BLADE FOR A TURBINE OPERATING IN WATER

• US 20130022472A1
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sabella
• Original Assignee: Blade Dynamics Limited (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Hayden, Paul Trevor, Whiley, David Anthony, Ness, Derek
• Granted Patent: US 9,033,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 416/230
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/745 Filling cavities in the preformed part for joining B29C70/84
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/16 Fillers
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 3/121 Blades, their form or construction
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/32 in water turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2280/6003 Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2280/6015 Resin
• CPC Class Codes: F05C 2253/04 Composite, e.g. fibre-reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: F05C 2253/20 Resin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

A blade for use in water, the blade comprising an outer shell of fibre reinforced plastic defining a cavity. A substantial portion of the cavity is filled with a resin which adheres to the inner wall of the shell.

Claims

1. A blade for use in water, the blade comprising an outer shell of fibre reinforced plastic defining a cavity, a substantial portion of the cavity being filled with a resin which adheres to the inner wall of the shell, wherein the cavity is divided into a number of sections arranged along its length with the density in one section being different from the density in an adjacent section.

2. A blade according to claim 1, wherein at least one section of the cavity is open to water.

3. A blade according to claim 1, wherein the resin has a density of between 500 kg/m³ to 2000 kg/m³.

4. A blade according to claim 3, wherein the resin has a density of 600-1200 kg/m³.

5. A blade according to claim 1, wherein the resin is selected from a range of thermoset resins such as polyester, vinylester, epoxy, phenolic, polyurethane and polypropylene.

6. A blade according to claim 1, wherein the resin is a filled resin.

7. A blade according to claim 6, wherein the filler is selected from a mineral such as Calcium Carbonate, Talc, Barium Sulphate, silica or solid glass spheres;

a fibrous filler such as chopped or milled glass, chopped thermoplastic fibres or carbon fibre;

or a hollow filler such as hollow glass microspheres, hollow alumino-silicate microspheres, hollow phenolic microspheres, macrospheres made from glass epoxy, carbon epoxy or thermoplastic resin.

8. A blade according to claim 1, wherein the filler is present with a range of 0-60% by volume of the filled resin.

9. A blade according to claim 1, wherein the resin contains 0-10% by weight of thixotrope.

10. A blade according to claim 1, wherein a shear web running along the length of the blade is embedded in the resin.

11. A method of forming a blade for use in water, the method comprising:

forming two shell halves of fibre reinforced plastic, each half defining a cavity inserting bulkheads into the two halves of the shell to create a number of different sections arranged along the length of the blade;

filling a substantial portion of each cavity with a resin which adheres to the wall of the shell such that the sections have resins of different density;

applying adhesive to the exposed surfaces of the resin; and

adhering the two parts together.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the resin is provided in the cavity to a level below the edge of the shell to define a gap for adhesive.

13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of inserting a shear web along the length of one shell half before it is filled with resin;

inserting a dummy shear web coated with a release coating in the opposite shell half and removing the dummy shear web after the resin is cured.