# US 11,994,101 B2 · Wind turbine rotor blade, mounting sleeve and method for connecting two rotor blade segments > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,101 B2 - Document ID: US11994101B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/712,745 - Filed: 2022-04-04 - Published: 2022-07-21 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-02 - Assignees: Nordex Energy GmbH - Applicants: Nordex Energy SE & Co. KG - Inventors: Gerald Festner; Torsten Wackrow; Nils Toenissen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994101B2 ## CPC - F03D 1/0675: {of the blades} - F03D 1/0677: {Longitudinally segmented blades; Connectors therefor} - F05B 2230/60: Assembly methods - F05B 2240/302: Segmented or sectional blades - F05B 2260/301: Retaining bolts or nuts - Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction - F03D: WIND MOTORS - F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A wind turbine rotor blade has a first rotor blade segment with a first connection end and a second rotor blade segment with a second connection end assigned to the first end. The first segment has first mounting sleeves at the first end. The first mounting sleeves each have a first internal thread. The second rotor blade segment has second mounting sleeves at the second connection end. Each of the second sleeves define a longitudinal axis and has a second internal thread arranged therein. Each of the second internal threads is displaceable axially with respect to the corresponding longitudinal axes. The rotor blade further has a plurality of connecting bolts threadably engaging a pair of first and second sleeves via corresponding internal threads such that the first segment and the second segment are mechanically interconnected at the first end and the second end. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wind turbine rotor blade comprising: a first rotor blade segment having a first connection end; a second rotor blade segment having a second connection end assigned to said first connection end; said first rotor blade segment having a plurality of first mounting sleeves at said first connection end; said plurality of first mounting sleeves each having a first internal thread; said second rotor blade segment having a plurality of second mounting sleeves at said second connection end; each of said plurality of second mounting sleeves defining a longitudinal axis and having a second internal thread arranged therein, wherein each of said second internal threads is displaceable axially with respect to a corresponding one of the longitudinal axes; a plurality of connecting bolts each configured to threadably engage a pair of mutually aligned ones of said plurality of first mounting sleeves and said plurality of second mounting sleeves via corresponding ones of said first internal thread and said second internal thread such that said first rotor blade segment and said second rotor blade segment are mechanically interconnected at said first connection end and said second connection end; and, each of said plurality of second mounting sleeves having an axially displaceable threaded insert which includes said second internal thread. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1, wherein each of said first internal threads is arranged in a fixed position with respect to a corresponding one of said first mounting sleeves. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1, wherein each of said first mounting sleeves defines a corresponding first longitudinal axis; and, each of said first internal threads is displaceable axially with respect to a corresponding one of said first longitudinal axes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1, wherein an axial displaceability of each second internal thread is limited. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1, wherein an outer shaping of said plurality of axially displaceable threaded inserts is matched to an inner shaping of a corresponding one of said second mounting sleeves such that each axially displaceable threaded insert is guided in the corresponding one of said second mounting sleeves in a manner secure against rotation via a form fit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 5, wherein the outer shaping of each of said axially displaceable threaded inserts includes a polygonal shape. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 5, wherein the outer shaping of each of said axially displaceable threaded inserts includes a polygonal shape with rounded edges. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of connecting bolts has a tool engagement point. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The wind turbine of claim 8, wherein said tool engagement point is hexagonal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of pressure pieces arranged between said first connection end of said first rotor blade segment and said second connection end of said second rotor blade segment; and, each of said plurality of pressure pieces is configured as a sleeve and applied to a corresponding one of said plurality of connecting bolts. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 10, wherein each of said connecting bolts has a tool engagement point; and, each of said plurality of pressure pieces defines at least one opening configured to provide access to said tool engagement point. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 11, wherein each of said plurality of pressure pieces has a wall delimiting said at least one opening and each of said walls delimiting said at least one opening are provided with at least one bevel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1, wherein said first internal threads include right-handed threads and said second internal threads include left-handed threads; or, said first internal threads include left-handed threads and said second internal threads include right-handed threads. ### Claim 14 A mounting sleeve for a wind turbine rotor blade including a first rotor blade segment having a first connection end and a second rotor blade segment having a second connection end assigned to the first connection end, the first rotor blade segment having a first mounting sleeve at the first connection end, the first mounting sleeve having a first internal thread; the mounting sleeve comprising: a mounting sleeve body defining a longitudinal axis and having an internal thread arranged therein; said internal thread being displaceable axially with respect to the longitudinal axis; and, wherein the wind turbine rotor blade includes a connecting bolt configured to threadably engage the first mounting sleeve and the mounting sleeve via the first internal thread and said internal thread such that the first rotor blade segment and the second rotor blade segment are mechanically interconnected at the first connection end and the second connection end; and, an axially displaceable threaded insert which includes said internal thread. ### Claim 15 A method for connecting a first rotor blade segment of a wind turbine rotor blade to a second rotor blade segment of the rotor blade, wherein the first rotor blade segment has a first connection end and the second rotor blade segment has a second connection end assigned to the first connection end, the first rotor blade segment has at the first connection end a plurality of first mounting sleeves which each have a first internal thread, and the second rotor blade segment has, at the second connection end, a plurality of second mounting sleeves which each have a second internal thread, wherein each of the plurality of second internal threads is displaceable axially with respect to a longitudinal axis of the corresponding second mounting sleeve, the method comprising: partially screwing connecting bolts into the second internal threads of the second connecting end such that each of the connecting bolts projects by a predetermined length from the second connection end; bringing the first connection end of the first rotor blade segment to the second connection end of the second rotor blade segment; partially screwing the connecting bolts into corresponding ones of the first internal threads of the first connection end; pushing together the two rotor blade segments; and, tightly screwing each of the connecting bolts such that a predetermined distance is achieved between a reference point defined on the connecting bolt and one of the first connection end and the second connection end. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising, after the step of partially screwing the connecting bolts into the second internal thread, applying a pressure piece to each of the connecting bolts; and, wherein, in said tightly screwing step, the predetermined distance is achieved on a basis of a tool engagement point of the pressure pieces as the reference point.