Container comprising fibre material for a fibre-reinforced composite component
AssigneeBlade Dynamics Limited
InventorPaul Todd
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a container having a cavity, wherein the cavity has a cavity pressure and comprises fibre material suitable for manufacturing one or more fibre-reinforced composite components for a wind turbine blade, and at least a part of the fibre material touches a first part of a wall of the container, at least the first part of the wall consisting of a flexible airtight material, and a ratio of an entire volume of non-cured polymer in the cavity to an entire volume of the fibre material in the cavity is less than 0.3, and the container is adapted to prevent inflow of a polymer into the cavity. A method for preparing such a container is also disclosed. A method for laying fibre material into a mould is also disclosed.
Claims20
A method for providing a container comprising fibre material suitable for manufacturing one or more fibre-reinforced composite components for a wind turbine blade, the method comprising:
- selecting an interchangeable preform (62) with a desired shape for shaping the fibre material (85) to the desired shape;
- arranging the fibre material (85) on the interchangeable preform (62), the interchangeable preform (62) being supported on a board (61);
- forming a cavity by arranging a flexible airtight material (65) in contact with the board (61), the cavity surrounding the arranged fibre material (85) and the interchangeable preform (62);
- and
- sealing off the cavity so as to prevent inflow of polymer into the cavity.
A method for laying up fibre material in a mould (21) having a mould surface (22), the method comprising:
- providing a container (100) having a cavity, wherein the cavity has a cavity pressure and comprises fibre material (85) suitable for manufacturing one or more fibre-reinforced composite components for a wind turbine blade, and at least a part of the fibre material (85) touches a first part (65) of a wall (61, 65) of the container, at least the first part (65) of the wall comprising a flexible airtight material (65), and the container is adapted to prevent inflow of a polymer into the cavity;
- arranging the container on the mould surface and/or on material prearranged (91) on the mould surface, wherein the container is arranged such that the first part of the wall of the container is supported by the mould surface and/or by the prearranged material, and the fibre material is supported at least partly by the first part of the wall of the container;
- allowing the cavity pressure to assume an ambient pressure surrounding the container;
- and
- removing at least a part of the flexible airtight material from between the fibre material and the mould surface and/or the prearranged material, the removing being performed while at least part of the fibre material continues to be supported at least partly by the first part of the wall of the container.
A container (100) having a cavity, wherein the cavity has a cavity pressure and comprises fibre material (85) suitable for manufacturing one or more fibre-reinforced composite components for a wind turbine blade, wherein at least a part of the fibre material (85) touches a first part (65) of a wall (61, 65) of the container, at least the first part (65) of the wall consisting of a flexible airtight material (65), wherein the container is adapted to prevent inflow of a polymer into the cavity, and wherein the container (100) further comprises an interchangeable preform (62) such that the fibre material (85) is arranged on the interchangeable preform (62) to shape the fibre material (85) with a desired shape.
A container (100) having a cavity, wherein the cavity has a cavity pressure and comprises fibre material (85) suitable for manufacturing one or more fibre-reinforced composite components for a wind turbine blade, wherein at least a part of the fibre material (85) touches a first part (65) of a wall (61, 65) of the container, at least the first part (65) of the wall comprising a flexible airtight material (65), wherein the container is impermeable to polymer so as to prevent inflow of a polymer into the cavity, and wherein the container (100) further comprises an interchangeable preform (62) such that the fibre material (85) is arranged on the interchangeable preform (62) to shape the fibre material (85) with a desired shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.