Blade mould for manufacturing a blade shell part of a wind turbine blade and related method

Abstract

A blade mould and a method for manufacturing a blade shell part of a wind turbine blade is disclosed. The blade mould comprises a first mould frame; a mould shell supported by the first mould frame and provided with a moulding surface that defines an outer shape of the blade shell part, wherein the mould shell has a longitudinal direction and comprises a root end mould part at a first end thereof; and a first deformation device for deforming the root end mould part of the mould shell. The method comprises arranging reinforcement material on the moulding surface of the root end mould part; deforming the root end mould part to a receiving configuration; inserting the root end insert in the root end mould part; and bringing the root end mould part to a moulding configuration.

Claims

1. A blade mould for manufacturing a blade shell part of a wind turbine blade, the blade shell part extending from a tip end to a root end, wherein the blade mould comprises: a first mould frame; a mould shell supported by the first mould frame and provided with a moulding surface that defines an outer shape of the blade shell part, wherein the mould shell has a longitudinal direction and comprises a root end mould part at a first end thereof; and a first deformation device attached to the first mould frame for deforming the root end mould part of the mould shell, wherein the mould shell has a first mould edge and a second mould edge, wherein the first deformation device is configured to increase a mould edge distance between the first mould edge and the second mould edge, and wherein the first mould frame is static such that deformation of the root end mould part of the mould shell is with respect to the first mould frame.

2. The blade mould according to claim 1, wherein the first deformation device is attached to the mould shell at a distance less than 2 meters from the first end of the mould shell.

3. The blade mould according to claim 1, wherein the first deformation device is attached to a first side of the mould shell or wherein the first deformation device is attached to a second side of the mould shell.

4. The blade mould according to claim 1, wherein the first mould frame comprises a first side part, and wherein the first deformation device is attached to the first side part.

5. The blade mould according to claim 1, wherein the first deformation device comprises a first part anchored to the first mould frame and a second part anchored to the mould shell.

6. The blade mould according to claim 5, wherein the first part of the first deformation device is fixed during deformation of the mould shell and the second part of the deformation device moves during deformation of the mould shell.

7. The blade mould according to claim 1, further comprising a second deformation device for deforming the root end mould part of the mould shell.

8. The blade mould according to claim 7, wherein the first mould frame comprises a second side part, and wherein the second deformation device is attached to the second side part.

9. The blade mould according to claim 7, wherein the second deformation device is attached to a second side of the mould shell.

10. The blade mould according to claim 1, wherein the first deformation device comprises an actuator selected from a telescopic piston cylinder, such as a hydraulic piston, a pneumatic piston, and an electric actuator.

11. The blade mould according to claim 1, wherein the moulding surface at the first end forms a part of a substantially half-circular or half-oval root end of the blade shell part.

12. A method of manufacturing a blade shell part of a wind turbine blade, wherein the blade shell part is manufactured as a composite structure comprising a reinforcement material embedded in a polymer matrix, and wherein the blade shell part is provided with a root end insert that, when manufactured, is accessible from a root end of the blade shell part, and wherein the blade shell part is manufactured in a mould shell provided with a moulding surface that defines an outer shape of the blade shell part, wherein the mould shell has a longitudinal direction and comprises a root end mould part at a first end thereof, the method comprising: arranging reinforcement material on a moulding surface of the root end mould part; deforming the root end mould part to a receiving configuration; inserting the root end insert in the root end mould part; and bringing the root end mould part to a moulding configuration.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein deforming the root end mould part to a receiving configuration comprises increasing a mould edge distance between a first mould edge and a second mould edge of the mould shell.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein increasing the mould edge distance between the first mould edge and the second mould edge of the mould shell comprises pulling the first mould edge and the second mould edge.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of arranging the reinforcement material on the moulding surface of the root end mould part is performed with the root end mould part in a layup configuration, the layup configuration corresponding to the moulding configuration.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein bringing the root end mould part to a moulding configuration comprises reducing a mould edge distance between a first mould edge and a second mould edge of the mould shell.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of deforming the root end mould part to the receiving configuration comprises deforming the root end mould part with respect to a static mould frame.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(1) The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the drawings, in which

(2) FIG. 1 shows a wind turbine,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a wind turbine blade,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of an airfoil profile,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a wind turbine blade, seen from above and from the side, and

(6) FIGS. 5-8 show a schematic end view of an exemplary blade mould according to the invention in different configurations, and

(7) FIG. 9 shows a schematic end view of an exemplary blade mould according to the invention.

(8) The present invention relates to manufacture of blade shell parts of wind turbine blades for horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs).

(9) FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional modern upwind wind turbine according to the so-called Danish concept with a tower 4, a nacelle 6 and a rotor with a substantially horizontal rotor shaft. The rotor includes a hub 8 and three blades 10 extending radially from the hub 8, each having a blade root 16 nearest the hub and a blade tip 14 furthest from the hub 8. The rotor has a radius denoted R.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an exemplary wind turbine blade 10. The wind turbine blade 10 has the shape of a conventional wind turbine blade with a root end and a tip end and comprises a root region 30 closest to the hub, a profiled or an airfoil region 34 furthest away from the hub and a transition region 32 between the root region 30 and the airfoil region 34. The blade 10 comprises a leading edge 18 facing the direction of rotation of the blade 10, when the blade is mounted on the hub, and a trailing edge 20 facing the opposite direction of the leading edge 18.

(11) The airfoil region 34 (also called the profiled region) has an ideal or almost ideal blade shape with respect to generating lift, whereas the root region 30 due to structural considerations has a substantially circular or elliptical cross-section, which for instance makes it easier and safer to mount the blade 10 to the hub. The diameter (or the chord) of the root region 30 may be constant along the entire root area 30. The transition region 32 has a transitional profile gradually changing from the circular or elliptical shape of the root region 30 to the airfoil profile of the airfoil region 34. The chord length of the transition region 32 typically increases with increasing distance r from the hub. The airfoil region 34 has an airfoil profile with a chord extending between the leading edge 18 and the trailing edge 20 of the blade 10. The width of the chord decreases with increasing distance r from the hub.

(12) A shoulder 40 of the blade 10 is defined as the position, where the blade 10 has its largest chord length. The shoulder 40 is typically provided at the boundary between the transition region 32 and the airfoil region 34.

(13) It should be noted that the chords of different sections of the blade normally do not lie in a common plane, since the blade may be twisted and/or curved (i.e. pre-bent), thus providing the chord plane with a correspondingly twisted and/or curved course, this being most often the case in order to compensate for the local velocity of the blade being dependent on the radius from the hub.

(14) The wind turbine blade 10 comprises a shell comprising two blade shell parts made of fibre-reinforced polymer and is typically made as a pressure side or upwind blade shell part 24 and a suction side or downwind blade shell part 26 that are glued together along bond lines 28 extending along the trailing edge 20 and the leading edge 18 of the blade 10. Typically, the root ends of the blade shell parts 24, 26 has a semi-circular or semi-oval outer cross-sectional shape.

(15) FIGS. 3 and 4 depict parameters, which may be used to explain the geometry of blade shell parts to be manufactured according to the invention.

(16) FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of an airfoil profile 50 of a typical blade of a wind turbine depicted with the various parameters, which are typically used to define the geometrical shape of an airfoil. The airfoil profile 50 has a pressure side 52 and a suction side 54, which during usei.e. during rotation of the rotornormally face towards the windward (or upwind) side and the leeward (or downwind) side, respectively. The airfoil 50 has a chord 60 with a chord length c extending between a leading edge 56 and a trailing edge 58 of the blade. The airfoil 50 has a thickness t, which is defined as the distance between the pressure side 52 and the suction side 54. The thickness t of the airfoil varies along the chord 60. The deviation from a symmetrical profile is given by a camber line 62, which is a median line through the airfoil profile 50. The median line can be found by drawing inscribed circles from the leading edge 56 to the trailing edge 58. The median line follows the centres of these inscribed circles and the deviation or distance from the chord 60 is called the camber f. The asymmetry can also be defined by use of parameters called the upper camber (or suction side camber) and lower camber (or pressure side camber), which are defined as the distances from the chord 60 and the suction side 54 and pressure side 52, respectively.

(17) Airfoil profiles are often characterised by the following parameters: the chord length c, the maximum camber f, the position d.sub.f of the maximum camber f, the maximum airfoil thickness t, which is the largest diameter of the inscribed circles along the median camber line 62, the position d.sub.t of the maximum thickness t, and a nose radius (not shown). These parameters are typically defined as ratios to the chord length c. Thus, a local relative blade thickness t/c is given as the ratio between the local maximum thickness t and the local chord length c. Further, the position d.sub.p of the maximum pressure side camber may be used as a design parameter, and of course also the position of the maximum suction side camber.

(18) FIG. 4 shows other geometric parameters of the blade and blade shell parts. The blade and blade shell parts have a total blade length L. As shown in FIG. 3, the root end is located at position r=0, and the tip end located at r=L. The shoulder 40 of the blade shell parts is located at a position r=L.sub.w, and has a shoulder width W, which equals the chord length at the shoulder 40. The diameter of the root is defined as X. Further, the blade/blade shell parts is provided with a prebend, which is defined as y, which corresponds to the out of plane deflection from a pitch axis 22 of the blade.

(19) Blades have over the time become longer and longer and may now exceed a length of 70 metres. Further, the root diameter of blades has increased. The length of the blade, the root diameter as well as the shape of the blades with respect to shoulder, twist and prebending makes it increasingly difficult to manufacture the blades.

(20) FIG. 5 shows a schematic end view of a blade mould for manufacturing a blade shell part of a wind turbine blade, the blade shell part extending from a tip end to a root end. The blade mould 70 comprises a first mould frame 72 and a mould shell 74 supported by the first mould frame 72 and provided with a moulding surface 76 that defines an outer shape of the blade shell part moulded by the blade mould. The mould shell 74 has a longitudinal direction and comprises a root end mould part 78 at a first end thereof. The moulding surface 76 at the first end forms a part of a substantially half-circular root end of the blade shell part. The blade mould in FIG. 5 is shown in a layup configuration.

(21) The blade mould 70 comprises a deformation assembly for deforming the mould shell prior to arranging a root insert in the blade mould. The blade mould/deformation assembly comprises a first deformation device 80 attached to a first side 81 of the mould shell 74 within 0.5 m from the first end of the mould shell for deforming the root end mould part 78 of the mould shell 74. The mould shell 74 has a first mould edge 82 and a second mould edge 84 with a mould edge distance D.sub.edge between the first mould edge 82 and the second mould edge 84. In the layup configuration, the mould edge distance D.sub.edge is set to a layup edge distance D.sub.layup. The first deformation device 80 is configured to increase the distance between the first mould edge and the second mould edge, e.g. as illustrated in FIG. 5 by pulling or moving the first mould edge 82 in a first direction indicated by arrow 86 away from the second mould edge 84. The first deformation device 78 comprises a first part 88 that is attached or anchored to a first side part 90 of the first mould frame 72. Further, a second part 92 of the first deformation device 78 is attached or anchored to the mould shell within 1 m from the first end of the mould shell 74.

(22) The blade mould 70 and deformation assembly comprises a second deformation device 94 attached to a second side 95 of the mould shell 74 within 0.5 m from the first end of the mould shell for deforming the root end mould part 78 of the mould shell 74. The second deformation device 94 is configured to increase the distance between the first mould edge 82 and the second mould edge 84, e.g. as illustrated in FIG. 5 by pulling or moving the second mould edge 84 in a second direction indicated by arrow 96 away from the first mould edge 82. The second deformation device 94 comprises a first part 98 that is attached or anchored to a second side part 100 of the first mould frame 72. Further, a second part 102 of the second deformation device 94 is attached or anchored to the mould shell within 1 m from the first end of the mould shell 74.

(23) Preferably, the blade mould 70 is configured such that the first parts 88, 98 are fixed (i.e. do not move) during deformation of the mould shell 74 and/or such that the second parts 92, 102 are moved, e.g. in opposite directions, during deformation of the mould shell 74.

(24) The first deformation device 80 has a first travelling distance D1 of at least 5 mm, such as at least 10 mm or at least 20 mm. Thus, the first deformation device 80 is configured to move the first mould edge to allow free insertion of the root insert into the root end mould part of the mould shell.

(25) The second deformation device 94 has a second travelling distance D2 of at least 5 mm, such as at least 10 mm or at least 20 mm. Thus, the second deformation device 94 is configured to move the second mould edge to allow free insertion of the root insert into the root end mould part of the mould shell.

(26) FIG. 6 shows a schematic end view of a blade mould in a receiving configuration. Reinforcement material/fibre mats 104 have been arranged on the moulding surface of the root end mould part and the root end mould part has been deformed to the receiving configuration by the first deformation device 80 and the second deformation device 94. Reinforcement material/fibre mats 104 may be arranged on the moulding surface of the root end mould part prior to, during and/or after deformation of the root end mould part. The first deformation device 80 has pulled or moved the first mould edge 82 in the first direction 86 and the second deformation device 94 has pulled or moved the second mould edge 84 in the second direction 96 to increase the mould edge distance D.sub.edge between the first mould edge 82 and the second mould edge 84. In the receiving configuration, the mould edge distance D.sub.edge=D.sub.receive, where D.sub.receive may be larger than the mould edge distance D.sub.layup in the layup configuration. The mould edge distance D.sub.edge has been increased by at least 40 mm to allow positioning of a root insert in the root end mould part of the mould shell. Accordingly, D.sub.receiveD.sub.layup>40 mm.

(27) FIG. 7 shows a schematic end view of a blade mould in the receiving configuration. A root end insert 106 has been inserted and is kept in the root end mould part of the mould shell by means of a root end plate (not shown). The reinforcement material/fibre mats 104 are arranged between the moulding surface of the root end mould part and the root end insert 106. The mould edge distance D.sub.receive in the receiving configuration provides air gaps, clearance, or at least reduced friction between the root end insert 106 and reinforcement material arranged along the moulding surface of the first side 81 and the second side 95 of the mould shell 74. Thereby, the root insert can be inserted into the root end mould part with reduced risk of the reinforcement material wrinkling or being dragged by the root end insert towards the bottom of the root end mould part.

(28) Upon insertion of the root end insert, the root end mould part is brought to a moulding configuration as shown in FIG. 8 by decreasing the mould edge distance to D.sub.mould.

(29) FIG. 8 shows a schematic end view of a blade mould in the moulding configuration. The first mould edge 82 and the second mould edge 84 have been moved towards each other by the first deformation device 80 and/or the second deformation device 94 to reduce the mould edge distance. The mould edge distance D.sub.mould in the moulding configuration is larger than the mould edge distance D.sub.receive in the receiving configuration. In the illustrated blade mould, D.sub.mouldD.sub.receive>40 mm, such as about 50 mm.

(30) FIG. 9 shows a schematic end view of a blade mould for manufacturing a blade shell part of a wind turbine blade in a layup configuration. The blade mould 70A has a single deformation device being the first deformation device 80. The second mould edge 84 is anchored to the second side part 100 of the first mould frame, such that the mould edge distance increases by pulling the first mould edge 82 in the first direction 86. Supporting legs 99 of the first mould frame may be configured to slide sideways, e.g. by means of a wheeled arrangement to facilitate distribution of the mould shell deformation on the mould shell.

(31) It is not shown, but the root end insert 106 may for instance comprise a plurality of bushings and intermediate inserts, such as pultruded butterfly wedges, arranged on a root end flange. The root end insert 106 may additionally comprise reinforcing fibre material or the like.

(32) The invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments, and alterations and modifications can be carried out without deviating from the scope of the invention that is defined by the following claims. The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and may be modified or adapted without departing from the scope of the present invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(33) 2 wind turbine 4 tower 6 nacelle 8 hub 10 blade 14 blade tip 15 tip end section 16 blade root 17 root end face 18 leading edge 20 trailing edge 22 pitch axis 24 pressure side blade shell part/upwind blade shell part 26 suction side blade shell part/downwind blade shell part 28 bond lines 29 horizontal 30 root region 32 transition region 34 airfoil region 50 airfoil profile 52 pressure side/upwind side 54 suction side/downwind side 56 leading edge 58 trailing edge 60 chord 62 camber line/median line 70 blade mould 72 first mould frame 71 mould shell 76 moulding surface 78 root end mould part 80 first deformation device 81 first side 82 first mould edge 84 second mould edge 86 first direction 88 first part 90 first side part 92 second part 94 second deformation device 95 second side 96 second direction 98 first part 99 support leg 100 second side part 102 second part 104 reinforcement material 106 root end insert c chord length d.sub.t position of maximum thickness d.sub.f position of maximum camber d.sub.p position of maximum pressure side camber f camber l.sub.f longitudinal distance between root end frames l.sub.o longitudinal extent of blade tip overhang L blade length r local radius, radial distance from blade root t thickness D blade root diameter y prebend X longitudinal axis