ROTOR BLADE TIP

• US 20160090963A1
• Filed: 11/06/2013
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wobben Properties Gmbh (Aloys Wobben Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Wobben Properties Gmbh (Aloys Wobben Stiftung)
• Inventors: Hoffmann, Alexander, Clemens, Christian, Dulle, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US14/443,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20160090963A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0675 of the blades
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/30 Lightning protection
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2230/60 Assembly methods
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/307 Blade tip, e.g. winglets
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2280/6003 Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A rotor blade of a wind energy plant having a main component of the blade and a blade tip, whereby the blade tip is releasably attached to the main component by means of a connection device and the connection device has a tip section attached to the blade tip and a base section attached to the main component of the blade to receive the tip section, whereby the tip section has at least one fastener that extends to the base section for attaching the tip section to the base section, and the fastener for performing the attachment can be actuated through an opening in the surface of the blade tip.

Claims

1. A rotor blade of a wind energy plant comprising:

a main component of the rotor blade;

a connection device having a tip section and a base, wherein the base is attached to the main component; and

a blade tip releasably attached to the main component by the connection device, wherein the tip section of the connection device is attached to the blade tip; and

at least one fastener that extends from the blade tip section to the base section for fastening the tip section to the base section,

wherein the at least one fastener extends through an opening in the surface of the blade tip.

2. The rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein the main section of the blade and the blade tip includes fiber reinforced plastic, and the base section is laminated into the main section of the blade and the tip section is laminated into the blade tip.

3. The rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the tip section and the base section has at least one connecting pin for tilt-resistant insertion into corresponding openings in the base section and the tip section, respectively.

4. The rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fastener has:

a first end region in a corresponding holding fixture in the base section; and

a second end region disposed in the blade tip and faces away from the first end region, wherein the second end region is located inside of the blade tip, and wherein space remains between the second end region and the surface for a sealing element so that the opening is closed flush with the surface by the seal element.

5. The rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fastener is a bolt having a first end region having threads for screwing into a corresponding holding fixture or the corresponding holding fixture in the base section, and having a second end region as a bolt head for actuating the bolt.

6. The rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein the blade tip is deflected towards the pressure side of the rotor blade, and in a resulting outward deflection, the opening is designed to actuate the fastener.

7. The rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein a sealing element is located in the opening in the surface of the blade tip.

8. The rotor blade according to claim 7, wherein a portion of the sealing element enlarges in response to a compressible element for being retained in the opening.

9. The rotor blade according to claim 8, further comprising a bolt to compress the compressible element, wherein the sealing element has a retaining section that is adapted to the at least one fastener, and the fastener has a retaining socket that is adapted to the sealing element, wherein the sealing element is held so that it does not rotate when the bolt is rotated.

10. The rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein the connection device is connected to a lightning receptor or conductor and is prepared to transmit electric current from lightning that strikes the blade tip to the main section of the blade, and the sealing element is insulating, or electrically conductive to transmit the electric current from lightning that strikes the sealing element to the connection device.

22. A wind energy plant comprising:

a rotor blade according to claim 1.

24. The rotor blade according to claim 2 wherein the fiber reinforced plastic is glass fiber reinforced plastic.

11. A connection device for connecting a main component of a rotor blade and a blade tip of the rotor blade to one another, the connection device comprising:

a tip section configured to be attached to the blade tip;

a base section configured to be attached to the main component of the rotor blade; and

at least one fastener that extends from the tip section to the base section for fastening the tip section to the base section, wherein the at least one fastener is configured to extend through an opening in the surface of the blade tip.

12-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A method for mounting a blade tip to a main component of the blade of a rotor blade, the method comprising:

coupling a blade tip to a tip section of a connection device;

coupling a main component of the blade to a base section of the connection device;

placing a fastener through openings in the connection device, the blade tip, and the main component; and

securing of the blade tip by rotating the fastener.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein after securing, a sealing element is inserted into the opening of the rotor blade and fastened in the opening.

16. An edge arc of a rotor blade of a wind energy plant, the edge arc comprising:

a first section made up of at least a first electrically conductive material, and

a second section made up of a second, electrically non-conductive material.

17. The edge arc according to claim 16, wherein the first section is formed as an edge of the edge arc and entirely or partially encloses the second section.

18. The edge arc according to claim 16, wherein the first section is formed as a frame for receiving or enclosing the second section.

19. The edge arc according to claim 16, the frame includes a holding frame to receive the second section and an attachment frame for attachment to the holding frame and securing the second section to the holding frame.

21. A rotor blade of a wind energy plant, comprising:

an edge arc according to claim 16.

20. (canceled)

23. (canceled)