Erosion resistant leading edge cap for a wind turbine rotor blade

A rotor blade for a wind turbine, the rotor blade comprising:

• a blade root;
• a blade tip opposite the blade root;
• a body shell extending between the blade root and the blade tip, the body shell including a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the body shell defining an outer shell surface and being formed from a fiber-reinforced composite including a plurality of fibers surrounded by a shell thermoplastic resin material;
• and
• a leading edge cap coupled to the body shell at the leading edge, the leading edge cap being formed from a fiber-reinforced composite including an inner surface extending directly adjacent to the body shell along a portion of the outer shell surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, the fiber-reinforced composite including a plurality of fibers surrounded by a thermoplastic resin material,
• wherein the thermoplastic resin material of the leading edge cap is welded to the shell thermoplastic resin material of the body shell at an interface defined between the inner surface of the leading edge cap and the outer shell surface of the body shell, and
• wherein a portion of the outer shell surface of the body shell is recessed such that the body shell defines a recessed area extending across the leading edge between first and second ends, the leading edge cap being received within the recessed area.

A method for assembling a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the rotor blade including a body shell having a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the method comprising:

• positioning a leading edge cap adjacent to an outer shell surface of the body shell at the leading edge of the rotor blade, the body shell being formed at least partially from a shell thermoplastic resin material, the leading edge cap being formed from a fiber-reinforced composite including an inner surface extending directly adjacent to the outer shell surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, the fiber-reinforced composite including a plurality of fibers surrounded by a thermoplastic resin material;
• and
• welding the thermoplastic resin material of the leading edge cap to the shell thermoplastic resin material of the body shell at an interface defined between the inner surface of the leading edge cap and the outer shell surface of the body shell,
• wherein a portion of the outer shell surface of the body shell is recessed such that the body shell defines a recessed area extending across the leading edge between first and second ends, the leading edge cap being received within the recessed area.