Wind turbine blade shear web with spring flanges
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorAaron Yarbrough
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wind turbine blade has upper and lower shell members with a respective spar cap configured on an internal face of the shell members. A shear web extends between the spar caps along a longitudinal length of the blade. A connection assembly is configured between the transverse ends of the shear web and the spar caps. The connection assembly includes spring flange members that extend distally beyond the transverse ends of the shear web at opposite sides of the shear web so as to define a laterally extending float section. A bond paste layer is between the float sections and the spar cap and between the transverse end of the shear web and the spar cap as a result of compression of the spring flanges against the spar cap.
Claims12
A wind turbine blade, comprising:
- an upper shell member having a spar cap configured on an internal face thereof;
- a lower shell member having a spar cap configured on an internal face thereof;
- a shear web extending between said spar caps along a longitudinal length of said blade;
- a connection assembly between transverse ends of said shear web and said spar caps, said connection assembly further comprising:
- spring flange members that extend distally beyond said transverse ends of said shear web at opposite sides of said shear web so as to define a laterally extending float section with a lateral end that extends onto said spar cap;
- and,
- a bond paste layer between said float sections and said spar cap and between said transverse ends of said shear web and said spar cap, said bond past layer extending continuously between opposite lateral ends of said spring flange members.
A method for assembling a shear web to spar caps in a wind turbine blade, comprising:
- configuring spring flanges on opposite sides of a shear web, the spring flanges having a flexible float section that extends distally away from the transverse end of the shear web;
- applying bond paste between the spring flanges and a spar cap affixed to an internal face of an upper or lower shell member;
- and,
- fixing the transverse end of the shear web to the spar cap by compressing the spring flanges against the spar cap such that the float sections flatten out against the spar cap and the bond paste is caused to distribute continuously between the float sections and spar cap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.