Methods for manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsStephen Bertram Johnson, Xiomara Irizarry-Rosado, Arunkumar Natarajan
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Abstract
The present subject matter is directed to methods for manufacturing rotor blades and/or components thereof of a wind turbine. In one embodiment, the method includes forming the rotor blade component and covering at least a portion of the rotor blade component with at least one coating material. In addition, the coating material includes at least one additive having a changeable pigment. After the component is formed, the method includes inspecting the rotor blade component for defects. After inspection, the method further includes activating the additive to change the pigment from a transparent finish to a colored finish.
Claims20
A method for manufacturing a rotor blade component of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
- forming the rotor blade component with an outer surface at least partially covered with at least one coating material, the coating material comprising at least one additive having a changeable pigment;
- inspecting the rotor blade component for defects;
- and,
- after inspection, activating the additive to change the pigment from a transparent finish to a colored finish.
A rotor blade component of a wind turbine, comprising:
- a body defining an exterior surface of the rotor blade component;
- and,
- an outer coating material covering at least a portion of the exterior surface of the body, the outer coating material comprising at least one additive having a changeable pigment, the changeable pigment configured to change between a transparent finish to a colored finish.
A method for manufacturing a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
- providing a mold of the rotor blade;
- coating at least a portion of the mold with at least one coating material, the coating material comprising at least one additive having a changeable pigment;
- placing a plurality of fiber-reinforcing fabrics into the mold atop the coating material;
- infusing the plurality of fiber-reinforcing fabrics and the coating material with a resin material;
- and,
- allowing the resin material to cure to form the rotor blade, the coating material forming an outer surface of the rotor blade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.