Disclosed is a wind turbine blade extending from a root end to a tip end, the wind turbine blade comprising a root region, and an airfoil region comprising the tip, a pressure side, a suction side and a chord extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The wind turbine blade comprises a leading edge protection element at the leading edge of the wind turbine blade. The leading edge protection element extends in a longitudinal direction between an outboard end and an inboard end and comprises a first section extending from the outboard end to a first section position, wherein the first section is made of a first erosion protection material having a first erosion resistance, and a second section extending from the first section position to a second section position, wherein the second section is made of a second erosion protective material having a second erosion resistance. The first erosion resistance is larger than the second erosion resistance.

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.

A wind turbine rotor blade (10) is provided with a lightning protection device (84) and a leading edge member (70), the leading edge member (70) comprising an erosion shield (78, 80), deicing means, and an electrically conductive outer surface (80) which is operatively connected to the lightning protection device (84). The invention also relates to the use of the leading edge member (70) for providing leading edge erosion protection, ice mitigation and lightning protection of a wind turbine rotor blade.

Systems and methods for protecting an aerodynamic structure, e.g., a wind turbine blade, rotor blade, aerodynamic aerostructure, etc., are provided. Long fiber reinforced composites having a helicoidal architecture with material aligned with a graded hardness and stiffness are used to develop an efficient and highly tailorable leading edge protection (LEP) solution with longer durability than conventional solutions while yielding lighter, and optionally, more environmentally sustainable solutions. At least a portion of the plurality of plies are helicoidally arranged relative to one another to tailor stress wave propagation speed of the aerodynamic blade and to provide load carrying strength for the aerodynamic blade.

The present invention relates to a protective cap for protecting a leading edge of a wind turbine blade. The protective cap comprises first and second attachment portions for attaching the protective cap to a suction side and a pressure side of the wind turbine blade and comprises a first metal layer and a second metal layer, the first and second metal layers extending between the first and the second attachment portions, and the first metal layer and the second metal layer are at least partly spaced apart. A wind turbine blade with a protective cap is also provided. Methods for manufacturing a protective cap and a wind turbine blade with a protective cap are also provided.

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.

Systems and methods for protecting an aerodynamic structure, e.g., a wind turbine blade, rotor blade, aerodynamic aerostructure, etc., are provided. Long fiber reinforced composites having a helicoidal architecture with material aligned with a graded hardness and stiffness are used to develop an efficient and highly tailorable leading edge protection (LEP) solution with longer durability than conventional solutions while yielding lighter, and optionally, more environmentally sustainable solutions. At least a portion of the plurality of plies are helicoidally arranged relative to one another to tailor stress wave propagation speed of the aerodynamic blade and to provide load carrying strength for the aerodynamic blade.

A prefabricated fairing for a wind turbine blade, the fairing extending along a fairing profile terminating at fairing lips and comprising exterior and interior fairing surfaces and a plurality of layers including fibre-reinforced layers and an exterior erosion-resistant elastomer layer forming a portion of the exterior fairing surface and being configured for defining the leading edge of the wind turbine blade, the fairing further comprises a cured first resin binding the erosion-resistant elastomer layer and the one or more fibre-reinforced layers together.

A wind turbine blade comprising a leeward shell portion and a windward shell portion, each of the shell portions extending in a chordwise direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the wind turbine blade; a leading reinforcement arrangement comprising at least a leading leeward reinforcement structure engaging the leeward shell portion and a leading windward reinforcement structure engaging the windward shell portion; and a trailing reinforcement arrangement comprising at least a trailing leeward reinforcement structure engaging the leeward shell portion and a trailing windward reinforcement structure engaging the windward shell portion. The trailing windward reinforcement structure has a first stiffness in the lengthwise direction and the trailing leeward reinforcement structure has a second stiffness in the lengthwise direction, wherein the first stiffness is greater than the second stiffness at a chordwise plane of the wind turbine blade.

The present invention provides a method for trimming a side portion of a pre-manufactured leading-edge protection element for a wind turbine blade. The element comprises a first side portion and a second side portion, the first side portion, when mounted to the wind turbine blade, extending from the leading edge and along a part of a pressure side of the wind turbine blade, and the second side portion, when mounted to the wind turbine blade, extending from the leading edge and along a part of a suction side of the wind turbine blade, or vice versa. The method comprises steps of: providing a support structure and a first cutting tool; arranging element on the support structure and fixating the element to the support structure, and cutting along a predetermined cutting path, whereby the leading-edge protection element is trimmed to a predetermined length. A corresponding system is also provided.