General Electric Company

Ge Infrastructure Technology, LLC

Lm Wind Power A/s

General Electric Renovables Espana, S.l.

Scott Jacob Huth

Andrew Mitchell Rodwell

Thomas Merzhaeuser

Aaron Alpheus Yarbrough

Christopher Daniel Caruso

Paul Trevor Hayden

Xu Chen

Scott Iverson Shillig

Jon Stuart Wright

Louis Rondeau

Ashley Simone Wilford

Rohit Agarwal

Andrew Ross Collier

Amir Riahi

Donald Joseph Kasperski

Josef Scott Cummins

Eric Michael Shain

Thangaraj Subbareddyar

Mayur Abhay Keny

Michael James Fedor

Matthew Brian Dudon

Jacob Lee Bunch

Alec Antonio Lopez

Jasper Knoblock

Graham Andress Aldinger

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

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

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 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 method is provided for servicing a jointed rotor blade of a wind turbine. The jointed rotor blade is positioned in a six o'clock position and a blade tip support element is secured to a tip section of the jointed rotor blade. A lift-support element is secured at a mounting location above the blade tip support element. A lifting line is coupled between the lift-support element and the blade tip support element. The tip section is separated from the root section of the jointed rotor blade such that the tip section is suspended above a support surface of the wind turbine via the blade tip support element and the lifting line. The tip section of the jointed rotor blade is serviced.

System and method for servicing a jointed rotor blade of a wind turbine

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

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 and an internal support structure. The first blade segment includes a beam structure extending lengthwise that structurally connects with the second blade segment via a receiving section. The rotor blade also includes at least one chord-wise extending pin positioned through the chord-wise joint so as to secure the first and second blade segments together. Further, the chord-wise extending pin includes a hollow cross-section that extends from a trailing edge end to a leading edge end thereof.

Wind turbine jointed rotor blade having a hollow chord-wise extending pin

A jointed wind turbine rotor blade includes a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint line. Each of the first and second blade segments includes opposite spar caps. The first and second blade segments are connected at the chord-wise joint line by internal joint structure, wherein the joint structure is bonded to the opposite spar caps in at least the second blade segment. The spar caps in the second blade segment have a first section with a first chord-wise width that is unbonded to the joint structure and a second section with a second chord-wise width that is bonded to the joint structure. The second chord-wise width is greater than the first chord-wise width.

Spar cap configuration for a jointed wind turbine blade

A spar assembly for a rotor blade including a beam structure extending between a closed first end and a second end configured for coupling within a shell of the rotor blade. The beam structure includes a contacting portion extending in a span-wise direction from the second end, a joint portion extending in the span-wise direction from the first end toward the contacting portion, and a transition region between the contacting portion and the joint portion. The contacting portion includes one or more contoured surfaces oriented toward at least one of an internal surface of a pressure or suction side of the rotor blade and configured to follow a contour of one of the pressure or suction side of the rotor blade. The joint portion includes one or more linear surfaces oriented in the same direction as the contoured surface(s). The transition region transitions the contoured surface(s) to the linear surface(s).

Beam structure for a segmented rotor blade having a transitioning shape

A span-wise extending pin for joining blade segments of a rotor blade includes a distal portion having a length defined by a first end and an opposing, second end. The distal portion has a conical shape extending for at least a portion of the length thereof for providing ease of insertion of the pin into a pin joint slot of one of the first and second blade segments. The pin also includes a pin portion adjacent to the distal portion. The pin portion includes a first section and a second section. The second section is configured for securing within a beam structure of the first blade segment. The first section extends span-wise from a receiving end of the beam structure. The pin also includes a proximal portion having at least a rod member that extends span-wise through and secures together the pin portion and the distal portion.

Span-wise extending pin for joining rotor blade segments

A rotor blade component for a wind turbine includes a first structural component, such as a spar cap, formed from a plurality of stacked pultruded members. A second structural component, such as a shear web, is fixed to the first structural component at a joint interface. One or more webs form the joint interface, wherein each of the webs has a first section bonded between at least two of the pultruded members in the first structural component and a second section extending across the joint interface and bonded onto or into the second structural component.

Joint interface for wind turbine rotor blade components

A joint assembly for a wind turbine rotor blade includes a male structural member extending longitudinally through female structural members configured with a plurality of rotor blade segments. The female structural member includes first bore holes on opposing sides thereof that are aligned in a chord-wise direction. The male structural member includes second bore holes on opposing sides thereof that are aligned with the first bore holes. At least one chord-wise extending gap is defined between an outer side surface of the male structural member and an inner side surface of the female structural member. A chord-wise extending pin extends through the first and second bore holes to join the male and female structural members. At least one flanged bushing is arranged in the first and second bore holes such that a flange of the bushing extends within the chord-wise extending gap.

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Greenville, SC, United States of America

Scott Jacob Huth