# US 2019/0376487 A1 · Method of manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades

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- Number: US 2019/0376487 A1
- Document ID: US20190376487A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/431,765
- Filed: 2019-06-05
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-08
- Assignees: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
- Applicants: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
- Inventors: PEDER BAY ENEVOLDSEN; Steffen Frydendal Poulsen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190376487A1

## CPC

- B29D 99/0028: {hollow blades}
- F03D 1/0675: {of the blades}
- F03D 13/10: Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors
- G05B 19/4155: characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program
- F05B 2230/21: by casting
- F05B 2240/302: Segmented or sectional blades
- G05B 2219/2619: Wind turbines
- G05B 2219/45147: Machining blade, airfoil
- Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
- B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00)
- F03D: WIND MOTORS
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Provided is a method of manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades, wherein each rotor blade includes an inboard section and an outboard section, and wherein an inboard blade section including a root end and a transition region is manufactured using a first casting process; and an outboard blade section including an airfoil region is manufactured using a second casting process, which second casting process is different from the first casting process. The invention further describes a wind turbine rotor blade manufactured using such a method.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades, wherein each rotor blade comprises an inboard section and an outboard section, the method comprising:
manufacturing the inboard blade section comprising a root end and a transition region using a first casting process; and
manufacturing an outboard blade section comprising an airfoil region using a second casting process, wherein the second casting process is different from the first casting process.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the first casting process is an open-mould casting process.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the second casting process is a closed-mould process.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a connector interface between the inboard blade section and the outboard blade section .

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising joining the inboard blade section to the outboard blade section to complete the rotor blade.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
scheduling two simultaneous workflow stages;
manufacturing three outboard sections and one inboard section during one workflow stage; and
manufacturing two inboard sections during the other workflow stage.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein a duration of a workflow stage is determined on a basis of a time required to manufacture the inboard blade section.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the inboard blade section and the outboard blade section are joined during one of the two casting processes.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the inboard blade section and the outboard blade section are joined after completion of both casting processes.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A wind turbine rotor blade manufactured using the method according to claim 1.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 10, wherein the inboard blade section includes the blade root end and a transition region, and wherein a length of the inboard blade section comprises up to 90% of an overall blade length.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 10, wherein a length of the inboard blade section comprises at least 10% of an overall blade length.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 10, wherein the rotor blade has a length of at least 70 m, and wherein the inboard blade section has a mass in a region of 700 kg/m in a transition region.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 13, wherein the outboard blade section has a mass in a region of 50 kg/m.