Methods for Manufacturing Flatback Airfoils for Wind Turbine Rotor Blades
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsDavid Roberts, Nicholas K. Althoff, Michael Wenani Nielsen, James Robert Tobin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods for manufacturing a wind turbine rotor blade having a flatback airfoil configuration along at least a portion of a span of the rotor blade include providing a shell mold of the rotor blade. The method also includes laying up an outer skin layer of the rotor blade into the shell mold. Further, the method includes placing at least one pre-fabricated corner of the flatback airfoil configuration into the shell mold. The pre-fabricated corner(s) has a pointed edge. The method also includes infusing the outer skin layer with the pre-fabricated corner(s) to form the flatback airfoil configuration.
Claims20
A method for manufacturing a wind turbine rotor blade having a flatback airfoil configuration along at least a portion of a span of the rotor blade, the method comprising:
- providing a shell mold of the rotor blade;
- laying up an outer skin layer of the rotor blade into the shell mold;
- placing at least one pre-fabricated corner of the flatback airfoil configuration into the shell mold, the at least one pre-fabricated corner having a pointed edge;
- and,
- infusing the outer skin layer with the at least one pre-fabricated corner to form the flatback airfoil configuration.
A rotor blade, comprising:
- exterior surfaces comprising a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge and a trailing edge each extending in a generally span-wise direction between an inboard region and an outboard region,
- wherein the trailing edge comprises a flatback airfoil configuration in the inboard region, the flatback airfoil configuration comprising at least one pre-fabricated corner co-infused with the exterior surfaces, the at least one pre-fabricated corner formed using a thermoplastic material, the at least one pre-fabricated corner having a pointed edge.
A method for manufacturing a flatback airfoil, the method comprising:
- providing a shell mold of the airfoil;
- laying up an outer skin layer of the airfoil into the shell mold;
- forming at least one corner of the flatback airfoil via additive manufacturing, the at least one corner defining a pointed edge of the airfoil;
- and,
- securing the at least one corner exterior to the outer skin layer to form the flatback airfoil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.