An airfoil member having a root end, a tip end, a leading edge, and a trailing edge, the airfoil member including an upper skin; a lower skin; and a support network having a plurality of interconnected support members in a lattice arrangement and/or a reticulated arrangement, the support network being configured to provide tailored characteristics of the airfoil member. Also provided are methods and systems for repairing an airfoil member.

An apparatus is provided for modifying the geometry of at least one part of a turbine, which can include a shell assembly that includes an outer shell that is shaped to modify the shape of a pre-existing element of a turbine. The outer shell of the shell assembly can be composed of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material and can at least partially define an inner cavity. The outer shell can be bonded to a structure to modify the geometrical shape of that structure. Thereafter, a polymer casting can be injected into the inner cavity via at least one injection port attached to the shell assembly. In some embodiments, one or more stiffeners and/or a core can be positioned within the inner cavity to help improve the bonding of the polymer casting to the shell and/or improve a structural property of the apparatus.

A method for customizing bedplates for a plurality of wind turbines having different loading requirements. The method includes forming a plurality of baseline bodies for the bedplates that includes a near net shape of one of the bedplates. Further, the method includes determining a loading requirement of the bedplates of each of the wind turbines. Moreover, the method includes applying additional material to an exterior surface of the plurality of baseline bodies via an additive manufacturing process so as to customize a structural capacity of each of the bedplates such that the structural capacity of each of the bedplates can withstand the loading requirement for each of the wind turbines. Accordingly, the structural capacity of each of the plurality of baseline bodies may be the same or may be different.

A device for performing maintenance on an object is provided. The device for performing maintenance on an object comprises an attaching means that enables the device to attach to a part of an object, the attaching means being configured to deform in accordance with a shape of a part of the object, a moving means that enables the device to move on the object, and a maintenance means that performs maintenance on the object. In one embodiment of the present invention, the attaching means is configured so that the device maintains a state of attaching to the part of the object by the deformation of the attaching means even when a shape of a part of the object changes in association with the movement.

In a first aspect, there is a method of making a rotor blade, including designing at least one of an upper skin, a lower skin, a support network, and components therefor; and forming at least one of the upper skin, the lower skin, a support network, and components therefor using an additive manufacturing process. In a second aspect, there is an airfoil member having a root end, a tip end, a leading edge, and a trailing edge, the airfoil member including an upper skin; a lower skin; and a support network having a plurality of interconnected support members in a lattice arrangement and/or a reticulated arrangement, the support network being configured to provide tailored characteristics of the airfoil member. Also provided are methods and systems for repairing an airfoil member.

This invention relates to a method and a wind turbine blade, wherein one or more airflow modifying devices are attached to a wind turbine blade having a base aerodynamic profile. The base aerodynamic profile is configured to substantially carry the structural loading of this modified wind turbine blade. The airflow modifying device is manufactured via 3D-printing and/or via 3D-machining and optionally coated or laminated before attachment. Once attached, the airflow modifying device may further be coated or laminated before working the outer surfaces into their finished shape.

A method for customizing bedplates for a plurality of wind turbines having different loading requirements. The method includes forming a plurality of baseline bodies for the bedplates that includes a near net shape of one of the bedplates. Further, the method includes determining a loading requirement of the bedplates of each of the wind turbines. Moreover, the method includes applying additional material to an exterior surface of the plurality of baseline bodies via an additive manufacturing process so as to customize a structural capacity of each of the bedplates such that the structural capacity of each of the bedplates can withstand the loading requirement for each of the wind turbines. Accordingly, the structural capacity of each of the plurality of baseline bodies may be the same or may be different.

The present disclosure is directed methods for manufacturing spar caps for wind turbine rotor blades. In certain embodiments, the method includes forming an outer frame or tray of the spar cap via at least one of three-dimensional (3D) pultrusion, thermoforming, or 3D printing. As such, the outer frame has a varying cross-section that corresponds to a varying cross-section of the rotor blade along a span thereof. The method also includes arranging a plurality of structural materials (e.g. layers of pultruded plates) within the pultruded outer frame of the spar cap and infusing the structural materials and the outer frame together via a resin material so as to form the spar cap. The resulting spar cap can then be easily incorporated into conventional rotor blade manufacturing processes and/or welded or bonded to an existing rotor blade.

A method of producing a wind turbine rotor blade. The wind turbine rotor blade has at least an inner blade portion and an outer blade portion, as well as a connecting element. The inner blade portion is wound on a winding form having a first and a second winding portion. The first and second winding portions are releasably fixed to each other by way of a screw connection. The second winding portion is of a conical configuration so that after winding of the inner blade portion a sleeve is produced at an end of the inner blade portion.

Provided is a method of shaping an initial edge seal along a longitudinal edge step of an add-on part mounted on the outer surface of a rotor blade, which method includes the steps of providing an initial edge seal along a longitudinal edge step of an add-on part mounted on an outer surface of a rotor blade, and removing a top layer of the initial edge seal. Further provided is wind turbine rotor blade.