Modular wind turbine blade with lightning protection system
AssigneeVestas Wind Systems A/S
InventorsJulian Anaya Calvo, Nathan A. Brilliant, Toby Collard, Lasse Lykkegaard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wind turbine blade having at least two blade modules extending in the spanwise direction of the blade and being configured for connection end-to-end at a connection joint An electromagnetic shield is positioned in electrically conductive contact with the blade modules and extending across the connection joint in the spanwise direction.
Claims17
A wind turbine blade extending longitudinally in a spanwise direction between a root end and a tip end, and extending in a chordwise direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the wind turbine blade comprising:
- a first blade module having a first spar cap portion extending in the spanwise direction of the wind turbine blade, the first spar cap portion comprising electrically conductive fibres;
- a second blade module having a second spar cap portion extending in the spanwise direction of the wind turbine blade, the second spar cap portion comprising electrically conductive fibres;
- the first spar cap portion and the second spar cap portion each having an outer surface facing towards an exterior of the blade, an inner surface facing towards an interior of the blade, a first side surface facing towards the leading edge of the blade, and a second side surface facing towards the trailing edge of the blade;
- the first blade module and the second blade module being configured for connection end-to-end via their respective spar cap portions at a connection joint;
- wherein an electromagnetic shield is positioned on and in electrically conductive contact with at least one surface of the first spar cap portion and at least one surface of the second spar cap portion, the electromagnetic shield extending across the connection joint in the spanwise direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.