US 11,072,129 B2 · Method and apparatus for assembling a wind turbine blade having an internal web

Abstract

A method and apparatus for assembling a wind turbine blade (10) including first and second outer shell portions (16, 18) and an internal web (12) are provided. An adhesive material (42) is applied to a top end (30) of the internal web (12) as well as the edges (62, 64) of the first outer shell portion (16) for connection to the second outer shell portion (18). Localized heat energy is applied to pre-cure the adhesive material (42) at the top end (30) of the internal web (12) before applying heat energy to fully cure all of the adhesive material (42) in the wind turbine blade (10). The pre-curing is performed by a removable localized heater device (72), and it assures that the integrity of the bond between the internal web (12) and the second outer shell portion (18) is maintained during the full curing of the blade (10), when temporary thermal deformation of the outer shell (14) sometimes occurs.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method of assembling a wind turbine blade including first and second outer shell portions and an internal web, the method comprising:

coupling a bottom end of the internal web with the first outer shell portion;
applying an adhesive material to a top end of the internal web and to edges of the first outer shell portion;
engaging the second outer shell portion with the edges of the first outer shell portion and with the top end of the internal web to enclose the internal web inside the first and second outer shell portions;
applying localized heat energy to the adhesive material at the top end of the internal web to pre-cure the adhesive material and thereby bond the top end of the internal web with the second outer shell portion;
and
after pre-curing the adhesive material at the top end of the internal web, applying heat energy to the first and second outer shell portions to cure the adhesive material at the edges of the first outer shell portion and thereby bond the first and second outer shell portions together.

3 more elements

An apparatus for assembling a wind turbine blade including first and second outer shell portions and an internal web, the apparatus comprising:

a mould including first and second mould halves defining surfaces on which the first and second outer shell portions are assembled, the first and second mould halves being moveable between open and closed positions and being configured to apply heat energy to cure adhesive material in the wind turbine blade;
a localized heating device sized for placement adjacent a top end of the internal web and configured to apply localized heat energy to pre-cure an adhesive material at the top end of the internal web to bond the internal web to one of the first and second outer shell portions;
a holding device that is removably engageable with the top end of the internal web to position the localized heating device adjacent the top end;
and
a controller operatively connected to the mould and to the localized heating device, the controller being programmed to operate the localized heating device to pre-cure adhesive material at the top end of the internal web before operating an application of heat energy with the mould.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for assembling a wind turbine blade having an internal web

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for assembling a wind turbine blade having an internal web

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16