US 12,624,677 B2 · Reinforcement of a wind turbine blade

Abstract

The present invention provides a to method for reinforcing a wind turbine blade, such as a root end. The root end comprises a first and a second bushing for attaching the wind turbine blade to a wind turbine hub, the bushings being located between an inner sidewall of the root end and an outer sidewall of the root end, the bushings being separated by retaining material, the method comprising forming a first injection channel in the retaining material; forming a first pressure release channel in the first retaining material, wherein the first pressure release channel is formed to be in fluid communication with the first injection channel in a region between the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall; and injecting adhesive material into the first injection channel at least until adhesive material enters the formed first pressure release channel. The invention also provides a wind turbine blade having a root end that has been reinforced using such a method. Further aspects are provided.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A method for reinforcing a root end (16) of a wind turbine blade, the root end (16) comprising a plurality of bushings (311, 312) for attaching the wind turbine blade (10) to a wind turbine hub (8), each bushing being located between an inner sidewall (405) of the root end and an outer sidewall (406) of the root end (16), the plurality of bushings being mutually separated by retaining material (301, 302, 303), a first bushing (311) and a second bushing (312) of the plurality of bushings (311, 312) being separated by first retaining material (301), the method comprising:

(i) forming a first injection channel (561, 661) in the first retaining material (301),
(ii) forming a first pressure release channel (562, 662) in the first retaining material (301), wherein the first pressure release channel (562, 662) is formed to be in fluid communication with the first injection channel (561) in a region between the inner sidewall (405) and the outer sidewall (406), and
(iii) injecting adhesive material (571, 671) into the first injection channel (561) at least until adhesive material enters the formed first pressure release channel (562).

A method for reinforcing a first wind turbine blade region, the method comprising:

(i) forming, from an interior of a wind turbine blade, a first injection channel (661, 1961, 2061) into the first region,
(ii) forming, from an interior of the wind turbine blade, a first pressure release channel (662, 1962, 2062) into the first region, wherein the first pressure release channel (662, 1962, 2062) is formed to be in fluid communication with the first injection channel (661, 1961, 2061) within the first region, and
(iii) injecting adhesive material (671, 1971, 2071) into the first injection channel (661, 1961, 2061) at least until adhesive material enters the formed first pressure release channel 662, 1962, 2062),
wherein the first wind turbine blade region comprises a root end (16) of the wind turbine blade (10), the root end (16) comprising a plurality of bushings (311, 312) for attaching the wind turbine blade (10) to a wind turbine hub (8), each of the bushings being located between an inner sidewall (405) of the root end and an outer sidewall (406) of the root end (16), the plurality of bushings being mutually separated by retaining material (301, 302, 303), a first bushing (311) and a second bushing (312) of the plurality of bushings (311, 312) being separated by first retaining material (301),
wherein the first injection channel (661, 1961, 2061) is formed in the first retaining material (301) in the first region,
wherein the first pressure release channel (662, 1962, 2062) is formed in the first retaining material (301), wherein the first pressure release channel (662, 1962, 2062) is formed to be in fluid communication with the first injection channel (561) between the inner sidewall (405) and the outer sidewall (406) in the first region.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Reinforcement of a wind turbine blade

Life of this patent

Reinforcement of a wind turbine blade

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33