This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade and a wind turbine blade thereof. A central core element and a plurality of side core elements are sandwiched between first layers and second layers of a first fibre material. The central core element is spaced apart from the side core elements to form a first and a second recess. This sandwich structure is then impregnated with a first resin and cured in a first step. Layers of a second fibre material of a first and a second main laminate are laid up in the first and second recesses. The first and second main laminates are then impregnated with a second resin and cured in a second step.

Shifting is a method for manipulating unidirectional non-crimp fabrics that allows for a curved fiber path along with compound surface geometry. The bases for shifting is understanding unidirectional (UD) non-crimp-fabrics (NCFs) as a semi-flexible prismatic linkage and planning manipulations such that the array of linkages can conform to the surface geometry and path plan within allowable manufacturing tolerances. This has applications in structural composite components such as the current trailing edge prefabricated unidirectional components for wind turbine blades, and for future wind turbine blade designs including a curve-linear spar cap.

The present invention relates to a method and system for manufacturing a wind turbine blade. The method comprising the steps of forming a cured blade element (102) of a first blade shell, forming a cured blade element (102) of a second blade shell, transferring the cured blade element (102) of the first blade shell to a first cradle (92), and transferring the cured blade element (102) of the second blade shell to a second cradle (94). Each cradle comprises a mould body (96, 98) having a moulding surface for abutting against a surface of the cured blade element to advantageously form a seal therebetween.

A downwind morphing rotor that exhibits bending loads that will be reduced by aligning the rotor blades with the composite forces. This reduces the net loads on the blades which therefore allow for a reduced blade mass for a given maximum stress. The downwind morphing varies the amount of downstream deflection as a function of wind speed, where the rotor blades are generally fully-aligned to non-azimuthal forces for wind speeds between rated and cut-out conditions, while only the outer segments of the blades are generally aligned between cut-in and rated wind speeds. This alignment for large (MW-scale) rated turbines results in much larger downstream deflections of the blades at high wind speeds as compared to that of a conventional rigid single-piece upwind turbine blade. Also provided is a pre-aligned configuration rotor whereby the rotor geometry and orientation does not change with wind speed, and instead is fixed at a constant downwind deflection consistent with alignment at or near the rated wind speed conditions. Also provided is a twist morphing rotor where the airfoil-shapes around the spars twist relative to the wind due to aerodynamic forces so as to unload the rotors when there is a gust. This can help reduce unsteady stresses on the blade and therefore may allow for reduced blade mass and cost. The twist morphing rotor may be combined with either downwind morphing rotor or pre-alignment rotor.

The present invention relates to a wind turbine comprising a lightning protection system comprising a waveguide interconnecting a communication device and a signal-carrying structure. In other aspects, the present invention relates to the use of a waveguide in a lightning protection system of a wind turbine, a power splitter and its use in a lightning protection system of a wind turbine.

A rotor blade of a wind turbine including at least one vortex generator is provided. The vortex generator is attached to the surface of the rotor blade and is located at least partially within the boundary layer of the airflow flowing across the rotor blade. The vortex generator is exposed to a stagnation pressure, which is caused by the fraction of the airflow passing over the vortex generator and of which the magnitude depends on the velocity of the fraction of the airflow passing over the vortex generator. The vortex generator is arranged and prepared to change its configuration depending on the magnitude of the stagnation pressure acting on the vortex generator. Furthermore, an aspect relates to a wind turbine for generating electricity with at least one such rotor blade.

A wind turbine blade includes a base member formed of FRP and having a blade shape, an intermediate layer arranged on the base member and formed of metal, cermet, ceramic, or a mixture of at least one thereof and resin as a major constituent, and an erosion-resistant overcoat arranged on the intermediate layer and formed of a spray film having a porosity of 5% or lower.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of making a wind turbine blade. The method comprises providing a blade shell mould, providing a plurality of 5 substantially planar strips of reinforcing material, and arranging the plurality of strips in the mould in a first stack to form at least part of a first spar cap. The method further comprises providing a retaining clip having a substantially planar body and upper and lower flanges projecting transversely to the planar body, wherein the flanges and the body together define a first receiving region on a first side of the retaining clip, and the 10 method further comprises arranging the retaining clip on a side of the first stack such that the strips in the first stack are received in the first receiving region. [Figure 5 to accompany abstract]

A method is provided for reducing the noise emission of a wind turbine rotor blade. The rotor blade has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side, a pressure side and an attachment part at least partially on the pressure side. A pressure-side transition is present between the pressure side and the attachment part. The pressure-side transition is leveled by applying a leveling compound.

A wind turbine rotor blade having a blade shell with a generally chordwise layup of fibre plies and a generally spanwise spar cap. A lightning conductor extends over the spar cap, and the spar cap includes conductive material. An equipotential bonding element electrically bonds the lightning conductor to the spar cap. The equipotential bonding element extends between an outboard edge of one stack of the fibre plies and an inboard edge of an adjacent stack of the fibre plies, which overlap to define an overlapping edge region.