US 12,000,372 B2
Wind turbine blade
Preben Kjeldsen, Ringkobing (DK); and Thomas Schmidt, Ringkobing (DK)
Assigned to Vestas Wind Systems A/S, Aarhus N. (DK)
Appl. No. 18/013,030
Filed by Vestas Wind Systems A/S, Aarhus (DK)
PCT Filed Jul. 1, 2021, PCT No. PCT/DK2021/050219
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 27, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/002337, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 6, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. PA 2020 70459 (DK), filed on Jul. 3, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0332572 A1, Oct. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. F03D 1/06 (2006.01); B29D 99/00 (2010.01)
CPC F03D 1/0675 (2013.01) [B29D 99/0028 (2013.01); F03D 1/0641 (2013.01); F03D 1/0677 (2023.08); F03D 1/0681 (2023.08); F03D 1/0682 (2023.08); F03D 1/0684 (2023.08); F03D 1/0685 (2023.08); F05B 2220/705 (2020.08); F05B 2230/60 (2013.01); F05B 2240/21 (2013.01); F05B 2260/30 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wind turbine blade comprising:
a blade shell that extends in a spanwise direction from a root end to a tip end, and in a chordwise direction from a leading edge to a trailing edge, the blade shell comprising:
a spar cap formed from a plurality of substantially planar strips of reinforcing material, the strips being arranged in a plurality of stacks extending longitudinally in the spanwise direction and arranged side-by-side in the chordwise direction, whereby in each stack an uppermost strip defines an upper surface of the stack, a lowermost strip defines a lower surface of the stack, and longitudinal edges of the stacked strips define side surfaces of the stack;
a retaining clip comprising a series of substantially U-shaped sections each having a pair of mutually-spaced side portions defining a stack-receiving region therebetween, wherein the side portions are joined by a bridging portion, and wherein each U-shaped section is inverted with respect to its neighbouring U-shaped section;
wherein at least some of the stacks are located in the stack-receiving regions of the retaining clip, such that the side portions of the U-shaped sections abut side surfaces of the stacks, and each U-shaped section of the retaining clip is inverted with respect to its neighbouring U-shaped section(s) such that the bridging portions of the respective U-shaped sections extend alternately across the upper and lower surfaces of the stacks in the chordwise direction.