locations of the pin joint(s).

Jointed rotor blade having internal support structure with varying fiber orientation for pin reinforcement

A rotor blade for a wind turbine includes a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. Each of the first and second blade segments includes at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface. The rotor blade also includes one or more pin joints for connecting the first and second blade segments at the chord-wise joint. The pin joint(s) includes one or more pin joint tubes received within the pin joint slot(s). The pin joint slot(s) are secured within a bearing block. Further, a gap is defined between the pin joint slot(s) and the bearing block. Moreover, the rotor blade includes a shim within the gap between the pin joint slot(s) and the bearing block so as to retain the pin joint slot(s) within the bearing block. In addition, the shim is constructed of a liquid material that hardens after being poured into the gap.

Method for installing and retaining a bushing in a bearing block of a rotor blade joint

A rotor blade for a wind turbine includes first and second blade segments extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. Each of the first and second blade segments has at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface and an internal support structure. The first blade segment includes a beam structure extending lengthwise that structurally connects with the second blade segment at a receiving section. At least one of the internal support structures of the first and second blade segments includes at least one spar cap. The rotor blade also includes one or more pin joints positioned on the spar cap(s) for connecting the blade segments. The spar cap is constructed of varying forms of materials along a span of the rotor blade, including at least two of: one or more infused composite laminates, one or more pre-preg composite laminates, one or more pre-fabricated or pre-cured composite elements, one or more additively-manufactured structures, or one or more non-composite structural solids.

Jointed wind turbine rotor blade having spar cap constructed of varying forms of materials along its span

A method for manufacturing a structural component of a blade segment for a segmented rotor blade of a wind turbine includes providing a mold of the structural component. The mold has an outer wall that defines an outer surface of the structural component. The method also includes securing at least one tooling pin to the outer wall for defining a pin joint slot in the structural component. Further, the method includes laying up one or more outer fiber layers in the mold so as to at least partially cover the outer wall. The outer fiber layer(s) has at least one hole that receives the tooling pin(s). As such, the outer fiber layer(s) form the outer surface of the structural component. Moreover, the method includes placing one or more structural features atop the outer fiber layer(s) in the mold. In addition, the method includes infusing the outer fiber layer(s) and the structural feature(s) together via a resin material so as to form the structural component.

A rotor blade for a wind turbine including first and second blade segments extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. The first and second blade segments include one or more shell members and internal support structures coupled to an inner surface of the one or more shell members of the first and second blade segments. The internal support structure of the first blade segment includes a beam structure extending between a first end at the chord-wise joint and a second end such that the beam structure is received by a receiving section of the internal support structure of the second blade segment. The rotor blade includes one or more spacer materials arranged within the first blade segment between an exterior surface of the beam structure and the inner surface of the one or more shell members to reduce a bond gap therebetween.

Spacer material, for reducing a bond gap between a beam structure and a blade shell of a segmented rotor blade

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Greenville, SC, United States of America

Andrew Mitchell Rodwell