US 11,927,172 B2
Method of forming a wind turbine blade
Chris Sutton, Hampshire (GB); Paul Lewis, Newport (GB); James Olive, Whitwell (GB); Steven Pascoe, Cowes (GB); and Ashleigh Porter, Newport (GB)
Assigned to Vestas Wind Systems A/S, Aarhus N. (DK)
Appl. No. 17/605,090
Filed by Vestas Wind Systems A/S, Aarhus N. (DK)
PCT Filed Apr. 22, 2020, PCT No. PCT/DK2020/050106
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 20, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/216422, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 29, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. PA 2019 70247 (DK), filed on Apr. 23, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0213867 A1, Jul. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 65/00 (2006.01); B29C 65/48 (2006.01); B29C 65/78 (2006.01); F03D 1/06 (2006.01); B29L 31/08 (2006.01)
CPC F03D 1/0675 (2013.01) [B29C 65/48 (2013.01); B29C 65/7802 (2013.01); B29C 65/7841 (2013.01); B29C 66/12443 (2013.01); B29C 66/342 (2013.01); B29C 66/81455 (2013.01); B29L 2031/085 (2013.01); F05B 2240/304 (2020.08)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming a wind turbine blade, the wind turbine blade comprising:
a main blade module defining a main body of the blade and including a first mating feature; and,
a separate edge module defining at least part of a trailing edge of the blade and including a second mating feature,
the method comprising:
applying an adhesive to at least one of the first mating feature and the second mating feature;
arranging the separate edge module relative to the main blade module such that the first and second mating features are mutually adjacent; and,
applying a pressure force to squeeze the adhesive to bond the first and second mating features together,
wherein the pressure force is caused by removing air from, or injecting air into, an air sealed region.
 
12. A method of forming a wind turbine blade, the wind turbine blade comprising:
a main blade module defining a main body of the blade and including a first mating feature; and,
a separate edge module defining at least part of a trailing edge of the blade and including a second mating feature,
the method comprising:
applying an adhesive to at least one of the first mating feature and the second mating feature;
arranging the separate edge module relative to the main blade module such that the first and second mating features are mutually adjacent; and,
applying a pressure force to squeeze the adhesive to bond the first and second mating features together,
wherein the pressure force is caused by removing air from, or injecting air into, an air sealed region; and,
wherein the air sealed region encapsulates at least the first and second mating features, the method comprising forming the air sealed region after the separate edge module has been arranged relative to the main body module, and the method comprising removing air from the sealed region to create a vacuum and cause the pressure force to be applied.
 
15. A method of forming a wind turbine blade, the wind turbine blade comprising:
a main blade module defining a main body of the blade and including a first mating feature; and,
a separate edge module defining at least part of a trailing edge of the blade and including a second mating feature,
the method comprising:
applying an adhesive to at least one of the first mating feature and the second mating feature;
arranging the separate edge module relative to the main blade module such that the first and second mating features are mutually adjacent; and,
applying a pressure force to squeeze the adhesive to bond the first and second mating features together,
wherein the pressure force is caused by removing air from, or injecting air into, an air sealed region; and,
wherein the air sealed region is defined by one or more inflatable airbags, and the method comprises injecting air into the one or more inflatable airbags to cause the force to be applied by the inflatable airbags applying pressure to an outer surface of the blade in the vicinity of the first and second mating features.