METHOD FOR FABRICATING A WIND TURBINE SHELL, WIND TURBINE BLADE, WIND TURBINE AND METHOD FOR REPAIR OF A WIND TURBINE BLADE SHELL

Abstract

A method for fabricating a wind turbine blade shell, wherein the wind turbine blade shell is fabricated in a casting process using a mould and a plurality of shell components, includes the steps of: providing the mould and the plurality of shell components, providing at least one alignment mark at the mould and/or at one or more shell components placed in the mould, providing at least one marker at the position of the at least one alignment mark, and arranging the or further shell components in the mould and casting the wind turbine blade shell.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a wind turbine blade shell, wherein the wind turbine blade shell is fabricated in a casting process using a mould and a plurality of shell components, comprising the steps of: providing the mould and the plurality of shell components, providing at least one alignment mark at the mould and/or at one or more shell components placed in the mould, providing at least one marker the position of the at least one alignment mark, and arranging the or further shell components in the mould and casting the wind turbine blade shell.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one alignment mark is provided using optical projection, especially laser projection.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the marker providing a protrusion to the mould is placed on the at least one alignment mark at the mould.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein at least one tape and/or at least one plug, or at least one rubber plug, is used as the marker.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one marking material different from the blade material or the blade materials of the at least one shell component and/or different from a resin used for moulding of the wind turbine blade shell is used as the marker.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a marking material with a heating property and/or a heat absorption property different from the blade material or the blade materials of the at least one shell component and/or different from a resin used for moulding of the wind turbine blade is used.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein metallic material and/or magnetic material and/or ceramic material, especially metallic and/or magnetic and/or ceramic particles or splinters, are used as marking material.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein an electronically and/or optically detectable structure, is used as the marker.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a marked shell component, is used as the marker.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one alignment mark is projected on a position determined for arrangement of a vortex generator and/or that at least one vortex generator is mounted on the casted wind turbine blade at a position marked by the at least one marker.

11. A wind turbine blade comprising at least one wind turbine blade shell comprising at least one mark, wherein the at least one mark is an imprint and/or an indentation and/or an electronically and/or optically detectable structure, and/or wherein the at least one mark is at least one marking material different from the shell material or the shell materials of the at least one shell component and/or different from a resin used for moulding of the wind turbine blade shell.

12. The wind turbine blade according to claim 11, wherein the at least one marking material is a material with a heating property and/or a heat absorption property different from the shell material or the shell materials of the at least one shell component and/or different from a resin used for moulding of the wind turbine blade shell.

13. The wind turbine blade according to claim 11, wherein the marking material is or comprises a metallic material and/or a magnetic material and/or a ceramic material, especially metallic and/or magnetic and/or ceramic particles or splinters.

14. The wind turbine comprising at least one wind turbine blade according to claim 11.

15. A method for repair of the wind turbine blade shell fabricated according to claim 1, the wind turbine blade shell fabricated or at least one wind turbine blade shell comprising at least one mark, wherein the at least one mark is an imprint and/or an indentation and/or an electronically and/or optically detectable structure, and/or wherein the at least one mark is at least one marking material different from the shell material or the shell materials of the at least one shell component and/or different from a resin used tor moulding of the wind turbine blade shell, wherein on a second surface portion of the wind turbine blade shell surrounding the first surface portion, a plurality of auxiliary marks describing the position of the at least one mark is provided prior to a repair of the first surface portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0038] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram of a method for fabrication of a wind turbine blade shell according to the invention;

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a mould for fabricating a wind turbine blade shell with alignment marks;

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of an inner surface of the mould;

[0042] FIG. 4 shows a mould with a shell component place in the mould and a marking means provided on the shell component;

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a mould with a marked shell component placed in the mould;

[0044] FIG. 6 shows a wind turbine according to the invention comprising three wind turbine blades according to the invention; and

[0045] FIG. 7 shows an illustration of an embodiment of a method for repair of a wind turbine according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] In FIG. 1, a flow diagram of a method for fabricating a wind turbine blade shell is shown. The wind turbine blade shell is fabricated in a casting process using a mould and a plurality of shell components. The method comprises the steps as listed in the following table:

TABLE-US-00001 S1 start S2 providing the mould and the plurality of shell components S3 providing at least one alignment mark at the mould and/ or at one or more shell components placed in the mould S4 providing at least one marking means at the position of the at least one alignment mark S5 arranging the further shell components in the mould in casting the wind turbine blade shell S6 end

[0047] A wind turbine blade shell fabricated according to this method or a wind turbine blade comprising at least one wind turbine blade shell fabricated according to this method comprises at least one mark, which is created by a marking means during the fabrication process and/or which is provided by the marking means itself if the marking means is incorporated in the wind turbine blade shell during the fabrication. Different embodiments of marking means, of their provision to alignment marks as well as of the provision of the alignment marks at the mould and/or at one or more shell components are described hereafter.

[0048] In FIG. 2, a mould 1 for casting a wind turbine blade shell is shown. The mould 1 comprises an inner surface 2 that defines the shape of a wind turbine blade shell casted using the mould 1. At this inner surface 2 of the mould, a plurality of alignment marks 3 is provided using an optical projection like laser projection from one or more projectors 14. The projected image comprises a plurality of crosses, wherein each of the crosses represents an alignment mark 3, and a line 4 connecting the crosses. The projection of one or more alignment marks 3 is an embodiment of providing one or more alignment marks 3 according to step S3 in the initially described method.

[0049] The alignment marks 3 are projected on positions that are each determined for an arrangement of a vortex generator on the fabricated wind turbine blade shell. The alignment marks 3 also define the position for placing marking means, wherein the marking means are used to provide marks on the wind turbine blade shell. Due to these marks, the position for mounting the vortex generators on the fabricated wind turbine blade shell can be determined precisely, so that the mounting of the vortex generators is facilitated. Additionally, or alternatively to the vortex generators, also other additional components can be mounted on the surface using marking means placed at the position of respective alignment marks 3 provided at the mould 1 and/or provided at a shell component placed in the mould 1, as it is described later.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows a detail of the inner surface 2 of the mould 1. On the alignment mark 3, a plug 5 has been arranged as a marking means. The plug 5 can be for instance a rubber plug and provides a protrusion to the inner surface 2 of the mould 1. The plug 5 can be glued on the inner surface 2 of the mould 1 at the position of the alignment mark 3, which is projected optically on the inner surface 2 of the mould 1. Since the outer shape of a wind turbine blade shell that is casted using the mould 1 adapts to the shape of the inner surface 2 of the mould 1, the plug 5 arranged on the inner surface 2 of the mould 1 will cause an indentation in the outer surface of the casted wind turbine blade shell. This indentation represents a mark that can be used to determine a position for mounting of an additional component like a vortex generator to the wind turbine blade shell or a wind turbine blade comprising the wind turbine blade shell, respectively. Apart from the plug 5, also one or more tapes can be arranged and/or adhered to the inner surface 2 of the mould 1 at the position of the alignment mark 3. Correspondingly to the plug 5, also the one or more tapes create an imprint as a mark in the wind turbine blade shell during its fabrication. The arrangement of one or more plugs 5 and/or of the one or more tapes of the alignment marks 3 is an embodiment of providing one or more marking means according to step S4 in the initially described method.

[0051] In FIG. 4, a shell component 6 is placed in the mould 1. In this case, the alignment mark 3 is projected onto the shell component 6. The shell component 6 is for instance a fibre patch consisting of a plurality of glass fibres used in combination with a resin for casting the wind turbine blade shell. Also at the position of the alignment mark 3 projected on the shell component 6, a marking means can be provided to define a position for mounting of an additional component like a vortex generator.

[0052] Thereby, for instance a marking material which is different from the blade material or the blade materials of the at least one shell component and/or different from a resin used for moulding of the wind turbine blade shell can be used as marking means. The marking means can be for instance a marking material with a heating property and/or a heat absorption property different from the blade material or the blade materials of the at least one shell component 6 and/or different from the resin used for moulding of the wind turbine blade. In a wind turbine blade shell fabricated for instance from glass fibre mats and from a resin like epoxy, a metallic material and/or a magnetic material and/or a ceramic material can be used as marking material. The marking material can be provided for instance as particles or splinters, which are positioned and/or glued at the position of the alignment mark 3 to the shell component 6. After the casting of the wind turbine blade shell comprising the shell component 6, the marking material is embedded in the wind turbine blade shell.

[0053] It is also possible that an electronically and/or optically detectable structure, for instance a RFID ship, is used as marking means, wherein the structure is placed at the position of the alignment mark 3. It is also possible that the marking material and/or the optically and/or electronically detectible structure is placed on an alignment mark 3 provided at the inner surface 2 of the mould and that the marking means is embedded in an outer surface of the fabricated wind turbine blade shell. The arrangement of one or more marking materials and/or of one or more electronically and/or optically detectable structures on the alignment marks 3 is an embodiment of providing one or more marking means according to step S4 in the initially described method.

[0054] In FIG. 5, a shell component 7 with a mark 8 is placed in the mould 1 in such manner that the mark 8 of the shell component 7 is at the same position as one of the alignment marks 3 projected onto the inner surface 2 of the mould 1. The mark 8 of the shell component 7 can be for instance a coloured symbol like a cross or the like. After casting of the wind turbine blade shell, the mark 8 is visible on the outer surface of the shell, which is during fabrication in direct contact with the inner surface 2 of the mould. If the shell component 7 is for instance transparent, the mark 8 on the outer surface can be seen through the shell component 7 enabling the positioning of the shell component 7 on the alignment mark 3. If the shell component 7 is not transparent, an additional mark can be placed on a surface of the shell component 7 opposite to the mark 8, so that the additional symbol can be seen on the backside of the shell component 7 for positioning of the shell component 7 on the alignment mark 3. A wind turbine blade comprising one or more shell components 7 with a mark 8 provides also one or more marks 8 on its outer surface, so that a position for mounting additional components like vortex generators can be easily determined. The arrangement of one or more marked shell components 7 on the alignment marks 3 is an embodiment of providing one or more marking means according to step S4 in the initially described method.

[0055] It is also possible that a combination of two or more different embodiments of marking means are used in the method for fabrication of a wind turbine blade shell. This enables the fabrication of a wind turbine blade shell, or a wind turbine blade comprising the wind turbine blade shell, respectively, which comprises one or more different types of marks 8.

[0056] In FIG. 6, a wind turbine 9 according to embodiments of the invention is shown. The wind turbine 9 comprises three wind turbine blades 10 according to embodiments of the invention, wherein the wind turbine blades 10 each comprise at least one wind turbine blade shell fabricated using a method for fabrication of a wind turbine blade according to embodiments of the invention and/or each comprise a wind turbine blade shell with at least one mark 8.

[0057] The mark 8 can be an imprint and/or an indentation and/or an electronically and/or optically detectible structure like a RFID chip. It is also possible that the mark 8 is or comprises at least one marking material different from the shell material and/or the shell materials of the at least one shell component and/or different from a resin used for moulding of the wind turbine blade shell. It is also possible that a wind turbine blade 10 comprises one or more different marks 8.

[0058] In FIG. 7, an embodiment of a method for repair of a wind turbine blade shell is shown. On a first surface portion 11 of the wind turbine blade 10, a mark 8 is located. The mark 8 can be for instance an imprint and/or indentation and/or a marking material or an electronically or optically detectable structure incorporated in the surface of the wind turbine blade 10.

[0059] The repair can involve a surface treatment of the first portion 11 of the wind turbine blade surface. The surface treatment can be for instance a grinding of the first surface portion 11, a painting of the first surface portion 11 and/or an exchange of the first surface portion 11. Due to the surface treatment, the mark 8 can be removed during the repair. To reconstruct the position of the mark 8 after the surface treatment and/or after the repair, on a second surface portion 12 surrounding the first surface portion 11, a plurality of auxiliary marks 13 is provided. The auxiliary marks 13 can be used to reconstruct the position of the mark 8 for instance by triangulation as depicted. Besides triangulation, also other geometrical methods for reproducing the position of the mark 8 using the auxiliary marks 13 can be used.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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.