Methods of Joining Rotor Blade Components Using Thermoplastic Welding

• US 20180238299A1
• Filed: 02/21/2017
• Published: 08/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Tobin, James Robert, Yarbrough, Aaron A., Hynum, Daniel Alan, Caruso, Christopher Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/16 Laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/34 using heated elements which remain in the joint, e.g. "verlorenes Schweisselement"
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/36 heated by induction
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/488 being longitudinal, e.g. fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/5014 being fibre-reinforced B29C65/5028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/5057 positioned between the surfaces to be joined B29C65/5035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/526 by printing or by transfer from the surfaces of elements carrying the adhesive, e.g. using brushes, pads, rollers, stencils or silk screens
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/527 by gravity only, e.g. by pouring
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7855 Provisory fixing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1142 Single butt to butt joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43 Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/543 joining more than two hollow-preforms to form said hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/61 Joining from or joining on the inside for making tubes by bending sheets and joining from the inside B29C53/387
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/636 using a support which remains in the joined object
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/721 Fibre-reinforced materials B29C66/729 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7212 : characterised by the composition of the fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72141 : Fibres of continuous length
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 : characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2301/00 : Use of unspecified macromolecular compounds as reinforcement use of unspecified rubbers B29K2221/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2305/00 : Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, as reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2307/04 : Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2309/02 : Ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2309/04 : Carbides; Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/085 : Wind turbine blades
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0675 : of the blades
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2230/232 : by welding
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2280/4007 : Thermoplastics
• 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

The present disclosure is directed to methods for joining rotor blade components using thermoplastic welding. The method includes arranging a first thermoplastic component and a second thermoplastic component together at an interface, determining a size of a tolerance gap between the first and second components at the interface, placing a thermoplastic insert between the first and second components at the interface, the insert being larger than the tolerance gap, heating the insert and the first and second components such that the insert begins to flow so as to fill the tolerance gap between the first and second components, applying pressure to the interface such that the insert and the first and second blade components remain substantially in direct contact with each other at the interface, and welding the insert and the first and second components together at the interface, wherein the heat and the applied pressure between the insert and the first and second components at the interface maintain the insert and the first and second substantially in direct contact at the interface during welding.

Claims

1. A method for welding thermoplastic rotor blade components together, the method comprising:

arranging a first thermoplastic rotor blade component and a second thermoplastic rotor blade component together at an interface;

determining a size of a tolerance gap between the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components at the interface;

placing a thermoplastic insert between the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components at the interface, the thermoplastic insert being larger than the tolerance gap;

heating the thermoplastic insert and the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components such that the thermoplastic insert begins to flow so as to fill the tolerance gap between the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components;

applying pressure to the interface such that the thermoplastic insert and the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components remain substantially in direct contact with each other at the interface; and

,

welding the thermoplastic insert and the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components together at the interface, wherein the heat and the applied pressure between the thermoplastic insert and the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components at the interface maintain the thermoplastic insert and the first and second rotor blade components substantially in direct contact at the interface during welding.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the thermoplastic insert seeps from the interface after the pressure and heat is applied.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising at least one of removing at least a portion of the thermoplastic insert that seeps from the interface or smoothing at least a portion of the thermoplastic insert that seeps from the interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the thermoplastic insert between the first and second thermoplastic components at the interface further comprises coating one or more layers of a thermoplastic resin onto one or more of the first and second thermoplastic components at the interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the thermoplastic insert between the first and second thermoplastic components at the interface further comprises:

placing a temporary barrier onto one of the first or second thermoplastic components at the interface;

pouring one or more un-polymerized components into the temporary barrier;

allowing the one or more un-polymerized components to polymerize so as to form the thermoplastic insert; and

,

removing the temporary barrier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the thermoplastic insert between the first and second thermoplastic components at the interface further comprises:

applying one or more coats of un-polymerized components at the interface; and

,

allowing the one or more coats of un-polymerized components to polymerize so as to form the thermoplastic insert.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic insert further comprises at least one of a wire mesh, tape, a shim, a conductive material, an adhesive, or one or more fiber materials embedded therein.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the fiber material comprises at least one of glass fibers, carbon fibers, polymer fibers, ceramic fibers, nanofibers, wood fibers, bamboo fibers, or metal fibers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising securing the thermoplastic insert and the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components together during welding so as to maintain the substantially direct contact.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein securing the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components together during welding further comprises:

applying, via an adjustable tooling device, one or more point loads at the interface so as to cause the thermoplastic insert to flex against the first and second thermoplastic components.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first thermoplastic rotor blade component is concave or convex and the second thermoplastic rotor blade component comprises a different curvature than the first rotor blade component.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising supporting at least one of the first or second thermoplastic rotor blade components during welding so as to prevent distortion of the components during welding.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising welding a plurality of discrete welds at the interface so that point loads are applied thereto.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first thermoplastic component comprises a raised area and the second thermoplastic component comprises a recessed area, the raised and recessed areas forming an interference fit between the first and second rotor blade thermoplastic components.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising applying adhesive within the recessed area and subsequently welding the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components together.

16. A method for welding thermoplastic rotor blade components together, the method comprising:

arranging a first thermoplastic rotor blade component and a second rotor blade thermoplastic component together at an interface;

applying a plurality of discrete welds at the interface such that point loads are applied thereto; and

,

welding the arranged first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components together at the interface, wherein the discrete welds maintain contact between the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components at the interface during welding.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising securing the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components together during welding so as to maintain contact therebetween.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein securing the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components together during welding further comprises:

applying, via an adjustable tooling device, one or more point loads at the interface so as to cause the first thermoplastic rotor blade component to flex to fit the second thermoplastic rotor blade component.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising supporting at least one of the first or second thermoplastic rotor blade components during welding so as to prevent distortion of the components during welding.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising placing at least one filler material between the first and second thermoplastic rotor blade components at the interface, wherein the filler material comprises at least one of a tape, a shim, or an adhesive.