A system (24) and method are described herein for manufacturing a wind turbine blade (22) proximate to the final installation site of a wind turbine (10). The system (24) includes a creel (72) of feeders (74) configured to apply strengthening elements (62) onto a plurality of shell core sections (26) coupled together and fed through the creel (72). The shell core sections (26) include an external surface (56) with a plurality of external grooves (58) recessed into the external surface (56) such that the strengthening elements (62) are laid into the external grooves (58). The system (24) also includes a deposition station (78) configured to apply an outer surface material layer (82) in fluid form to cover the external surface (56) and the plurality of strengthening elements (62). A curing station (86) heats and consolidates the shell core sections (26), the strengthening elements (62), and the outer surface material layer (82) together into a final consolidated part, with the outer surface material layer (82) defining an external profile of the blade (22) following curing.

There is provided a blade tip for a rotary blade. The blade tip is formed of a metal foam and comprises at least one vortex generator. The vortex generator may comprise at least one passageway and/or cavity in the blade tip. In use, a vortex is created between the blade tip and a fan casing adjacent the blade tip.

Wind turbine systems and methods are disclosed herein. A representative system includes a wind turbine blade having an inner region that has an internal load-bearing truss structure, and an outer region that has an internal, non-truss, load-bearing structure. In particular embodiments, the truss structure can include a triangular arrangement of spars, and/or can include truss attachment members that connect components of the truss without the use of holes in the spars. Spars can be produced from a plurality of pultruded composite members laminated together in longitudinally extending portions. The longitudinally extending portions can be connected at joints that interleave projections and recesses of each of the spar portions. The blades can include fan-shaped transitions at a hub attachment portion, formed by laminated layers and/or a combination of laminated layers and transition plates.

A wind turbine blade assembly includes a first blade half and a second blade half fixed to the first blade half, defining a blade interior therebetween. The wind turbine blade assembly includes a shear web includes at least one aperture formed therein. The wind turbine blade assembly includes at least one bulkhead attached to the shear web, wherein the shear web and the at least one bulkhead are disposed in the blade interior.

A wind blade includes a self-supporting structural framework, having a span-wise member, a plurality of chord-wise members, a fabric skin, and at least one of a stiffener and a mechanical element. The plurality of chord-wise members is coupled to the span-wise member and each chord-wise member and the span-wise member maintains an aerodynamic contour of the wind blade. Further, the fabric skin is disposed over the self-supporting structural framework. The stiffener and/or the mechanical element are coupled to the self-supporting structural framework, and are operable to provide a relative movement to the self-supporting structural framework for adjusting the aerodynamic contour and provide pretension to the fabric skin.

A wind turbine rotor blade joint assembly and method of manufacturing same is disclosed. The rotor blade includes an upper shell member having a spar cap configured on an internal face thereof and a lower shell member having a spar cap configured on an internal face thereof. A shear web extends between the spar caps along a longitudinal length of the blade. The shear web includes first and second longitudinally aligned components that extend from and are integral with respective spar caps. A joint assembly is configured between facing transverse ends of the first and second components of the shear web. The joint assembly includes a connecting structure configured to receive the transverse ends of the first and second components. The connecting structure is infused and integral with the first component of the shear web and bonded with the second component of the shear web.

A method of bonding a mini-core to a surface of a core is provided. The method includes providing the mini-core with an attachment device that includes a protrusion of a surface of the mini-core, dipping the protrusion into a supply of paste to transfer a fixed quantity of paste to the protrusion and affixing the protrusion to the surface of the core with the fixed amount of paste interposed between the surface and the protrusion.

A method of forming a wind turbine blade is provided which includes upper and lower blade mold halves, and a shear web having at least one aperture formed therein. A plurality of bulkheads are attached to the shear web and the shear web can be lifted and rotated, without need for a complex gantry/galactica apparatus, to be placed inside the lower blade mold. The upper mold half can then be closed with the shear web and bulkhead(s) disposed within the blade interior. A heating fluid can be pumped into the interior to pass through the bulkheads, circulating around the shear web and exiting the blade root with the assistance of a sump to pull the cold air outside the blade.

A method of bonding a mini-core to a surface of a core is provided. The method includes providing the mini-core with an attachment device that includes a protrusion of a surface of the mini-core, dipping the protrusion into a supply of paste to transfer a fixed quantity of paste to the protrusion and affixing the protrusion to the surface of the core with the fixed amount of paste interposed between the surface and the protrusion.

A method of forming a gas turbine engine component according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, attaching a cover skin to an airfoil body, the airfoil body and the cover skin cooperating to establish pressure and suction sides of an airfoil, positioning the airfoil between first and second dies of a deforming station, heating the airfoil body to a first predefined temperature threshold between the first and second dies, and moving the first die relative to the second die to hold the airfoil between the first and second dies subsequent to the heating step, and then deforming the airfoil between the first and second dies.