Manufacturing method and tool for carbon parts

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a product including at least two carbon parts including the step of: manufacturing a first carbon part, manufacturing at least a second carbon part, providing on a surface of one of the first carbon part or second carbon part a plurality of protrusions including a carbon resin, joining together the first carbon part and the second carbon part in such a way that the plurality of protrusions is interposed between the first carbon part and second carbon part for providing physical and electrical connection is provided.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a product including at least two carbon parts, the method comprising: manufacturing a first carbon part; manufacturing a second carbon part, wherein the first carbon part and the second carbon part each comprise a composite material including a plurality of fibers; transferring a plurality of protrusions including a carbon resin from a band disposed proximate a pultrusion die to a surface of one of the first carbon part or the second carbon when the plurality of fibers crosses the pultrusion die from an inlet section of the pultrusion die to an outlet section of the pultrusion die; and joining together the first carbon part and the second carbon part to form the product in such a way that the plurality of protrusions are interposed between the first carbon part and the second carbon part for providing a physical and electrical connection.

2. The method of manufacturing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions comprise at least one dot.

3. The method of manufacturing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions comprise at least one strip.

4. The method of manufacturing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions are injected on the surface of one of the first carbon part or the second carbon part.

5. The method of manufacturing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions are deposited on the surface of one of the first carbon part or the second carbon part.

6. The method of manufacturing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions are organized in a pattern.

7. The method of manufacturing as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first carbon part and the second carbon part is manufactured by pultrusion.

8. The method of manufacturing as claimed in claim 7, wherein the plurality of protrusions are provided on the surface of one of the first carbon part or the second carbon part during a pultrusion step.

9. The method of manufacturing as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of protrusions are deposited on the surface of one of the first carbon part or the second carbon part inside a pultrusion die.

10. The method of manufacturing as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the first carbon part or the second carbon part is a portion of a wind turbine blade.

11. A pultrusion die longitudinally extending along a pultrusion direction between an inlet section for receiving a plurality of fibers and an outlet section for delivering a plurality of resin-soaked fibers, the pultrusion die comprising: a band including a plurality of protrusions including a carbon resin, the band being disposed in such a way that the plurality of protrusions are transferred from the band to the plurality of fibers when the plurality of fibers cross the pultrusion die from the inlet section to the outlet section.

12. The pultrusion die as claimed in claim 11, wherein the band is annularly shaped around a band axis, transversal to the pultrusion direction, the band being able to rotate around the band axis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

(1) Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 depicts a schematic axonometric view of a first product obtained with the method;

(3) FIG. 2 depicts a schematic axonometric view of a second product obtained with the method;

(4) FIG. 3 depicts a schematic axonometric view of pultrusion die; and

(5) FIG. 4 depicts a schematic section of a wind turbine including a rotor blade comprising a product manufactured.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) The illustrations in the drawings are schematic. It is noted that in different figures, similar or identical elements are provided with the same reference signs.

(7) FIG. 1 shows a carbon part 50 on which plurality of protrusions 52 including a carbon resin are deposited or injected over a surface 51 of the carbon part 50.

(8) Particularly the carbon part 50 is made of a composite material including a plurality of carbon fibers and a resin.

(9) The protrusions 52 are in form of dots and are distributed according to a rectangular pattern including columns and rows.

(10) According to other embodiments of the present invention (not shown) the plurality of dots 52 may be distributed according to any other pattern.

(11) The carbon part 50 may be joined to another carbon part (not shown), in such a way that the plurality of protrusions are interposed between the first carbon part and second carbon part for providing physical and electrical connection. The protrusions 52 may be provided on both carbon parts to be joined.

(12) FIG. 2 shows a carbon part 50 on which a plurality of protrusions 53 including a carbon resin are deposited or injected over a surface 51.

(13) Differently from the embodiment of FIG. 1, the protrusions 53 are in form of parallel strips. In case the carbon part 50 is a composite material including a plurality of carbon fibers the strips 50 may be orthogonal or parallel or inclined with respect to the strips 50.

(14) FIG. 3 shows a pultrusion die 20, which can be used for automatically depositing the plurality of protrusions dots 52 of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

(15) The pultrusion die 20 longitudinally extends along a pultrusion direction X between a first inlet section 21 for receiving a plurality of fibers 110 and a second outlet section 22 for delivering a plurality of resin-soaked fibers.

(16) The pultrusion die 20 comprises a band 25 including the plurality of protrusions 52.

(17) The band 25 is annularly shaped around a band axis Z, transversal to the pultrusion direction X, and is able to rotate around the band axis Z.

(18) According to other embodiments (not shown) of the present invention, the band is open and extends between two band ends.

(19) In both embodiments at least a portion of the band translates between the inlet section 21 and the outlet section 22.

(20) The band 25 is disposed along an inner side of the pultrusion die 20, in such a way that the plurality of protrusions 52 are transferred from the band 25 to the plurality of fibers 110 when the plurality of fibers 110 crosses the pultrusion die 20 from the inlet section 21 to the outlet section 22.

(21) According to other embodiments of the present invention (not shown), the pultrusion die 20 comprises the plurality of strip protrusions 53 to be transferred to the plurality of fibers 110.

(22) FIG. 4 shows a wind turbine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The wind turbine 1 comprises a tower 2, which is mounted on a non-depicted fundament. A nacelle 3 is arranged on top of the tower 2.

(23) The wind turbine 1 further comprises a wind rotor 5 having two, three or more blades 4 (in the perspective of FIG. 1 only two blades 4 are visible). The wind rotor 5 is rotatable around a rotational axis Y. The blades 4 extend radially with respect to the rotational axis Y.

(24) The wind rotor 5 is rotationally coupled with an electric generator 30 by means of a rotatable main shaft 9.

(25) According to other possible embodiments of the present invention (not represented in the attached figures), the wind rotor 5 is rotationally coupled directly with the electric generator 30 (direct-drive generator configuration).

(26) A schematically depicted bearing assembly 8 is provided in order to hold in place the rotor 5. The rotatable main shaft 9 extends along the rotational axis Y.

(27) The blades 4 comprise one or more carbon parts 50 obtained through the present invention. Such carbon parts 50 are joined to other portions of the blades, which may be also obtained according to the present invention, in order to improve the electrical conductivity of the overall blades. This improves the performances of the lightning protection system of the blade 4.

(28) Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred 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.

(29) For the 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.