Wind turbine rotor blade element having connection assemblies

Abstract

A wind turbine rotor blade element includes a connection section with a front face, an inner and an outer surface. A plurality of connection assemblies each have (i) a metal insert with a longitudinal axis, a circumferential outer surface and a joining portion for connecting the rotor blade to a wind turbine rotor hub; and, (ii) a transition material aligned with the metal insert and having a tapering longitudinal section. The longitudinal section has an axial outer surface parallel to the longitudinal axis of the metal insert and an inclined outer surface at an angle with reference to the longitudinal axis. The connection assemblies are embedded in the connection section such that the joining portions of the metal inserts are accessible. The connection assemblies are arranged in an inner row closer to the inner surface of the connection section and an outer row closer to the outer surface thereof.

Claims

1. A wind turbine rotor blade element comprising: a rotor blade body having a connection section defining a front face, an inner surface and an outer surface; said inner surface and said outer surface conjointly defining a wall thickness therebetween; a plurality of connection assemblies arranged in said connection section; each one of said connection assemblies including: (i) a metal insert defining a longitudinal axis and having a circumferential outer surface and a joining portion for connecting the wind turbine rotor blade element to one of a wind turbine rotor hub or another wind turbine rotor blade element; and, (ii) a transition material aligned with said metal insert and having a tapered longitudinal section defining an axial outer surface parallel to said longitudinal axis of said metal insert and said tapered longitudinal section further defining an inclined outer surface at an acute angle with respect to said longitudinal axis of said metal insert; said plurality of connection assemblies being embedded in said connection section so as to cause said joining portions of said metal inserts to be accessible from said front face of said connection section; said connection assemblies being arranged in an inner row closer to said inner surface of said connection section and an outer row closer to said outer surface of said connection section and so as to cause said inclined outer surfaces of said transition materials of the connection assemblies of both said inner row and said outer row to contribute to a decrease in wall thickness of said connection section; a prefabricated part including a cured plastics material having at least some of said plurality of connection assemblies of both the inner row and the outer row embedded therein; and, said wind turbine rotor blade element having been manufactured by placement of said prefabricated part in a mold together with other components of said wind turbine rotor blade element.

2. The wind turbine rotor blade element of claim 1, wherein said transition material comprises a core material of one of the following: a wooden material or a foamed material.

3. The wind turbine rotor blade element of claim 1, wherein said transition material comprises at least one of the following: a fiber reinforced plastics material and a pultruded material.

4. The wind turbine rotor blade element of claim 1, wherein each one of said connection assemblies has at least one layer of a fiber material surrounding the metal insert thereof and the transition material corresponding thereto.

5. The wind turbine rotor blade element of claim 4, wherein said at least one layer of fiber material is wrapped around said metal insert and said transition material.

6. The wind turbine rotor blade element of claim 1, wherein the inclined outer surfaces of the connection assemblies of the inner row are facing the inner surface of the connection section and the inclined outer surfaces of the connection assemblies of the outer row are facing the outer surface of the connection section.

7. The wind turbine rotor blade element of claim 1, wherein the wind turbine rotor blade element is one of the following: a spar cap, a shell member, a longitudinal section of a spar cap, a longitudinal section of a shell member and a prefabricated connection part adapted to be integrated into a wind turbine rotor blade.

8. The wind turbine rotor blade element of claim 1, wherein at least one of the following applies: i) at least one layer of a triaxial fiber lay-up is arranged at the outer surface of the connection section; ii) at least one layer of a triaxial fiber lay-up is arranged at the inner surface of the connection section; and, iii) at least one layer of a triaxial fiber lay-up is arranged between the connection assemblies of the outer row and the connection assemblies of the inner row.

9. The wind turbine rotor blade element of claim 1, wherein an intermediate laminate is arranged between the connection assemblies of the outer row and the connection assemblies of the inner row; and, the intermediate laminate has a thickness in a range of 10% to 50% of an outer diameter of the metal inserts.

10. The wind turbine rotor blade element of claim 1, wherein at least one of the following applies: i) a spacer element is arranged between three adjacent connection assemblies; ii) a spacer element is arranged between the inner surface of the connection section and two adjacent connection assemblies of the inner row; and, iii) a spacer element is arranged between the outer surface of the connection section and two adjacent connection assemblies of the outer row.

11. The wind turbine rotor blade element of claim 10, wherein the spacer element has a triangular cross section.

12. The wind turbine rotor blade element of claim 1, wherein the transition material has a conical proximal end fitted into a complementary opening of the metal insert.

13. The wind turbine rotor blade element of claim 1, wherein all of said plurality of said connection assemblies are embedded in said cured plastics material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a wind turbine rotor blade in a schematic, perspective view;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic, longitudinal section through a part of the wind turbine rotor blade of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows another wind turbine rotor blade element in a schematic, longitudinal section;

(5) FIG. 4 shows yet another wind turbine rotor blade element in a schematic, longitudinal section;

(6) FIG. 5 shows the wind turbine rotor blade element of FIG. 2 in a schematic cross section; and,

(7) FIG. 6 shows yet another wind turbine rotor blade element with different prefabricated parts in a schematic cross section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(8) FIG. 1 shows a wind turbine rotor blade element 10 corresponding to an entire wind turbine rotor blade (not drawn to scale), having a blade root 12 and a blade tip 14. At the blade root 12, the wind turbine rotor blade element 10 includes a connection section 16 adapted to connect the wind turbine rotor blade element to a wind turbine rotor blade hub which is not shown.

(9) The connection section 16 has a front face 18, an inner surface 20 and an outer surface 22. The distance between the inner surface 20 and the outer surface 22 forms a wall thickness 24. The wall thickness 24 remains essentially constant from the front face 18 up to a first longitudinal position 32, and then decreases smoothly with growing distance from the front face 18.

(10) A plurality of connection assemblies 26 are embedded in the connections section 16 such that a joining portion is accessible from the front face 18. The connection assemblies 26 are positioned in an inner row 30 and an outer row 28. The connection assemblies 26 of the inner row 30 are arranged closer to the inner surface 20 of the connection section 16. The connection assemblies 26 of the outer row are arranged closer to the outer surface 22 of the connection section 16. The connection assemblies 26 are embedded between the inner surface 20 and the outer surface 22 of the connection section 16.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a wind turbine rotor blade element 10 in a longitudinal section. The wind turbine rotor blade element 10 may be used for the connection section 16 of the wind turbine rotor blade of FIG. 1. The front face 18 is arranged to the left, the outer surface 22 is arranged at the bottom and the inner surface 20 is arranged at the top of FIG. 2. The longitudinal section includes one connection assembly 26 of the inner row 30 and one connection assembly 26 of the outer row 28. In addition, the wind turbine rotor blade element 10 includes various layers of a fiber material 56 arranged at the outer surface 22, at the inner surface 20 and between the connection assemblies 26 of the inner row 30 and of the outer row 28.

(12) Each connection assembly has a sleeve-shaped metal insert 34 defining a longitudinal axis 36 and an inner thread 38 forming a joining portion, and a transition material 40 generally aligned with the metal insert 34.

(13) The transition material 40 of the inner row 30 has a tapering longitudinal section 42, with an axial outer surface 44 positioned parallel to the longitudinal axis 36 of the metal insert 34, and an inclined outer surface 46 positioned at an angle 48 with reference to the longitudinal axis 36. The transition material 40 of the outer row 28 has a tapering longitudinal section 42 as well, and further has a cylindrical longitudinal section 50 arranged between the metal insert 34 and the tapering longitudinal section 42. At a distal end, the metal inserts 34 have a cone-shaped recess 52 into which a complementary proximal end of the adjacent transition material 40 is fitted.

(14) The inclined outer surfaces 46 of the transition materials 40 of the connection assemblies 26 of both the inner row 30 and the outer row 28 contribute to the decrease in wall thickness 24 of the wind turbine rotor blade element 10. To this end, in FIG. 2 both inclined outer surfaces 46 are arranged in a common plane. FIG. 2 shows how the wall thickness 24 decreases smoothly from a first longitudinal position 32, where the tapering longitudinal section 42 of the connection assembly 26 of the inner row 30 begins, to a second longitudinal position 54, where the tapering longitudinal section 42 of the connection assembly 26 of the outer row 28 ends.

(15) FIG. 3 shows another wind turbine rotor blade element in a view similar to the view of FIG. 2. It includes connection assemblies 26 arranged in an inner row 30 and an outer row 28, each connection assembly 26 having a metal insert 34 similar to the ones of FIG. 2. Each connection assembly 26 also includes a transition material 40 having a tapering longitudinal section 42 with an axial outer surface 44 and an inclined outer surface 46. In contrast to FIG. 2, none of the connections assemblies 26 includes a substantial cylindrical section and the tapering longitudinal sections 42 are arranged such that the inclined outer surfaces 46 of the connection assemblies 26 of the inner row 30 are facing the inner surface 20 of the connection section 16 and the inclined outer surfaces 46 of the connection assemblies 26 of the outer row 28 are facing the outer surface 22 of the connection section 16.

(16) In this specific arrangement, both inclined outer surfaces 46 contribute to the decrease in wall thickness 24 between the first longitudinal position 32 and the second longitudinal position 54. This time, both inclined outer surfaces 46 begin at the first longitudinal position 32 and end at the second longitudinal position 54.

(17) FIG. 4 shows a wind turbine element including a plurality of connection assemblies arranged similar to those of FIG. 3. However, the connection assemblies 26 of the inner row 30 together with a surrounding fiber material 56 on the one hand and the connection assemblies 26 of the outer row 28 together with a surrounding fiber material 84 on the other hand have been manufactured in separate moulds, and have been joined afterwards via an adhesive bond 86.

(18) FIG. 5 shows the wind turbine element 10 of FIG. 2 in cross section. At the outer surface 22, several layers 58 of a triaxial fiber material are arranged. On top of these layers 58 and between each pair of adjacent connection assemblies 26 of the outer row 28, a core material 60 having an essentially triangular shape is placed, covered by further layers 62 of a triaxial fiber material. Each of the connection assemblies 26 is wrapped in several layers 64 of a unidirectional fiber material.

(19) Between the connection assemblies 26 of the outer row 28 and the connection assemblies 26 of the inner row 30, an intermediate laminate 66 is arranged, having an undulated shape and consisting of a combination of several layers of a triaxial fiber material and of a unidirectional fiber material. The inner row 30 of connection assemblies 26 is covered by several layers 68 of a triaxial fiber material forming the inner surface 20.

(20) Two spacer elements 70 having a triangular cross section and a spacer element 72 in the form of a roll of unidirectional fiber material are arranged each between three adjacent connection assemblies 26. A spacer element 74 in the form of a roll of unidirectional fiber material is arranged between the inner surface of the connection section 16 and two adjacent connection assemblies 26 of the inner row 30. Two further spacer elements 76 are arranged between the outer surface 22 of the connection section 16 and two adjacent connection assemblies 26 of the outer row 28.

(21) FIG. 6 shows another wind turbine blade element 10 forming a blade root 12 of a wind turbine rotor blade half shell, seen in top view on a front face 18 of a connection section 16. One can see various connection assemblies 26 each including a metal insert 34 and layers 64 of a unidirectional fiber material surrounding the metal inserts 34. The connection assemblies are arranged in an inner row 30 and an outer row 28.

(22) FIG. 6 illustrates different ways for combining a plurality of connection assemblies 26 in a prefabricated part. Each prefabricated part is surrounded by a dashed line. The prefabricated part 78 includes several connection assemblies 26 of the inner row 30 only. The prefabricated part 80 includes several connection assemblies 26 of the outer row 28 only. The prefabricated part 82 includes several connection assemblies 26 of the outer row 28 and several connection assemblies 26 of the inner row 30.

(23) It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(24) 10 wind turbine rotor blade element 12 blade root 14 blade tip 16 connection section 18 front face 20 inner surface 22 outer surface 24 wall thickness 26 connection assembly 28 outer row 30 inner row 32 first longitudinal position 34 metal insert 36 longitudinal axis 38 inner thread 40 transition material 42 tapering longitudinal section 44 axial outer surface 46 inclined outer surface 48 angle 50 cylindrical longitudinal section 52 cone-shaped recess 54 second longitudinal position 56 fiber material 58 layers of a triaxial fiber material 60 core material 62 layers of a triaxial fiber material 64 layer of a unidirectional fiber material 66 intermediate laminate 68 layers of a triaxial fiber material 70 spacer element 72 spacer element 74 spacer element 76 spacer element 78 prefabricated part 80 prefabricated part 82 prefabricated part 84 fiber material 86 adhesive bond