A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A PART OF A WIND TURBINE BLADE

• US 20170036406A1
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Published: 02/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LM WP Patent Holding A/S (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: LM WP Patent Holding A/S (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: NIELSEN, Lars
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/525 Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/526 Pultrusion dies, e.g. dies with moving or rotating parts B29C70/523 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/528 Heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0007 having a variable cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0025 Producing blades or the like, e.g. blades for turbines, propellers, or wings
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0028 hollow blades
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/003 having a profiled transverse cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/085 Wind turbine blades
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0675 of the blades

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a part for a wind turbine blade, and in particular a part of a shear web for a wind turbine blade, is described. The method comprises pultruding the part, wherein an in-line shaping of the part is performed, to provide a part having a cross-sectional profile which varies in the longitudinal length of the part. Providing a shear web having a portion which varies in cross-sectional profile results in production of a wind turbine blade part which can be accurately controlled to have precise geometrical profile corresponding to a desired blade profile, with minimal waste of materials.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a part of a wind turbine blade, the part having a longitudinal length, the method comprising the steps of:

pultruding composite material through at least one die to form a part of a wind turbine blade having a cross-sectional profile; and

performing an in-line shaping of said part to adjust the cross-sectional profile of said part along at least a portion of the longitudinal length of the part,

wherein said in-line shaping comprises adjusting a pultrusion path for the composite material to provide a part of a wind turbine blade having a cross-sectional profile which varies along at least a portion of the longitudinal length of the part.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises the step of providing a guide flange having a profile to define the direction of a pultrusion path downstream of said at least one die, and wherein said step of in-line shaping comprises adjusting the profile and/or orientation of said guide flange to provide a part of a wind turbine blade having a cross-sectional profile which varies along at least a portion of the longitudinal length of the part.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of heating said part, to allow for said in-line shaping of said part.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

curing the composite material to form said part, wherein said step of curing is performed simultaneous with and/or subsequent to said step of performing an in-line shaping of said part.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

providing a pultrusion forming die arranged to produce a general cross-sectional profile for a part; and

providing an adjustable shaping die or an adjustable guide flange to provide adjustment of the cross-sectional profile of a part, said adjustable shaping die or adjustable guide flange arranged downstream of said forming die.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method comprises the step of:

providing a curing system arranged to cure or harden pultruded material, said curing system arranged downstream of said adjustable shaping die or said adjustable guide flange.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the method comprises the step of:

providing an adjustable shaping die or adjustable guide flange having an integrated curing system.

11. A method of manufacturing at least a portion of a wind turbine blade comprising the steps of:

manufacturing at least one part for a wind turbine blade as claimed in claim 1;

providing at least one wind turbine blade shell; and

attaching said at least one part to said at least one wind turbine shell to form at least a portion of a wind turbine blade.

14. A wind turbine blade having at least one part manufactured according to the method of claim 1.

15. A wind turbine having at least one wind turbine blade as claimed in claim 14.

8. A method of manufacturing at least a portion of a shear web for a wind turbine blade, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a wind turbine blade design defining a wind turbine blade, the wind turbine blade design having a cross-sectional profile which varies along a longitudinal extent of the wind turbine blade;

providing a shear web continuous forming apparatus having at least one adjustable die;

forming said at least a portion of a shear web using said forming apparatus;

wherein the method further comprises the step of adjusting a pultrusion path for the composite material based on the cross-sectional profile of said wind turbine blade design, to provide said at least a portion of a shear web having a varying cross-sectional profile.

9. A method of manufacturing at least a portion of a shear web for a wind turbine blade, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a desired shear web design for a wind turbine blade shear web, the shear web design having a cross-sectional profile which varies along a longitudinal extent of the shear web;

providing a shear web continuous forming apparatus having at least one adjustable die or adjustable guide flange;

forming said at least a portion of a shear web using said forming apparatus;

wherein the method further comprises the step of adjusting a pultrusion path for the composite material based on the varying cross-sectional profile of said desired shear web design to provide said at least a portion of a shear web having a varying cross-sectional profile.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method comprises the step of:

providing an aerodynamic shape profile for a wind turbine blade;

providing characteristic blade structural data for the wind turbine blade;

calculating a desired shear web profile based on said shape profile and said characteristic data; and

controlling said forming process based on said desired shear web profile.

12. An apparatus for the manufacture of a part for a wind turbine blade, the apparatus comprising:

a continuous forming apparatus arranged to form a part for a wind turbine blade having a cross-sectional profile, preferably comprising at least one pultrusion die;

at least one shaping apparatus coupled to said continuous forming apparatus; and

a controller coupled to said at least one shaping apparatus, wherein said controller is operable to adjust said at least one shaping apparatus to perform an in-line shaping of the cross-sectional profile of a part for a wind turbine blade.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said controller is arranged to receive data based on a wind turbine blade design having a cross-sectional profile which varies along a longitudinal extent of the wind turbine blade, and wherein said controller is operable to adjust said at least one shaping apparatus to perform an in-line shaping of the cross-sectional profile of a part for a wind turbine blade based on said received data.