# US 12,110,860 B2 · Wind turbine blade manufacture

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- Number: US 12,110,860 B2
- Document ID: US12110860B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/415,052
- Filed: 2019-12-18
- Published: 2022-03-03
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-20
- Assignees: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
- Applicants: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
- Inventors: Robert Charles Preston; Sean Keohan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110860B2

## CPC

- F03D 1/0675: {of the blades}
- B29C 65/8292: {by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves}
- B29C 66/112: {Single lapped joints}
- B29C 66/1122: {Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints (B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence)}
- B29C 66/131: {Single flanged joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being rigid and flanged in the joint area}
- B29C 66/322: {Providing cavities in the joined article to collect the burr}
- B29C 66/326: {Shaping the burr, e.g. by the joining tool}
- B29C 66/474: {said single elements being substantially non-flat}
- B29C 66/524: {Joining profiled elements}
- B29C 66/532: {Joining single elements to the wall of tubular articles, hollow articles or bars}
- B29C 66/636: {using a support which remains in the joined object}
- B29C 65/48: using adhesives {, i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding}
- B29C 66/7212: {characterised by the composition of the fibres}
- B29C 66/73751: {the to-be-joined area of at least one of the parts to be joined being uncured, i.e. non cross-linked, non vulcanized}
- B29C 66/73941: {characterised by the materials of both parts being thermosets}
- B29L 2031/085: {Wind turbine blades}
- B32B 37/12: characterised by using adhesives
- B32B 2603/00: Vanes, blades, propellers, rotors with blades
- F05B 2230/50: Building or constructing in particular ways
- F05B 2240/302: Segmented or sectional blades
- F05B 2280/6015: Resin
- Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- F03D: WIND MOTORS
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- 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
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A method of forming a structural web for a wind turbine blade comprises providing a web member having a web portion and a flange portion extending away from each other, where 5 a heel of substantially curvilinear form is located between the web portion and the flange portion. A planar flange extender comprising a cured composite material is arranged together with the web member with the flange extender positioned adjacent to the flange portion so that a portion of the flange extender projects past the heel and away from the web portion. The flange extender is integrated with the web member in a resin matrix, or 10 with an adhesive, to form the structural web. A structural web and a wind turbine blade comprising the web is disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming a structural web for a wind turbine blade, the method comprising:
providing a web member having a web portion and a flange portion extending away from the web portion, wherein the web member comprises a heel of substantially curvilinear form located between the web portion and the flange portion;
providing a flange extender of substantially planar form, wherein the flange extender comprises a cured composite material;
arranging the cured flange extender together with the web member such that the cured flange extender is positioned adjacent to the flange portion and such that a portion of the cured flange extender projects past the heel and away from the web portion; and then
integrating the cured flange extender together with the web member in a resin matrix, or with an adhesive, to form the structural web,
wherein the resin matrix, or adhesive, between the heel and the cured flange extender is externally exposed so as to permit a visual inspection of a bond between the web member and the cured flange extender at the heel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising applying adhesive between the web member and the flange extender.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, comprising applying the adhesive in a region of the heel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein applying the adhesive comprises applying the adhesive to the web member and the flange extender at substantially the same time.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, comprising placing a filler material between the web member and the flange extender.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, wherein the filler material comprises a rope positioned substantially adjacent to the heel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein applying the adhesive comprises:
applying a bead of adhesive to the flange portion;
bringing the flange extender into contact with the adhesive; and
applying a compressive force between the flange portion and the flange extender.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the web member comprises an uncured composite material prior integration of the flange extender with the web member.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, comprising forming a fillet in the adhesive.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the web member comprises two flange portions.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, wherein the web member has a substantially C-shaped cross-section.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, comprising integrating a flange extender with each flange portion.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of forming a wind turbine blade, the method comprising:
forming a structural web using the method of claim 1;
positioning the structural web between windward and leeward wind turbine blade shells; and
bonding the structural web to the windward and leeward wind turbine blade shells.

### Claim 14

A structural web for a wind turbine blade comprising:
a web member having a web portion and a flange portion extending away from the web portion, wherein the web member comprises a heel of substantially curvilinear form located between the web portion and the flange portion; and
a cured flange extender integrated with the flange portion of the web member using a resin matrix or with an adhesive to form the structural web, wherein a first section of the cured flange extender overlies the flange portion and a second section of the cured flange extender extends past the heel and away from the web portion of the web member,
wherein the resin matrix or adhesive between the heel and the cured flange extender is externally exposed so as to permit a visual inspection of a bond between the web member and the cured flange extender at the heel.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The structural web according to claim 14, comprising a bead of adhesive located between the heel of the web member and the flange extender.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The structural web according to claim 15, comprising a rope filler material embedded within, or located under, the bead of adhesive.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

A wind turbine blade comprising the structural web of claim 14.