Vestas Wind Systems A/s

Arne Haahr

Andrew Hedges

Toby Collard

Zhen-Zhe Chen

Morten Taulbjerg

Jed Richter

Manikandan Rajagopal

A wind turbine blade and associated method of manufacture is described. The blade comprises an outer shell formed of first and second half shells joined together. A shear web is arranged inside the outer shell. The shear web has a web panel disposed between first and second longitudinally-extending mounting flanges. The shear web is bonded to inner surfaces of the respective half shells via a first adhesive bond line between the first mounting flange and the inner surface of the first half shell and a second adhesive bond line between the second mounting flange and the inner surface of the second half shell. One or more bond spacers are provided in the second bond line, and optionally in the first bond line. The bond spacers are compressed between a shear web mounting flange and an inner surface of a half shell and are plastically deformed. The method of making the shear web involves compressing and the one or bond spacers in the bond line(s) such that they undergo plastic deformation. This results in high quality bond lines.

Wind turbine blade manufacture

A method and apparatus for assembling a wind turbine blade () including first and second outer shell portions () and an internal web () are provided. An adhesive material () is applied to a top end () of the internal web () as well as the edges () of the first outer shell portion () for connection to the second outer shell portion (). Localized heat energy is applied to pre-cure the adhesive material () at the top end () of the internal web () before applying heat energy to fully cure all of the adhesive material () in the wind turbine blade (). The pre-curing is performed by a removable localized heater device (), and it assures that the integrity of the bond between the internal web () and the second outer shell portion () is maintained during the full curing of the blade (), when temporary thermal deformation of the outer shell () sometimes occurs.

Method and apparatus for assembling a wind turbine blade having an internal web

A wind turbine rotor blade () comprising a root portion () having a substantially cylindrical shape and a longitudinal axis (), the root portion having a mounting face (); a plurality of bores () in a wall of the root portion and extending from the mounting face into the root portion, the bores being configured to receive respective connecting means for connecting the wind turbine rotor blade to a wind turbine hub; wherein the plurality of bores are inclined at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the root portion to define a cone angle.

Wind turbine rotor blade with a cone angle and a method of manufacturing a wind turbine rotor blade with a cone angle

A method for manufacturing a blade spar for a wind turbine blade includes positioning a first spar segment having a first adhering portion; positioning a second spar segment having a second adhering portion at the first spar segment such that the first adhering portion and the second adhering portion are at least partially overlapping, wherein an adhesive is at least partially provided between the overlapping adhering portions; providing at least one fiber layer impregnated with an uncured resin on the outer surfaces of the first and second spar segments at least in the joint region of the first and second spar segments; and simultaneously curing the adhesive and the resin, thereby fixating the first and the second spar segments to each other.

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Ringkøbing, Denmark

Arne Haahr