Automated machining tool for removing material from a surface of a wind turbine blade, and method of performing a machining operation on a wind turbine blade
AssigneeVestas Wind Systems A/S
InventorAnton Bech
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present application relates to an automated machining tool (200) for removing material from a surface of a wind turbine blade (20). The tool (200) has a tool head (206) having electrically conductive material. When the tool (200) detects electrical contact between the electrically conductive material and an electrically conductive part (104) beneath a surface of the blade (20), while the machining tool (200) is performing a machining operation on the wind turbine blade (200) using the tool head (206), the tool (200) automatically retracts the tool head (206) away from the wind turbine blade (20).
Claims20
An automated machining tool for removing material from a surface of a wind turbine blade, comprising:
- a mounting portion for mounting the tool on an outer surface of a wind turbine blade having an electrically conductive part beneath non-conductive material near the outer surface;
- a tool head for removing the material, which comprises an electrically conductive material;
- a drive system for rotating and/or reciprocating the tool head for performing a machining operation on the wind turbine blade and for moving the tool head towards and away from the wind turbine blade;
- and
- a control system coupled to the drive system and to the tool head and adapted to be coupled to the electrically conductive part of the wind turbine blade,
- wherein the control system is adapted to:
- detect electrical contact between the electrically conductive material and the electrically conductive part while the machining tool is performing a machining operation on the wind turbine blade using the tool head, and
- automatically control the drive system to retract the tool head away from the wind turbine blade when electrical contact between the electrically conductive material and the electrically conductive part of the wind turbine blade is detected.
A method of performing a machining operation on a wind turbine blade, comprising:
- providing a wind turbine blade having an outer surface and an electrically conductive part beneath non-conductive material near the outer surface;
- mounting an automated machining tool to the outer surface of the wind turbine blade, the automated machining tool having a tool head with electrically conductive material;
- and
- performing a machining operation on the wind turbine blade using the tool head, including automatically retracting the tool head away from the wind turbine blade when electrical contact between the electrically conductive material and the electrically conductive part of the wind turbine blade is detected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.