Fluid transfer assemblies for transferring fluid into or out of a single vessel and distributing the fluid to multiple other vessels are provided. The fluid transfer assemblies are customizable, substantially aseptic, and single-use. The fluid transfer assemblies may be manufactured by solidifying polymeric materials to form a body around a mandrel with protrusions engaged to fluid conduits and leaving recesses in the solidified polymeric material to stretch the resultant body and remove the mandrel with protrusions. The resultant fluid transfer assembly may be surrounded by a rigid housing and valves may be engaged with the conduits and/or body to control the fluid flow within the fluid transfer assembly.

The present invention generally relates to fiber-reinforced composites, including carbon-fiber composites. These materials are useful in load-bearing components for mechanical systems, and other applications. Surprisingly, the carbon fibers can be aligned using an applied magnetic field applied directly to the carbon fibers, rather than to magnetic materials that are used to indirectly align the carbon fibers. For example, the carbon fibers may exhibit an anisotropic diamagnetic response in response to a magnetic field, which can be used to align the fibers. In some cases, the carbon fibers may be relatively pure, and/or have a relatively high modulus, which may result in diamagnetic properties. Other embodiments are generally directed to systems and methods for making or using such composites, kits involving such composites, or the like.

The present invention generally relates to fiber-reinforced composites, including carbon-fiber composites. These materials are useful in load-bearing components for mechanical systems, and other applications. Surprisingly, the carbon fibers can be aligned using an applied magnetic field applied directly to the carbon fibers, rather than to magnetic materials that are used to indirectly align the carbon fibers. For example, the carbon fibers may exhibit an anisotropic diamagnetic response in response to a magnetic field, which can be used to align the fibers. In some cases, the carbon fibers may be relatively pure, and/or have a relatively high modulus, which may result in diamagnetic properties. Other embodiments are generally directed to systems and methods for making or using such composites, kits involving such composites, or the like.

A method for manufacturing a structural component of a blade segment for a segmented rotor blade of a wind turbine includes providing a mold of the structural component. The mold has an outer wall that defines an outer surface of the structural component. The method also includes securing at least one tooling pin to the outer wall for defining a pin joint slot in the structural component. Further, the method includes laying up one or more outer fiber layers in the mold so as to at least partially cover the outer wall. The outer fiber layer(s) has at least one hole that receives the tooling pin(s). As such, the outer fiber layer(s) form the outer surface of the structural component. Moreover, the method includes placing one or more structural features atop the outer fiber layer(s) in the mold. In addition, the method includes infusing the outer fiber layer(s) and the structural feature(s) together via a resin material so as to form the structural component.

A method for manufacturing a structural component of a blade segment for a segmented rotor blade of a wind turbine includes providing a mold of the structural component. The mold has an outer wall that defines an outer surface of the structural component. The method also includes securing at least one tooling pin to the outer wall for defining a pin joint slot in the structural component. Further, the method includes laying up one or more outer fiber layers in the mold so as to at least partially cover the outer wall. The outer fiber layer(s) has at least one hole that receives the tooling pin(s). As such, the outer fiber layer(s) form the outer surface of the structural component. Moreover, the method includes placing one or more structural features atop the outer fiber layer(s) in the mold. In addition, the method includes infusing the outer fiber layer(s) and the structural feature(s) together via a resin material so as to form the structural component.

A method of manufacturing a composite part comprising a core and at least one skin region formed of a low friction UHMWPE skin polymer attached thereto, by: a) providing a mold with a heatable mold cavity; b) loading into the mold cavity UHMWPE powder followed by a core element having a surface with at least one contacting region provided with a plurality of anchoring sites, loading onto the core element, a layer of UHMWPE in powder form adjacent the contacting region, and applying a heat pressing step to melt the skin polymer powder to form a molten skin polymer matrix, and cooling to solidify the skin polymer matrix forming a skin region mechanically engaged into anchoring sites of the core element.

A method of manufacturing a composite part comprising a core and at least one skin region formed of a low friction UHMWPE skin polymer attached thereto, by: a) providing a mold with a heatable mold cavity; b) loading into the mold cavity UHMWPE powder followed by a core element having a surface with at least one contacting region provided with a plurality of anchoring sites, loading onto the core element, a layer of UHMWPE in powder form adjacent the contacting region, and applying a heat pressing step to melt the skin polymer powder to form a molten skin polymer matrix, and cooling to solidify the skin polymer matrix forming a skin region mechanically engaged into anchoring sites of the core element.

An apparatus for securing first and second skins to a core in a composite rotor blade includes an elongated member configured to be installed through a passage in the core of the composite rotor blade. The elongated member has a first end configured to be attached to an outer surface of the first skin and a second end configured to be attached to an outer surface of the second skin. The apparatus also includes a first patch configured to adhere the first end to the outer surface of the first skin, and a second patch configured to adhere the second end to the outer surface of the second skin such the elongated member extends from the outer surfaces of the first and second skins through the passage in the core.

Devices, systems, and methods of improving paste flow during the manufacture of wind turbine blades are provided. When the first turbine blade half is aligned with the second turbine blade half, a gap is formed between the first shell and the bond cap. The assembly includes a first mold half corresponding to the first turbine blade half and a second mold half corresponding to the second turbine blade half. When the first mold is aligned with the second mold, a second gap is formed. A first barrier is disposed within the first gap and a second barrier disposed within the second gap thereby fluidly sealing a volume defined by the first gap and the second gap to direct adhesive paste flow along the blade span between the adjoining leading and trailing edges.

The invention relates to a device comprising: a first layer (11) of a thermoformable material that is inelastically deformable in a thermoforming temperature range, a second layer (1) of a viscoelastic material that is elastically deformable in a temperature range including a use temperature range of the device and the thermoforming temperature range, and wherein: the use temperature range is lower than the thermoforming temperature range, the first layer is bonded to the second layer, the thermoformable material is elastically deformable and more rigid than the viscoelastic material in the use temperature range, the thermoformable material is less rigid than the viscoelastic material in the thermoforming temperature range.