Abstract:
A pre-form and a method of preparing pre-forms are provided. The pre-forms comprise a resin and at least two layers of oriented fibre tows. The pre-forms comprise fibre tows instead of the traditional prepregs to enhance rearranging of resin and/or fibres during subsequent processing as well as provide greater freedom, a price reduction and/or a reduction of waste. The pre-forms may be formed three-dimensionally to enhance coupling to further pre-forms or other structures and/or to enhance shaping of the pre-form to a final three-dimensional shape. The method of preparation of pre-forms involves providing an adhesive between layers of fibres and providing a resin in contact with at least one of the layers of fibres. The resin is preferably provided in a non-continuous layer to allow for removal of gas at least partially in a direction orthogonal to the layers of resin. The pre-forms are suitable for preparation of composite structures like for example spars for wind turbine blades.
Abstract:
A wind turbine blade includes a first blade portion and a second blade portion coupled together by a connection joint. A first spar cap is associated with an upper shell half and a second spar cap is associated with the lower shell half of each of the first and second blade portions. A shear web extends between the first spar cap and the second spar cap of each of the first and second blade portions. The shear web is terminated away from a joint interface at which the first and second blade portions meet, and there is no shear web extending in a longitudinal direction across the joint interface. The shear web extending between the first spar cap and the second spar cap is branched in the longitudinal direction toward the first and second blade interfaces of the first and second blade portions respectively.
Abstract:
A wind turbine rotor blade includes a first blade section and a second blade section which engage each other across a joint interface. A connection joint couples the first and second blade sections together across the joint interface. The connection joint includes a plurality of eyes provided at the first and second blade sections and a clamp assembly coupled to the eyes across the joint interface. The clamp assembly includes a plurality of clamp supports, at least one retention head on each side of the joint interface, and a plurality of fasteners. Each of the retention heads is formed from a plurality of discrete bridge elements arranged to collectively form the retention head. The modular nature of the retention heads accommodates various misalignments in the elements of the connection joint. A method of assembling a wind turbine blade is also disclosed.
Abstract:
A method of handling a wind turbine component for assembly or maintenance, comprising moving one or more unmanned air vehicles to respective positions proximal to a wind turbine component so that the wind turbine component can be supported by the one or more unmanned air vehicles; and controlling the one or more unmanned air vehicles to lift the wind turbine component and manoeuvre said component with respect to a wind turbine. The invention extends to a system for handling a component of a wind turbine, comprising a plurality of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs); a UAV ground station computer system; and one or more lifting harnesses for carrying by the plurality of unmanned air vehicles.
Abstract:
A power supply system for at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (10) comprises a remote power supply (52) and a tethering system (70). The tethering system (70) comprises at least one umbilical cable (72) having a first end (82) connectable to an unmanned aerial vehicle (10) and a second end (84) operably connected to the remote power supply (52) for providing power to said unmanned aerial vehicle (10) via the umbilical cable (72) and a support arrangement (80) for supporting the second end (84) of the umbilical cable at a predetermined height (h1) above the ground.
Abstract:
A method of making a wind turbine blade is described. The blade comprises an outer shell having a laminate structure. The method comprises providing a blade mould (82) defining a shape of at least part of the outer shell of the blade. The mould extends in a spanwise direction between a root end (94) and a tip end (96), and extends in a chordwise direction between a leading edge (90) and a trailing edge (92). The method further includes providing a plurality of dry plies (66) comprising dry structural fibrous material and a plurality of prepreg (68) plies comprising structural fibrous material impregnated with resin. The plurality of dry plies and the plurality of prepreg plies are arranged in the mould to form a plurality of layers of the laminate structure of the outer shell of the blade. The plies are arranged in the mould such that the dry plies are interleaved with the prepreg plies to form a hybrid shell structure in which the plies are arranged in a staggered relationship such that corresponding edges of the dry plies are offset from one another in the spanwise and/or chordwise direction of the mould and/or corresponding edges of the prepreg plies are offset from one another in the spanwise and/or chordwise direction of the mould.
Abstract:
A shear web for a wind turbine blade is described. The shear web comprises a panel and a web head. A longitudinal edge of the panel is received within a slot defined in the web head. A plurality of discrete spring features are attached to the longitudinal edge of the panel. The spring features are mutually spaced apart at intervals along the length of the longitudinal edge. The spring features compress against a base of the slot when the longitudinal edge region of the panel is inserted into the slot.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for curing of a composite material. The method involves applying heat to only a first region of said composite material, such that said first region is heated to a temperature above the cure onset temperature of said curable resin, thus initiating curing of said curable resin in said first region; and maintaining the composite material in an insulated state, such that the curing of said curable resin spreads to regions of the composite material outside of said first region.
Abstract:
Apparatus for manipulating a wind turbine blade and method of blade handling An apparatus for manipulating a wind turbine blade having fixed lifting points (2) on the blade has a blade turner base (36,62,82,100), a frame like support structure (34,64,84,112) carried on the base and connecting structures such as brackets (32,138) which engage in the lifting points (2) on the blade extending into openings in the blade, the support structure (34,64,84,112) having a part-circular portion or periphery at which it connects to the base, being movably supported on the base so as to rotate relative thereto about a substantially horizontal axis in order to vary the orientation of a blade supported thereon.
Abstract:
A wind turbine blade 2 is formed with structures allowing its lifting by a lifting apparatus 4, the blade comprising upper and lower blade shells and an internal load-bearing structure comprising an internal spar 16 or internal webs, a plurality of lifting points 20 arranged about the blade centre of gravity, comprising openings for receiving lifting members 24 of a lifting apparatus insertable therein into structures 22 secured to the load-bearing structure, and with a locking connection being established between the lifting members 24 and the load-bearing structure 16.