METHOD FOR BALANCING SEGMENTED WIND TURBINE ROTOR BLADES

• US 20180045174A1
• Filed: 08/10/2016
• Published: 02/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Yarbrough, Aaron A., Kasperski, Donald Joseph, Hynum, Daniel Alan, Caruso, Christopher Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 10,550,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0675 of the blades
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/35 Balancing static or dynamic imbalances
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/2211 of the multibladed, low speed, e.g. "American farm" type
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/302 Segmented or sectional blades
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/966 by correcting static or dynamic imbalance
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A method for balancing segmented rotor blades for a wind turbine may include determining a weight for each of a plurality of blade segments, wherein each blade segment extends between a first end and a second and is configured to form a common spanwise section of a segmented rotor blade between the first and second ends. The method may also include determining an initial static moment for each blade segment based on the weight of the blade segment, wherein the initial static moment of at least one of the blade segments differing from the initial static moments of the remainder of the blade segments. Additionally, the method may include adding mass to each of the blade segments to increase the initial static moment for each blade segment to a predetermined static moment, wherein the predetermined static moment is greater than each of the initial static moments of the blade segments.

Claims

1. A method for balancing segmented rotor blades for a wind turbine, the method comprising:

determining a weight for each of a plurality of blade segments, each blade segment extending between a first end and a second and being configured to form a common spanwise section of a segmented rotor blade between the first and second ends;

determining an initial static moment for each blade segment based on the weight of the blade segment, the initial static moment of at least one of the blade segments differing from the initial static moments of the remainder of the plurality of blade segments; and

adding mass to each of the plurality of blade segments to increase the initial static moment for each blade segment to a predetermined static moment, the predetermined static moment being greater than each of the initial static moments of the plurality of blade segments.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each blade segment corresponds to a tip segment, the first end corresponding to a joint end of the tip segment and the second end corresponding to a tip end of the tip segment, the joint end being configured to be coupled to a corresponding root segment of the segmented rotor blade.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each blade segment corresponds to a root segment, the first end corresponding to a root end of the root segment and the second corresponding to a joint end of the root segment, the joint end being configured to be coupled to a corresponding tip segment of the segmented rotor blade.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a center of gravity for each blade segment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the initial static moment for each blade segment comprises determining the initial static moment based on the weight and the center of gravity for each blade segment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adding mass to each of the plurality of blade segments comprises adding mass within a balance box installed within an interior of each of the plurality of blade segments.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first end of each of the plurality of blade segments corresponds to a joint end of each blade segment and each blade segment defines a spanwise length between the first and second ends, the balance box being located within the interior of each blade segment a distance from the joint end equal to less than 25% of the spanwise length.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined static moment corresponds to a static moment that is equal to or greater than a maximum static moment for the plurality of blade segments based on allowable manufacturing variations.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial static moment of each blade segment differs from the initial static moments of the remainder of the plurality of blade segments.

10. A method for balancing segmented rotor blades for a wind turbine, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of tip segments and a plurality of root segments, each of the plurality of root segments having a predetermined root static moment and being configured to be coupled to one of the tip segments to form a segmented rotor blade;

determining a weight of each of the plurality of tip segments;

determining an initial tip static moment for each tip segment based on the weight of the tip segment, the initial tip static moment of at least one of the tip segments differing from the initial tip static moments of the remainder of the plurality of tip segments; and

adding mass to each of the plurality of tip segments to increase the initial tip static moment for each tip segment to a predetermined tip static moment, the predetermined tip static moment being greater than each of the initial tip static moments of the plurality of tip segments.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

weighing each of the plurality of root segments;

determining an initial root static moment for each root segment based on the weight of the root segment, the initial root static moment of at least one of the root segments differing from the initial root static moments of the remainder of the plurality of root segments; and

selecting the predetermined root static moment as the highest initial root static moment of the plurality of root segments.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising adding mass to each root segment having an initial root static moment that is less than the predetermined root static moment to increase the initial root static moment for the root segment to the predetermined root static moment.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a center of gravity for each tip segment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the initial tip static moment for each tip segment comprises determining the initial tip static moment based on the weight and the center of gravity for each tip segment.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein adding mass to each of the plurality of tip segments comprises adding mass within a balance box installed within an interior of each of the plurality of tip segments.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein each tip segment extends lengthwise between a joint end and a tip end and defines a spanwise length between the joint and tip ends, the balance box being located within the interior of each tip segment a distance from the joint end equal to less than 25% of the spanwise length.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined tip static moment corresponds to a static moment that is equal to or greater than a maximum static moment for the plurality of tip segments based on allowable manufacturing variations.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the initial tip static moment of each tip segment differs from the initial tip static moments of the remainder of the plurality of tip segments.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising pairing each tip segment with one of the plurality of root segments.