US 2003/0116262 A1Published application

Method for manufacturing windmill blades

AssigneeBonus Energy A/S

InventorsHenrik Stiesdal, Peder Bay Enevoldsen, Kaj Johansen, Jens Jorgen O. Kristensen, Michael Norlem, Martin Winther-Jensen

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Abstract

There is disclosed a method for making a windmill blade whereby problems with glue joints and with exposure of the workers to environmentally hazardous substances are avoided. This is effected by making the windmill blade in a closed mold with a mold core (3) inside mold parts (22, 48) for formation of a mold cavity (51), in which fiber material (45,47) and core material (46) are placed. After applying vacuum to the mold cavity (51), matrix material (57) is injected via a filling pipe (29), which is placed at a downwardly oriented side edge of the blade during the filling. Hereby is established a flow front (61) which is used for indicating complete filling when this reaches the trailing edge of the blade and penetrates out through overflow apertures.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method for making a windmill blade of composite materials that include a fiber reinforced matrix material, the improvement comprising that the blade is made in one piece in a closed mold and comprising steps that provide:

a mold core with a flexible external core part and an internal, firm or workable core part, and outer mold parts arranged to close around the mold core for formation of a mold cavity there between,
that composite material and possible core inserts are laid on an outer mold part and/or the mold core,
that the outer mold parts are closed around the mold core and around the composite material placed in the mold cavity,
that the composite material is set,
that the outer mold parts are removed, and
that the mold core is taken out of the shape permanent blade before or after removing the outer mold parts.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/292,904Filed 13 Nov 2002
Priority: DK PA 2001 0168613 Nov 2001
Published: 26 Jun 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

B29D 99/0028
Producing blades or the like, e.g. blades for turbines, propellers, or wings: hollow blades
B29C 70/443
Using isostatic pressure, e.g. pressure difference-moulding, vacuum bag-moulding, autoclave-moulding or expanding rubber-moulding: and…
B29C 70/48
Using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs: and impregnating the reinforcements in the closed mould, e.g.…
B29C 70/546
Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations , e.g. feeding or storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing:…