Systems and methods for manufacturing rotor blades

A method for manufacturing a rotor blade shell, the method comprising:

• forming a continuous sheet of fiber-reinforced polymer material using a continuous process;
• forming a plurality of flat sheets from the continuous sheet of fiber-reinforced polymer material by cutting the continuous sheet into the plurality of flat sheets to a predetermined size;
• forming the plurality of flat sheets of the fiber-reinforced polymer material into a plurality of curved sheets of the fiber-reinforced polymer material;
• after forming the plurality of flat sheets of the fiber-reinforced polymer material into the plurality of curved sheets of the fiber-reinforced polymer material, assembling the plurality of curved sheets of the fiber-reinforced polymer material in a mold assembly of the rotor blade shell to form an outer shape of the rotor blade shell;
• positioning a shear web in the mold assembly along with assembling the plurality of curved sheets of the fiber-reinforced polymer material, wherein the shear web comprises a flexible, Y-shaped configuration having legs with inward-extending feet;
• providing an adhesive on the inward-extending feet such that, when the mold assembly is closed, the legs flex outward to reduce a gap tolerance between the inward-extending feet and the rotor blade shell, wherein, upon curing, the adhesive secures the shear web in place;
• and
• securing each of the plurality of curved sheets of the fiber-reinforced polymer material together to form the rotor blade shell.