Wind turbine blade with modular leading edge
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorAmir Riahi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wind turbine blade has a leading edge and a trailing edge and includes an upper shell member and a lower shell member. The shell members include transversely spaced attachment edge that are spaced rearward of the leading edge. A preformed bond cap having opposite legs with rearward edges is mounted to the attachment edges of the upper and lower shell members. The bond cap is preformed into an aerodynamic parabolic shape and size so as to define the leading edge of said blade and lie essentially flush with the upper and lower shell members. The bond cap defines a primary external bonding bridge between the upper and lower shell members and defines at least a portion of the leading edge of the blade.
Claims15
A wind turbine blade with a leading edge and a trailing edge, said blade comprising:
- an upper shell member and a lower shell member, each of said upper shell member and said lower shell member comprising a forward attachment edge, said attachment edges transversely spaced from each other and disposed rearward of said leading edge;
- a preformed bond cap having opposite legs with rearward edges mounted to said attachment edges of said upper and lower shell members, said bond cap preformed into an aerodynamic parabolic shape and size so as to define said leading edge of said blade and lie essentially flush with said upper and lower shell members;
- said attachment edges comprising recessed surfaces defined by decreased thickness edges in said upper and lower shell members, said rearward edges of said bond cap residing within and bonded directly to said decreased thickness edges so as to be essentially flush with said upper and lower shell members;
- an internal structural stiffener between said opposite legs of said bond cap and spaced forward of said attachment edges;
- and
- wherein said bond cap defines a primary external bonding bridge between said upper and lower shell members and defines at least a portion of said leading edge of said blade.
A wind turbine blade with a leading edge and a trailing edge, said blade comprising:
- an upper shell member and a lower shell member, each of said upper shell member and said lower shell member comprising a forward attachment edge, said attachment edges transversely spaced from each other and disposed rearward of said leading edge;
- a preformed bond cap having opposite legs with rearward edges mounted to said attachment edges of said upper and lower shell members, said bond cap preformed into an aerodynamic parabolic shape and size so as to define said leading edge of said blade and lie essentially flush with said upper and lower shell members;
- wherein said bond cap defines a primary external bonding bridge between said upper and lower shell members and defines at least a portion of said leading edge of said blade;
- and
- wherein said blade comprises a plurality of blade segments and a plurality of said bond caps, with a respective said bond cap bridging adjacent said blade segments.
A wind turbine, said wind turbine comprising a plurality of turbine blades, at least one of said turbine blades comprising:
- an upper shell member and a lower shell member, each of said upper shell member and said lower shell member comprising a forward attachment edge, said attachment edges transversely spaced from each other and disposed rearward of said leading edge;
- a preformed bond cap having opposite legs with rearward edges mounted to said attachment edges of said upper and lower shell members, said bond cap preformed into an aerodynamic parabolic shape and size so as to define said leading edge of said blade and lie essentially flush with said upper and lower shell members;
- said attachment edges comprising recessed surfaces defined by decreased thickness edges in said upper and lower shell members, said rearward edges of said bond cap residing within and bonded directly to said decreased thickness edges so as to be essentially flush with said upper and lower shell members;
- an internal structural stiffener between said opposite legs of said bond cap and spaced forward of said attachment edges;
- and
- wherein said bond cap defines a primary external bonding bridge between said upper and lower shell members and defines at least a portion of said leading edge of said blade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.