General Electric Company

Steven Alan Kyriakides

Scott Gabell Riddell

Alan Majors Walker

A method provides for assembling a wind turbine blade from at least two blade segments, with each of the blade segments having a pressure side shell member, a suction side shell member, internal support structure, and ends with joint sections that are offset span-wise from the pressure side shell member to the suction side shell member. The blade segments are aligned in an end-to-end orientation and moved into a mating configuration with relative movement that includes overlapping the respective joint sections of adjacent blade segments. The overlapped joint sections are subsequently moved into engagement with each other and joined along respective joint profiles at a chord-wise joint.

Method for assembling a multi-segment wind turbine rotor blade with span-wise offset joints

A wind turbine blade includes a first blade segment and a second blade segment, with each of the blade segments having a pressure side shell member, a suction side shell member, and internal support structure. The first and second blade segments have respective adjacent ends with complimentary joint sections that are joinable at a chord-wise joint. Each of the joint sections includes a joint profile that is offset in a span-wise direction from the pressure side shell member to the suction side shell member such that the joint sections are joinable to each other along their respective joint profiles and overlie each other in a span-wise direction.

Multi-segment wind turbine rotor blade with span-wise offset joints

A wind turbine rotor blade includes first and second shell components joined together at a trailing edge of the blade. Each shell component includes a forward edge. At least one leading edge segment is joined to the shell components and aligned along a longitudinal length of the blade. The leading edge segment has an open-ended cross-sectional profile defined by an arcuate skin having first and second longitudinal edges and first and second end faces. The longitudinal edges of the leading edge segment are joined to the forward edge of the first shell component at a first bond line, and joined to the forward edge of the second shell component at a second bond line. The leading edge of the blade between the first and second bond lines is a continuous unbroken surface between the bond lines.

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Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Steven Alan Kyriakides