# US 12,215,668 B2 · Wind turbine component, wind turbine, and method for manufacturing of a wind turbine component

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- Number: US 12,215,668 B2
- Document ID: US12215668B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/028,724
- Filed: 2021-09-10
- Published: 2023-11-09
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2020-10-01
- Assignees: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
- Applicants: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
- Inventors: Lars Oliver Bernhammer; Feng Wang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215668B2

## CPC

- F03D 1/0675: {of the blades}
- F03D 1/0633: {of the blades}
- F03D 80/70: Bearing or lubricating arrangements
- F05B 2230/90: Coating; Surface treatment
- F05B 2240/305: Flaps, slats or spoilers
- 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
- 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 wind turbine component adapted to be attached to a wind turbine, wherein the component is a cover element adapted to cover at least one part of a wind turbine or an aerodynamic element adapted to be attached to a rotor blade of a wind turbine, wherein the component includes a main body with a continuous and at least partly curved surface, wherein the main body is formed by a layer stack including a plurality of layers, wherein at least two of the layers are of a different material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for manufacturing of a wind turbine component, wherein the wind turbine component comprises a main body with a continuous and at least partly curved surface, comprising the steps of:
providing a layer stack comprising a plurality of planar or substantially planar layers,
wherein at least two of the layers are of a different material,
wherein the layer stack comprises at least one inner layer and at least one outer layer,
wherein at least one sensing layer and/or at least one active layer is provided between the at least one inner layer and the at least one outer layer, and wherein the at least one sensing layer and/or the at least one active layer and the at least one inner layer are embedded within and completely surrounded by the at least one outer layer,
fabricating the main body from the layer stack, wherein the continuous and at least partly curved surface of the main body is formed in a vacuum forming process;
providing the wind turbine component as a cover element; and
providing the cover element as a bearing cover for covering a main bearing of a wind turbine or an edge protection cover for a leading edge or a trailing edge of a rotor blade.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing the layer stack with a supporting layer as the at least one inner layer and a protective layer as the at least one outer layer, wherein the material of the at least one inner layer is more rigid than the material of the at least one outer layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing the layer stack with at least one layer of a varying thickness and/or at least one thickness gradient, which is in at least one of a chord-wise direction and/or in a span-wise direction of the wind turbine component, and/or providing the layer stack with a tapered portion in at least one edge region of the layer stack, wherein the thickness of the layer stack in the tapered portion decreases towards the at least one edge region of the layer stack, wherein the tapered portion provides the at least one edge region of the main body during fabrication of the main body.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing the layer stack with at least one layer comprising a plastic material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing the at least one sensing layer with at least one electrically conductive and/or optically conductive and/or piezo-resistive material, and/or wherein the at least one active layer changes a geometry and/or a property of the wind turbine component.