A wind turbine including a support structure and one or more turbine blades is presented, that incorporates ways for reducing the radar cross section (RCS), wherein the support structure is notionally divided into an upper section in the shadow of the blade sweep area, and a lower section beneath the upper section, wherein the upper section is adapted to have the ways for reducing the RCS, and the lower section does not have the adaptation. The invention makes use of the realisation that the blade masking the tower as it rotates (or the blade being masked by the tower if facing away from a radar), contributes significantly to interference to radar systems, and so localised application of e.g. RAM can give good RCS reduction at a lower cost than treating the whole structure.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade. The method comprises adhesively joining a suction side shell half (69) and a pressure side shell half (68) along respective bond lines (80) at their leading and trailing edges, wherein, prior to joining, an impregnated carrier substrate (76) is arranged in between the shell halves along at least part of said bond lines (80). The carrier substrate (76) is impregnated with at least one compound having a functional moiety. The shell halves may be manufactured by placing a fibre lay-up including one or more fibre layers on a mould surface (66), arranging the impregnated carrier substrate (76) on the inside surface (72) at least along part of its peripheral edge (74) and injecting or infusing the fibre lay-up and the impregnated carrier substrate with a resin and subsequently curing the same.

A method for manufacturing a pitch bearing or a yaw bearing for a wind turbine includes forming an outer race of the bearing of a base material. The method also includes forming an inner race of the bearing of the base material. Further, one of the inner race or the outer race defines a circumferential surface comprising a plurality of gear teeth. The method further includes arranging the inner race within the outer race. In addition, the method includes providing a plurality of roller elements between the outer and inner races. Moreover, the method includes applying a coating material to at least a portion of the plurality of gear teeth via an additive manufacturing process. The coating material is different than the base material. As such, the coating material provides at least one of increased hardness, strength, or durability to the base material.

The present disclosure is directed to methods for manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades and components thereof. In one embodiment, the method includes forming an outer surface of a rotor blade panel from one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins. The method also includes printing and depositing at least one reinforcement structure onto an inner surface of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins to form the rotor blade panel, wherein the reinforcement structure bonds to the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins as the reinforcement structure is being deposited.

In a general aspect, a method is presented for manufacturing support structures for offshore wind turbines. In some implementations, the method includes constructing a plurality of modular sections that assemble to define the support structure. One or more of the plurality of modular sections are configured to anchor to an underwater floor. At least one of the plurality of modular sections is constructed by operations that include forming a wall along a perimeter to bound a volume, filling the volume with a castable material, and hardening the castable material. In some instances, forming the wall includes depositing layers of printable material successively on top of each other. The method also includes joining the plurality of modular sections to assemble the support structure.

A rotor blade for a wind turbine includes at least one blade segment defining an airfoil surface and an internal support structure. The internal support structure is formed, at least in part, of a first portion constructed of a first composite material and a second portion constructed of a different, second composite material, the second composite material arranged in a plurality of layers. The first and second portions are connected together via a scarf joint. Each of the plurality of layers of the second composite material includes an end that terminates at the scarf joint. The scarf joint includes a different, third composite material arranged between the first and second composite materials. The third composite material includes a plurality of segments, each of which is arranged so as to completely wrap the ends of the plurality of layers of the second composite material.

An anti and/or de-icing blade and manufacturing method for said blade including a pressure side shell and a suction side shell, the shells including at least one electrical connector layer extending from the leading edge towards the trailing edge, at least one heating elements layer electrically in contact with the electrical connector layer, glass fabric layers at least inwardly in contact with the electrical connector or with heating elements layer, a connector component extending transversally through the glass fabric layers and being electrically connected with the electrical connector layer and with a metallic block which is drilled by an inter-connector so that the electrical connector layers from each shell are electrically connected and the blade is able to be heated when electrically fed from power source.

A rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine includes at least one rotor blade having surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending between a blade tip and a blade root. The surfaces are constructed of a polymeric composite material. The rotor blade assembly also includes a protection cap arranged adjacent to one or more of the surfaces of the rotor blade so as to cover at least a portion of the one or more surfaces of the rotor blade. The protection cap includes a body defining an overall length. Further, at least a first segment of the protection cap is constructed of a tungsten-based metal. Thus, the protection cap is configured to reduce erosion and resist corrosion of the rotor blade caused by particle or liquid impact.

A wind turbine blade is provided, which includes a blade body extending from a blade root toward a blade tip along a blade length direction, a first sprayed layer disposed so as to cover at least a leading edge on a side of the blade tip of the blade body, for suppressing erosion of the leading edge of the blade body, a second sprayed layer formed between the blade body and the first sprayed layer, and having a lower electrical resistivity than the first sprayed layer, and a first conductive part for electrically connecting the second sprayed layer to a ground.

The present disclosure is directed to a method of manufacturing a rotor blade component of a wind turbine is disclosed. The method includes placing at least one first pultruded member into a curved rotor blade component mold. More specifically, the first pultruded member includes at least one design characteristic configured to allow the first pultruded member to sit substantially flush against an inner surface of the curved rotor blade component mold. The method also includes placing at least one second pultruded member atop the at least one first pultruded member and infusing the first and second pultruded members together to form the rotor blade component.