Methods for joining surface features to wind turbine rotor blades are provided. A method includes providing the surface feature after forming of the rotor blade. The surface feature includes a thermoplastic resin. The formed rotor blade includes a plurality of blade components joined together to form an exterior surface defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge each extending between a tip and a root. The formed rotor blade further includes a thermoplastic resin. The method further includes positioning the surface feature adjacent the exterior surface, and welding the thermoplastic resin of the surface feature and the thermoplastic resin of the formed rotor blade together.

A system for depositing a composite filler material into a channel of a composite structure includes an end-effector configured to extrude a bead of the filler material into the channel. The filler material can comprise a first group of relatively long fibers, a second group of relatively short fibers and a resin. A drive system is configured to move the end-effector relative to the channel, and a position sensor is configured to detect the position of the bead relative to the channel. A controller is configured to operate the drive system in response to the detected position and to operate the end-effector to heat and compress the filler material so as to orient the longer fibers in a substantially longitudinal direction relative to the channel and the shorter fibers in substantially random directions relative to the channel when the bead is extruded into the channel.

An electro-welding fitting includes a main body from a first plastics material having an elasticity modulus E2 and at least one heating element for heating the plastics first material. The at least one heating element is entirely or partially surrounded by a second plastics material that does not correspond to the first plastics material or that has other properties from those of the first plastics material

A method and device for connecting and repairing a shear web includes the method steps of dry-fitting a shear web insert in a rotor blade assembly to establish a perimeter gap at an angled perimeter interface between the shear web insert and the rotor blade assembly, the angled perimeter interface positioned between the shear web insert and at least one adjacent surface of a first shear web, a second shear web, a first side of the rotor blade assembly, and a second side of the rotor blade assembly, and then injecting a bonding paste into the perimeter gap. The rotor blade assembly can include a connecting device having at least one pre-fabricated clip.

A composite radius filler material is provided. The composite radius filler includes a resin, a first group of fibers dispersed within the resin, and a second group of fibers dispersed within the resin. The first group of fibers has a first length configured to facilitate orientation in a longitudinal direction. The second group of fibers has a second length that is shorter than the first length, with the second group of fibers configured to facilitate random orientation in a transverse direction.

Rotor blades and methods for joining blade components of rotor blades are provided. A method includes positioning an insert between and in contact with a first blade component and a second blade component. At least one of the first blade component or the second blade component includes a thermoplastic resin. The insert includes a thermoplastic resin and an energy absorptive pigment. The method further includes heating the thermoplastic resin of the at least one of the first blade component or the second blade component and the thermoplastic resin of the insert. The method further includes cooling the thermoplastic resin of the at least one of the first blade component or the second blade component and the thermoplastic resin of the insert. The heating step and the cooling step join the first blade component, the second blade component and the insert together.

Rotor blades and methods for joining shear clips in wind turbine rotor blades are provided. A method includes positioning the shear clip adjacent a shear web of the rotor blade, the shear clip including a thermoplastic resin, the shear web including a thermoplastic resin. The method further includes welding the thermoplastic resin of the shear clip and the thermoplastic resin of the shear web together. The method further includes positioning the shear clip adjacent a spar cap of the rotor blade, the spar cap including a thermoplastic resin. The method further includes welding the thermoplastic resin of the shear clip and the thermoplastic resin of the spar cap together. The method further includes joining the shear web and the spar cap together.

The present invention discloses a device for producing a reinforcing structure, which comprises a strip that is fibre-reinforced and comprises thermoplastic material, on the surface of a moulding. The device is characterized in that a laser diode array is adapted for irradiating a radiation zone so as to bring about such an uneven intensity distribution on a heating-up area of a strip from which the reinforcing structure is formed that the radiation intensity on the heating-up area of the strip decreases at least in certain portions in a drawing direction R2.

Methods for assembling rotor blades are provided. A method includes receiving a first portion of a rotor blade at an erection site. The method further includes receiving a second portion of the rotor blade at the erection site. The method further includes aligning the first portion and the second portion at the erection site, the first portion and the second portion supported on a fixture system when aligned. The method further includes connecting a blade component of the first portion and a blade component of the second portion together at the erection site.

Systems and methods for assembling elongate composite structures are disclosed. The systems include a first rigid elongate cure tool defining a first elongate support surface for supporting a first elongate charge of composite material (FEC), a second rigid elongate cure tool defining a second elongate support surface for supporting a second elongate charge of composite material (SEC), and a flexible elongate caul plate. The systems further include a vacuum compaction film, a translation structure, and a vacuum source. Methods according to the present disclosure include positioning a vacuum compaction film, positioning a flexible elongate caul plate, and positioning an FEC. The methods further include positioning an SEC, contacting a region of the FEC with a region of the SEC, sealing the vacuum compaction film, evacuating the enclosed volume to generate an elongate composite assembly, and heating the elongate composite assembly to define the elongate composite structure.