Methods for manufacturing blade structures
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsVidyashankar Ramasastry Buravalla, Paul Mathew, Sriram Krishnamurthy
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Abstract
A method for manufacturing a blade structure includes providing the blade structure comprising an outer surface having an aerodynamic profile. The method also includes applying one or more shape memory alloys to the outer surface of the blade structure so as to form an outer protection layer on at least a portion of the blade structure. Moreover, the method includes securing the one or more shape memory alloys to the blade structure.
Claims16
A method for manufacturing a blade structure for a wind turbine, the method comprising:
- providing the blade structure comprising an outer surface having an aerodynamic profile;
- applying a sheet on the outer surface of the blade structure, wherein the sheet has a thickness ranging from about 0.25 millimeters (mm) to about 2 mm;
- applying one or more shape memory alloys to the outer surface of the blade structure so as to form an outer protection layer on at least a portion of the blade structure, wherein applying the one or more shape memory alloys comprises coating the outer surface of the blade structure with a coating comprising the one or more shape memory alloys, wherein the sheet is applied before applying the one or more shape memory alloys;
- and
- securing the one or more shape memory alloys to the blade structure.
A rotor blade structure for a wind turbine, the rotor blade structure comprising:
- a rotor blade comprising an outer surface that defines an aerodynamic profile;
- a sheet applied on the outer surface of the blade structure, wherein the sheet has a thickness ranging from about 0.25 millimeters (mm) to about 2 mm;
- an outer protection layer formed of one or more shape memory alloys, wherein the outer protection layer is adhered to at least a portion of the outer surface of the rotor blade so as to protect the outer surface of the rotor blade, wherein the outer protection layer comprises a coating applied to the outer surface, wherein the sheet is applied before applying the one or more shape memory alloys.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.