EP4731426A1 - Method of making a wind turbine blade - Google Patents

Method of making a wind turbine blade

Info

Publication number
EP4731426A1
EP4731426A1 EP24739407.5A EP24739407A EP4731426A1 EP 4731426 A1 EP4731426 A1 EP 4731426A1 EP 24739407 A EP24739407 A EP 24739407A EP 4731426 A1 EP4731426 A1 EP 4731426A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
mandrel
mould
fibre material
shell
blade
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP24739407.5A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Stephen Randall
Robin John KENNARD
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Vestas Wind Systems AS
Original Assignee
Vestas Wind Systems AS
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Vestas Wind Systems AS filed Critical Vestas Wind Systems AS
Publication of EP4731426A1 publication Critical patent/EP4731426A1/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
    • B29C70/04—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
    • B29C70/28—Shaping operations therefor
    • B29C70/30—Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core
    • B29C70/32—Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core on a rotating mould, former or core
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C33/00—Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor
    • B29C33/30—Mounting, exchanging or centering
    • B29C33/306—Exchangeable mould parts, e.g. cassette moulds, mould inserts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C53/00—Shaping by bending, folding, twisting, straightening or flattening; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C53/56—Winding and joining, e.g. winding spirally
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
    • B29C70/04—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
    • B29C70/28—Shaping operations therefor
    • B29C70/40—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied
    • B29C70/42—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
    • B29C70/46—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
    • B29C70/48—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs and impregnating the reinforcements in the closed mould, e.g. resin transfer moulding [RTM], e.g. by vacuum
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
    • B29C70/68—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts by incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or layers, e.g. foam blocks
    • B29C70/86—Incorporated in coherent impregnated reinforcing layers, e.g. by winding
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
    • B29C70/68—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts by incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or layers, e.g. foam blocks
    • B29C70/86—Incorporated in coherent impregnated reinforcing layers, e.g. by winding
    • B29C70/865—Incorporated in coherent impregnated reinforcing layers, e.g. by winding completely encapsulated
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
    • B29D99/00—Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
    • B29D99/0025—Producing blades or the like, e.g. blades for turbines, propellers, or wings
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
    • B29D99/00—Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
    • B29D99/0025—Producing blades or the like, e.g. blades for turbines, propellers, or wings
    • B29D99/0028—Producing blades or the like, e.g. blades for turbines, propellers, or wings hollow blades
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
    • Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Composite Materials (AREA)
  • Moulding By Coating Moulds (AREA)

Abstract

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making a wind turbine blade comprising a blade shell having an outboard blade shell portion and an inboard blade shell portion defining a root end of the blade shell. The method comprises 5 providing a first mould shaped to form a first shell part and a second mould shaped to form a second shell part. The first and second moulds are female moulds each comprising an outboard mould surface shaped to form an outboard portion of the respective shell part and an inboard mould surface shaped to form a mandrel portion of the respective shell part. The method further comprises arranging one or more layers of fibre material in each 10 mould on the outboard mould surface and on the inboard mould surface. The method further comprises supplying resin to the fibre material in each mould and at least partially curing the resin to form a first shell part and a second shell part. Each shell part comprises an outboard portion and a mandrel portion. The outboard portions of the first and second shell parts together form the outboard blade shell portion and the mandrel portions of the 15 first and second shell parts together define a mandrel. The mandrel comprises one or more moulded laminate layers defining a partial shell thickness that is less than a final shell thickness of the inboard blade shell portion. The method further comprises winding additional fibre material onto the mandrel to build up the thickness of the inboard blade shell portion. Further, the method comprises supplying resin to the fibre material wound 20 onto the mandrel. The method further comprises curing the resin supplied to the fibre material to bond the wound fibre material to the mandrel and thereby form the inboard blade shell portion.

Description

Method of making a wind turbine blade
Technical field
The present invention relates to wind turbine blades and more particularly to a method of making a wind turbine blade.
Background
Wind turbine blades for modern utility-scale wind turbines typically comprise a blade shell formed of composite materials, such as glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP). Such composite wind turbine blade shells are typically formed in one or more moulds using a moulding process such as vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding (VARTM).
In use, a root end of a wind turbine blade is connected to a rotor hub. Accordingly, an inboard portion of the blade shell defining the root end of the blade typically has a relatively thick shell thickness to support the weight of the blade and transfer loads between the blade and the hub in use. However, manufacturing a blade shell with a thick inboard portion can be challenging.
For example, moulding the inboard portion of a blade shell may reguire arranging a significant amount of reinforcing material in the mould to provide the reguisite shell thickness, which can be time-consuming and inefficient. Further, arranging a significant amount of reinforcing material, such as glass fibre material, on a concave mould can increase the risk of the material sliding and moving in the mould, reducing the accuracy of the lay-up. Additionally, a thick, moulded composite blade shell portion may reguire a substantial amount of time to cure in the mould which leads to a high cycle time and reduces throughput in a blade manufacturing facility.
It is against this background that the present invention has been developed. Summary
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making a wind turbine blade comprising a blade shell having an outboard blade shell portion and an inboard blade shell portion defining a root end of the blade shell. The method comprises providing a first mould shaped to form a first shell part and a second mould shaped to form a second shell part. The first and second moulds are female moulds each comprising an outboard mould surface shaped to form an outboard portion of the respective shell part and an inboard mould surface shaped to form a mandrel portion of the respective shell part. The method further comprises arranging one or more layers of fibre material in each mould on the outboard mould surface and on the inboard mould surface. The method further comprises supplying resin to the fibre material in each mould and at least partially curing the resin to form a first shell part and a second shell part. Each shell part comprises an outboard portion and a mandrel portion. The outboard portions of the first and second shell parts together form the outboard blade shell portion and the mandrel portions of the first and second shell parts together define a mandrel. The mandrel comprises one or more moulded laminate layers defining a partial shell thickness that is less than a final shell thickness of the inboard blade shell portion. The method further comprises winding additional fibre material onto the mandrel to build up the thickness of the inboard blade shell portion. Further, the method comprises supplying resin to the fibre material wound onto the mandrel. The method further comprises curing the resin supplied to the fibre material to bond the wound fibre material to the mandrel and thereby form the inboard blade shell portion.
It will be appreciated that “shell thickness” refers to the thickness of the fibre reinforced blade shell, irrespective of any coatings, paint, or aerodynamic add-on devices, applied to the blade shell. Further, it will be appreciated that the term “female mould” refers to a mould having a substantially concave mould surface. As such, the outboard mould surface of each mould is preferably substantially concave, and the inboard mould surface of each mould is preferably substantially concave. The resultant shell parts formed in the first and second moulds therefore preferably comprise substantially convex outer surfaces.
In particular, the mandrel portions of each shell part preferably define substantially convex outer surfaces such that the mandrel comprises a substantially convex outer surface. In some preferred examples, the mandrel may have a strictly convex outer surface. In some examples, the outboard blade shell portion of the blade shell may define an outboard end of the blade, such as a blade tip. Accordingly, the first and second shell parts may have a length substantially equal to the length of the wind turbine blade.
In some other examples, the wind turbine blade may be a modular wind turbine blade, and the blade shell may be an inboard blade shell module. In such an example the outboard end of the blade shell, i.e. the outboard end of the inboard blade shell module, may define a connection region for connecting the blade shell to an outboard blade shell module.
In some examples, the first and second shell parts may be formed separately in the respective first and second moulds. Accordingly, at least partially curing the resin to form a first shell part and a second shell part may form separate first and second shell parts. In such examples, the method may subsequently comprise arranging the separate first and second shell parts together such that the outboard portions of the first and second shell parts together form the outboard blade shell portion and the mandrel portions of the first and second shell parts together define the mandrel.
In some examples, the method may therefore comprise joining the first and second shell parts together. For example, the method may comprise bonding leading edges of the first and second shell parts together and bonding trailing edges of the first and second shell parts together. In some preferred examples, the shell parts may be joined together before winding the additional fibre material onto the mandrel.
In some preferred examples, the method may comprise bonding leading and trailing edges of the mandrel portion of the first shell part to respective leading and trailing edges of the mandrel portion of the second shell part. This may help to increase the rigidity of the mandrel before the additional fibre material is wound onto the mandrel, thereby providing a strong, substantially rigid structure for winding the fibre material onto.
In some examples the method may comprise winding dry fibre material onto the mandrel and subsequently supplying resin to the fibre material wound onto the mandrel in an infusion process, such as a vacuum assisted resin transfer process. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples the method may comprise spraying resin onto the additional fibre material wound onto the mandrel. Such sprayed resin may be supplied to dry additional fibre material wound onto the mandrel, or in addition to resin supplied to the fibre material in another way, such as infusion or pre-impregnation of the additional fibre material. In some examples, resin supplied to the fibre material wound onto the mandrel may be supplied at the same time as the fibre material is wound onto the mandrel. For example, the fibre material may comprise pre-preg fibre material, i.e. fibre material that is preimpregnated with resin prior to winding the fibre material onto the mandrel. In some examples the method may comprise routing the fibre material through a resin bath before winding the fibre material onto the mandrel such that the fibre material absorbs or is coated in resin when wound onto the mandrel. Further, in some examples the method may comprise spraying dry fibre material with resin as it is wound onto the mandrel, thereby supplying resin to the fibre material wound onto the mandrel. It should be appreciated that in some examples, the method may also comprise infusing pre-preg fibre material wound onto the mandrel.
In some examples, the method may comprise activating the mandrel before the additional fibre material is wound onto the mandrel to build up the thickness of the inboard blade shell portion. Activating the mandrel may comprise abrading the mandrel portions of the first and second shell parts, for example mechanically abrading and/or chemically abrading the mandrel portions, in some examples. Additionally or alternatively, the method may include arranging one or more layers of peel ply material in each mould on the inboard mould surface before the fibre material is arranged on the inboard mould surface. After at least partially curing the resin to form the first shell part and the second shell part, the peel ply may be removed from the respective mandrel portions to expose a rough composite surface and thereby provide an activated mandrel onto which the additional fibre material is subsequently wound. Activating the mandrel before winding the additional fibre material onto the mandrel may improve the quality of bond between the wound fibre material and the mandrel.
In some examples, the inboard mould surface of each mould may be raised relative to the respective outboard mould surface. The raised inboard mould surface may be advantageous for forming the mandrel portion of the respective shell part with a reduced thickness such that the resultant mandrel comprises a partial shell thickness that is less than the final shell thickness of the inboard blade shell portion. Further, in some examples, the inboard mould surface of each mould may be defined by a respective removable mould insert. A removable mould insert facilitates the reconfiguration of the mould to form different shell parts having differently configured mandrel portions. In some examples, each mould may comprise an existing blade shell mould retrofitted with a mould insert defining the inboard mould surface. An existing blade shell mould may therefore be reconfigured to form a first or second shell part in accordance with the examples described herein. Accordingly the method may facilitate the reuse of existing blade manufacturing apparatus to form new and differently configured shell parts.
In some examples, the inboard mould surface of each mould may comprise a tapered transition region defining an outboard end of the inboard mould surface where it meets the outboard mould surface. Accordingly, in some examples the inboard mould surface may be shaped to form a mandrel portion which has a tapered transition portion that defines an outboard end of the mandrel portion. In some examples, the partial shell thickness may therefore taper throughout the tapered transition portion moving outboard towards the outboard end of the mandrel portion.
In some examples, the method may further comprise arranging core material on the tapered transition region of the first mould. Additionally or alternatively, the method may comprise arranging core material on the tapered transition region of the second mould, in some examples.
Accordingly, in some examples the tapered transition portion of the mandrel portion of the first and/or second shell part may comprise core material. For example, the method may comprise arranging core material between layers of fibre material on the tapered transition region of the first and/or second mould. Accordingly, such core material may be integrated between layers of fibre material in the first and/or second shell part, in some preferred examples. Providing core material in the tapered transition portion of the or each shell part may help to increase the rigidity of the mandrel before the additional fibre material is wound onto the mandrel. In some examples, core material may comprise polymer foam (e.g. PET, PVC), or lightweight wood such as balsa wood.
In some examples, the method may additionally or alternatively include arranging core material on the mandrel. For example, such core material may be arranged on the tapered transition portion of the or each shell part. The method may therefore include winding additional fibre material onto both the mandrel and any core material on the mandrel. Accordingly, the inboard blade shell portion may comprise core material sandwiched between the mandrel and fibre material wound onto the mandrel. In some examples the method may comprise winding fibre material onto the mandrel, subsequently arranging core material on the fibre material wound onto the mandrel, and subsequently winding further fibre material onto the mandrel and the core material on the mandrel such that the core material is sandwiched between layers of wound fibre material.
In some examples, the fibre material arranged on the outboard mould surface of each mould may form an outer skin of the outboard blade shell portion, and the fibre material arranged on the inboard mould surface of each mould may form an inner layer of the inboard blade shell portion.
In some examples, both the outer skin and an inner skin of the outboard blade shell portion may be formed by fibre material arranged on the outboard mould surface of the first and second moulds. The outboard blade shell portion may therefore comprise a moulded laminate outer skin and a moulded laminate inner skin. Conversely, in some examples, an outer skin of the inboard blade shell portion may be formed by the fibre material that is wound onto the mandrel. The shell thickness of the inboard blade shell portion may therefore be defined between a moulded laminate layer defining an inner skin of the inboard blade shell portion and an outermost layer of wound fibre material.
In some examples, arranging one or more layers of fibre material in each mould may comprise arranging at least one layer of fibre material to extend across at least part of both the outboard mould surface and the inboard mould surface of the respective mould. Further, in some examples the same layer of fibre material may therefore define at least part of the inner skin of the inboard blade shell portion and at least part of the outer skin of the outboard blade shell portion.
In some examples, after arranging one or more layers of fibre material in each mould, the method may further comprise arranging additional blade shell materials on the outboard mould surface and subsequently arranging one or more additional layers of fibre material on the outboard mould surface. Accordingly, the additional blade shell materials may be sandwiched between two layers of fibre material. As previously described, the outboard shell portion may therefore comprise a moulded laminate outer skin and a moulded laminate inner skin. It follows that the outboard blade shell portion may therefore have a shell thickness defined between two moulded laminate skins.
In some examples the additional blade shell materials comprise additional fibre material and/or core material and/or pre-cured composite reinforcing material. As used herein, the term pre-cured refers to composite materials that are at least partially cured prior to arrangement in the first or second mould. In some preferred examples, the pre-cured composite reinforcing material may comprise one or more composite pultrusions. For example, a composite pultrusion may comprise carbon fibre reinforced polymer. One or more longitudinally extending composite pultrusions may be arranged in each of the first and second moulds to increase the longitudinal stiffness of the resultant blade shell. In some preferred examples, the pre-cured composite reinforcing material may be arranged in the respective mould such that an inboard end of the pre-cured reinforcing material is outboard of an outboard end of the inboard mould surface. In other words, the pre-cured reinforcing material may not extend onto the inboard mould surface, in some examples.
In some examples, arranging one or more layers of fibre material in each mould may comprise arranging one or more fibre material preforms on the inboard mould surface of the first and/or second mould. As used herein the term “preform” refers to a plurality of layers of fibre material pre-arranged in a stack prior to arrangement in the mould. In some examples, a plurality of stacked layers in a preform may be temporarily fastened together. For example, a preform may comprise a plurality of layers of fibre material stitched together, or loosely bonded or tacked together. In some examples, the stacked layers of fibre material in a preform may be staggered or offset. Accordingly, the preform may include a tapered end portion. In some preferred examples, the preform may be arranged in the mould such that the tapered end portion defines an outboard end of the preform.
In some examples, the step of winding additional fibre material onto the mandrel may comprise using a winding machine to wind the fibre material onto the mandrel. In some examples implementing a winding machine, a feed head of the winding machine may rotate about a longitudinal axis of the mandrel. In some examples, the feed head may progress axially along the mandrel whilst winding to distribute the fibre material along the mandrel.
In some examples, the blade shell, and thereby the mandrel, may be rotated about its longitudinal axis to wind the additional fibre material onto the mandrel. In such an example, the feed head of the winding machine may not necessarily rotate around the mandrel, and may instead be substantially stationary whilst depositing the additional fibre material onto the rotating mandrel. Rotating the blade shell to wind the additional fibre material onto the mandrel may be particularly applicable to examples where the blade shell is an inboard blade shell module of a modular wind turbine blade. In some examples, the method may comprise winding the additional fibre material onto the mandrel using a plurality of winding machines and/or a plurality of feed heads each separately winding fibre material onto the mandrel. Accordingly, the method may comprise winding a plurality of layers of fibre material onto the mandrel simultaneously. In some examples, the method may comprise winding a plurality of layers of different fibre material onto the mandrel simultaneously. The layers of different fibre material may comprise differently oriented fibres and/or different types of fibre, such as glass fibre or carbon fibre.
In some examples, the additional fibre material wound onto the mandrel may comprise biaxial fibre tape. Biaxial fibre tape may comprise a feed direction, i.e. a direction in which the biaxial tape is fed onto the mandrel during the winding process. In some preferred examples, the biaxial fibre tape may comprise biaxial fibres oriented at least 80 degrees, i.e. at least +/- 80 degrees relative to the feed direction of the biaxial tape. More preferably, the biaxial tape may comprise biaxial fibres oriented at at least 85 degrees relative to the feed direction. Use of such biaxial tapes ensures that, when wound onto the mandrel, the biaxial fibres in the tape are oriented at less than 10 degrees or less than 5 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the mandrel. This may help to increase longitudinal stiffness of the resultant blade shell.
In some examples, the additional fibre material wound onto the mandrel may comprise a plurality of different types of fibre material. For example, the additional fibre material may comprise glass fibre material, and/or carbon fibre material, and in some example may comprise fibre materials having differently oriented fibres.
In some examples, before winding additional fibre material onto the mandrel, the method may further comprise arranging a shear web between the first and second shell parts such that an inboard end of the shear web extends between inner surfaces of the mandrel. A shear web extending between inner surfaces of the mandrel may help to support the mandrel when winding the additional fibre material onto the mandrel to build up the thickness of the inboard blade shell portion.
As previously described, in some examples the first and second shell parts may be formed separately and subsequently joined together. In such examples, a shear web may be arranged in one of the first or second shell parts before the shell parts are joined together. In some other examples the first and second shell parts may be joined together and the shear web may be subsequently arranged between the first and second shell parts. In some examples, the method may comprise arranging a removable mandrel support tool inside the mandrel. For example, a removable mandrel support tool may comprise one or more supports extending between inner surfaces of the mandrel, to support the mandrel when winding the additional fibre material onto the mandrel. The mandrel support tool may therefore also help to maintain the correct geometry of the mandrel when winding the additional fibre material onto the mandrel, thereby ensuring that the inboard blade shell portion is formed accurately. After curing the resin supplied to the fibre material to bond the wound fibre material to the mandrel, the mandrel support tool may be removed from the blade shell.
In some examples, curing the resin to bond the wound fibre material to the mandrel may form the root end of the blade shell. In such an example, the method may further comprise drilling a plurality of longitudinally-extending bores into the root end of the blade shell. Optionally, the method may comprise bonding an insert into each bore to form a root connection.
In some examples, the inserts may be threaded inserts comprising an internal thread for receiving a bolt, i.e. the inserts may be bushings. In some other examples the inserts may be threaded inserts comprising an external thread for receiving a nut, i.e. the inserts may be stud bolts.
In some other examples the longitudinally extending bores may be configured for receiving a bolt or other fixing member. In such an example the method may not necessarily include bonding an insert into each bore.
For example, the inboard blade shell portion may be configured for connecting the blade to a wind turbine hub via a plurality of T-bolt connections each comprising a longitudinally- extending bolt arranged in a respective longitudinally-extending bore to engage a bushing in the inboard blade shell portion. In such examples, the method may comprise providing the respective bushing in the inboard blade shell portion by arranging the bushing on the mandrel, and subsequently winding the additional fibre material onto the mandrel and the bushing. Alternatively, the method may comprise providing the respective bushing in the inboard blade shell portion by drilling a radially-extending bore into the inboard blade shell portion after curing the resin to form the inboard blade shell portion, and subsequently arranging the bushing in the radially-extending bore. It will be appreciated that in such an example the radially-extending bores are each drilled into the inboard blade shell portion in alignment with a respective longitudinally-extending bore, or vice versa, to facilitate engagement between a bolt in a longitudinally-extending bore and a bushing in a radially- extending bore. In some examples, the method may further comprise arranging a plurality of blade root connection members on the mandrel. In such an example, the additional fibre material may be wound onto the mandrel and the blade root connection members. Accordingly, the inboard blade shell portion may comprise a plurality of blade root connection members sandwiched between the mandrel and the additional fibre material wound onto the mandrel. The blade root connection members may comprise an insert, such as a threaded insert described above, for example.
In some examples, the method may comprise winding the additional fibre material onto the mandrel, subsequently arranging a plurality of blade root connection members on the mandrel and the wound fibre material, and subsequently winding more fibre material around the mandrel and the blade root connection members. Accordingly, in some examples, the plurality of blade root connection members may be sandwiched between wound layers of fibre material.
In some examples, after winding the additional fibre material onto the mandrel, the method may additionally comprise arranging one or more blade add-ons with the blade shell to define an aerodynamic profile of the blade shell. In some examples, after curing the resin supplied to the fibre material to bond the wound fibre material to the mandrel, the method may include attaching one or more blade add-ons to an outer surface of the blade shell. Add-ons may define a leading edge and/or a trailing edge of the blade shell. Winding is a particularly advantageous method for depositing fibre material on convex surfaces, such as the mandrel. However in some examples an aerodynamic profile comprising one or more concave surfaces may be desired. The method may therefore comprise winding fibre material onto a convex mandrel and subsequently forming an aerodynamic profile comprising one or more concave surfaces by attaching one or more blade add-ons.
In some examples the mandrel may have a longitudinal length of up to 50% of the length of the wind turbine blade, preferably up to 25% or more preferably between 10% and 20% of the length of the wind turbine blade.
In some examples, the root end of the blade shell may comprise a metal root ring. In such examples, the method may further comprise winding metal sheet material onto the mandrel to form the metal root ring. The metal root ring may be configured for attaching the blade to a pitch bearing or hub.
In some preferred examples, the metal sheet material may be wound onto the mandrel at the same time as the additional fibre material. For example, the method may comprise interleaving the metal sheet material with the additional fibre material when winding the metal sheet and fibre material onto the mandrel. In some examples, the method may comprise overlapping the metal sheet material with the additional fibre material before the metal sheet and additional fibre materials are wound on to the mandrel. In some preferred examples, the method may comprise winding a layer of metal sheet material onto the mandrel before winding a layer of additional fibre material onto the mandrel.
In some examples, the metal sheet material may comprise a tapered edge portion. In some preferred examples the metal sheet material may be wound onto the mandrel such that the tapered edge portion defines an outboard edge of the metal sheet material once wound onto the mandrel. In some examples, the tapered edge portion of the metal sheet material may be interleaved between layers of the additional fibre material wound onto the mandrel.
In some examples, the root end of the blade shell may comprise a metal root ring formed of a plurality of layers of metal sheet material. Accordingly, in some examples the method may comprise winding a single length of metal sheet material around the mandrel for a plurality of full rotations to form a plurality of layers of metal sheet material on the mandrel. In some other examples, the method may comprise winding a plurality of separate lengths of metal sheet material onto the mandrel to form a plurality of layers of metal sheet material on the mandrel.
In some examples, the root end of the blade shell may comprise a metal root ring formed of a plurality of layers of metal sheet material having different widths. It will be appreciated that the width of a layer of metal sheet material is the dimension of the metal sheet material in the spanwise, i.e. longitudinal, direction of the blade shell. The method may comprise winding a first length of metal sheet material having a first width onto the mandrel, and winding a second length of metal sheet material having a second width onto the mandrel, where the second width is greater than the first width, in some examples. The first and second lengths of metal sheet material in such an example may be wound onto the mandrel in an alternating manner such that the first and second lengths of metal sheet material are interleaved. Inboard edges of the first and second lengths of metal sheet material may be substantially aligned, whereas outboard edges of the first and second lengths may be offset due to the difference in width between the first and second lengths. In some examples, the method may comprise interleaving the outboard edges of the second lengths of metal sheet material between the additional fibre material wound onto the mandrel. Accordingly, the plurality of layers of metal sheet material may form a finger joint with the additional fibre material wound onto the mandrel.
In some examples, a length of metal sheet material wound onto the mandrel may have a variable width. In other words, the spanwise width of the metal sheet material wound onto the mandrel may vary. For example, the length of metal sheet material wound onto the mandrel may taper in width. In some examples the method may comprise winding a length of metal sheet material having a tapering width around the mandrel for a plurality of full rotations to form a plurality of layers of metal sheet material on the mandrel. It will be appreciated that each successive layer of metal sheet material formed by winding the length of metal sheet material onto the mandrel may therefore have a different spanwise width. The metal root ring may therefore have a tapering thickness resultant from the tapering spanwise widths of successive layers of metal sheet material. This may help to gradually transfer loads between the fibre composite material of the inboard blade shell portion and the metal root ring in use.
In some examples, the method may comprise providing a pitch bearing, or at least a bearing ring of a pitch bearing. The method may comprise arranging the pitch bearing, or pitch bearing ring, with the mandrel and subsequently winding the additional fibre material onto both the mandrel and the pitch bearing or pitch bearing ring. Accordingly, an interlocking blade-bearing interface may be formed in the winding process. In such an example the pitch bearing may therefore be integrated with the wind turbine blade. In some examples, the method may additionally or alternatively comprise winding metal sheet material onto the pitch bearing, or pitch bearing ring, when winding the metal sheet material onto the mandrel.
In another aspect of the present invention there is provided a wind turbine blade made in accordance with the method described herein. The outboard blade shell portion may comprise a sandwich construction comprising core material and/or longitudinally- extending composite reinforcing members embedded between an inner skin and an outer skin, and the inboard blade shell portion may comprise fibre material wound around one or more moulded laminate layers. Brief description of the drawings
Examples of the present invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example(s) only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a wind turbine blade comprising a blade shell;
Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a mould configured to form a shell part;
Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of the mould with fibre material arranged on the mould to form the shell part;
Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a first and second shell part which together define an outboard blade shell portion and a mandrel portion;
Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of additional fibre material wound onto the mandrel portion to form an inboard blade shell portion;
Figures 6a to 6c show different methods of forming a root-hub connection for attaching the wind turbine blade to a hub; and
Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a blade add-on attached to the blade shell to define an aerodynamic profile.
Detailed description
Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a wind turbine blade 10 comprising a blade shell 12. The blade shell 12 comprises an outboard blade shell portion 14 and an inboard blade shell portion 16. The inboard blade shell portion 16 defines a root end 18 of the blade shell 12 which may be configured for attaching the blade 10 to a wind turbine hub (not shown). As used herein, the term blade shell 12 should be understood to refer to various examples of blade shells 12, such as a full-length blade shell 12 defining both the root end 18 and a tip 20 of the blade 10 as shown in Figure 1 , or an inboard module of a modular wind turbine blade 10 defining the root end 18 and a connection region for connecting the inboard blade module to another blade module (not shown), in some other examples. Accordingly the outboard blade shell portion 14 may define the tip 20 of the blade 10 in some examples, and in some other examples the outboard blade shell portion 14 may instead define a connection region. As described in more detail later, the inboard blade shell portion 16 comprises fibre material wound around one or more moulded laminate layers. Making the wind turbine blade 10 therefore involves both moulding one or more layers of fibre material and subsequently winding one or more layers of fibre material around a portion of the one or more moulded layers. Examples of a method of making the wind turbine blade 10 will now be described in more detail with reference to the remaining figures.
Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of an example of a mould 22 for use in the method of making the wind turbine blade 10. The mould 22 is a female mould shaped to form a first shell part 24a of the blade shell 12. The mould 22 comprises an outboard mould surface 26 shaped to form an outboard portion 28a of the first shell part 24a and an inboard mould surface 30 shaped to form a mandrel portion 32b of the first shell part 24a (explained in more detail later with reference to Figures 4 and 5). Although only a first mould 22 is shown, it will be appreciated that the method also includes providing a second mould configured with corresponding features and shaped to form a second shell part 24b of the blade shell 12. Accordingly the second mould comprises an outboard mould surface shaped to form an outboard portion 28b of the second shell part 24b and an inboard mould surface shaped to form a mandrel portion 32b of the second shell part 24b.
One or more layers of fibre material 34 are arranged in each mould 22 on the outboard mould surface 26 and on the inboard mould surface 30. Figure 3 shows a schematic plan view of the mould 22 in Figure 2, and additionally includes a plurality of layers of fibre material 34 arranged on the mould 22. The fibre material 34 may comprise glass fibres, such as glass fibre biaxial fabric. In some examples, the fibre material 34 arranged in each mould 22 may include a fibre material preform (not shown). Such a preform may comprise a plurality of layers of fibre material 34 pre-arranged in a stack before arrangement in the mould 22 to facilitate a more accurate and time-efficient arrangement of the fibre material 34.
In some examples, less fibre material 34 may be arranged on the inboard mould surface 30 than is typically required for forming, in a typical moulding process, an inboard blade shell portion having the requisite shell thickness for supporting and transferring loads in use. Advantageously this reduces the amount of time required to lay-up the fibre material 34 on the inboard mould surface 30. In particular, arranging less fibre material 34 on steep or substantially vertical portions of the inboard mould surface 30 reduces the risk of fibre material 34 slipping and therefore requires less time to accurately lay up the fibre material 34.
It follows that the inboard mould surface 30 may be shaped to form a mandrel portion 32a, 32b of the respective shell part 24a, 24b that has a shell thickness tp that is less than the intended final shell thickness tp of the inboard blade shell portion 16. As shown in the examples of Figures 2 and 3, the inboard mould surface 30 may therefore be raised relative to the outboard mould surface 26, in some examples. Further, the inboard mould surface 30 may be defined by a removable mould insert 36 (sometimes known as a “plant”) which may facilitate the reuse of the mould 22 with different mould inserts 36 for forming shell parts having differently configured mandrel portions 32.
The inboard and outboard mould surfaces 30, 26 may meet at an outboard end 38 of the inboard mould surface 30 in some examples. With reference still to Figures 2 and 3, in some examples, the inboard mould surface 30 may comprise a tapered transition region 40 in which the height of the raised inboard mould surface 30 tapers relative to the outboard mould surface 26. The outboard end 38 of the inboard mould surface 30 may be defined by the tapered transition region 40. The tapered transition region 40 may facilitate a tapering, or gradual staggering, of the cumulative thickness of fibre material 34 arranged in the mould 22 on the inboard mould surface 30.
As shown in Figure 3, in some examples additional blade shell materials 42 may be arranged on the fibre material 34 arranged on the outboard mould surface 26. Subsequently, one or more additional layers of fibre material 34 may be arranged on the outboard mould surface 26 such that the additional blade shell materials 42 may be sandwiched between moulded layers of fibre material 34. Accordingly, this process may result in a shell part 24a, 24b formed in the mould 22 having an outboard portion 28a, 28b with a sandwich construction comprising shell materials 42 embedded between an inner and outer skin comprising fibre material 34. The additional blade shell materials 42 may include core material and/or pre-cured composite reinforcing material in some examples. Accordingly, the sandwich construction may provide increased strength and rigidity to the outboard blade shell portion 14.
With the fibre material 34, and optionally other blade shell materials 42, arranged on the mould 22, resin (not shown) is supplied to the materials in the mould 22. Resin may be provided with the fibre material 34, for example if the fibre material 34 comprises pre-preg fibre material 34, or may be supplied subsequently, for example in a vacuum assisted infusion process.
The resin is then at least partially cured to form the shell part 24a, 24b in each mould 22. With reference additionally to Figure 4, each shell part 24a, 24b comprises an outboard portion 28a, 28b and the outboard portions of the first and second shell parts together form the outboard blade shell portion 14. Each shell part 24a, 24b also comprises a mandrel portion 32a, 32b, and the mandrel portions of the first and second shell parts together define a mandrel 44.
In the example shown in the accompanying figures, the first and second shell parts 24a, 24b are formed separately, that is to say, each shell part is formed individually in its respective mould 22 such that at least partially curing the resin results in a first shell part 24a and a separate second shell part 24b. In such an example the shell parts 24a, 24b may then be arranged together, and in some preferred examples may be joined together. For example, as shown in Figure 4, leading edges 46a, 46b of the first and second shell parts 24a, 24b may be joined together and trailing edges 48a, 48b of the first and second shell parts may be joined together. The edges 46a, 46b, and 48a, 48b of the shell parts 24a, 24b may be joined by adhesive in some examples.
As a result of the moulding process, the mandrel 44 comprises at least one moulded laminate layer. The arrangement of fibre material 34 on the inboard mould surface 30 of each mould 22 results in the or each moulded laminate layer of the mandrel 44 defining a partial shell thickness that is less than a final shell thickness = of the inboard blade shell portion 16. Accordingly, at least partially curing the resin to form the shell parts 24a, 24b requires less time than curing resin in a typical composite layup comprising fibre material arranged to form an inboard shell portion having a requisite final shell thickness. From arranging fibre material 34 in the moulds 22, to supplying resin to the fibre material 34 in the moulds 22, to at least partially curing the resin, the shell parts 24a, 24b may therefore be formed in less time compared to conventional moulding methods used for manufacturing wind turbine blades shells. Accordingly, in-mould time can be reduced and the throughput of a blade manufacturing facility can be increased, increasing manufacturing efficiency.
Referring now to Figure 5, the thickness of the inboard blade shell portion 16 is built up by winding additional fibre material 50 onto the mandrel 44. Accordingly, the inboard blade shell portion 16 may be built up to the final shell thickness tp required for transferring loads and supporting the blade by winding additional fibre material 50 onto the mandrel 44. Advantageously, the winding process to build up the thickness of the inboard shell portion 16 may be performed after removing the blade shell 12 from any moulds 22, thereby reducing in-mould time as described previously.
The additional fibre material 50 wound onto the mandrel 44 may comprise biaxial fibre tape. In some examples the winding process may be substantially automated and the additional fibre material 50 may be wound onto the mandrel 44 using a winding machine (not shown). This again increases efficiency compared to manual lay-up methods typically used for moulding an inboard blade shell portion 16 because fibre material 34 can be deposited onto the mandrel 44 more quickly and more accurately than with a manual layup process.
Resin (not shown) is supplied to the additional fibre material 50 wound onto the mandrel 44. For example, to name a few non-limiting examples for supplying resin to the addition fibre material 50, the resin may be supplied to the fibre material 50 wound onto the mandrel 44 in a resin infusion process, the additional fibre material 50 may be pre-preg fibre material containing resin, or the additional fibre material 50 may be pulled through a resin bath (not shown) prior to being wound onto the mandrel 44.
The resin supplied to the additional fibre material 50 on the mandrel 44 is then cured, for example by applying heat or letting the resin cure over time. Curing the resin bonds the wound fibre material 50 to the mandrel 44 to thereby form the inboard blade shell portion 16. With the additional fibre material 50 wound and bonded onto the mandrel 44, the inboard blade shell portion 16 comprises the required final shell thickness = for supporting the blade 10 and transferring loads in use.
Referring still to Figure 5, but with brief reference additionally to Figures 3 and 4, the additional fibre material 50 wound onto the mandrel 44 may form an outer skin of the inboard blade shell portion 16. It will be appreciated that the fibre material 34 arranged on the inboard mould surface 30 of each mould 22 may form an inner layer of the inboard blade shell portion 16. Conversely, the fibre material 34 arranged on the outboard mould surface 26 of each mould 22 may form an outer skin of the outboard blade shell portion 14. The method described herein also facilitates the manufacture of different root-hub connections for connecting the blade 10 to a wind turbine hub (not shown) and some examples of a root-hub connection will now be described with reference to Figures 6a to 6c.
Referring initially to Figure 6a which shows a schematic cross-section of part of the inboard blade shell portion 16, in some examples a plurality of longitudinally-extending bores 52 may be drilled into the root end 18 of the blade shell 12 after the resin bonding the additional fibre material 50 to the mandrel 44 is cured. An insert 54, such as a threaded insert, may then be bonded into each longitudinally-extending bore 52 to provide means for connecting the blade 10 to a hub in use.
Alternatively, as shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of Figure 6b, in some examples the method may involve arranging a plurality of blade root connection members 56 on the mandrel 44 before or during the winding process. For example, as shown in Figure 6b, in some examples a blade root connection member 56 may be sandwiched between layers of additional fibre material 50 wound onto the mandrel 44. Accordingly the method may include winding the additional fibre material 50 onto both the mandrel 44 and the blade root connection members. The blade root connection members may provide means for connecting the blade to a wind turbine hub. For example the connection members may include a threaded insert 58 such as a bushing or a stud bolt.
In another example, the root end 18 of the blade shell 12 may comprise a metal root ring configured for reinforcing the root end 18 and providing a root-hub connection. As shown in Figure 6c the metal root ring may be formed by winding metal sheet material 60 onto the mandrel 44. In some preferred examples, the metal sheet material 60 may be wound onto the mandrel 44 at the same time as the additional fibre material 50 is wound onto the mandrel 44. The resultant root end 18 of the blade shell 12 may therefore comprise metal sheet material 60 interleaved with the additional fibre material 50 wound onto the mandrel 44.
With reference now to Figure 7, in some examples, a blade add-on 62 may be arranged with the blade shell 12 after the additional fibre material 50 is wound onto the mandrel 44. For example, the blade add-on 62 may be arranged to define an aerodynamic profile. In particular, a blade add-on 62 may be arranged with and attached to the blade shell 12 to define concave exterior surfaces the blade shell 12. Whilst the mandrel 44 is preferably substantially convex to the winding of the additional fibre material 50, an aerodynamic profile comprising concave surfaces may therefore be achieved by arranging a blade addon 62, such as a blade add-on 62 having a concave surface, after the winding process.
It will be appreciated that the description provided with reference to the accompanying figures serves to provide a plurality of non-exclusive examples of the invention defined by the appended claims. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that other examples that are not shown in the accompanying figures may form part of the invention, in some examples.
For example, whilst not shown in the accompanying figures, in some examples core material may be arranged on the tapered transition region 40 of the mould 22. For example, core material may be sandwiched between layers of fibre material 34 on the tapered transition region 40 of the mould 22 such that a resultant tapered transition portion of the shell part 24a, 24b may comprise core material integrated between laminate layers of fibre material 34. This may increase the rigidity of the mandrel 44 before the additional fibre material 50 is wound onto the mandrel 44.
Further, whilst also not shown in the accompanying figures, in some examples a shear web may be arranged between the first and second shell parts 24a, 24b before the additional fibre material 50 is wound onto the mandrel 44. An inboard end of the shear web may extend between inner surfaces of the mandrel 44 and may therefore support the mandrel 44 during the winding process.
It will be appreciated that features described in relation to any of the examples above may be readily combined with any other features described with reference to different examples without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

Claims
1. A method of making a wind turbine blade (10) comprising a blade shell (12) having an outboard blade shell portion (14) and an inboard blade shell portion (16) defining a root end (18) of the blade shell, the method comprising: providing a first mould (22) shaped to form a first shell part (24a) and a second mould (22) shaped to form a second shell part (24b), wherein the first and second moulds are female moulds each comprising an outboard mould surface (26) shaped to form an outboard portion (28a, 28b) of the respective shell part and an inboard mould surface (30) shaped to form a mandrel portion (32a, 32b) of the respective shell part; arranging one or more layers of fibre material (34) in each mould on the outboard mould surface and on the inboard mould surface; supplying resin to the fibre material in each mould; at least partially curing the resin to form a first shell part and a second shell part, each shell part comprising an outboard portion and a mandrel portion; wherein the outboard portions of the first and second shell parts together form the outboard blade shell portion (14) and the mandrel portions of the first and second shell parts together define a mandrel (44), the mandrel comprising one or more moulded laminate layers defining a partial shell thickness tp that is less than a final shell thickness tp of the inboard blade shell portion (16); the method further comprising: winding additional fibre material (50) onto the mandrel to build up the thickness of the inboard blade shell portion; supplying resin to the fibre material wound onto the mandrel; and curing the resin supplied to the fibre material to bond the wound fibre material to the mandrel and thereby form the inboard blade shell portion.
2. The method of Claim 1 , wherein the inboard mould surface (30) of each mould (22) is raised relative to the respective outboard mould surface (26).
3. The method of Claim 2, wherein the inboard mould surface (30) of each mould (22) is defined by a respective removable mould insert (36).
4. The method of Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the inboard mould surface (30) of each mould (22) comprises a tapered transition region (40) defining an outboard end (38) of the inboard mould surface (30) where it meets the outboard mould surface (26).
5. The method of Claim 4, wherein the method further comprises arranging core material on the tapered transition region (40) of the first and/or second mould (22).
6. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the fibre material (34) arranged on the outboard mould surface (26) of each mould (22) forms an outer skin of the outboard blade shell portion (14), and wherein the fibre material arranged on the inboard mould surface (30) of each mould forms an inner layer of the inboard blade shell portion.
7. The method of any preceding claim, wherein after arranging one or more layers of fibre material (34) in each mould (22), the method further comprises arranging additional blade shell materials (42) on the outboard mould surface (26) and subsequently arranging one or more additional layers of fibre material on the outboard mould surface.
8. The method of Claim 7, wherein the additional blade shell materials (42) comprise additional fibre material and/or core material and/or pre-cured composite reinforcing material.
9. The method of any preceding claim, wherein arranging one or more layers of fibre material (34) in each mould (22) comprises arranging one or more fibre material preforms on the inboard mould surface (30) of the first and/or second mould (22).
10. The method of any preceding claim, wherein before winding additional fibre material (50) onto the mandrel (44) the method further comprises arranging a shear web between the first and second shell parts (24a, 24b) such that an inboard end of the shear web extends between inner surfaces of the mandrel (44).
11. The method of any preceding claim, wherein curing the resin to bond the wound fibre material (50) to the mandrel (44) forms the root end (18) of the blade shell (12), and wherein the method further comprises: drilling a plurality of longitudinally-extending bores (52) into the root end of the blade shell and optionally bonding an insert (54) into each bore to form a root connection.
12. The method any of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the method further comprises arranging a plurality of blade root connection members (56) on the mandrel (44), and wherein the additional fibre material (50) is wound onto the mandrel and the blade root connection members.
13. The method of any of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the root end (18) of the blade shell (12) comprises a metal root ring, and wherein the method further comprises winding metal sheet material (60) onto the mandrel (44) to form the metal root ring.
14. A wind turbine blade (10) made according to the method of any preceding claim.
15. The wind turbine blade (10) of Claim 14, wherein the outboard blade shell portion (14) comprises a sandwich construction comprising core material and/or longitudinally- extending composite reinforcing members embedded between an inner skin and an outer skin, and wherein the inboard blade shell portion (16) comprises fibre material (50) wound around one or more moulded laminate layers.
EP24739407.5A 2023-06-22 2024-06-20 Method of making a wind turbine blade Pending EP4731426A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DKPA202370329 2023-06-22
PCT/DK2024/050148 WO2024260525A1 (en) 2023-06-22 2024-06-20 Method of making a wind turbine blade

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EP4731426A1 true EP4731426A1 (en) 2026-04-29

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4260332A (en) * 1979-03-22 1981-04-07 Structural Composite Industries, Inc. Composite spar structure having integral fitting for rotational hub mounting
ES2274701B1 (en) * 2005-07-15 2008-05-01 GAMESA INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY, S.L. MANUFACTURING PROCEDURE FOR HUGE PIECES OF LARGE DIMENSIONS BASED ON COMPOSITE MATERIALS.
CN102407602B (en) * 2011-10-24 2016-04-20 连云港中复连众复合材料集团有限公司 A kind of preparation method of blade of MW class wind turbine of improvement
DK3330527T3 (en) * 2016-12-02 2021-06-28 Lm Wp Patent Holding As System and method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade
EP4108439A1 (en) * 2021-06-25 2022-12-28 LM Wind Power A/S Spar cap with tapering and serrated end section

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