US 8,506,258 B2 · Efficient wind turbine blades, wind turbine blade structures, and associated systems and methods of manufacture, assembly and use

Abstract

Wind turbine systems and methods are disclosed herein. A representative system includes a wind turbine blade having an inner region that has an internal load-bearing truss structure, and an outer region that has an internal, non-truss, load-bearing structure. In particular embodiments, the truss structure can include a triangular arrangement of spars, and/or can include truss attachment members that connect components of the truss without the use of holes in the spars. Spars can be produced from a plurality of pultruded composite members laminated together in longitudinally extending portions. The longitudinally extending portions can be connected at joints that interleave projections and recesses of each of the spar portions. The blades can include fan-shaped transitions at a hub attachment portion, formed by laminated layers and/or a combination of laminated layers and transition plates.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade, the method comprising:

moving fibers through a resin bath to wet the fibers with resin;
moving the wet fibers through a heated die to cure the resin and shape the resin and fibers into an elongate composite pultrusion;
cutting the elongate composite pultrusion into individual pieces to form a plurality of pultruded composite pieces;
laminating the plurality of pultruded composite pieces together to form a spar portion elongated along a longitudinal first axis and flat along a second axis transverse to the first axis, wherein each of the pultruded composite pieces overlaps with the others in the spar portion at least one longitudinal location;
and
attaching the spar portion to a skin to form a portion of a wind turbine blade structure.

3 more elements

A method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade having an external aerodynamic surface with a longitudinally-extending spanwise axis, a chordwise axis transverse to the spanwise axis, and a thickness axis transverse to both the chordwise and spanwise axes, the method comprising:

positioning a plurality of turbine blade ribs in a manufacturing assembly, wherein individual ribs are aligned with the chordwise axis and are spaced apart from each other along the spanwise axis;
positioning a first elongate layer of composite material across the plurality of ribs along the spanwise axis;
applying a layer of adhesive to the first layer of composite material;
positioning a second elongate layer of composite material on the layer of adhesive;
compressing the first and second elongate layers of composite material together;
and
curing the adhesive to laminate the second layer of composite material to the first layer of composite material and form a spar portion extending along the spanwise axis between the plurality of ribs.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/154,384Filed 6 Jun 2011 · continuation

Priority

5 Dec 2008

Published

US 2012/0082558 A15 Apr 2012

Granted

13 Aug 2013

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

F03D 1/0675
Characterised by their construction elements: of the blades
B29C 70/304
Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould,…:…
F03D 13/10
Assembly, mounting or commissioning of wind motors; Arrangements specially adapted for transporting wind motor components: assembly of wind…
B29D 99/0028
Producing blades or the like, e.g. blades for turbines, propellers, or wings: hollow blades

Family

Application61/120,338Us provisional application · filed 5 Dec 2008

Application61/220,187Us provisional application · filed 24 Jun 2009

Application61/271,179Us provisional application · filed 17 Jul 2009

PCT/US2009/066875Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Dec 2009

US 2012/0082558 A1Pre-grant publication · published 5 Apr 2012

US 8,506,258 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Efficient wind turbine blades, wind turbine blade structures, and associated systems and methods of manufacture, assembly and use

Life of this patent

Efficient wind turbine blades, wind turbine blade structures, and associated systems and methods of manufacture, assembly and use

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15