The present invention relates to a leading edge protection for a wind turbine blade, wherein a leading edge axis of the leading edge protection is configured to be fitted on at least part of a leading edge of a wind turbine blade and the leading edge protection is configured to extend between the leading edge and a first edge downstream a first side of the wind turbine blade as well as between the leading edge and a second edge downstream a second side of the wind turbine blade, wherein the leading edge protection comprises a first part and wherein the first edge is configured to be non-parallel with the leading edge of the wind turbine blade along the first part of the leading edge protection. The present invention further relates to a wind turbine blade comprising the leading edge protection and a wind turbine comprising the wind turbine blade. Finally, the present invention relates to a method for protecting a leading edge of a wind turbine blade arranged on a wind turbine and a leading edge protection obtainable by that method.

The present invention relates to a wind turbine blade (10) comprising an elongate reinforcing structure (62). The reinforcing structure (62) comprises a plurality of strips (63, 64, 65) of fibre-reinforced polymer arranged into adjacent stacks (66) of strips, and at least one alignment member (68). The latter comprises a plurality of alternating horizontal segments (70) and vertical segments (72), wherein a vertical segment of the alignment member is arranged between adjacent stacks of strips, and wherein a horizontal segment of the alignment member is arranged on top of or below each stack of strips. At least one of the vertical segments (72) comprises one or more apertures (84) for allowing resin to flow from one side of the vertical segment to the other side of the vertical segment.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of forming a leading edge protection shield on a wind turbine blade shell. The method comprises providing at least a portion of a wind turbine blade shell comprising a windward surface, a leeward surface, and a leading edge, providing a leading edge mould comprising a concave curved mould surface and arranging the mould over the leading edge of the blade shell such that a generally C-shaped cavity is defined between the blade shell and the mould surface. The method further comprises clamping the mould to the windward surface and/or to the leeward surface of the blade shell using a clamping arrangement spaced from the leading edge in a chordwise direction. The method further comprises providing an edge scaling arrangement positioned between the leading edge and the clamping arrangement in the chordwise direction, and forming a seal between the mould surface and the windward and leeward surfaces of the blade shell using the edge sealing arrangement to define windward and leeward edges of the C-shaped cavity. The mould surface is substantially tangential to the windward and leeward surfaces at the windward and leeward edges such that the C-shaped cavity tapers in thickness towards the windward and leeward edges of the C-shaped cavity. The method further comprises supplying polymer to the C-shaped cavity to form a leading edge protection shield on the blade shell.

A wind turbine blade with a leading edge protection system, wherein: the leading edge protection system, includes a shell portion, a surface of the shell portion forms part of an outer surface of the blade, the shell portion includes at least one cavity integrally formed inside a material of the shell portion, and the at least one cavity is a closed cavity filled with a shock absorbing medium and/or the at least one cavity is filled with a shock absorbing material. Having the leading edge protection system including the shell portion with the at least one cavity filled with the shock absorbing material and/or medium provides an improved shock absorption at the leading edge of a wind turbine blade.

A lightning protection system for a wind turbine blade, includes: a receptor disposed in a tip portion of the wind turbine blade; a leading edge protection portion made of a metal and electrically connected to the receptor and disposed so as to cover a leading edge of the wind turbine blade; a down conductor connected to the receptor; at least one connecting conductor for electrically connecting the leading edge protection portion and the down conductor at a position between the receptor and a blade root in a blade spanwise direction of the wind turbine blade; and a first current sensor for measuring a current flowing through a blade tip-side portion which is a portion, of the down conductor, between a blade tip and a connection point with the at least one connecting conductor in the blade spanwise direction.

A repair device and method for repairing damage around the leading edge of a wind turbine blade (20) are provided. The repair device includes a robotic maintenance device (40) and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (62) that can move the maintenance device (40) between a storage position and an operation position, the former being mounted on a blade (20) of the wind turbine (10). The UAV (62) hovers and remains connected to the maintenance device (40) during operations at the blade (20) to minimize a total operational downtime needed to conduct the repair actions. The UAV (62) is secured to the maintenance device (40) by at least one support line (68) that carries the weight load of the maintenance device (40) and at least two control lines (72) that prevent undesired rotations of the maintenance device (40), thereby improving precision and accuracy of UAV-driven movements of the maintenance device (40). A transport container (24) may also be provided to define the storage position, the transport container (24) including an elongated slot (70) for guiding movement of the lines (68, 72) and the maintenance device (40) during movements into and out of a storage space within the container (24).

The present disclosure provides a blade for a wind turbine, where the blade extends in a lengthwise direction between a root end and a tip end of the blade. The blade comprises a leeward shell portion and a windward shell portion, each extending in a chordwise direction between a leading edge of the blade and a trailing edge of the blade. A first windward reinforcement structure and a first leeward reinforcement structure are arranged internally within the blade and engage the windward and the leeward shell portion, respectively. The first windward and first leeward reinforcement structures extend in the lengthwise direction of the blade and have a thickness in the thickness direction of the blade. The respective thicknesses of the first leeward reinforcement structure and the first windward reinforcement structure decrease towards the tip end in the lengthwise direction in a first section of the blade; and at at least one position along the length of the blade, the decrease of the thickness of the first leeward reinforcement structure is staggered with respect to the decrease of the thickness of the first windward reinforcement structure.

Provided is a wing structure comprising a wing body formed from fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), and an erosion suppression layer provided so as to cover at least a portion of a front edge of the wing structure. The erosion suppression layer contains a thermal spraying layer configured so as to maintain, by having a prescribed surface roughness, a liquid film formed on the erosion suppression layer.

The present disclosure relates to devices for wind turbine blades and methods for reducing vibrations in wind turbines with a rotor in standstill. A device comprises a portion configured to protrude beyond a leading edge of a wind turbine blade in a local chordwise direction. The portion configured to protrude beyond the leading edge is configured to at least partially form an air channel in front of the leading edge.

A wind turbine blade including a shell structure defining a leading edge and a trailing edge, and an upwind shell and a downwind shell joined along at least one of the leading edge or the trailing edge. The shell structure includes an assembly of preformed parts processed into a collection of prefabricated laminates. The invention also includes a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade, the method includes processing a number of preformed parts into a collection of prefabricated laminates and assembling the collection of prefabricated laminates to build a shell structure defining a leading edge and a trailing edge.