Method of repairing a subsurface void or damage for a wind turbine blade
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsStephen Michael Deak, Scott Gabell Riddell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A procedure for repairing subsurface defects in a shell member laminate of a wind turbine blade includes detecting the location and boundary of the subsurface defect and drilling a fill hole from an external surface of the laminate into the defect proximate to a boundary of the defect. A vent hole is drilled from the external surface of the laminate into the defect proximate to an opposite boundary from the fill hole. A flowable bonding material is injected into the fill hole until the bonding material flows from the vent hole. The repair zone is reinforced with at least one mechanical fastener defined through the laminate either within the boundary of the defect or outboard of the boundary of the defect.
Claims10
A procedure for repairing subsurface defects in a shell member laminate of a wind turbine blade, comprising:
- detecting the location and boundary of the subsurface defect in the laminate;
- drilling a fill hole from an external surface of the laminate into the defect proximate to a boundary of the defect;
- drilling a vent hole from the external surface of the laminate into the defect proximate to an opposite boundary from the fill hole;
- injecting a flowable bonding material into the fill hole until the bonding material flows from the vent hole;
- and,
- reinforcing the repair zone with at least one mechanical fastener defined through the laminate either within the boundary of the defect or outboard of the boundary of the defect.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.