Vestas Wind Systems A/s

Jonathan Smith

Steve Wardropper

James Smith

Robert Ernst

Mark Folsom

Andrew Hedges

John Rimmer

Mark Hancock

Stephen Randall

Stephen Sandercock

Robert Hunter

Robert Charles Preston

Adrian Gill

Anton Bech

Trevor Corsham

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of making a wind turbine component, the method comprising supporting a layup () of fibrous reinforcing material in a mould (); providing a supply of resin (); providing a supply of hardener () comprising at least a first hardener () and a second hardener (), the second hardener being faster than the first hardener; mixing resin with the first and/or second hardener to create a resin mixture (); supplying the resin mixture () to the layup () during an infusion process; monitoring one or more process parameters of the infusion process; and controlling the speed of the hardener () by varying the relative proportions of the first and second hardeners () in the resin mixture () during the course of the infusion process in dependence upon the one or more process parameters.

Manufacture of a wind turbine component

According to the present invention there is provided a mould for making a wind turbine blade shear web. The shear web comprises a longitudinally-extending web panel and a mounting flange extending along a longitudinal edge of the web panel and transverse to the web panel. The mounting flange comprises a first portion extending on a first side of the web panel and a second portion extending on a second side of the web panel. The mould comprises a longitudinally-extending main surface shaped to form the web panel, the main surface having a longitudinal edge. The mould further comprises a side surface arranged transverse to the main surface and extending downwards from the longitudinal edge of the main surface. The mould further comprises a base surface arranged transverse to the main surface and spaced from the side surface, the base surface having a first portion extending below the main surface to a first end of the base surface and a second portion extending above the main surface to a second end of the base surface. The first portion of the base surface is spaced from the side surface to define a mould cavity between the side surface and the first portion of the base surface, the mould cavity being configured to form the first portion of the mounting flange. The mould further comprises a datum-forming surface extending transversely from the second end of the base surface and defining a longitudinal edge at an intersection of the second portion of the base surface and the datum-forming surface. The second portion of the base surface and the datum-forming surface are configured to form the second portion of the mounting flange, and the datum-forming surface is configured to define a longitudinal edge of the second portion of the mounting flange.

Wind turbine blade shear webs

An insert () for a wind turbine blade root. The insert () has a bushing () and an outer surface with circumferential annular grooves (). A transition layer () is built up around the bushing (). The transition layer () has fibrous material sheet layers and filamentary material windings () in the grooves which alternate with fibrous plies () covering the grooves (). Each fibrous ply () is anchored into the grooves () by the windings (). Fibrous battens () are fitted around the transition layer () to form an insert body (). Each batten () has a deltoid cross-section so that the battens give the insert a quadrilateral or trapezoidal cross-section.

Insert for a wind turbine blade root

The invention provides a wind turbine blade body manufacturing method, the method comprising the steps of: providing a mould () having an elongated mould surface (), placing a movable insert () on the mould surface, in a first position, forming, with the insert in the first position, a first blade body having a first length (L), placing the insert () on the mould surface, in a second position, and forming, with the insert in the second position, a second blade body having a second length (L) which is different from the first length.

Wind turbine blade body manufacturing method

There is provided a wind turbine blade extending longitudinally in a spanwise direction between a root end and a tip end, and transversely in a chordwise direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The wind turbine blade comprises an outer shell defining a substantially hollow interior, and a shear web arranged inside the outer shell and extending longitudinally in the spanwise direction. The shear web comprises an elongate web panel and a mounting flange extending along a longitudinal edge of the web panel, the mounting flange comprising an inboard end portion defining a root end of the mounting flange and an outboard portion defining a tip end of the mounting flange. The outboard portion extends along a majority of the length of the elongate web panel. The inboard end portion of the mounting flange is bonded to an inner surface of the blade shell by a first adhesive, and the outboard portion of the mounting flange is bonded to the inner surface of the blade shell by a second adhesive. The first adhesive has a lower elastic modulus than the second adhesive, and/or a chordwise width of the inboard end portion of the mounting flange is enlarged in comparison to a chordwise width of the outboard portion of the mounting flange adjacent to the inboard end portion.

Wind turbine blade

A method of forming a wind turbine blade shear web flange section () by resin transfer moulding comprises providing a mould assembly () comprising a mould surface () defining a mould cavity and arranging a plurality of elongate flange elements () with the mould surface in an array () such that the flange elements are positioned one on top of another with first and second longitudinal ends () of each flange element longitudinally offset from respective first and second longitudinal ends of a neighbouring flange element so as to form a tapered portion () at each of a first and second longitudinal end of the flange section (). A The method further comprises injecting resin to the mould cavity and curing the array of flange elements in a resin matrix to form a cured flange section having a laminate construction.

Wind turbine blade manufacture

A composite material blank comprising an elongate blank body extending between a first end face and a second end face; said blank body extending in a longitudinal direction, parallel to a longitudinal axis thereof, and having four peripheral sides; each said first and second end face having edges which define a trapezoid shape; wherein the peripheral sides of said blank body connect the edges of said first end face with the edges of said second end face; and wherein said first trapezoid end face is inverted in relation to said second trapezoid end face. A method of manufacturing a composite blank, and a wind turbine blade root insert which may be formed from a blank.

Insert and blank for a wind turbine blade root

An insert () for a wind turbine blade root. The insert () has a bushing () and an outer surface with circumferential annular grooves (). A transition layer() is built up around the bushing (). The transition layer () has fibrous material sheet layers and filamentary material windings () in the grooves which alternate with fibrous plies () covering the grooves (). Each fibrous ply () is anchored into the grooves () by the windings (). Fibrous battens () are fitted around the transition layer () to form an insert body (). Each batten ()has a deltoid cross-section so that the battens give the insert a quadrilateral or trapezoidal cross-section.

A wind turbine blade mould extending longitudinally in a spanwise direction and transversely in a chordwise direction is provided and a spar cap () is laid the mould. The spar cap comprises a plurality of strips () extending longitudinally in the spanwise direction and arranged side-by-side in the chordwise direction, said strips comprising one or more intermediate strips () arranged between peripheral strips () which are inclined relative to the intermediate strips. A shear web () comprising a flange () extending longitudinally in the spanwise direction is provided, the flange comprising a base () defining a primary bonding surface (). A chordwise width of the primary bonding surface corresponds substantially to a chordwise width of the intermediate strips of the spar cap. The primary bonding surface of the flange is bonded to the one or more intermediate strips of the spar cap.

Wind turbine blade spar structure and method of manufacturing

A method of making a wind turbine blade is described. The wind turbine blade comprises first and second half shells joined together and a shear web bonded between inner surfaces of the respective half shells. The blade is made in a one-stage join up process, which involves supporting the half shells in respective mould halves, and arranging one of the half shells on top of the other half shell with the shear web arranged between the two half shells. Adhesive is provided between the shear web and the inner surfaces of the respective half shells. During the join-up process, the shear web is supported by stabilisers. The use of stabilisers avoids the need for a jig to support the shear web. Stabilisers attached to an inboard end of the shear web may remain accessible after the join-up and can be removed.

Relating to wind turbine blade manufacture

A composite material blank () comprising an elongate blank body () extending between a first end face () and a second end face (); said blank body () extending in a longitudinal direction, parallel to a longitudinal axis thereof, and having four peripheral sides (); each said first and second end face () having edges (--) which define a trapezoid shape; wherein the peripheral sides () of said blank body () connect the edges (-) of said first end face () with the edges (-) of said second end face (); and wherein said first trapezoid end face () is inverted in relation to said second trapezoid end face (). A method of manufacturing a composite blank (), and a wind turbine blade root insert () which may be formed from a blank ().

Improvements relating to wind turbine blade manufacture A method of making wind turbine blades of variable length is described. The method involves forming first and second half shells of a main blade section in a main blade mould assembly. A pre-manufactured tip section is selected from a plurality of tip sections of different lengths according to a total length requirement for the wind turbine blade. The tip section is supported adjacent to the main blade mould assembly such that an inboard end of the tip section overlaps with an outboard end of one of the half shells of the main blade section. The main mould assembly is then closed to bond the two main half shells together and to bond the tip section to the main blade half shells. The invention allows blades of different overall length to be produced using a common main blade mould assembly.

A modular wind turbine blade is described. The modular blade comprises a first blademodule having a first spar cap extending longitudinally in a spanwise direction and a second blade module having a second spar cap extending longitudinally in the spanwise direction. The blade modules are configured for connection end-to-end via their respective spar caps. The first spar cap comprises first and second beams arranged side-by-side, each beam having a tapered end defining a scarfed surface. The tapered end of the firstbeam extends beyond the tapered end of the second beam. The second spar cap comprises first and second beams arranged side-by-side, each beam having a tapered end defining a scarfed surface. The tapered end of the second beam extends beyond the tapered end of the first beam. The blade modules are configured such that when the modules are connected together the scarfed surfaces of the respective first beams mateto form a first scarf joint and the scarfed surfaces of the respective second beams mate to form a second scarf joint. The first scarf joint is offset from the second scarf joint in the spanwise direction.

Modular wind turbine blade

A method of making an elongate reinforcing structure, such as a shear web, for a wind turbine blade is described. The reinforcing structure comprises a longitudinally-extending web and a longitudinally-extending flange. The flange extends along a longitudinal edge of the web and is arranged transversely to the web. The method involves providing a flange structure comprising a flange portion, and a projecting portion that extends along the length of the flange portion and projects transversely from a surface of the flange portion. The projecting portion is bonded between laminate layers of the web. The flange structure is preferably a pultruded component having a T-shaped cross-section. The method allows a simple, inexpensive and reconfigurable mould tool to be used. In preferred embodiments the mould tool has a flat surface without sidewalls.

Reinforcing structure for a wind turbine blade

Method of bonding a shear web () to a wind turbine blade shell () and the obtained blade, wherein the shear web () comprises a web and a mounting flange () oriented transverse to the web (). The method involves: providing a seal () on the mounting flange () of the shear web () such that when the mounting flange () is positioned against the blade shell (), a cavity () is defined by the seal between the mounting flange () and the blade shell (). The air of the cavity () is then evacuated and adhesive is injected into the cavity (). The use of pieces () to keep the distance between the mounting flange () and the blade shell () is preferred.

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Burridge, United Kingdom

Jonathan Smith