Bulkhead of a wind turbine

Abstract

A bulkhead (22) of a wind turbine (10) to be arranged on a rotor blade connection of a rotor blade (14), especially on a rotor hub (9). The bulkhead (22) has a core body (30). A layer (31, 32) of fiberglass-reinforced plastic (31, 32) is arranged on the core body (30) on both sides respectively and a metal layer body (33) is arranged on one side of the layer of fiberglass-reinforced plastic (31). A method for producing a bulkhead (22) of a wind turbine (9), which is arranged on a rotor blade connection of a rotor blade (14) and a use of a bulkhead (22) of a wind turbine (10).

Claims

1. A rotor blade (14) of a wind turbine (10), the rotor blade (14) comprising: a rotor blade root (16); and a bulkhead (22) that is arranged in the rotor blade in an area of the rotor blade root (16), the bulkhead (22) including a core body (30), wherein the core body (30) is made of balsa wood, a plurality of layers (31, 32) of fiberglass-reinforced plastic, wherein the layers (31, 32) are arranged on the core body (30) so that the core body (30) is between the layers (31, 32), respectively, and a metal layer body (33) is arranged on one side of one of the layers (31) of fiberglass-reinforced plastic, wherein the metal layer body (33) is arranged towards an inside of the rotor blade (14) so as to protect the bulkhead (22) from erosion by particles that are from the inside of the rotor blade (14), wherein the metal layer body (33) is connected with the layer (31) of fiberglass-reinforced plastic by screws or rivets.

2. The rotor blade (14) according to claim 1, wherein the layers (31, 32) of fiberglass-reinforced plastic are made of non-woven fabrics.

3. The rotor blade (14) according to claim 1, wherein the bulkhead (22) includes one or more access openings, and wherein the access openings are formed in a closable manner.

4. The rotor blade (14) according to claim 1, wherein the core body (30) has a thickness between 15 mm and 35 mm, and the layers (31, 32) of fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FGRP) have a thickness between 1 mm and 5 mm respectively and the metal layer body (33) has a thickness between 0.1 mm and 0.8 mm.

5. The rotor blade (14) according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer body (33) is made of a non-rusting metal.

6. The rotor blade (14) according to claim 5, wherein the metal layer body (33) is made of stainless steel or aluminium.

7. The rotor blade (14) according to claim 4, wherein the core body (30) has a thickness between 20 mm and 30 mm.

8. The rotor blade (14) according to claim 4, wherein the layers (31, 32) of fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FGRP) have a thickness between 2 mm to 4 mm.

9. The rotor blade (14) according to claim 4, wherein the metal layer body (33) has a thickness between 0.2 to 0.5 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described below, without restricting the general intent of the invention, based on exemplary embodiments in reference to the drawings, whereby we expressly refer to the drawings with regard to the disclosure of all details according to the invention that are not explained in greater detail in the text. In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a wind turbine.

(3) FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a rotor blade with a bulkhead according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective section view of a bulkhead of a rotor blade according to the invention.

(5) In the following figures, the same or similar types of elements or respectively corresponding parts are provided with the same reference numbers in order to prevent the item from needing to be reintroduced.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a wind turbine 10. The wind turbine 10 has a tower 11 and a rotor 12, which comprises three rotor blades 14, which are attached to a rotor hub. The rotor hub 9 is connected to a rotor shaft. When the wind blows, the rotor 12 turns in the known manner. Power from a generator connected to the rotor 12 or via the rotor hub 9 and the rotor shaft 13 can hereby be created and delivered to a consumer network.

(7) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a lower section of the rotor blade 14. The rotor blade 14 has a so-called rotor blade root 16, which has a cross-section with a general circular shape, on the side facing the rotor hub. The rotor blade 14 itself is hollow inside. The rotor blade 14 is designed in a profiled manner between the rotor blade root 16 and the rotor blade peak and has a pressure side 18. The associated suction side is assigned to the pressure side 18 on the opposite-lying side (not shown here).

(8) The corresponding rotor blade profiles along the longitudinal axis of the rotor blade 14 run together on the rear edge 20 of the rotor blade 14. A bulkhead 22 in arranged in the rotor blade 14 in the area of the rotor blade root 16, wherein it is possible in one embodiment to glue the bulkhead 22 into the rotor blade root 16. The bulkhead 22 is permanently mounted on the rotor blade root 16 or inserted into it.

(9) The bulkhead 22 is also designed in a circular manner and has at least one, in this case three, access openings 24, which are arranged outside the centre point M of the bulkhead 22. The access openings 24 are dimensioned such that a person can climb into the interior of the rotor blade 14 after opening a hatch on the access opening 24 of the rotor hub.

(10) Due to the fact that several access openings are designed on the bulkhead 22, a simple and safe entrance and exit on the rotor blades 14 is also ensured in the case of rotor blade roots 16 with large diameters, for example larger than 2 m or 2.5 m or 3.0 m.

(11) The bulkhead 22 prevents a falling in of objects or persons from the rotor hub into the rotor blade 14 and also seals rotor blade 14 from the rotor hub with respect to dirt and/or humidity. At the same time, the bulkhead 22 can be used as a corresponding work platform for maintenance work on the rotor hub or on the rotor blade 14. The access openings 24 are arranged in a spaced manner on the outer circumference of the bulkhead 22, wherein the access openings 24 are arranged in an offset manner at a 90° angle. It is thereby possible to arrange the access openings 24 in a corresponding 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock position (or 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock position) if the rotor blade 14 is mounted with the front edge, i.e. with the approach side when the rotor blade 14 is arranged horizontally, on the wind turbine for maintenance work. These positions correspond with the arrangements of the access openings in the area of the pressure side, the nose and the suction side.

(12) Moreover, the rotational axis 26 of the rotor blade 14 is indicated with a dashed and dotted line, which in the geometric sense penetrates horizontally the bulkhead 22 at point M.

(13) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the principle construction of a bulkhead 22 according to the invention in a schematic partial view. The bulkhead 22 has a porous core body 30, which is produced in particular as a foam core body made of a plastic foam or a metal foam or from balsa wood. FGRP layers 31, 32, i.e. layers with fiberglass-reinforced plastic, are applied on the top and bottom side of the core body 30 respectively, and connected with the surface of the core body 30 respectively under formation of an adhesive bond.

(14) A non-rusting sheet-metal part 33 in the form of a metal layer body is arranged on the topside FGRP layer 31, wherein the sheet-metal part 33 completely covers the upper FGRP layer 31.

(15) It is possible in one embodiment that several sheet-metal parts 33 are arranged in multiple parts, e.g. segmented, on the upper FGRP layer 31 arranged towards the inside of a rotor blade, wherein the sheet-metal part(s) 33 are glued together with the topside FGRP layer 31. Moreover, it is possible in a further embodiment that the sheet-metal part 33 is connected with the upper FGRP layer 31 using rivets or other fastening means.

(16) In particular, the sheet-metal part 33 is designed as a stainless-steel, sheet-metal part or as an aluminum sheet, whereby the top side of the bulkhead 22 is correspondingly covered.

(17) Through the principle construction of the bulkhead 22 for a rotor blade or respectively for a rotor blade connection shown in FIG. 3, a component for the rotor blade root is provided, which is very easy to handle and is thereby arranged or fastened in a simple manner in a rotor blade root of a rotor blade.

(18) The multi-layer or respectively four-layer bulkhead according to the invention is further characterized by a high stability and a low weight. Through the arrangement of the sheet-metal part 33 towards the inside of the rotor blade, the bulkhead is also effectively protected from erosion by particles from inside the rotor blade.

(19) All named characteristics, including those taken from the drawings alone, and individual characteristics, which are disclosed in combination with other characteristics, are considered alone and in combination as important to the invention. Embodiments according to the invention can be fulfilled through individual characteristics or a combination of several characteristics.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(20) 9 Rotor hub 10 Wind turbine 11 Tower 12 Rotor 14 Rotor blade 16 Rotor blade root 18 Pressure side 20 Trailing edge 22 Bulkhead 24 Access opening 30 Core body 31 FGRP layer 32 FGRP layer 33 Sheet-metal part M Centre point