A thermoplastic product includes a fabric-based reinforcing sheet and a polymerized thermoplastic material. The fabric-based reinforcing sheet is wound about a mandrel to form a plurality of layers having a cross-sectional shape that corresponds to the mandrel. The fabric-based reinforcing sheet includes a plurality of fiber bundles, which may have a bidirectional orientation or configuration. A polymerized thermoplastic material is disposed within each layer of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet. The polymerized thermoplastic material bonds each layer of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet to an adjacent layer.

A thermoplastic product includes a fabric-based reinforcing sheet and a polymerized thermoplastic material. The fabric-based reinforcing sheet is wound about a mandrel to form a plurality of layers having a cross-sectional shape that corresponds to the mandrel. The fabric-based reinforcing sheet includes a plurality of fiber bundles, which may have a bidirectional orientation or configuration. A polymerized thermoplastic material is disposed within each layer of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet. The polymerized thermoplastic material bonds each layer of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet to an adjacent layer.

A system (100), for manufacturing a rotor blade (112), comprises a first tooling (170), positioned at a factory location (114) and configured to assemble a first blade module (116), comprising a first-module skin (118) and a first-module spar (120), each comprising a first thermoplastic polymer (122) and a first reinforcement material (124). The system (100) comprises a second tooling (172), configured to assemble a second blade module (126), comprising a second-module skin (128) and a second-module spar (130), each comprising a second thermoplastic polymer (132) and a second reinforcement material (134). The system (100) comprises a first support (160), positioned at a field location (140) and configured to receive the first blade module (116), and a second support (162), positioned at the field location (140) and configured to receive the second blade module (126). The system (100) comprises a spar welding assembly (174), positioned at the field location (140) and configured to join the first-module spar (120) with the second-module spar (130), and a skin welding assembly (176), positioned at the field location (140) and configured to join the first-module skin (118) with the second-module skin (128).

A system (100), for manufacturing a rotor blade (112), comprises a first tooling (170), positioned at a factory location (114) and configured to assemble a first blade module (116), comprising a first-module skin (118) and a first-module spar (120), each comprising a first thermoplastic polymer (122) and a first reinforcement material (124). The system (100) comprises a second tooling (172), configured to assemble a second blade module (126), comprising a second-module skin (128) and a second-module spar (130), each comprising a second thermoplastic polymer (132) and a second reinforcement material (134). The system (100) comprises a first support (160), positioned at a field location (140) and configured to receive the first blade module (116), and a second support (162), positioned at the field location (140) and configured to receive the second blade module (126). The system (100) comprises a spar welding assembly (174), positioned at the field location (140) and configured to join the first-module spar (120) with the second-module spar (130), and a skin welding assembly (176), positioned at the field location (140) and configured to join the first-module skin (118) with the second-module skin (128).

A consumable filament for use in an extrusion-based additive manufacturing system, where the consumable filament comprises a core portion of a matrix of a first base polymer and particles dispersed within the matrix, and a shell portion comprising a same or a different base polymer. The consumable filament is configured to be melted and extruded to form roads of a plurality of solidified layers of a three-dimensional part, and where the roads at least partially retain cross-sectional profiles corresponding to the core portion and the shell portion of the consumable filament and retain the particles within the roads of the printed part and do not penetrate the outer surface of the shell portion.

The present disclosure is directed to methods for joining rotor blade components using thermoplastic welding. The method includes arranging a first thermoplastic component and a second thermoplastic component together at an interface, determining a size of a tolerance gap between the first and second components at the interface, placing a thermoplastic insert between the first and second components at the interface, the insert being larger than the tolerance gap, heating the insert and the first and second components such that the insert begins to flow so as to fill the tolerance gap between the first and second components, applying pressure to the interface such that the insert and the first and second blade components remain substantially in direct contact with each other at the interface, and welding the insert and the first and second components together at the interface, wherein the heat and the applied pressure between the insert and the first and second components at the interface maintain the insert and the first and second substantially in direct contact at the interface during welding.

The present disclosure is directed to methods for joining rotor blade components using thermoplastic welding. The method includes arranging a first thermoplastic component and a second thermoplastic component together at an interface, determining a size of a tolerance gap between the first and second components at the interface, placing a thermoplastic insert between the first and second components at the interface, the insert being larger than the tolerance gap, heating the insert and the first and second components such that the insert begins to flow so as to fill the tolerance gap between the first and second components, applying pressure to the interface such that the insert and the first and second blade components remain substantially in direct contact with each other at the interface, and welding the insert and the first and second components together at the interface, wherein the heat and the applied pressure between the insert and the first and second components at the interface maintain the insert and the first and second substantially in direct contact at the interface during welding.

A computer-controlled method for forming a composition-controlled product using 3D printing includes disposing two or more liquid reactant compositions in respective two or more reservoirs; and mixing the two or more liquid reactant compositions, which in turn includes controlling by the computer a mass ratio of the mixed two or more liquid reactant compositions. The computer-controlled method further includes scanning, under control of the computer, a mixed liquid reactants nozzle over a substrate; depositing the mixed liquid reactant compositions onto the substrate; and operating, under control of the computer, a light source to polymerize the deposited mixed liquid reactant compositions.

A thermoplastic product includes a fabric-based reinforcing sheet and a polymerized thermoplastic material. The fabric-based reinforcing sheet is wound about a mandrel to form a plurality of layers having a cross-sectional shape that corresponds to the mandrel. The fabric-based reinforcing sheet includes a plurality of fiber bundles, which may have a bidirectional orientation or configuration. A polymerized thermoplastic material is disposed within each layer of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet. The polymerized thermoplastic material bonds each layer of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet to an adjacent layer.

A thermoplastic product includes a fabric-based reinforcing sheet and a polymerized thermoplastic material. The fabric-based reinforcing sheet is wound about a mandrel to form a plurality of layers having a cross-sectional shape that corresponds to the mandrel. The fabric-based reinforcing sheet includes a plurality of fiber bundles, which may have a bidirectional orientation or configuration. A polymerized thermoplastic material is disposed within each layer of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet. The polymerized thermoplastic material bonds each layer of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet to an adjacent layer.