Shear web for a wind turbine rotor blade
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorAaron A. Yarbrough
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotor blade for a wind turbine includes an upper shell member having a spar cap configured on an internal face thereof, a lower shell member having a spar cap configured on an internal face thereof, and a shear web assembly extending between the spar caps along a longitudinal length of the rotor blade. The shear web assembly includes, at least, a first shear web and a second shear web. The first shear web starts at a blade root of the rotor blade and extends to an intermediate span location. The second shear web overlaps the first shear web at the intermediate span location and extends towards a blade tip of the rotor blade so as to provide increase torsional rigidity to the rotor blade.
Claims19
A rotor blade for a wind turbine, the rotor blade comprising:
- an upper shell member having a spar cap configured on an internal face thereof;
- a lower shell member having a spar cap configured on an internal face thereof;
- and,
- a shear web assembly extending between the spar caps along a span of the rotor blade, the shear web assembly comprising, at least, a first shear web and a second shear web, the first shear web starting at a blade root of the rotor blade and extending to a first intermediate span location, the second shear web starting at a second intermediate span location, the second intermediate span location being closer to the blade root than the first intermediate span location, the second shear web overlapping the first shear web between the first and second intermediate span locations and extending towards a blade tip of the rotor blade.
A rotor blade for a wind turbine, the rotor blade comprising:
- an upper shell member having a spar cap configured on an internal face thereof;
- a lower shell member having a spar cap configured on an internal face thereof;
- and,
- a shear web assembly extending between the spar caps along a span of the rotor blade, the shear web assembly comprising, at least, a first shear web and a second shear web, the first shear web starting at a blade root of the rotor blade and extending toward a blade tip of the rotor blade to a first intermediate span location, the second shear web starting at a second intermediate span location, the second intermediate span location being closer to the blade root than the first intermediate span location, the second shear web overlapping the first shear web between the first and second intermediate span locations.
A method for manufacturing a rotor blade having increased torsional rigidity, the method comprising:
- providing upper and lower shell members with spar caps configured on respective internal faces thereof;
- placing a first shear web along a span of the rotor blade from a blade root towards a blade tip thereof between the spar caps to a first intermediate span location;
- placing a second shear web along the span of the rotor blade starting at a second intermediate span location, the second intermediate span location being closer to the blade root than the first intermediate span location such that a portion of the second shear web overlaps the first shear web between the first and second intermediate span locations;
- and,
- joining the upper and lower shell members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.