A Method for Reinforcing a Wind Turbine Blade

A method for reinforcing a part of the outer surface (102) of a wind turbine blade (100), said method comprises the steps:

• i) providing a blade plug (2) having an outer surface (3) resembling the topography of the outer surface of at least a leading portion (104) of at least part of the length of a wind turbine blade (100);
• ii) casting a mold (4) of part of the blade plug (2) obtained in step i) in such a way that the topography of an inner surface (6) of said mold (4) corresponds to the topography of part of an outer surface (3) of said blade plug provided in step i);
• iii) from the mold (4) obtained in step ii), preparing a protective shell (8) by making a casting of the inner surface (6) of said mold;
• said protective shell is comprising an inner surface (10) and an outer surface (12), said protective shell is being made from one or more predetermined materials;
• iv) starting from the topography of the surface of the wind turbine blade (100);
• or starting from a blade plug (2) as obtained in step i) preparing an enlarged plug (14);
• said enlarged plug thereby comprising an outer surface (18) resembling the topography of the outer surface of at least a leading part (104) of said wind turbine blade (100);
• said outer surface (18) of said enlarged plug (14) is having larger dimensions than said outer surface (3) of said blade plug (2);
• v) from the enlarged plug (14) obtained in step iv), casting a mounting shell (20) having an inner surface (22) and an outer surface (24), in such a way that the topography of at least part of an inner surface (22) of said mounting shell (20) corresponds to the topography of part of an outer surface (18) of said enlarged plug (14);
• vi) applying an adhesive (26) to at least part of the inner surface (10) of said protective shell (8) and/or to at least part of the outer surface (102) of at least a leading portion of said outer surface (102) of said wind turbine blade (100);
• vii) fitting the inner surface (10) of said protective shell (8) onto at least a leading portion (104) of the outer surface (102) of said wind turbine blade (100);
• viii) fitting the inner surface (22) of said mounting shell (20) onto said outer surface (12) of said protective shell (8);
• ix) applying a force to said mounting shell (20), and thereby also to said outer surface (12) of said protective shell (8);
• wherein said force comprises a force component in a cord direction (C) from the leading surface to the trailing surface of said wind turbine blade (100);
• wherein said force additionally comprises a force component in a direction (Z) perpendicular to the cord direction (C) and perpendicular to the lengthwise direction (X) of said wind turbine blade (100);
• thereby pressing said mounting shell (20) and said protective shell (8) against the outer surface (102) of the wind turbine blade (100).
• x) allowing said adhesive (26) applied in step vi) to cure, and subsequently removing said mounting shell (20) from said wind turbine blade (100) and from said protective shell (8).