METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING SPAR CAPS FOR WIND TURBINE ROTOR BLADES USING THERMOPLASTIC-BASED COMPOSITE PLATES

• US 20170080648A1
• Filed: 09/23/2015
• Published: 03/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Tobin, James Robert, Caruso, Christopher Daniel, Yarbrough, Aaron A., Hynum, Daniel Alan
• Granted Patent: US 10,213,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/46 using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/08 of continuous length, e.g. cords, rovings, mats, fabrics, strands or yarns
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/256 Sheets, plates, blanks or films
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/085 Wind turbine blades
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/00 Layered products having a non-planar shape
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/021 Fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/023 Two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/046 Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/101 Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/106 Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/10 Fibres of continuous length
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2398/20 Thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2603/00 Vanes, blades, propellers, rotors with blades
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/04 Interconnection of layers
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0675 of the blades
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2280/6003 : Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2280/6013 : Fibres
• 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

In one aspect, a method for manufacturing a spar cap for a wind turbine rotor blade may generally include stacking a plurality of plates together to form a plate assembly, wherein each of the plates is formed from a fiber-reinforced composite including a plurality of fibers surrounded by a thermoplastic resin material. The method may also include positioning the plate assembly relative to a mold defining a mold surface, wherein the mold surface is shaped so as to correspond to at least one blade parameter of the wind turbine rotor blade. In addition, the method may include applying pressure to the plate assembly via the mold such that at least a portion of the plate assembly conforms to the shape of the mold surface.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a spar cap for a wind turbine rotor blade, the method comprising:

stacking a plurality of plates one on top of the other to form a plate assembly, each of the plurality of plates being formed from a continuous fiber-reinforced composite including a plurality of fibers surrounded by a thermoplastic resin material;

positioning the plate assembly relative to a mold defining a mold surface, the mold surface being shaped so as to correspond to at least one blade parameter of the wind turbine rotor blade;

applying pressure to the plate assembly via the mold such that at least a portion of the plate assembly conforms to the shape of the mold surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mold corresponds to a heated mold, wherein heat is transferred from the heated mold to the thermoplastic resin material contained within each of the plurality of plates as pressure is being applied to the plate assembly.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising pre-heating the plate assembly prior to positioning the plate assembly relative to the mold.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the thermoplastic resin material corresponds to an amorphous thermoplastic resin material, wherein pre-heating the plate assembly comprises heating the thermoplastic resin material contained within the plurality of plates to a temperature at or above a glass transition temperature of the amorphous thermoplastic resin material.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the thermoplastic resin material corresponds to a semi-crystalline thermoplastic resin material, wherein pre-heating the plate assembly comprises heating the thermoplastic resin material contained within the plurality of plates to a temperature at or above a melting temperature of the semi-crystalline thermoplastic resin material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mold comprises an upper mold portion and a lower mold portion, wherein positioning the plate assembly relative to the mold comprises positioning the plate assembly between the upper and lower mold portions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising welding the plurality of plates together prior to positioning the plate assembly relative to the mold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one blade parameter corresponds to a blade parameter that varies along a span of the wind turbine rotor blade.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one blade parameter corresponds to at least one of a chordwise curvature, a spanwise curvature or a twist angle of the wind turbine rotor blade.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plate assembly corresponds to the spar cap, further comprising installing the plate assembly within the wind turbine rotor blade.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

clamping the plurality of plates together using one or more clamping devices; and

releasing the plurality of plates from the one or more clamping devices as the mold is being closed around the plate assembly.

12. A system for manufacturing a spar cap for a wind turbine rotor blade, the system comprising:

a plate assembly including a plurality of plates positioned one on top of another, wherein each of the plates is formed from a continuous fiber-reinforced composite including a plurality of fibers surrounded by a thermoplastic resin material; and

a mold defining a mold surface, the mold surface being shaped so as to correspond to at least one blade parameter of the wind turbine rotor blade,

wherein the mold is configured to apply pressure to the plate assembly such that at least a portion of the plate assembly conforms to the shape of the mold surface.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the mold corresponds to a heated mold, wherein the heated mold is configured to transfer heat to the thermoplastic resin material contained within each of the plurality of plates as pressure is being applied to the plate assembly.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the plate assembly is configured to be pre-heated prior to being positioned within the mold.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the thermoplastic resin material corresponds to an amorphous thermoplastic resin material, wherein the thermoplastic resin material contained within the plurality of plates is pre-heated to a temperature at or above a glass transition temperature of the amorphous thermoplastic resin material.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the thermoplastic resin material corresponds to a semi-crystalline thermoplastic resin material, wherein the thermoplastic resin material contained within the plurality of plates is pre-heated to a temperature at or above a melting temperature of the semi-crystalline thermoplastic resin material.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the mold comprises an upper mold portion and a lower mold portion, wherein the plate assembly is configured to be positioned between the upper and lower mold portions.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one blade parameter corresponds to a blade parameter that varies along a span of the wind turbine rotor blade.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one blade parameter corresponds to at least one of a chordwise curvature, a spanwise curvature or a twist angle of the wind turbine rotor blade.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising at least one clamping device configured to clamp the plurality of plates together, the at least one clamping device being further configured to release the plurality of plates as the mold is being closed around the plate assembly.