Patent Application
20240102453
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell component and to a reinforcing structure, such as a spar cap, for a wind turbine blade, the reinforcing structure comprising a plurality of pultrusion plates.
Wind power provides a clean and environmentally friendly source of energy. Wind turbines usually comprise a tower, generator, gearbox, nacelle, and one or more rotor blades. The wind turbine blades capture kinetic energy of wind using known airfoil principles. Modern wind turbines may have rotor blades that exceed 90 meters in length.
Wind turbine blades are usually manufactured by forming two shell parts or shell halves from layers of woven fabric or fibre and resin. Spar caps or main laminates are placed or integrated in the shell halves and may be combined with shear webs or spar beams to form structural support members. Spar caps or main laminates may be joined to, or integrated within, the inside of the suction and pressure halves of the shell.
As the size of wind turbine blades increases, various challenges arise from the blades being subjected to increased forces during operation, requiring improved reinforcing structures. In some known solutions, pultruded fibrous strips of material are used to design spar caps. Pultrusion is a continuous process in which fibres are pulled through a supply of liquid resin and then heated in a chamber where the resin is cured. Such pultruded strips can be cut to any desired length. As such, the pultrusion process is typically characterized by a continuous process that produces composite parts having a constant cross-section. Thus, a plurality of pultrusions can be vacuum infused together in a mould to form the spar caps.
Typically, a spar cap in a wind turbine blade is made from either carbon pultrusions or glass pultrusions. Carbon fibres are typically lighter than glass fibres by volume and have improved tensile and compressive strength. One of the challenges of wind turbine blade manufacturing is that a lightning protection system of the blade often requires that at least some blade components have a sufficiently high electrical conductivity through the thickness of the components, such as reinforcing sections like spar caps. There is thus an ongoing need for an improved pultruded spar cap and method for incorporating such spar cap in a wind turbine blade.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wind turbine blade with an improved reinforcing structure, such as a spar cap.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an optimized arrangement of materials used in the manufacture of a spar cap.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a reinforcing structure for a wind turbine blade which is a cost efficient structure and has optimized material characteristics for use in a lightning protection system of the blade.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a suitable reinforcing structure for a wind turbine blade which can be manufactured efficiently.
It has been found that one or more of the aforementioned objects can be obtained by providing a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell component, such as a wind turbine shell half, the method comprising the steps of
In some embodiments, the pultrusion plates are made entirely of carbon fibre tows. In some embodiments, the pultrusion plates further comprise a plurality of tows of glass fibre material together with the carbon tows.
The abraded pultrusion plates may be abraded in advance, not as part of the aspects of the invention. In that case, the term “includes” refers to abrading steps that were performed in advance, not actively as part of the aspects of the invention. That is, the abrading steps were included as part of the process of obtaining the abraded pultrusion plates in advance. In some embodiments, the abrading is performed as part of the aspects of the invention.
The present inventors have found that this method allows for tailoring the architecture of a hybrid glass/carbon pultrusion for use in a wind turbine blade spar cap, such that the carbon fibre material is utilized in the best possible way, in particular to enhance the lightning protection properties and structural performance of the blade. The abrading of the edges leads to an improved electrical connection between the interlayer and the layers of abraded pultrusion plates. It was found that the present solution reduces the risk for flaring over the pultrusion spar beam. Thus, structural and lightning protection performance can be enhanced at minimum material cost. Carbon fibres usually have high electrical conductivity and high stiffness per weight. These properties are desirable in the spar cap of a wind turbine blade. However, drawbacks of carbon fibres include the relatively low strain to failure and the comparatively high price per kg. Glass fibres are typically cheaper and have higher strain to failure. However, the electrical conductivity of glass fibres is minimal and stiffness per weight is significantly lower.
In a preferred embodiment, the ratio of carbon fibre material to glass fibre material in the abraded pultrusion plate is between 1/5 to 1/1, preferably 1/4 to 1/1. This was found to provide optimised properties of the abraded pultrusion plate in terms of electrical conductivity and overall stiffness.
The electrically conductive interlayer may for instance be a carbon biax layer, a carbon veil or a glass/carbon hybrid fabric or a glass/carbon hybrid veil. Being arranged between the first layer of abraded pultrusion planks and the second layer of abraded pultrusion planks, the carbon fibre material in the different abraded pultrusion plates is electrically connected, allowing lightning current to be conducted to ground with less resistance and thus less heating.
In some embodiments, removing at least a part of each of the edges at which the top surface meets the lateral surfaces reduces a width of the top surface by 6-30 mm, such as by 10-30 mm, such as by 10-20 mm. Typically, the same amount of material is removed at the two edges where the top surface meets the two lateral surfaces. That is, the top surface is shortened by removing 3-15 mm, such as 5-15 mm, such as 5-10 mm at each of the two edges.
In some embodiments, removing at least a part of each of the edges at which the bottom surface meets the lateral surfaces reduces a width of the bottom surface by 6-30 mm, such as by 10-30 mm, such as by 10-20 mm. Typically, the same amount of material is removed at the two edges where the bottom surface meets the two lateral surfaces. That is, the bottom surface is shortened by removing 3-15 mm, such as 5-15 mm, such as 5-10 mm at each of the two edges.
In some embodiments, the wind turbine blade shell component comprises one or more layers in addition to the first layer and the second layer of abraded pultrusion plates. Interlayers may be included between each pair of adjacent layers or only between some of the layers. Including interlayers between each pair of adjacent layers leads to a better distribution of resin during infusion and better lightning current conduction during a lightning strike.
In some embodiments, the step of removing the at least a part of each of the edges includes steps of:
Typically, the first plurality of pultrusion plates comprises pultrusion plates having a rectangular vertical cross-section.
The step of arranging the abraded pultrusion plates on blade shell material in a mould for the blade shell component preferably comprises arranging the abraded pultrusion plates into adjacent stacks of abraded pultrusion plates, wherein adjacent refers to a substantially chordwise direction. These stacks usually extend in a substantially spanwise direction of the shell half, but layers formed by pultrusion plates in the adjacent stacks may be curved in case the surface they are arranged on is curved. This means that two or more plates in a layer are arranged at an angle with respect to each other as opposed to forming a planar layer.
The step of bonding the abraded pultrusion plates with the blade shell material to form the blade shell component usually comprises a resin infusion step in which the abraded pultrusion plates and the blade shell material are infused with a resin, for example in a VARTM process. The interlayers aid transport of resin between the layers of abraded pultrusion plates.
Each abraded pultrusion plate comprises tows or rovings of carbon fibre material and in some embodiments also tows or rovings of glass fibre material. The terms tows and rovings are used interchangeably herein. In some embodiments, each tow comprises a plurality of carbon filaments or glass fibre filaments, wherein each filament comprises an outer layer of sizing. In addition, each abraded pultrusion plate preferably comprises a resin or binding agent which is used in the pultrusion process for joining the various fibre tows into a single pultrusion string. Preferably, each abraded pultrusion plate comprises a matrix of fibre tows arranged in columns and rows, as seen in a vertical cross section of the plate. Thus, pultrusion fibre material may comprise glass fibres, carbon fibres, a resin or binding agent, and optionally additional reinforcing material. Typically, the abraded pultrusion plate has a constant cross-section along its length. The planks may be pre-bent or pre-twisted along their longitudinal axis.
Adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the entire lateral surfaces of the abraded pultrusion plate, that is, from the top surface to the bottom surface. It is thus particularly preferred that the lateral surfaces of the abraded pultrusion plate are free from glass fibre material.
The abraded pultrusion plates used in the method above are typically made based on pultrusion plates having a rectangular vertical cross section. They are often manufactured at a separate facility but may also be manufactured where the method above is performed.
Each stack of abraded pultrusion plates may comprise 2-30, such as 5-20 abraded pultrusion plates successively arranged on top of each other. Thus, each stack will usually extend in a spanwise direction of the blade. In a midsection between a root end and a tip end, each stack may comprise 8-15 layers of abraded pultrusion plates, whereas towards the root end and towards the tip end the number of layered abraded pultrusion plates may decrease to 1-3. Thus, the stack of abraded pultrusion plates is preferably tapered towards both the root end and the distal end. Such configuration advantageously allows for a profile that is consistent with the thickness profile of the shell. Typically, two or more, or three or more stacks of abraded pultrusion plates are arranged next to each other, adjacent to each other in a substantially chordwise direction. Typically, a resin will be infused in the stack of abraded pultrusion plates. This can, for example, be done using vacuum-assisted resin transfer moulding.
The blade shell component is usually a blade shell half, such as a shell half with a reinforcing structure such as a spar cap. The blade shell material may include one or more fibre layers and/or a gelcoat. The plurality of abraded pultrusion plates will typically extend in a spanwise direction of the shell half or of the blade. Thus, at least some of the abraded pultrusion plates have preferably a length corresponding to 60-95% of the blade length. A polymer resin is typically infused in between the abraded pultrusion plates following the lay-up into the shell half.
In a preferred embodiment, the pultrusion fibre material comprises a plurality of tows of glass fibre material and a plurality of tows of carbon fibre material. Thus, the ratio of numbers of carbon fibre tows to numbers of glass fibre tows in the abraded pultrusion plate is preferably between 1/5 to 1/1, such as 1/4 to 1/1. In a preferred embodiment, each tow comprises 10,000 to 100,000 filaments, preferably 20,000 to 60,000 filaments, of glass or carbon fibre. In some embodiments, each glass fibre tow comprises 1,000 to 10,000 filaments of glass fibre.
In a preferred embodiment, the tows of glass fibre material and the tows of carbon fibre material extend substantially parallel to each other within the abraded pultrusion plate. In a preferred embodiment, the tows of glass fibre material and the tows of carbon fibre material are arranged in an array, preferably a regular array, of rows and columns of tows, as seen in a vertical cross section of the abraded pultrusion plate. The rows will typically extend in a substantially horizontal or chordwise direction, whereas the columns will typically extend in a substantially vertical or flapwise direction. The array of rows and columns of tows will typically be constant over the length of the abraded pultrusion plate.
In a preferred embodiment, the tows of glass fibre material and the tows of carbon fibre material are arranged in a plurality of rows of tows, and optionally a plurality of columns of tows, as seen in a vertical cross section of the abraded pultrusion plate.
In a preferred embodiment, the lateral surfaces of each abraded pultrusion plate are free from glass fibres, preferably by providing a continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material along the lateral edges of the abraded pultrusion plate, the continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extending from the top surface to the opposing bottom surface of the abraded pultrusion plate. In some embodiments, the adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extend from each lateral surface inward over a chordwise or horizontal distance of 2-25 mm, preferably 2-12 mm. In some embodiments, said chordwise or horizontal distance is longer, e.g. 8-12 mm at the top and bottom surfaces of the abraded pultrusion plate, and shorter towards the midpoint of each lateral surface, such as 1-4 mm.
In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of tows of glass fibre material and the plurality of tows of carbon fibre material form a non-random pattern, preferably a symmetrical pattern, as seen in a vertical cross section of the abraded pultrusion plate. Typically, the pattern is constant over the length of the abraded pultrusion plate. In one embodiment, the pattern is a checkerboard/checkerboard-like pattern, for example with alternating glass fibre tows and carbon fibre tows in each column and in each row of the abraded pultrusion plate. Such pattern is found to be comparatively easy to manufacture. In another preferred embodiment, the pattern comprises one more vertical columns of carbon fibre tows extending from the top surface to the bottom surface of the abraded pultrusion plate, as seen in a vertical cross section of the abraded pultrusion plate. It is preferred that the pattern has reflectional symmetry or bilateral symmetry as appearing on the vertical cross section of the abraded pultrusion plate, such that the left and right sides are mirror images of each other.
In a preferred embodiment, the abraded pultrusion plates are arranged into adjacent stacks of abraded pultrusion plates, and a continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extends from the top surface of the uppermost abraded pultrusion plate to the bottom surface of the lowermost abraded pultrusion plate of each stack of abraded pultrusion plates. Said continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material within the stack is preferably an electrically conductive path. Thus, the entire stack in combination with the electrically conductive interlayers may conduct a lightning current from the top surface of the stack to the bottom surface of the stack, preferably in a substantially vertical or flapwise direction, and may also include electrically parallel paths including several sides (lateral surfaces) of several abraded pultrusion plates across the stacks.
It is particularly preferred that the abraded pultrusion plates, and the reinforcing structure comprising the abraded pultrusion plates, do not comprise any isolated tows of carbon fibre material, such as tows of carbon fibre material that are not electrically coupled to another tow of carbon fibre material. Thus, in a particularly preferred embodiment, all tows of carbon fibre material within the abraded pultrusion plate are electrically coupled, i.e. providing a conduction path for electrical energy, such as a lightning current, between the tows of carbon fibre material. This is found to effectively prevent flashovers inside the spar cap when the blade is hit by a lightning strike, thus preventing damage to the abraded pultrusion plate and to the reinforcing structure, such as the spar cap.
In some embodiments, the stacked abraded pultrusion plates are pre-bonded together prior to being bonded to the blade shell, with electrically conductive interlayers in between layers as described above. Alternatively, the stacked abraded pultrusion plates are co-bonded with the blade shell materials. In a preferred embodiment, the stacked abraded pultrusion plates are bonded with the blade shell material using an adhesive or in a vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding (VARTM) process.
Usually, the top and bottom surfaces of the pultrusion plates face opposing flapwise directions, whereas the lateral surface typically faces towards the trailing edge and towards the leading edge of the blade half, respectively. The present inventors have found that an efficient lightning protection system benefits from the conductive carbon fibre materials being connected electrically and/or physically throughout the reinforcing structure, in particular in the vertical or flapwise direction, along the lateral edges of the stacked abraded pultrusion plates. This ensures that flashovers do not occur inside the spar cap when the blade is hit by a lightning strike and reduces heating in the centre of each pultrusion plate. Thus, it is advantageous that the electrical conductivity through the thickness of the abraded pultrusion plates is relatively high. Thus, the continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extending from the top surface to the opposing bottom surface of the abraded pultrusion plate may advantageously provide an electrically conductive path, in particular for lightning strikes, throughout the vertical direction of the abraded pultrusion plate and through the interlayers. In a preferred embodiment, the continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extends substantially vertically within the abraded pultrusion plate or includes several electrically parallel paths.
In a preferred embodiment, adjoining tows of carbon fibre material means adjacent tows of carbon fibre material that are spaced apart by a distance not more than 100 μm, such as not more than 50 μm, preferably not more 30 μm, such as not more than 20 μm, preferably not more than 10 μm. Such maximum distances are found to provide a sufficiently electrically conductive path between adjoining tows of carbon fibre material.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the distance between adjoining tows of carbon fibre material is less than 100 μm, preferably less than 50 μm, more preferably less than 20 μm, most preferably less than 10 μm. In some embodiments, the distance between adjoining tows of carbon fibre material is zero.
In a preferred embodiment, adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the top surface of each abraded pultrusion plate. In another preferred embodiment, adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the bottom surface of each abraded pultrusion plate. The adjoining tows of carbon fibre material may extend from the top and from the bottom surface, respectively, inward along a vertical distance of 1-3 mm, such as 1.5-2.0 mm.
In a preferred embodiment, several adjacent columns of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the entire lateral surfaces of the abraded pultrusion plate. This provides an additional electrical path between the lateral surface of individual pultrusion plates and may provide additional electrical contact between the interlayer and the pultrusion plates.
In a preferred embodiment, a continuous, preferably substantially horizontal, row of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extends between the lateral surfaces, said continuous row being spaced apart from the top surface and from the bottom surface of the abraded pultrusion plate.
In a preferred embodiment, the abraded pultrusion plate comprises a checkerboard/checkerboard-like pattern of tows of carbon fibre material and tows of glass fibre material in a centre region of the abraded pultrusion plate, as seen in a vertical cross section of the abraded pultrusion plate.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to an abraded pultrusion plate comprising a top surface, an opposing bottom surface, a first lateral surface and an opposing second lateral surface, wherein the abraded pultrusion plate has abraded edges and wherein the abraded pultrusion plate is formed of a pultrusion fibre material comprising a plurality of tows of glass fibre material and a plurality of tows of carbon fibre material, and wherein adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the entire lateral surfaces of the abraded pultrusion plate.
In some embodiments, the abraded pultrusion plate has been obtained by abrading a first pultrusion plate, such as a pultrusion plate with a rectangular vertical cross section, the first pultrusion plate comprising a top surface, an opposing bottom surface, a first lateral surface and an opposing second lateral surface, wherein the first pultrusion plate is formed of a plurality of tows of carbon fibre material, and wherein adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the entire lateral surfaces of the pultrusion plate, and wherein abrading the first pultrusion plates to obtain the abraded pultrusion plate includes removing at least a part of each of the edges at which the top surface meets the lateral surfaces and the edges at which the bottom surface meets the lateral surfaces.
Typically, the first pultrusion plate had a rectangular vertical cross-section.
In some embodiments, the step of removing at least a part of each of the edges includes steps of:
In some embodiments, a total longitudinal length of each of the abraded parts is in the range [Lp-2000 mm, Lp1], such as in the range [Lp-1500 mm, Lp1-100 mm], where Lp is a longitudinal length of the abraded pultrusion plate. One or both longitudinal ends of the abraded pultrusion plates may be chamfered and abrading may not be needed or may even reduce the strength of the chamfered ends and must therefore be avoided.
The removing of material may for instance result in rounded edges or additional facets connecting the top surface and the bottom surface with the lateral surfaces.
In a preferred embodiment, the tows of glass fibre material and the tows of carbon fibre material are arranged in a plurality of rows of tows, and optionally a plurality of columns of tows, as seen in a vertical cross section of the abraded pultrusion plate.
In a preferred embodiment, the lateral surfaces of the abraded pultrusion plate are free from glass fibres, preferably by providing a continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material along the lateral edges of the abraded pultrusion plate, the continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extending from the top surface to the opposing bottom surface of the abraded pultrusion plate.
In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of tows of glass fibre material and the plurality of tows of carbon fibre material form a non-random pattern, preferably a symmetrical pattern, as seen in a vertical cross section of the abraded pultrusion plate.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a reinforcing structure for a wind turbine blade, the reinforcing structure comprising a plurality of abraded pultrusion plates according to the present invention.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to an abraded pultrusion plate. The abraded pultrusion plate has been obtained by abrading a first pultrusion plate having a top surface, an opposing bottom surface, a first lateral surface and an opposing second lateral surface, wherein the first pultrusion plate is formed of a pultrusion fibre material comprising a plurality of tows of carbon fibre material (and optionally a plurality of tows of glass fibre material) and wherein adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the entire lateral surfaces of the first pultrusion plate. Furthermore, the abrading of the first pultrusion plate to obtain the abraded pultrusion plate has includes removing at least a part of each of the edges at which the top surface meets the lateral surfaces and the edges at which the bottom surface meets the lateral surfaces in the first pultrusion plate, and wherein adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the entire top surface and/or along the entire bottom surface of the pultrusion plate. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell component, the method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of abraded pultrusion plates, wherein each abraded pultrusion plate comprises a top surface, an opposing bottom surface and two lateral surfaces, arranging the pultrusion plates on a blade shell material in a mould for the blade shell component, and bonding the pultrusion plates with the blade shell material to form the blade shell component, wherein each abraded pultrusion plate is formed of a pultrusion fibre material comprising a plurality of tows of glass fibre material and a plurality of tows of carbon fibre material, and wherein adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the entire top surface and along the entire bottom surface of the pultrusion plate. The abraded pultrusion plates may be obtained for instance from rectangular pultrusion plates as described above.
The top and bottom surfaces of the pultrusion plate may be covered by peel ply.
In a preferred embodiment, the abraded pultrusion plates have a longitudinal length corresponding to an entire length of a spar cap for a wind turbine blade shell. In a preferred embodiment, the pultrusion plates are bonded with the blade shell material in a resin infusion process.
In some embodiments, a total longitudinal length of each of the abraded parts is at least half a longitudinal length, Lp1 of the abraded pultrusion plate.
In some embodiments, a total longitudinal length of each of the abraded parts is in the range [Lp-2000 mm, Lp1], such as in the range [Lp-1500 mm, Lp1-100 mm], where Lp is a longitudinal length of the abraded pultrusion plate. One or both longitudinal ends of the abraded pultrusion plates may be chamfered and abrading may not be needed or may even reduce the strength of the chamfered ends and must therefore to be avoided.
The removing of material may for instance result in rounded edges or additional facets connecting the top surface and the bottom surface with the lateral surfaces.
In one aspect, the present invention relates to a wind turbine blade shell component, such as a shell half, obtainable by one of the methods of the present invention.
The present invention also relates to a wind turbine blade having a pressure side shell and a suction side shell, wherein the suction and pressure side shells are joined along a leading and trailing edge of the blade. One or both of the suction and pressure side shell components further include a reinforcing structure, such as a spar cap bonded to an interior surface of the shell, wherein the spar cap includes a plurality of abraded pultrusion plates according to the present invention. The abraded pultrusion plates may have a continuous unbroken length along an entire length of the spar cap.
In a preferred embodiment, the abraded pultrusion plate has an almost rectangular cross section, except parts have been removed from at least a part of each of the edges at which the top surface meets the lateral surfaces and the edges at which the bottom surface meets the lateral surfaces as described above.
In a preferred embodiment, the pultrusion plate has the shape of a rectangular cuboid, except the parts that have been removed from at least a part of each of the edges at which the top surface meets the lateral surfaces and the edges at which the bottom surface meets the lateral surfaces, as described above.
The abraded pultrusion plate has a length, which typically extends in a substantially spanwise direction when the pultrusion plate is arranged in the blade shell. The pultrusion plate also has a width, which typically extends in a substantially chordwise direction when the abraded pultrusion plate is arranged in the blade shell. The abraded pultrusion plate also has a height or thickness, which typically extends in a substantially flapwise direction when the abraded pultrusion plate is arranged in the blade shell. The thickness of the abraded pultrusion plate is preferably between 3 and 10 mm, more preferably between 4 and 7 mm. The length of the plate is typically its largest dimension. The length of the plate extends in the same direction as its longitudinal axis.
The length of the abraded pultrusion plate is typically between 50 and 150 meters, preferably between 50 and 100 meters, more preferably between 70 and 100 meters. The height/thickness of the abraded pultrusion plate is preferably between 2 and 10 millimeters, preferably between 3 and 7 millimeters, most preferably between 4 and 6 millimeters. The width of the plate is preferably between 20 and 300 millimeters, most preferably between 80 and 150 millimeters. In a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing structure, such as the spar cap, comprises between 1 and 15 stacks of abraded pultrusion plates arranged next to each other, more preferably between 3 and 9 stacks. Each stack may comprise up to 20 abraded pultrusion plates arranged on top of each other, such as 2-20 abraded pultrusion plates or 2-10 abraded pultrusion plates. Thus, each reinforcing section, such as each spar cap, may comprise 10 to 200 abraded pultrusion plates.
The pultrusion fibre material comprises a plurality of tows or rovings of carbon fibre material and optionally a plurality of tows or rovings of glass fibre material. Thus, each abraded pultrusion plate may comprise 50-300 tows of fibre material in total, preferably 25-180 tows of fibre material. It is preferred that 25-50% of the tows of fibre material are tows of carbon fibre material. Thus, the tows of carbon fibre material may account for 25-50% of all tows in an abraded pultrusion plate, whereas the tows of glass fibre material may account for 50-75% of all tows of fibre material. The tows will usually extend in the length direction of the abraded pultrusion plate, i.e. substantially parallel to its longitudinal axis, or parallel to the spanwise direction when arranged in the blade shell.
In a preferred embodiment, the tows of glass fibre material and the tows of carbon fibre material are arranged in a regular array or regular grid of rows and columns of tows, as seen in a vertical cross section of the abraded pultrusion plate. The abraded pultrusion plate preferably comprises at least 10 rows and at least 10 columns of tows.
All features and embodiments discussed above with respect to the method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell component likewise apply to the abraded pultrusion plate or to the reinforcing structure of the present invention and vice versa.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a reinforcing structure for a wind turbine blade, the reinforcing structure comprising a plurality of abraded pultrusion plates according to the present invention arranged in layers separated by electrically conducting interlayers. The reinforcing structure will typically be a spar cap or a main laminate. In some embodiments, the reinforcing structure comprises a box spar. In other embodiments, the reinforcing structure comprises a spar beam. In a preferred embodiment, the elongate reinforcing structure is a spar structure, such as a spar cap, a spar beam or a box spar. It is preferred that the reinforcing structure extends along the blade in a spanwise direction. Typically, the reinforcing structure will extend over 60-95% of the blade length. The wind turbine blade is usually manufactured from two shell halves, a pressure side shell half and a suction side shell half. Preferably, both shell halves comprise an elongate reinforcing structure, such as a spar cap or a main laminate, according to the present invention.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a wind turbine blade or to a wind turbine blade component comprising a reinforcing structure according to the present invention, or to a wind turbine blade shell component obtainable by the afore-mentioned method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell component. In another aspect, the present invention relates to a wind turbine blade shell component comprising a plurality of abraded pultrusion plates according to the present invention arranged in layers separated by electrically conducting interlayers.
The present invention also relates to a lightning protection system for a wind turbine blade, the lightning protection system comprising a lightning conductor, such as a cable, for example a copper cable, disposed at least partially in the interior of the blade, one or more electrically conductive lightning receptors disposed on one or more of the surfaces of the blade, wherein the one or more electrically conductive lightning receptors are electrically connected to a plurality of abraded pultrusion plates according to the present invention arranged in layers separated by electrically conducting interlayers, or to a reinforcing structure, such as a spar cap, of the present invention. In another aspect, the present invention relates to a wind turbine blade comprising a lightning protection system as described above, i.e. the lightning protection system comprising a lightning conductor, such as a cable, for example a copper cable, disposed at least partially in the interior of the blade, one or more electrically conductive lightning receptors disposed on one or more of the surfaces of the blade, wherein the one or more electrically conductive lightning receptors are electrically connected to a plurality of abraded pultrusion plates according to the present invention, or to a reinforcing structure, such as a spar cap, of the present invention.
The shell halves will typically be produced by infusing a fibre lay-up of fibre material with a resin such as epoxy, polyester or vinyl ester. Usually, the pressure side shell half and the suction side shell half are manufactured using a blade mould. Each of the shell halves may comprise spar caps or main laminates provided along the respective pressure and suction side shell members as reinforcing structures. The spar caps or main laminates may be affixed to the inner faces of the shell halves.
The spar structure is preferably a longitudinally extending load carrying structure, preferably comprising a beam or spar box for connecting and stabilizing the shell halves. The spar structure may be adapted to carry a substantial part of the load on the blade. In some embodiments, the reinforcing structure is arranged within the pressure side shell half. In other embodiments, the reinforcing structure is arranged within the suction side shell half.
In a preferred embodiment, the pressure side shell half and the suction side shell half of the blade are manufactured in respective mould halves, preferably by vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding. According to some embodiments, the pressure side shell half and the suction side shell half each have a longitudinal extent L of 50-110 m, preferably 60-90 m.
According to some embodiments, the method further comprises a step of arranging one or more shear webs in at least one of the shell halves, usually at the location of the reinforcing structure. Each shear web may comprise a web body, a first web foot flange at a first end of the web body, and a second web foot flange at a second end of the web body. In some embodiments, the shear webs are substantially I-shaped. Alternatively, the shear webs may be substantially C-shaped.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a pultrusion process for manufacturing the abraded pultrusion plate of the present invention, and to an abraded pultrusion plate obtainable by said pultrusion process and the abrading of the edges described above. Said pultrusion process preferably comprises the provision of a plurality of bobbins carrying respective tows of carbon fibre material. Each tow is advantageously pulled through guide plates, a resin bath, and a heated die by a pulling mechanism. In some embodiments, the process further comprises provision of a plurality of bobbins carrying respective tows of glass fibre material combining with the carbon fibre material. The continuous pultrusion string can be cut into individual pultrusion plates with a length of between 30-200 meters, preferably 50-100 meters, by a cutter. The shaped impregnated plates are then advantageously cured. The guide plates and/or the die may take the form of a spreader or inlet comprising multiple apertures, each aperture receiving a respective carbon fibre tow or glass fibre tow. The apertures can be spaced, and they are located so as to guide the fibre tows to form a desired pattern of glass fibre tows and carbon fibre tows in the pultrusion plates.
As used herein, the term “vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate” refers to a cross section of the pultrusion plate on a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, i.e. the axis along the length direction of the pultrusion plate, which is usually the direction in which the pultrusion plate has its greatest extension. When arranged in the blade shell, the longitudinal axis or the length extension of the abraded pultrusion plate will usually coincide substantially with a spanwise direction of the blade. The length along the longitudinal axis is also referred to as the longitudinal length.
As used herein, the term “spanwise” is used to describe the orientation of a measurement or element along the blade from its root end to its tip end. In some embodiments, spanwise is the direction along the longitudinal axis and longitudinal extent of the wind turbine blade.
As used herein, the term “horizontal” refers to a direction that is substantially parallel to the chord of the blade when the abraded pultrusion plates are arranged in the blade shell. The vertical direction is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal direction, extending in a substantially flapwise direction of the blade.
The invention is explained in detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings, in which
The airfoil region 34 (also called the profiled region) has an ideal or almost ideal blade shape with respect to generating lift, whereas the root region 30 due to structural considerations has a substantially circular or elliptical cross-section, which for instance makes it easier and safer to mount the blade 10 to the hub. The diameter (or the chord) of the root region 30 may be constant along the entire root area 30. The transition region 32 has a transitional profile gradually changing from the circular or elliptical shape of the root region 30 to the airfoil profile of the airfoil region 34. The chord length of the transition region 32 typically increases with increasing distance rfrom the hub. The airfoil region 34 has an airfoil profile with a chord extending between the leading edge 18 and the trailing edge 20 of the blade 10. The width of the chord decreases with increasing distance r from the hub.
A shoulder 40 of the blade 10 is defined as the position, where the blade 10 has its largest chord length. The shoulder 40 is typically provided at the boundary between the transition region 32 and the airfoil region 34.
It should be noted that the chords of different sections of the blade normally do not lie in a common plane, since the blade may be twisted and/or curved (i.e. pre-bent), thus providing the chord plane with a correspondingly twisted and/or curved course, this being most often the case in order to compensate for the local velocity of the blade being dependent on the radius from the hub.
The blade is typically made from a pressure side shell part 36 and a suction side shell part 38 that are glued to each other along bond lines at the leading edge 18 and the trailing edge of the blade 20.
The spar cap 41 of the pressure side shell part 36 and the spar cap 45 of the suction side shell part 38 are connected via a first shear web 50 and a second shear web 55. The shear webs 50, 55 are in the shown embodiment shaped as substantially I-shaped webs. The first shear web 50 comprises a shear web body and two web foot flanges.
The shear web body comprises a sandwich core material 51, such as balsawood or foamed polymer, covered by a number of skin layers 52 made of a number of fibre layers. The blade shells 36, 38 may comprise further fibre-reinforcement at the leading edge and the trailing edge. Typically, the shell parts 36, 38 are bonded to each other via glue flanges.
Various of the patterns of the present invention are illustrated in
As illustrated in
As seen in the various embodiments of
The pultrusion plate shown in
The abrading may alternatively result in flattened edges, in a sense creating an additional facet or additional surface 121b-124b at each edge, as shown on the abraded pultrusion 165a in
Flattened edges can be simpler to produce since they can be made by cutting using for instance a rotating blade travelling along each of the edges. It is also possible to abrade for instance by grinding, planing, or sanding.
Abrading the edges makes it easier for instance to arrange the pultrusion plates in adjacent stacks, especially when the surface is sloped, in which case the edges of the adjacent pultrusion plates may come into contact with one another.
Removing parts of each of the edges is typically performed separately and may have been performed through the steps of:
In some embodiments, the abrading has a total longitudinal length or extent of at least half a length of the pultrusion plate. In some embodiments, the edges have been abraded along the entire length of the pultrusion plate. In some embodiments, abrading is not performed from an end of the pultrusion plate up to a distance in the range 100-1000 mm from said end, in particular in case the pultrusion plate is or will be chamfered at the end or ends. Abrading the end might compromise the strength of the chamfered end.
The interlayer 131 separates the two layers but provides electrical contact between the abraded pultrusion plates 164a and 164b by being in electrical contact with carbon fibre material in both abraded pultrusion plates.
The spar cap may include further abraded pultrusion plates, as shown in
The interlayer 131 in
The interlayers 131 and 132 provide electrical connection between all abraded pultrusion plates in the spar cap structure by electrically connecting the bottom surfaces of pultrusions in one layer, such as 164b and 164d, with the top surface of pultrusions in the layer below, such as 163a and 164c. Furthermore, electrical connection between the layers is established by the interlayers 131, 132. This is illustrated by the arrows going through carbon fibre material comprised in pultrusions 164c, 164b, 164d, 164e, 164f through the interlayers 131 and 132.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be modified or adapted without departing from the scope of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20217860.4 | Dec 2020 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2021/087861 | 12/30/2021 | WO |
