Rotor blade mold and method of manufacturing rotor blade using same

A method of manufacturing a rotor blade of a wind turbine using a mold assembly, the method comprising:

• placing and securing a reusable spar fixture of the mold assembly within a custom mold portion of the mold assembly, the custom mold portion extending from a first end to a second end, the reusable spar fixture extending beyond the second end of the custom mold portion;
• placing one or more spar caps atop, at least, the custom mold portion and the reusable spar fixture;
• placing one or more blade skins in the custom mold portion and/or around at least a portion of the one or more spar caps;
• placing at least one blade segment around at least a portion of the one or more spar caps atop the reusable spar fixture;
• aligning an end of the one or more blade skins placed in the custom mold portion with an end of the at least one blade segment placed around at least the portion of the one or more spar caps atop the reusable spar fixture;
• providing a vacuum only within the custom mold portion;
• and
• infusing the one or more blade skins under the vacuum with a resin to join the one or more blade skins and the at least one blade segment together to form the rotor blade.

A mold assembly for manufacturing a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the mold assembly comprising:

• a reusable first mold portion;
• a custom intermediate mold portion defining a custom contoured surface corresponding to a portion of an exterior surface of the rotor blade, the custom intermediate mold portion extending from a first end and a second end, the first end being received and supported within the reusable first mold portion, the custom intermediate mold portion configured to receive one or more blade skins;
• an infusion apparatus comprising a resin for infusing the one or more blade skins and a vacuum assembly for applying a vacuum only to the custom intermediate mold portion to draw the resin into the one or more blade skins;
• and
• a reusable spar fixture secured within the custom intermediate mold portion,
• wherein a portion of the reusable spar fixture extends past the second end of the custom intermediate mold portion to support at least one of one or more spar caps or one or more blade segments thereon during the manufacturing of the rotor blade.