# US 10,245,761 B2 · Mould for a wind turbine component

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- Number: US 10,245,761 B2
- Document ID: US10245761B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/909,274
- Filed: 2014-08-01
- Published: 2016-07-07
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2013-08-02
- Assignees: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
- Applicants: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
- Inventors: Damien Rajasingam; Diego Andres Pino; Olav Davis
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10245761B2

## CPC

- B29C 33/3828: {Moulds made of at least two different materials having different thermal conductivities}
- B29C 33/02: with incorporated heating or cooling means
- B29C 70/34: and shaping or impregnating by compression {, i.e. combined with compressing after the lay-up operation}
- B29D 99/0025: {Producing blades or the like, e.g. blades for turbines, propellers, or wings}
- F03D 1/0675: {of the blades}
- B29K 2105/0872: {Prepregs}
- B29K 2307/04: Carbon
- B29K 2905/02: Aluminium
- B29K 2995/0013: Conductive
- B29L 2031/085: {Wind turbine blades}
- Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- 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 (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00)
- F03D: WIND MOTORS
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A mold (30) for a wind turbine component (10) is described. The component comprises a plurality of elements having different respective heat capacities. The mold comprises an inner mold layer (38) defining a mold surface (40) for supporting the plurality of elements, heating means (44) disposed beneath the mold surface, and a heat distribution layer (46) adjacent to the heating means. The mold has one or more first regions (34) configured to support elements of the component having relatively high heat capacity, one or more second regions (36) configured to support elements of the component having relatively low heat capacity, and one or more transition regions (35) defined between the first and second regions. The heat distribution layer in one or more transition regions of the mold is configured to enhance heat transfer within the distribution layer to one or more first regions of the mold.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A mould for a wind turbine component, the component comprising a plurality of elements having different respective heat capacities and the mould comprising:
an inner mould layer defining a mould surface for supporting the plurality of elements;
heating means disposed beneath the mould surface; and
a heat distribution layer adjacent to the heating means;
wherein the mould has one or more first regions configured to support elements of the component having relatively high heat capacity, one or more second regions configured to support elements of the component having relatively low heat capacity, and one or more transition regions defined between the first and second regions; and
wherein the heat distribution layer is of greater thickness and/or has a higher mesh density in the one or more transition regions of the mould than in the one or more second regions of the mould, and
wherein the heat distribution layer in one or more transition regions of the mould is configured to enhance heat transfer within the heat distribution layer to one or more first regions of the mould.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein, in use, the transition region of the mould lies beneath a boundary between an element of the component of relatively high heat capacity and an element of the component of relatively low heat capacity.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein the heat distribution layer is of greater thickness and/or has a higher mesh density in the one of more transition regions of the mould than in the one or more first regions of the mould.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein the heat distribution layer is of greater thickness and/or has a higher mesh density in the one of more of the first regions of the mould than in the one or more of the second regions of the mould.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein the heat distribution layer is of substantially the same thickness and/or has substantially the same mesh density in one or more first regions of the mould and in one or more transition regions of the mould.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein the mould comprises a plurality of heating control zones, each heating control zone comprising a separately controllable heating means, and wherein a first region, a second region and a transition region of the mould are located in the same heating control zone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein the heat distribution layer comprises a plurality of sub-layers.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The mould of claim 7, wherein the heat distribution layer comprises a greater number of sub-layers in one or more of the transition regions of the mould than in one or more of the second regions of the mould.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein the heat distribution layer comprises one or more mesh layers.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein the heat distribution layer is at least partially made of aluminium.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein the heating means comprises electrical heating elements.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein the heating means is embedded in the mould.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein the mould comprises one or more further regions in which the heat distribution layer is not present.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein the component is a wind turbine blade.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein the elements of the component of relatively high heat capacity are made of a carbon-containing material.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The mould of claim 15, wherein the elements of the component having relatively high heat capacity are longitudinally-extending reinforcement members.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The mould of claim 1, wherein the elements of the component having relatively low heat capacity are relatively lightweight core material such as foam and/or balsa elements.

### Claim 18

A method of making a mould for a wind turbine component, the component comprising a plurality of elements having different respective heat capacities, the mould having one or more first regions configured to support elements of the component having relatively high heat capacity, one or more second regions configured to support elements of the component having relatively low heat capacity, and one or more transition regions defined between the first and second regions, and the method comprising:
a. providing a master plug defining an outer surface;
b. arranging fibrous material on the outer surface of the master plug to form an inner mould layer of the mould;
c. arranging a heating means and a heat distribution layer over the fibrous material, the heat distribution layer in a transition region of the mould being configured to enhance heat transfer within the heat distribution layer to a first region of the mould;
d. integrating the inner mould layer, the heating means and the heat distribution layer to form the mould; and
e. separating the mould from the master plug.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the heat distribution layer is of greater thermal conductivity and/or is of greater thickness and/or has a higher mesh density in the transition region of the mould than in the second region of the mould.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the heat distribution layer is of greater thermal conductivity and/or is of greater thickness and/or has a higher mesh density in one or more first regions of the mould than in one or more second region of the mould.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the heat distribution layer is of substantially the same thermal conductivity and/or is of substantially the same thickness and/or has substantially the same mesh density in one or more first regions of the mould and in one or more transition regions of the mould.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, comprising arranging a plurality of separately controllable heating means over the fibrous material, each heating means defining a heating control zone of the mould.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, comprising arranging the heat distribution layer such that a first region, a second region and a transition region are disposed in the same heating control zone.

### Claim 24 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising supplying resin to the fibrous material between steps (b) and (c) in a resin infusion process.

### Claim 25 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising heating the inner mould layer between steps (b) and (c) to cure the resin.

### Claim 26 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the heat distribution layer comprises a plurality of sub-layers, and the method comprises arranging more sub-layers of the heat distribution layer in one or more of the transition regions than in one or more of the second regions.

### Claim 27 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein step (d) comprises supplying resin to the layers in a resin infusion process.

### Claim 28 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein step (d) comprises heating the layers to cure the resin.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, comprising heating the layers using the heating means.

### Claim 30 (depends on 18)

A mould for a wind turbine component made according to the method of claim 18.

### Claim 31 (depends on 1)

A method of making a wind turbine component using the mould of claim 1, wherein the method comprises:
arranging one or more first elements of the component having relatively high heat capacity in one or more first regions of the mould;
arranging one or more second elements of the component having relatively low heat capacity in one or more second regions of the mould;
forming a sealed region around the elements;
reducing a pressure in the sealed region;
optionally, supplying resin to the sealed region; and
heating the mould using the heating means of the mould to cause a net heat flow towards the first elements of the component, wherein the heat flow towards one or more of the first elements is enhanced by the configuration of the heat distribution layer in one or more transition regions of the mould.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31, wherein the component is a wind turbine blade.

### Claim 33

A mould system, comprising:
a wind turbine component having a first element with a first heat capacity and a second element with a second heat capacity, the second heat capacity being lower than the first heat capacity; and
a mould comprising:
an inner mould layer defining a mould surface for supporting the plurality of elements;
heating means disposed beneath the mould surface; and
a heat distribution layer adjacent to the heating means;
wherein the mould has a first region configured to support the first element of the component, a second region configured to support the second element of the component, and a transition region defined between the first and second regions; and
wherein the heat distribution layer in the transition region of the mould is configured to enhance heat transfer within the heat distribution layer to the first region of the mould.