Vestas Wind Systems A/s

Leon Barton

Nathan A Brilliant

Lasse Lykkegaard

Toby Collard

Robert Hunter

Kennet Hvid Nielsen

Christopher Owens

Alan Bower

Binoy Rajan

Morten Bagger SØGAARD

A split wind turbine blade includes a connection joint for coupling a first and a second blade portion together. At least one of the blade portions includes electrically conductive material, and a hole formed in an end surface of the blade portion. A portion of the electrically conductive material is revealed on a surface of the hole. The connection joint includes a metal insert embedded in the hole such that the metal insertforms an electrical path with the electrically conductive material revealed on the surface of the hole.

Connection joint for a split wind turbine blade

A method of making a modular wind turbine blade is described. The modular blade comprises first and second blade modules connected together by a scarf joint between tapered spar caps of the respective blade modules. According to the method, first and second blade modules are laid up in the same mould assembly. A separating layer is arranged between the layups of the first and second module in a joint region of the mould. The separating layer has a thickness corresponding to a required bond thickness in the scarf joint when the modules are bonded together.

Modular wind turbine blade and associated method of manufacture

A wind turbine blade assembly is described. The wind turbine blade assembly comprises: first and second blade sections connected together, each blade section having a shell defining an aerodynamic profile and each section comprising lightning protection components; a substantially enclosed interior region defined in part by the shell of the first blade section and in part by the shell of the second blade section; a first connector located in the interior region, the first connector being attached to the first blade section and electrically connected to the lightning protection components of the first blade section, the first connector defining a contact surface; a second connector located in the interior region, the second connector being attached to the second blade section and electrically connected to the lightning protection components of the second blade section, the second connector defining a contact surface opposed to and in contact with the contact surface of the first connector. The wind turbine blade assembly further comprises a first fastener extending through the shell of the first blade section into the interior region, the first fastener having a threaded shank that extends at least partially through the first and second connectors, and the first fastener clamps the contact surfaces of the first and second connectors together to form a torqued connection between the first and second connectors.

Wind turbine blade assembly

A method of attaching a tip extension to a wind turbine blade is described. The method comprises: fitting the tip extension over a tip end of the blade such that an overlap region is defined between an outer surface of the blade and an inner surface of the tip extension; and supplying adhesive to the overlap region via one or more holes provided in the tip extension to bond the tip extension to the blade. In preferred embodiments, adhesive dams are provided in the overlap region to define bond cavities and constrain the adhesive within the bond cavities. An assembly comprising a wind turbine blade and a tip extension bonded thereto is also described.

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Newport, United Kingdom

Leon Barton