The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 14, 2019
Filed:
Aug. 01, 2012
Leif Kappel Petersen, Lem St, DK;
Leif Kappel Petersen, Lem St, DK;
Vestas Wind Systems A/S, Aarhus N., DK;
Abstract
A mold for forming a wind turbine blade is formed in two halves, each halfcomprising a sandwich structure of a perforated outer layer, an inner aluminum honeycomb structure and an inner impermeable heat-conducting layer. An article in the form of a mat of glass fiber impregnated with epoxy resin is placed in the mold. A supply chambersupplies heated pressurized air to the mold which passes into the honeycomb core of the mold through the perforated outer layer, and back through the outer layer into two exhaust chambers. A row of supply conduitsand exhaust conduitsconnect the exhaust chambersto the supply chamber. The air in each conduitis heated by a respective heat exchangersupplied with heated water. The heated air cures the epoxy resin, and the mold is then cooled by supplying cold water to the heat exchangers, which, in turn cools the air supplied to the mold. The water used to cool the mold is then re-used for the subsequent heating of another article placed in the mold, in order to save energy. Alternatively, the article in the mold may be cooled using a separate supply of air which is not cooled in the heat exchangers