Spacer material, for reducing a bond gap between a beam structure and a blade shell of a segmented rotor blade

A method of joining a first blade segment of a rotor blade of a wind turbine to a second blade segment of the rotor blade of the wind turbine at a chord-wise joint, wherein each of the first and second rotor blade segments comprises one or more shell members and an internal support structure, the method comprising:

• forming a beam structure extending spanwise between a first end at the chord-wise joint and a second end at a tip of the rotor blade, the beam structure defining one or more shear webs connected with a suction side spar cap and a pressure side spar cap of the first blade segment, the first end of the beam structure extending spanwise beyond the chord-wise joint;
• forming a receiving section of the internal support structure of the second blade segment, wherein the receiving section includes one or more shear webs connected with a suction side spar cap and a pressure side spar cap, the beam structure configured to fit within the receiving section such that the spar caps in the beam structure are offset from the shell members of the first blade segment as compared to the spar caps and shell members of the second blade segment by a first bond gap;
• securing at least one spacer material to at least one of an exterior surface of the beam structure or an inner surface of the one or more shell members of the first blade segment wherein the at least one spacer material spans a continuous distance from the first end to the second end of the beam structure;
• inserting the beam structure of the first blade segment into the receiving section of the second blade segment, wherein the at least one spacer material reduces the first bond gap between the exterior surface of the beam structure and the inner surface of the one or more shell members;
• and,
• securing the first and second blade segments together.

A rotor blade for a wind turbine, comprising:

• a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint, each of the first and second blade segments comprising a pressure side shell member, a suction side shell member, and an internal support structure;
• the internal support structure of the first blade segment comprising:
• a beam structure positioned adjacent to a linear mounting surface of at least one spacer material, the beam structure extending spanwise between a first end at the chord-wise joint and a second end at the tip of the rotor blade, the beam structure defining one or more shear webs connected with a suction side spar cap and a pressure side spar cap of the first blade segment, the first end of the beam structure extending spanwise beyond the chord-wise joint,
• the internal support structure of the second blade segment comprising:
• a receiving section that receives the beam structure of the first blade segment, the beam structure and the receiving section coupled to an inner surface of the one or more shell members of the first blade segment and the second blade segment, respectively, wherein the receiving section includes one or more shear webs connected with a suction side spar cap and a pressure side spar cap, the beam structure fitting within the receiving section such that the spar caps in the beam structure are offset from the shell members of the first blade segment as compared to the spar caps and shell members of the second blade segment by a first bond gap;
• and,
• the at least one spacer material positioned adjacent to an inner surface of the pressure side or suction side shell member of the first blade segment and configured so as to provide the linear mounting surface, wherein the at least one spacer material spans a continuous distance from the first end to the second end of the beam structure.