METHOD OF PRODUCING A WIND TURBINE BLADE, A RESPECTIVELY PRODUCED WIND TURBINE BLADE AND A POROUS MATERIAL SUITABLE FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION

Abstract

A porous material provided with a reactive component capable of reacting with an infusion resin is provided. In addition, a method of producing a wind turbine blade or a part thereof is described, the method including providing a mold containing the porous material, applying an infusion resin into the mold by a vacuum infusion method, in particular vacuum assisted resin transfer molding, and curing the infusion resin. A wind turbine blade or a part thereof obtainable by this method is also provided.

Claims

1. A porous material provided with a reactive component capable of reacting with an infusion resin.

2. The porous material as set forth in claim 1, wherein the porous material comprises an open cell foam, a fleece, a felt, a mesh, and/or a fabric.

3. The porous material as set forth in claim 1, wherein the porous material has a porosity of from 50 to 90%.

4. The porous material as set forth in claim 1, wherein the reactive component comprises at least one of an amine functional group, a thiol functional group, and/or a hydroxy functional group.

5. The porous material as set forth in claim 1, wherein the reactive component is selected from the group consisting of pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate), 2-hydroxymethyl-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol tris-(3-mercaptopropionate), tris[2-(3-mercaptopropionyloxy)ethyl] isocyanurate, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, dipropylenetriamine, 1,3-bis(aminomethyl) cyclohexane, 3,3-dimethyl-4,4-diaminodicyclohexylmethane, 4,4-diaminodicyclohexylmethane, xylene diamine, glycerol and polypropylene glycol.

6. A method of producing a wind turbine blade or a part thereof, the method comprising: providing a mold comprising a porous material with a reactive component capable of reacting with an infusion resin, applying the infusion resin into the mold by a vacuum infusion method, and curing the infusion resin.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the infusion resin is selected from the group consisting of an epoxy amine infusion resin, a polyurethane infusion resin and a radically curing infusion resin.

8. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the infusion resin comprises an epoxy amine infusion resin and the reactive component comprises an amine functional group and/or a thiol functional group.

9. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the infusion resin comprises a polyurethane infusion resin and the reactive component comprises an amine functional group and/or a hydroxy functional group.

10. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the infusion resin has a viscosity of less than 100 mPa.Math.s at infusion temperature.

11. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the porous material is provided at only a part of the mold.

12. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the method further comprises, after curing the infusion resin, removing the mold.

13. A wind turbine blade or a part thereof obtainable by a method according to claim 6.

14. A method comprising: using a porous material for increasing the viscosity of an infusion resin in a vacuum infusion method, wherein the porous material is functionalized with a reactive component capable of reacting with the infusion resin.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0056] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with references to the following Figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0057] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a porous material;

[0058] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a porous material; and

[0059] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a porous material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] The illustration in the drawings is schematical. In different drawings, similar or identical elements are provided with the same reference signs.

[0061] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a porous material 10. The porous material 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is provided with reactive components at all surfaces, indicated as hatched area 1. Reactive components are also present in the bulk material of the porous material 10. Thus, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the reactive component is substantially uniformly distributed over and within the porous material 10. When used in a method of producing a wind turbine blade or a part thereof, the porous material 10 may be arranged in an interior of the mold at specific sites, where it is desired to increase the viscosity of the infusion resin, for instance at race tracks.

[0062] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a porous material 20. The porous material 20 as shown in FIG. 2 is provided with reactive components only at one surface, indicated as hatched area 1, whereas the other surfaces are substantially free of reactive components, indicated as dotted areas 2. Thus, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, only a part of the porous material 20 is provided with a reactive component. When used in a method of producing a wind turbine blade or a part thereof, the porous material 20 may suppress or block resin flow in some directions, more specifically in the direction from top to bottom in the depicted orientation of FIG. 2, but not in the other directions, such as from the right side to the left in the depicted orientation of FIG. 2. A similar control of resin flow may be achieved by arranging a porous material that is entirely provided with a reactive component (e.g., the porous material 10 shown in FIG. 1) only at specific surfaces of the mold, more specifically at an upper surface of the mold in the depicted orientation of FIG. 2.

[0063] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a porous material 30. The porous material 30 as shown in FIG. 3 is provided with reactive components at two surfaces, indicated as hatched areas 1, whereas the other surface is substantially free of reactive components, indicated as dotted area 2. Thus, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, only a part of the porous material 30 is provided with a reactive component. When used in a method of producing a wind turbine blade or a part thereof, the porous material 30 may suppress or block resin flow in some directions, more specifically in the directions from top to bottom and from front to back in the depicted orientation of FIG. 3, but not in the direction from the right side to the left in the depicted orientation of FIG. 3. A similar control of resin flow may be achieved by arranging a porous material that is entirely provided with a reactive component (e.g., the porous material 10 shown in FIG. 1) only at specific surfaces of the mold, more specifically at an upper surface and a front surface of the mold in the depicted orientation of FIG. 3.

[0064] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0065] For sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of a or an throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and comprising does not exclude other steps or elements.