Blade and laminated protective sheet for the blade

• US 8,770,942 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2012
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Limited
• Inventors: Saitou, Hitoshi, Nakamura, Takato, Suzuki, Nobuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Landrum, Ned
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beebe, Joshua R
• Application Number:
  US13/807,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20130101426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 416/62, 416/224, 416/228, 416/229.R, 416/230, 416/231.R, 416/231.B, 416/241.R, 416/241.A, 416/241.B
• US Class Current: 416/224
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0675 of the blades
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2230/90 Coating; Surface treatment manufacture with deposition of material F05B2220/30
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2280/702 Reinforcements
• 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

A scratch-resistant blade such as an FRP wind turbine blade and a blade protective sheet which can be easily repaired when scratched. A blade is provided with a laminated protective sheet bonded to at least part of a leading edge of an FRP blade body of said blade, wherein the laminated protective sheet comprises an adhesive layer, a intermediate fabric layer and a durable surface layer, in that order from the blade body.

Claims

1. A blade comprising:

an FRP blade body with a leading edge that has a circular arc shape in a cross section orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of said blade body, wherein a distal end of said leading edge, which is farthest from a rotational center of said blade body, comprises a tapered distal end, having a narrowing thickness in cross section orthogonal to said longitudinal direction of said blade body and having a narrowing width in said cross section from said leading edge to a trailing edge of said blade body; and

a laminated protective sheet being bonded to at least said tapered distal end of said leading edge of said blade body, over two sides thereof that extend toward said trailing edge from a generating line of said arc-shaped cross section,

wherein said laminated protective sheet comprises an adhesive layer, a intermediate fabric layer and a durable surface layer, in that order from the blade body side, and

wherein a distal end of said laminated protective sheet that is farthest from said rotational center of said blade body is in the shape of a curved surface which is convex toward said distal end of said laminated protective sheet and which extends continuously over said two sides of said blade body, and a curved periphery of said convex curved surface is formed as an arc about a point on said generating line.

2. The blade according to claim 1, wherein said laminated protective sheet comprises a slit for making said laminated protective sheet follow a shape of said tapered distal end with no gaps or wrinkles when bonded to said tapered distal end.

3. The blade according to claim 1, wherein a laminated protective sheet holding recess, which corresponds in shape to said laminated protective sheet and has substantially the same depth as a thickness of said laminated protective sheet, is formed at said tapered distal end of said blade body, said laminated protective sheet being positioned in said laminated protective sheet holding recess and bonded therein.

4. The blade according to claim 1, wherein said durable surface layer includes a rubber layer which includes hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber as a rubber component.

5. The blade according to claim 4, wherein said durable surface layer is approximately 0.5.+−

.0.2 mm in thickness.

6. The blade according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate fabric layer includes a layer made of a fabric impregnated with nitrile rubber.

7. The blade according to claim 6, wherein said intermediate fabric layer is approximately 0.3.+−

.0.05 mm in thickness.

8. The blade according to claim 1, wherein said adhesive layer includes a rubber layer which includes butyl rubber as a rubber component.

9. A laminated protective sheet comprising:

an adhesive layer;

an intermediate fabric layer; and

a durable surface layer,

in that order from a blade body side of said laminated protective sheet, which is for a blade and is bonded at the blade body side to a surface of an FRP blade body,

wherein a leading edge of said blade body has a circular arc shape in a cross section orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of said blade body,

wherein a distal end of said leading edge, which is farthest from a rotational center of said blade body, includes a tapered distal end, having a narrowing thickness in cross section orthogonal to said longitudinal direction of said blade body and having a narrowing width in said cross section from said leading edge to a trailing edge of said blade body,

said laminated protective sheet being bonded to said tapered distal end of said leading edge of said blade body over two sides thereof that extend toward said trailing edge from a generating line of said arc-shaped cross section, and a distal end of said laminated protective sheet that is farthest from said rotational center of said blade body being in the shape of a curved surface which is convex toward said distal end of said laminated protective sheet and which extends continuously over said two sides of said blade body, a curved periphery of said convex curved surface being formed as an arc about a point on said generating line.

10. The laminated protective sheet for a blade according to claim 9, comprising a slit for making said laminated protective sheet follow a shape of said tapered distal end with no gaps or wrinkles when said laminated protective sheet is bonded to said tapered distal end.

11. The laminated protective sheet for a blade according to claim 9, wherein said durable surface layer includes a rubber layer which includes hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber as a rubber component.

12. The laminated protective sheet for a blade according to claim 11, wherein said durable surface layer is approximately 0.5.+−

0.0.2 mm in thickness.

13. The laminated protective sheet for a blade according to claim 9, wherein said intermediate fabric layer includes a layer made of a fabric impregnated with nitrile rubber.

14. The laminated protective sheet for a blade according to claim 13, wherein said intermediate fabric layer is approximately 0.3.+−

.0.05 mm in thickness.

15. The laminated protective sheet for a blade according to claim 9, wherein said adhesive layer includes a rubber layer which includes butyl rubber as a rubber component.