US 12,359,653 B2
Wind turbine component
Adam Christopher Nevin, Nottingham (GB); Philip Wayne Brindle, Ely (GB); and Andrew Ian Williams, Oldham (GB)
Assigned to Trelleborg Retford Limited, Gloucestershire (GB)
Appl. No. 17/779,747
Filed by Trelleborg Retford Limited, Gloucestershire (GB)
PCT Filed Nov. 17, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/082357
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 25, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/104935, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 3, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19211242 (EP), filed on Nov. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0403826 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. F03D 80/00 (2016.01); B32B 5/26 (2006.01); F03D 1/06 (2006.01); B29C 70/44 (2006.01); B29L 31/08 (2006.01); B32B 5/02 (2006.01)
CPC F03D 80/00 (2016.05) [B32B 5/263 (2021.05); B32B 5/2795 (2021.05); B29C 70/44 (2013.01); B29L 2031/085 (2013.01); B32B 5/024 (2013.01); B32B 5/026 (2013.01); B32B 2250/20 (2013.01); B32B 2260/023 (2013.01); B32B 2260/046 (2013.01); B32B 2262/101 (2013.01); B32B 2262/106 (2013.01); B32B 2264/105 (2013.01); B32B 2264/108 (2013.01); B32B 2603/00 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wind turbine component, the wind turbine component comprising a laminate of layers, the laminate of layers comprising an outer side and an inner side, wherein the outer side faces an exterior of the wind turbine component and the inner side faces an interior of the wind turbine component, the laminate of layers being configured to reflect a radar wave impinging the outer side of the laminate of layers, wherein a reflection loss of the reflected radar wave is below a threshold at a frequency, the laminate of layers comprising:
an attenuating layer comprising a first reinforcing fiber fabric and a first polymer matrix, wherein the first reinforcing fiber fabric comprises a plurality of first reinforcing fibers onto which radar absorbing particles are attached, the plurality of first reinforcing fibers being reinforcing fiberglass or reinforcing carbon fibers, wherein the plurality of first reinforcing fibers are intertwined to form the first reinforcing fiber fabric, wherein the radar absorbing particles form a conformal coating around each reinforcing fiber of the plurality of first reinforcing fibers, and wherein the radar absorbing particles of the conformal coating around each reinforcing fiber of the plurality of first reinforcing fibers comprise one or more of carbon nanotubes, carbon black, or a metal-organic framework;
a reflective layer comprising a second reinforcing fiber fabric and a second polymer matrix, wherein the second reinforcing fiber fabric comprises a plurality of second reinforcing fibers onto which metal particles are attached, wherein the plurality of second reinforcing fibers are intertwined to form the second reinforcing fiber fabric, wherein the metal particles are attached to each reinforcing fiber of the plurality of second reinforcing fibers; and
a phase shifting layer between the attenuating layer and the reflective layer, the phase shifting layer comprising a reinforcing fiberglass or reinforcing carbon fibers and a third polymer matrix,
wherein the phase shifting layer has a thickness configured to set a phase difference between a radar wave reflection from the attenuating layer and a radar wave reflection from the reflective layer to provide at least partially destructive interference between the radar wave reflection from the attenuating layer and the radar wave reflection from the reflective layer at the frequency,
wherein the reflective layer is arranged on an inner side of the attenuating layer, the reflective layer being configured to reflect a transmitted portion of the radar wave, the transmitted portion of the radar wave being a portion of the radar wave that has passed through the attenuating layer.