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 for installation and/or maintenance of a flange connection includes screw connections with a manually movable tool including a screw tensioning structure, a processing unit and a screw identification sensor. The method includes assigning a one-to-one identification to each screw connection of the flange connection, determining a screw connection to be tensioned, positioning the tool on a respective screw connection to be tensioned, identifying the respective screw connection by the screw identification sensor, releasing the screw tensioning structure by the processing unit, and tensioning the respective screw connection by the screw tensioning structure. It is checked whether the tool or the screw tensioning structure is placed correctly on the screw connection. The screw tensioning structure is released when the result of this check is positive and/or the screw tensioning structure is blocked or stopped when the result of this check is negative.

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 method of handling the pitch bearing unit of a rotor blade mounted to the hub of a wind turbine, the method including the steps of providing an extension assembly at the interface between the rotor blade and the hub, moving the rotor blade outward from the hub by means of the extension assembly to open a gap large enough to accommodate the pitch bearing unit while maintaining a connection between the rotor blade and the hub, and removing the pitch bearing unit through the gap.

Systems and methods for thermal washers are described herein. A thermal washer may comprise a first metallic plate having a first inner surface and a first outer surface, a second metallic plate having a second inner surface and a second outer surface, the second metallic plate being oriented substantially parallel to the first metallic plate such that the first inner surface and the second inner surface are separated by a gap, and a thermal wool in contact with the first inner surface and the second inner surface, the thermal wool filling a void between the first inner surface and the second inner surface. A width of the thermal wool may be substantially equal to a width of the first metallic plate and a length of the thermal wool may be substantially equal to a length of the first metallic plate.

A self-aligning mud pump apparatus is provided. In one embodiment, the mud pump includes a rotatable crankshaft, a crosshead, a crosshead guide, and a hub disposed in a housing. The hub is disposed on the crankshaft and is operable to convert rotating motion of the crankshaft to reciprocating motion of the crosshead within the crosshead guide. The hub is coupled to the crosshead via a connecting rod, which is connected the crosshead such that the connecting rod has five degrees of freedom with respect to the crosshead guide. The mud pump may also or instead include a piston coupled to the crosshead with five degrees of freedom between the piston and the crosshead. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

A load-balanced, high-capacity mud pump is provided. In some embodiments, load balancing is achieved by spacing hubs along the crankshaft of the mud pump with the bull gears disposed opposite one another, on outer ends of the crankshaft adjacent to the housing. In such an embodiment, the hubs are disposed along the crankshaft between the bull gears. A pinion shaft (or separate pair of shafts) can be provided, mechanically supported in the mud pump by roller bearings or lubricated pads. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of making a wind turbine blade. The method comprises providing a blade shell mould, providing a plurality of 5 substantially planar strips of reinforcing material, and arranging the plurality of strips in the mould in a first stack to form at least part of a first spar cap. The method further comprises providing a retaining clip having a substantially planar body and upper and lower flanges projecting transversely to the planar body, wherein the flanges and the body together define a first receiving region on a first side of the retaining clip, and the 10 method further comprises arranging the retaining clip on a side of the first stack such that the strips in the first stack are received in the first receiving region. [Figure 5 to accompany abstract]

A method of forming a balanced rotor blade assembly includes measuring a weight of a plurality of sub-components of the rotor blade assembly excluding a core. A configuration of a core of the rotor blade assembly is determined. In combination, the core and the plurality of sub-components achieve a target weight distribution and moment. The core is then fabricated and assembled with the plurality of sub-components to form a rotor blade sub-assembly.

The invention relates to a method for producing a drive unit device, in particular a fan device, which has at least one first modular unit (12) and at least one second modular unit (16), which concentrically accommodates at least a portion of the first modular unit (12), with the first and second modular units (12, 16) being intended to contribute mechanically to a change in torque, and the first modular unit (12) being secured in the second modular unit (16) in at least one method step (100, 110). To increase safety and reduce process costs, it is proposed that the first modular unit (12) be secured in the second modular unit (16) by means of at least one concentric pressing process step.