Methods for Manufacturing Wind Turbine Rotor Blade Components
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsBensely Albert, Nicholas K. Althoff, Stephen Bertram Johnson
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Abstract
A method for manufacturing a rotor blade component of a rotor blade includes feeding a flat sheet of material into a thermoforming system, wherein the material comprises at least one of a thermoplastic or thermoset material. The method also includes heating the flat sheet of material via the thermoforming system. Further, the method includes shaping the heated flat sheet of material via at least one roller of the thermoforming system into a desired curved shape. Moreover, the method includes dispensing the shaped sheet of material from the thermoforming system. In addition, the method includes cooling the shaped sheet of material to form the rotor blade component.
Claims20
A method for manufacturing a rotor blade component of a rotor blade, the method comprising:
- feeding a flat sheet of material into a thermoforming system, wherein the material comprises at least one of a thermoplastic material or a thermoset material;
- heating the flat sheet of material via the thermoforming system;
- shaping the heated flat sheet of material via at least one roller of the thermoforming system into a desired curved shape;
- dispensing the shaped sheet of material from the thermoforming system;
- and,
- cooling the shaped sheet of material to at least partially form the rotor blade component.
A system for manufacturing a rotor blade component for a rotor blade, the system comprising:
- a housing comprising a first end and second end, the first end of the housing adapted to receive a flat sheet of material;
- at least one heating element at least partially contained within the housing, the at least one heating element configured to heat the flat sheet of material;
- an adjustable frame secured to the housing;
- and,
- at least one roller mounted to the adjustable frame, the at least one roller configured to continuously move in a plurality of directions via the adjustable frame to shape the heated flat sheet of material into a curved shape,
- wherein the second end of the housing is adapted to dispense the curved shape to at least partially form the rotor blade component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.