A METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A WIND TURBINE ROTOR BLADE ROOT SECTION WITH PULTRUDED RODS AND ASSOCIATED WIND TURBINE BLADE

• Main Authors: HYNUM, Daniel Alan, RIAHI, Amir, ALBERT, Bensely
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 28.08.2024
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; BLASTING; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER; PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCESIN A PLASTIC STATE; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS; WIND MOTORS; WIND, SPRING WEIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS MOTORS; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A method for manufacturing a root section 100 of a wind turbine blade assembly 22 includes assembling a mold 122 having an inner cylinder segment 124, an outer cylinder segment 126, and a bottom flange 128, wherein a radial space 132 is defined between the inner and outer cylinder segments. Root hub connectors 136 are attached circumferentially around the bottom flange so that the root hub connectors extend axially into the radial space. A first cartridge 146 of pultruded rods 148 is loaded into the radial space, wherein the first cartridge includes a plurality of first pultruded rods 148 arranged adjacent to the inner cylinder segment. The space is sealed, for example with a lid or top flange 130, and the space is evacuated. A resin 152 is infused into the space so that the resin migrates through the radial space between the pultruded rods, and is then cured. The root section 100 is then removed from the mold 122. A wind turbine blade root section 100 formed by the method is encompassed by the invention.