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.
Claims17
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 rearward edges of said bond cap are unbonded to said attachment edges, and further comprising a laminate covering over said bond cap that extends over said attachment surfaces and is bonded to said upper and lower shell members.
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.