The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade (10). The method comprises arranging one or more shear webs (50, 55) within a first shell half. At least one support frame (80) is fixe to one or more anchoring points (86) on the inside surface (36b) of the first shell half, the support frame comprising a free end (81) for engaging with a lateral surface of the shear web. One or more guide element (74) are fastened to at least one of the lateral surfaces of the shear web such that the guide element extends laterally from the shear web to form a receiving space (88) between the guide element (74) and the shear web (55). The shear webs are then lowered into the first shell half such that the free end (81) of the support frame (80) is received in the receiving space (88) between the guide element (74) and the shear web (55).

A wind turbine rotor blade assembly which incorporates automatic-aerodynamic control of the blade pitch angle is disclosed. The airfoil of the rotor blade (110) is free to rotate about a strategically located longitudinal blade axis which forms the spar stub (115) and is connected to the hub (120) of a horizontal axis wind turbine. The location of this blade axis is precisely set with respect to the turbine blade's aerodynamic center and center of mass. By further incorporating a reflexed airfoil with positive pitching moment this arrangement aerodynamically induces an automatic and self-regulating alignment of the rotor blade pitch such that the airfoil is always operating at or near optimal angle of attack. Details are disclosed on these strategic relationships which enable the successful operation of the new blade design.

The invention concerns a method for producing a carbon fibre, that comprises a step of preparing a continuous fibre made of cellulose from cotton fabrics, by extracting, from these fabrics, cotton in the form of short, discontinuous fibres, and implementing a solvent spinning process; this step being followed by a step of carbonising said obtained continuous fibre made from cellulose, in order to form a carbon fibre. This carbon fibre can be used, in particular, for producing articles made from composite material made from carbon fibres and polymer organic resin.

Provided is a leading-edge protector for a wind turbine rotor blade, including a curved body shaped for attachment to the rotor blade along at least a section of its leading edge; a plurality of fins, each fin extending radially outward from the curved body and terminating in a blunt outer face; and a plurality of reinforcement bands, wherein a reinforcement band is attached to the blunt outer face of a fin. Also provided is a method of manufacturing such a leading-edge protector.

The present invention relates to a method of molding a shell part of a wind turbine blade comprising the steps of providing a mold (64) comprising a mold cavity (66) with a root end (68) and an opposing tip end (70), arranging one or more preformed sheets (72a, 72b, 72c) in the mold cavity (66), wherein each preformed sheet comprises a mixture of fibre rovings (82) and a binding agent, wherein the fibre rovings are at least partially joined together by means of the binding agent, and injecting the one or more preformed sheets (72a, 72b, 72c) with a resin to mold the shell part. The present invention also relates to a shell part of a wind turbine blade obtainable by said method, to a preformed sheet for use in said method and to a method of manufacturing said preformed sheet.

Disclosed a wind turbine blade comprising a main laminate and a method for manufacturing a main laminate for a wind turbine blade. The wind turbine blade extends in a longitudinal direction from a root to a tip and comprising a pressure side, a suction side and a chord line extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. Particularly, lightning protection of such main laminate is disclosed.

A method to design the kits and layup the reinforcement layers and core using projection system, comprising a mold having a contoured surface; a layup projection generator which: defines a plurality of mold sections; identifies the dimensions and location for a plurality of layup segments. A model-based calibration method for alignment of laser projection system is provided in which mold features are drawn digitally, incorporated into the plug(s) which form the wind turbine blade mold, and transferred into the mold. The mold also includes reflective targets which are keyed to the molded geometry wherein their position is calculated from the 3D model. This method ensures the precision level required from projection system to effectively assist with fabrication of wind turbine blades. In this method, digital location of reflectors is utilized to compensate for the mold deformations.

A blade root cover segment suitable for fitting to a wind turbine blade to span a gap between the blade and a spinner cover. The blade root cover segment includes a first end and a second end and comprises: a curved flange for abutting against a correspondingly curved surface of the wind turbine blade; a cover wall extending radially from the flange; and a tensioning band associated with the flange. The tensioning band comprises a first end proximate to the first end of the blade root cover segment and a second end proximate to the second end of the blade root cover segment, and wherein the first end and the second end of the tensioning band include connection means for connecting with and applying tension between a like blade root collar segment. The invention also encompasses a blade root cover comprising a plurality of blade root cover segments. The invention also extends to a method of assembling a blade root cover from a plurality of blade root cover segments.

A wind turbine (10) is disclosed having a hub (14) with electrical power therein and at least one blade (20) attached to the hub. The blade (20) has a blade root (21), a blade tip (26) and a down-wire (30) for the conduction of lightning current to the ground. The wind turbine (10) further has a blade electrical system (99) that takes electrical power from the hub (14) and transmits electrical power into the blade (20) to at least one area located between the blade root (21) and the blade tip (26). The blade electrical system (99) if formed by a power-transfer unit (100) having a power-driver unit (110), a power-conditioner unit (130) and a dielectric (120) separating the power-driver unit (110) and the power-conditioner unit (130). The power-driver unit (110) receives electrical power from the hub (14) and transmit the electrical power through the dielectric (120) to the power-conditioner unit (130). An electrical-power bus (200) is electrically attached to the power-conditioner unit (130) and extends into the blade (20). At least one powered unit (300) is provided which is electrically connected to, and electrically powered by, the electrical-power bus (200).

A system and method are provided for reducing vibrations and loads in one or more rotor blades on a rotor hub of a wind turbine when the rotor hub is in a locked or idling condition. An electronically tunable mass damper is attached to a fixed location on one or more of the rotor blades. The mass damper is maintained on the rotor blades during the locked or idling condition of the rotor hub. The method includes sensing movement of a mass component of the mass damper from vibrations or oscillations induced in the rotor blade. The mass damper is automatically tuned based on the sensed movements of the mass component by automatically varying an electrical characteristic of the mass damper.