Tip extensions for wind turbine rotor blades and methods of installing same

• US 10,443,579 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Tobin, James Robert, Hardison, Richard, Livingston, Jamie T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sosnowski, David E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolcott, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US15/351,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20180135602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 416 87, 416146 R
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0675 of the blades
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/30 Lightning protection
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2230/23 by permanently joining parts together
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2230/80 Repairing, retrofitting or upgrading methods
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/307 Blade tip, e.g. winglets
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/183 zigzag
• 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 tip extensions for wind turbine rotor blades and methods of installing same. The method includes removing a removable blade tip of a lightning protection system from the rotor blade so as to expose a down conductor of the lightning protection system. The method also includes securing a conductive extension to the down conductor. Moreover, the method includes sliding the first end of the tip extension over the conductive extension so as to overlap the rotor blade at the tip end. In addition, the method includes securing the removable blade tip to the conductive extension at the second end of the tip extension. Further, the method includes securing the tip extension to the rotor blade.

Claims

1. A method for installing a tip extension onto a tip end of a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the wind turbine having a lightning protection system installed thereon, the lightning protection system having, at least, a removable conductive blade tip and a down conductor associated with the rotor blade, the tip extension having a first end, a second end, a closed leading edge, and an at least partially separated trailing edge, the down conductor comprising a down-conductive member, the method comprising:

removing the conductive blade tip of the lightning protection system so as to expose the down conductor;

securing the down-conductor member to a first end of a conductive extension within a groove thereof;

sliding the first end of the tip extension over the conductive extension so as to overlap the rotor blade at the tip end;

securing the conductive blade tip to the conductive extension at the second end of the tip extension; and

,

securing the tip extension to the tip end of the rotor blade.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tip extension further comprises one or more internal structural components, the one or more internal structural components comprising at least one of a transition area structural support or an internal structural channel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein sliding the first end of the tip extension over the conductive extension so as to overlap the rotor blade at the tip end further comprises inserting the tip end of the rotor blade into the transition area structural support and inserting the conductive extension into the internal structural channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein securing the conductive blade tip to the conductive extension at the second end of the tip extension further comprises:

inserting a second end of the conductive extension within a recess of the conductive blade tip; and

,

securing one or more fasteners through the conductive blade tip and the second end of conductive extension.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the conductive blade tip is configured at the second end of the tip extension so as to provide an extended root end of the rotor blade.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein securing the tip extension to the rotor blade further comprises:

attaching an adhesive side of one or more strips of a double-sided adhesive tape onto either or both of pressure or suction side surfaces of the rotor blade adjacent the tip end or onto interior surfaces of the tip extension, the tape strips having a release liner on an opposite exposed side thereof, each of the tape strips having an extension tail from the release liner that extends beyond the first end of the tip extension when the tip extension is slid onto the tip end of rotor blade; and

,

with the tip extension held in place, starting from the tape strip furthest from the separated trailing edge, sequentially pulling the extension tail and release liner of the respective tape strips through the separated trailing edge and away from the tip extension at an angle such that that the release liner is removed along the length of the tape strip while maintaining position of tip extension against the rotor blade to attach the exposed adhesive from under the release liner to either or both of the pressure or suction side surfaces of the rotor blade or the interior surface of the tip extension.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the separated trailing edge comprises a pressure side edge and a suction side edge that each extend past a trailing edge of the rotor blade, and further comprising bonding the pressure and suction side edges together subsequent to removal of the release liners.

8. The method as in claim 7, further comprising locating one or more add-on components between or with portions of the pressure side and suction side edges of the separated trailing edge or to one or more surfaces of the tip extension.

9. A method for installing a tip extension onto a tip end of a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the wind turbine having a lightning protection system installed thereon, the lightning protection system having, at least, a down conductor and a conductive blade tip secured to the down conductor associated with the rotor blade, the tip extension having a closed leading edge and an at least partially separated trailing edge, the method comprising:

securing a conductive extension to the conductive blade tip;

sliding a first portion of the tip extension over the conductive blade tip so as to overlap the rotor blade at the tip end;

sliding a second portion of the tip extension over the conductive extension;

securing the first portion of the tip extension to the rotor blade; and

,

securing the second portion of the tip extension to the first portion.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising securing an extended conductive blade tip to the conductive extension such that extended conductive blade tip extends beyond the second portion of the tip extension.

11. The rotor blade assembly of claim 9, further comprising at least one of an adhesive or one or more strips of a double-sided adhesive tape configured for securing the tip extension onto the tip end of the rotor blade.

12. The rotor blade assembly of claim 9, wherein the tip extension further comprises one or more add-on components configured between or with portions of the pressure side and suction side edges of the separated trailing edge or with one or more surfaces of the tip extension, the one or more add-on components comprising at least one of a serrated edge, a tape recess, an airflow modifying element, a mounting feature, or a weep hole.

13. A rotor blade assembly, comprising:

a rotor blade comprising a root end, a tip end, a pressure side surface and a suction side surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge;

a lightning protection system installed onto the rotor blade, the lightning protection system comprising a down conductor, a conductive blade tip, and at least one lightning receptor located on either of the pressure or suction side surfaces, the down conductor comprising a down-conductor member, the down-conductor member being secured within a recess of the conductive blade tip; and

,

a tip extension comprising a first end and a second end, a closed leading edge, a trailing edge defined by at least partially separated pressure and suction side edges that are bonded together and extend chord-wise beyond a trailing edge of the rotor blade, and a conductive extension having a first end and a second end configured between the first and second ends of the tip extension, the first end of the tip extension overlapping the tip end of the rotor blade, the first end of the conductive extension being secured the conductive blade tip, the conductive extension electrically coupling the down conductor to at least one of the conductive blade tip or the at least one lightning receptor.

14. The rotor blade assembly of claim 13, wherein the conductive blade tip is configured within the tip extension between the first and second ends thereof, wherein the at least one lightning receptor is electrically coupled to the second end of the conductive extension.

15. The rotor blade assembly of claim 14, further comprising an extended conductive blade tip electrically coupled to the second end of the conductive extension.

16. The rotor blade assembly of claim 15, wherein the tip extension comprises a two-piece body having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion covering at least a portion of the down-conductor member and the conductive blade tip, the second portion covering at least a portion of the conductive extension.

17. The rotor blade assembly of claim 13, wherein the tip extension further comprises one or more internal structural components, the one or more internal structural components comprising at least one of a transition area structural support or an internal structural channel, the tip end of the rotor blade configured to fit within the transition area structural support, the conductive extension configured to fit within the internal structural channel.