A wind turbine blade includes a first blade section and a second blade section configured to be coupled together at a joint interface. The blade further includes a connection joint for coupling the first and second blade sections together. The connection joint includes a plurality of connecting elements integrated into the first and second blade sections at the first and second blade interfaces. The connection joint further includes cross pins and fasteners for making the connection. A method of making a wind turbine blade section and a wind turbine blade made from such sections are also disclosed.

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.

A system (24) and method are described herein for manufacturing a wind turbine blade (22) proximate to the final installation site of a wind turbine (10). The system (24) includes a creel (72) of feeders (74) configured to apply strengthening elements (62) onto a plurality of shell core sections (26) coupled together and fed through the creel (72). The shell core sections (26) include an external surface (56) with a plurality of external grooves (58) recessed into the external surface (56) such that the strengthening elements (62) are laid into the external grooves (58). The system (24) also includes a deposition station (78) configured to apply an outer surface material layer (82) in fluid form to cover the external surface (56) and the plurality of strengthening elements (62). A curing station (86) heats and consolidates the shell core sections (26), the strengthening elements (62), and the outer surface material layer (82) together into a final consolidated part, with the outer surface material layer (82) defining an external profile of the blade (22) following curing.

Disclosed herein is an electrically conductive adhesive composition, articles comprising at least two components adhesively bonded by the electrically conductive adhesive composition and methods of making such adhesives and articles. The electrically conductive adhesive composition includes milled carbon fibers dispersed in a thermosetting resin and a curative agent.

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.

The present disclosure is directed to a method for manufacturing a rotor blade component, such as shear web, of a rotor blade of a wind turbine. The method includes forming, via 3-D printing, an internal lattice structure of the rotor blade component. More specifically, the internal lattice structure includes a plurality of open cells. In addition, the method includes covering at least a portion of the internal lattice structure with an outer skin layer to form the rotor blade component.

The present disclosure is directed to methods for manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades and components thereof, e.g. using 3D printing. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a rotor blade structure having a first surface and an opposing, second surface, the first and second surfaces being substantially flat. Another step includes printing a leading edge segment of the rotor blade onto the first surface, wherein heat from the printing bonds the leading edge segment to the first surface. The method also includes rotating the rotor blade structure having the leading edge segment attached thereto. A further step includes printing a trailing edge segment of the rotor blade onto the second surface, wherein heat from the printing bonds the trailing edge segment to the second surface. Another step includes securing one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins to the leading and trailing edge segments so as to complete the rotor blade.

A rotor blade uses hot-air, for example exhaust from a generator positioned inside a nacelle of a wind turbine, for de-icing and/or anti-icing. The rotor blade has an airfoil section and a cavity enclosed therein. A flow path inside the cavity, for flow of the hot-air, extends from a root section towards a tip section. Exhaust holes, fluidly connected with the flow path, at an outer surface of the airfoil section emit the hot-air from the airfoil section. The rotor blade includes a cover plate positioned at the outer surface of the airfoil section and masking the exhaust holes, thereby creating an external flow space between the exhaust holes and the cover plate's inner surface. The cover plate guides the hot-air over the outer surface of the airfoil section after the hot-air exits, via the exhaust holes, the airfoil section and before the hot-air escapes the rotor blade.

The present invention relates to a composite wind turbine blade, manufacturing method and application thereof. The blade comprises blade shell, shear web, spar cap and blade root, wherein the spar cap is manufactured with polyurethane resin and the blade shell is manufactured with epoxy resin. The present invention contributes to increasing stiffness of the wind turbine blade, making the wind turbine blade lighter and shortening its production cycle, thus saving manufacturing cost thereof.

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.