Method of manufacturing shear web for rotor blade

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a joined structural component of a rotor blade includes forming at least one first portion of the joined structural component via at least one custom mold. The first portion (s) has one or more custom characteristics associated with the rotor blade. The method further includes providing at least one second portion of the joining structural component. The second portion (s) of the joining structural component is a prefabricated component. The method further includes arranging together, at the interface, the first portion (s) and the second portion (s) of the joined structural component. Further, the method includes joining the first portion (s) and the second portion (s) together at the interface to produce the joined structural component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to rotor blades and, more particularly, to methods of manufacturing a shear web for a rotor blade, such as a wind turbine rotor blade. Background Art

[0002] Wind power is considered to be one of the cleanest and most environmentally friendly energy sources currently available, and wind turbines have received increasing attention in this regard. A modern wind turbine typically includes: a tower, a generator, a gearbox, a nacelle and a rotor, the rotor having a rotatable hub with one or more rotor blades. The rotor blades use the known airfoil principle to capture the kinetic energy of the wind. The rotor blades transfer the kinetic energy in the form of rotational energy to turn a shaft that couples the rotor blades to a gearbox, or directly to a generator if a gearbox is not used. The generator then converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy, which can be deployed to a utility grid.

[0003] The rotor blade typically includes a suction side shell and a pressure side shell, which are typically formed using a molding process and are joined together at a join line along the leading and trailing edges of the blade. Further, the pressure and suction shells are relatively lightweight and have structural properties (e.g., stiffness, buckling resistance, and strength) that are not constructed to withstand bending moments and other loads imposed on the rotor blade during operation. Therefore, in order to increase the stiffness, buckling resistance, and strength of the rotor blade, the main shell is typically reinforced using one or more structural members (e.g., opposing spar caps with a shear web constructed therebetween), the one or more structural members being coupled to the inner pressure side surface and the inner suction side surface of the shell halves. The rotor blade shell is typically constructed of a laminate having a sandwich-panel construction that includes low stiffness glass fibers.

[0004] As wind turbines continue to increase in size, rotor blades also increase in size. As a result, the manufacture of larger rotor blades (e.g., 90 meter long rotor blades) takes up a considerable footprint. As an example, a typical shear web is manufactured using a custom mold that is sized to accommodate the entire length of the shear web. However, the majority of shear webs are constructed of simple flat sandwich panels. As such, a greater portion of the material and mold surface required to manufacture a conventional shear web is used to mold a simple flat sandwich panel.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure is directed to a method of manufacturing a shear web for a rotor blade, such as a wind turbine rotor blade, that solves the above problems. In particular, the present disclosure is directed to a method of manufacturing a shear web for a rotor blade that significantly reduces the footprint of the overall manufacturing process. Summary of the invention

[0006] Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.

[0007] In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method for manufacturing a joint structural component of a rotor blade. The method includes: forming at least one first part of the joint structural component via at least one custom mold. The (one or more) first parts have one or more customized characteristics related to the rotor blade. The method also includes: providing at least one second part of the joint structural component. The (one or more) second parts of the joint structural component are prefabricated parts. The method further includes: arranging the (one or more) first parts and (one or more) second parts of the joint structural component together at an interface. In addition, the method includes: joining the (one or more) first parts and (one or more) second parts together at an interface to produce the joint structural component. It should be further understood that the method may also include any of the additional steps and / or features described herein.

[0008] In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method for manufacturing a shear web of a rotor blade. The method includes: in at least one customized mold, forming a first customized foot portion and a second customized foot portion of the shear web together as an integral single component. Further, the method includes: after forming, cutting the integral single component to separate the first customized foot portion from the second customized foot portion. In addition, the method includes: providing at least one second portion of the shear web. The (one or more) second portions of the shear web are prefabricated components. In addition, the method includes: at an interface, arranging the first customized foot portion and the second customized foot portion and the (one or more) second portions of the shear web together. Further, the method includes: at an interface, joining the first customized foot portion and the second customized foot portion and the (one or more) second portions together to produce the shear web. It should be further understood that the method may also include any of the additional steps and / or features described herein.

[0009] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims.The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] A full and enabling disclosure of the invention, including the best mode thereof, is set forth in the specification, which is addressed to one of ordinary skill in the art, and which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a wind turbine according to the present disclosure; Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a rotor blade for a wind turbine according to the present disclosure; Figure 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a rotor blade for a wind turbine according to the present disclosure; Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a shear web of a rotor blade of a wind turbine according to the present disclosure; Figure 5 A flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method of manufacturing a joint structural component of a rotor blade according to the present disclosure; Fig. 6A A schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a manufacturing process for a joint structural component for a rotor blade according to the present disclosure, in particular, illustrating a molding process for a first customized leg portion and a second customized leg portion for forming a larger shear web; Figure 6B A schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a manufacturing process for a joint structural component for a rotor blade according to the present disclosure, in particular, illustrating a molding process for a first customized leg portion and a second customized leg portion for forming a smaller shear web; Fig. 7A illustrates a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a manufacturing process for a joint structural component of a rotor blade according to the present disclosure, and in particular, illustrates a first custom leg portion and a second custom leg portion and a standard portion of a larger shear web arranged in an assembly jig; and Figure 7B A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a manufacturing process for a joint structural component of a rotor blade according to the present disclosure is illustrated, and in particular, first and second customized leg portions and a standard portion of a smaller shear web are illustrated arranged in an assembly fixture. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by explanation of the present invention rather than by limitation of the present invention. In fact, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used together with another embodiment to generate yet another embodiment. Therefore, the present invention is intended to encompass such modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0012] For many conventional shear web manufacturing processes, the majority of the material and mold surface required to manufacture the component is used to mold a simple flat sandwich panel. Therefore, the present disclosure is directed to an improved manufacturing method that reduces the manufacturing facility footprint by up to about 90% while maintaining the structural integrity of the shear web.

[0013] In particular, in one embodiment, the method of the present disclosure reduces the mold shape to only include the customized portion of the shear web, such as the upwind and downwind web leg structures, plus some additional core material. After curing, the molded part can be cut along the centerline using a fixed reference point on the upwind or downwind web flange. Optionally, if desired, the core can be further tapered to a pre-selected common thickness for most of the shear webs. In this way, for a custom blade size, the web legs of the shear web can be optimized in terms of leg angle, leg radius, leg / flange width, pry capability, core thickness and / or fiber reinforcement layer (layup), which is particularly useful because the web leg angle and peel and pry strength are critical for efficient blade shear webs. Furthermore, in one embodiment, in an assembly fixture, the customized upwind and downwind web leg structures may be joined with pre-fabricated sandwich sheets cut to sizes that can be easily handled during assembly, for example, from about one meter to about six (6) meters (m), or up to 12 m, or up to 15 m. The sandwich sheets may be joined to the web leg structures and adjacent panels by single or double lapped joints, abutted or V-notch bonded joints, laminations, and / or mechanical joints.

[0014] Thus, the present disclosure provides numerous advantages not known in the prior art. For example, by combining fully customized web structures with standard components, the manufacturing facility footprint can be reduced by up to about 90%.

[0015] Now refer to the figure, Figure 1A perspective view of a horizontal axis wind turbine 10 according to the present disclosure is illustrated. It should be clear that the wind turbine 10 may also be a vertical axis wind turbine. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the wind turbine 10 includes: a tower 12, a nacelle 14 mounted on the tower 12, and a rotor hub 18 coupled to the nacelle 14. The tower 12 may be made of tubular steel or other suitable material. The rotor hub 18 includes one or more rotor blades 16, which are coupled to the hub 18 and extend radially outward from the hub 18. The rotor blades 16 rotate the rotor hub 18 so that kinetic energy can be converted from the wind into usable mechanical energy and subsequently into usable electrical energy. Specifically, the hub 18 may be rotatably coupled to a generator (not shown), which is located within the nacelle 14 for producing electrical energy.

[0016] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 According to various aspects of the present disclosure, Figure 1 One of the rotor blades 16. In particular, Figure 2 A perspective view of a rotor blade 16 is shown, and Figure 3 1 and 12. A cross-sectional view of a rotor blade 16 is shown. As shown, the rotor blade 16 generally includes a blade root 30 and a blade tip 32, with the blade root 30 being configured to be mounted or otherwise secured to the hub 18 ( Figure 1 ), the blade tip 32 is disposed opposite the blade root 30. The body shell 21 of the rotor blade 16 generally extends between the blade root 30 and the blade tip 32 along the longitudinal axis 27. The body shell 21 generally may serve as an outer shell / cover for the rotor blade 16, and may define a general aerodynamic profile, such as by defining a symmetrical or curved airfoil-shaped cross-section. The body shell 21 may also define a pressure side 34 and a suction side 36 extending between a leading edge 26 and a trailing edge 28 of the rotor blade 16. Further, the rotor blade 16 may also have a span 23 and a chord 25, the span 23 defining the overall length between the blade root 30 and the blade tip 32, and the chord 25 defining the overall length between the leading edge 26 and the trailing edge 28. As is generally understood, the chord 25 may generally vary in length about the span 23 as the rotor blade 16 extends from the blade root 30 to the blade tip 32.

[0017] In several embodiments, the body shell 21 of the rotor blade 16 may be formed as a single, unitary component. Alternatively, the body shell 21 may be formed from a plurality of shell components 22. For example, the body shell 21 may be manufactured from a first shell half 22 that generally defines the pressure side 34 of the rotor blade 16 and a second shell half 22 that generally defines the suction side 36 of the rotor blade 16, wherein such shell halves are secured to each other at the leading edge 26 and the trailing edge 28 of the blade 16. Furthermore, the body shell 21 may generally be formed from any suitable combination of materials. For example, in one embodiment, the body shell 21 may be formed entirely from a laminate composite material, such as a carbon fiber reinforced laminate composite material or a glass fiber reinforced laminate composite material. Alternatively, one or more portions of the body shell 21 may be configured as a layered structure and may include a core material formed from a lightweight material, such as wood (e.g., balsa wood), foam (e.g., extruded polystyrene foam), or a combination of such materials, disposed between layers of the laminate composite material.

[0018] Reference now Figure 3 and Figure 4 , rotor blade 16 may also include one or more longitudinally extending structural components configured to provide increased stiffness, buckling resistance, and / or strength to rotor blade 16. For example, Figure 3 As shown in , the rotor blade 16 may include a pair of longitudinally extending spar caps 20 that are configured to be coupled against opposing inner surfaces 35, 37 of the pressure side 34 and suction side 36 of the rotor blade 16, respectively. In addition, one or more shear webs 24 may be disposed between the spar caps 20 to form a beam-like configuration. According to various aspects of the present invention, a plurality of I-beam structures may be used with corresponding spar caps 20. The spar caps 20 may generally be designed to control bending stresses and / or other loads acting on the rotor blade 16 in a generally spanwise direction (a direction parallel to the span 23 of the rotor blade 16) during operation of the wind turbine 10. Similarly, the spar caps 20 may also be designed to withstand spanwise compression that occurs during operation of the wind turbine 10.

[0019] Special reference Figure 4, illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a shear web 24 of a rotor blade 16 according to the present disclosure. More specifically, as shown, the shear web 24 generally defines an overall web height 38 and an overall web length 40 extending from the blade root 30 to the blade tip 32. Further, as shown, the overall web height 38 generally varies downward along the span 23 of the rotor blade 16, with the highest portion proximate the blade root 30 and the shortest portion proximate the blade root 32. Moreover, as shown, the shear web 24 according to the present disclosure has a generally segmented or joined construction, which will be described in greater detail herein below.

[0020] Reference now Figure 5 , illustrates a flow chart of an embodiment of a method 100 for manufacturing a joint structural component of a rotor blade, such as a shear web 24, according to the present disclosure. It should be appreciated that the method 100 may be implemented to manufacture any suitable shear web having any suitable configuration. For example, in several embodiments, the shear web may be a portion of a rotor blade used by a wind turbine. However, it should be further understood that the rotor blades described herein may be used in any other suitable application, such as an aircraft. Furthermore, although Figure 5 The steps performed in a particular order are depicted for purposes of illustration and discussion, but the methods discussed herein are not limited to any particular order or arrangement. Using the disclosure provided herein, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the various steps of the methods disclosed herein may be omitted, rearranged, combined, and / or adapted in various ways without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0021] As shown at (102), the method 100 includes: forming at least one first portion of a joint structural component via at least one customized mold. The first portion(s) have one or more customized characteristics related to the rotor blade 16. For example, in one embodiment, the customized characteristics(s) may include: the leg angle 42 ( Fig. 6A and 7A ), leg radius, core thickness and reinforcement layer.

[0022] refer to Figures 6A-7B The formation of the first portion of the joint structural component can be better understood. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the joint structural component is a shear web 24 described herein. Further, Fig. 6A and 6B The diagram shows a larger portion of the manufacturing process for the shear web 24 of the rotor blade 16, and Fig. 7A and 7BThe manufacturing process for a smaller portion of the shear web 24 of the rotor blade 16 is illustrated. As used herein, a "small" or "large" web size is generally understood to be a local web size at a particular blade cross section. For example, a 100 meter long rotor blade may have multiple web sizes, such as three different web sizes starting with a large web size in the root region and a smaller web size in the tip region. Thus, as Fig. 6A and 7B As shown in each of the foregoing, depending on the size of the shear web 24, the first portion(s) of the shear web 24 may be formed via one or more custom mold assemblies 44, 46. In particular, as Fig. 6A As shown in , the custom mold assembly 44 for the shear web 24 may include one or more outer molds 48 and one or more inner mold inlays 50. Thus, the custom mold assembly 44 for forming a larger shear web may include multiple parts to make it easier to manage. Fig. 7A As shown in , a custom mold assembly 46 for a smaller shear web may be formed from a single mold component.

[0023] Still refer to Fig. 6A and 7A , forming the first portion(s) of the joined structural component may include forming a first custom leg portion 52 and a second custom leg portion 54 of the shear web 24 in the custom mold assemblies 44, 46. In certain embodiments, as shown, the first and second custom leg portions 52, 54 may be integrally formed together as a single component 66 in the mold assemblies 44, 46.

[0024] In certain embodiments, such as Fig. 6A As shown in , one or both of the first and second customized leg portions 52, 54 of the shear web 24 may be formed with a tapered region 56, 58. Thus, in such embodiments, as shown, the tapered regions 56, 58 provide a transition from a first thickness 60 to a second thickness 62, which will be further described herein below. Conversely, as shown in Fig. 7A As shown in FIG. 6 , one or both of the first and second tailored leg portions 52 , 54 of the shear web 24 may be formed with a constant thickness 64 , which is common in smaller shear webs.

[0025] Reference now Figure 6B and 7B , the method 100 may further include: in forming a single component (for example, in Fig. 6A and 7AAfter the single component is formed in the shear web 24 of the wind turbine 10, the single component 66 is cut or otherwise machined to separate the first customized foot portion 52 from the second customized foot portion 54. In such embodiments, as an example, the single component 66 may be cut along the centerline 68 of the first and second customized foot portions 52, 54 using a fixed reference point on the upwind flange or the downwind web flange of the shear web 24 of the wind turbine 10 (e.g., along the centerline 68) to separate the first customized foot portion 52 from the second customized foot portion 54.

[0026] Return to reference Figure 5 As shown at (104), the method 100 includes providing at least one second portion 70 of the joint structural component. In such embodiments, in particular, as shown in Figure 6B and 7B As shown in FIG. 1 , the second portion (s) 70 of the joint structural component is a prefabricated component having a sandwich plate construction. Figure 6B and 7B As shown in , the second portion(s) 70 can generally be a standard simple flat sandwich panel delivered to a manufacturing facility. Thus, by using such prefabricated components, the manufacturing method described herein can be implemented with a reduced factory footprint, such as by up to 90%, while still maintaining the structural advantages of the I-beam of the shear web 24. In addition, as Figure 6B and 7B As shown in , the maximum dimension 78 of the second portion(s) 70 of the joined structural component may be equal to or less than about six (6) meters (m), such as about 1 m to about 5 m, for easy handling by an operator.

[0027] Additionally, as shown, the thickness 64 of the second portion(s) 70 is generally equal to the second thickness 62 of the first and second customized foot portions 52, 54 having the tapered regions 56, 58 for larger rotor blades ( Fig. 6A ), or equal to the constant thickness 64 of the first and second customized foot portions 52, 54 for the smaller rotor blade ( Fig. 7A ). Thus, adjacent parts can be easily joined together, as described in more detail herein below.

[0028] As shown at (106), the method 100 includes arranging the first portion(s) (e.g., the first and second custom leg portions 52, 54) and the second portion(s) 70 of the joined structural components in an assembly fixture 72 at the interface. For example, Figure 6B and 7BAs shown in FIG, the first and second customized standoff portions 52, 54 of the shear web 24 may be arranged at opposite ends of an assembly fixture 72 such that the first and second customized standoff portions 52, 54 are separated from each other via a gap 74. Thus, as shown, the second portion(s) 70 may be arranged between the first and second customized standoff portions 52, 54 within the gap 74.

[0029] Return to reference Figure 5 As shown at (108), the method 100 includes: joining the first portion(s) (e.g., the first and second customized leg portions 52, 54) and the second portion(s) 70 together at the interface 76 to produce a joined structural component (e.g., the shear web 24). For example, in one embodiment, at the interface 76, the first and second customized leg portions 52, 54 may be joined together or otherwise secured to the second portion 70 using at least one of the following: a single lap joint, a double lap joint, an abutment bonded joint, a V-notch bonded joint, a laminate, or one or more mechanical joints.

[0030] Those skilled in the art will recognize the interchangeability of various features from different embodiments. Similarly, the various method steps and features described and other known equivalents for each such method and feature can be mixed and matched by those of ordinary skill in the art to construct additional systems and techniques according to the principles of the present disclosure. Of course, it will be understood that, according to any particular embodiment, not all such purposes or advantages described above may be achieved. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the systems and techniques described herein may be implemented or performed in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or a group of advantages taught herein, without necessarily achieving other purposes or advantages that may be taught or suggested herein.

[0031] While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It will therefore be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the invention.

[0032] Further aspects are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses: Clause 1. A method of manufacturing a joint structural component of a rotor blade, the method comprising: forming at least one first portion of the joint structural component via at least one customized mold, the at least one first portion having one or more customized characteristics associated with the rotor blade; providing at least one second portion of the joint structural component, the at least one second portion of the joint structural component being a prefabricated component; arranging together the at least one first portion and the at least one second portion of the joint structural component at an interface; and At least one first portion and at least one second portion are joined together at an interface to produce a joined structural component.

[0033] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the prefabricated components comprise a sandwich panel construction.

[0034] Clause 3. The method of clauses 1 to 2, wherein the joined structural components are shear webs of rotor blades.

[0035] Clause 4. The method of clause 3, wherein the one or more customized characteristics of the at least one first portion include at least one of a leg angle, a leg radius, a core thickness, and a reinforcement layer of the shear web.

[0036] Clause 5. The method of clause 3, wherein the rotor blade is part of a wind turbine.

[0037] Clause 6. The method of clause 5, wherein the at least one first portion comprises a first customized foot portion and a second customized foot portion, wherein forming the at least one first portion of the joined structural component via at least one customized mold further comprises: A first customized foot portion and a second customized foot portion of the shear web are formed in at least one customized mold, the first customized foot portion and the second customized foot portion being integrally formed together as a single component.

[0038] Clause 7. The method of clause 6, wherein forming the first and second customized leg portions of the shear web in at least one customized mold further comprises: Each of the first and second tailored standoff portions of the shear web is formed with a tapered region including a transition from a first thickness to a second thickness equal to a thickness of at least one second portion of the engaged structural component.

[0039] Clause 8. The method of Clause 6, further comprising: cutting the single component after forming to separate the first customized foot portion from the second customized foot portion.

[0040] Clause 9. The method of clause 8, wherein cutting the single component after forming to separate the first customized foot portion from the second customized foot portion further comprises: After forming, the single component is cut along a centerline of at least one first portion using a fixed reference point on an upwind flange or a downwind web flange of a shear web of a wind turbine to separate a first customized foot portion from a second customized foot portion.

[0041] Clause 10. The method of clause 8, wherein arranging together at least one first portion and at least one second portion of the joined structural components at an interface further comprises: arranging a first customized standoff portion and a second customized standoff portion of the shear web at opposite ends of the assembly fixture such that the first customized standoff portion and the second customized standoff portion are separated from each other by a gap; and At least one second portion is disposed within the gap between the first customized foot portion and the second customized foot portion.

[0042] Clause 11. The method of any of the preceding clauses, wherein joining at least one first portion and at least one second portion together at an interface to produce a joined structural component further comprises joining at least one first portion and at least one second portion together at an interface using at least one of a single lap joint, a double lap joint, an abutment bonded joint, a V-notch bonded joint, a laminate, or one or more mechanical joints.

[0043] Clause 12. The method of any of the preceding clauses, wherein a maximum dimension of at least one second portion of the joined structural components is equal to or less than about 15 meters.

[0044] Clause 13. A method of manufacturing a shear web of a rotor blade, the method comprising: forming the first customized foot portion and the second customized foot portion of the shear web together as an integral single component in at least one customized mold; cutting the integral single component after forming to separate the first customized foot portion from the second customized foot portion; providing at least one second portion of the shear web, the at least one second portion of the shear web being prefabricated; arranging together the first and second customized foot portions and at least one second portion of the shear web at an interface; and The first and second customized foot portions are joined together with at least one second portion at an interface to create a shear web.

[0045] Clause 14. The method of clause 13, wherein the one or more customized properties of the at least one first portion include at least one of a leg angle, a leg radius, a core thickness, and a reinforcement layer of the shear web.

[0046] Clause 15. The method of clauses 13 to 14, wherein at least one second portion of the joined structural components has a sandwich plate construction.

[0047] Clause 16. The method of clauses 13 to 15, wherein forming the first customized leg portion and the second customized leg portion of the shear web together as a single component in at least one customized mold further comprises: Each of the first and second tailored standoff portions of the shear web is formed with a tapered region including a transition from a first thickness to a second thickness equal to a thickness of at least one second portion of the engaged structural component.

[0048] Clause 17. The method of Clause 17, wherein cutting the integral single component after forming to separate the first customized support foot portion from the second customized support foot portion further includes: after forming, using a fixed reference point on the upwind flange or the downwind web flange of the shear web of the wind turbine, along its centerline, cutting the integral single component to separate the first customized support foot portion from the second customized support foot portion.

[0049] Clause 18. The method of clauses 13 to 17, wherein arranging the first and second customized foot portions and the at least one second portion of the shear web at the interface in an assembly fixture further comprises: arranging a first customized standoff portion and a second customized standoff portion of the shear web at opposite ends of the assembly fixture such that the first customized standoff portion and the second customized standoff portion are separated from each other by a gap; and At least one second portion is disposed within the gap between the first customized foot portion and the second customized foot portion.

[0050] Clause 19. The method of clauses 13 to 18, wherein joining the first and second customized leg portions together with at least one second portion at an interface to produce the shear web further comprises: At the interface, the first and second customized foot portions are joined together with at least one second portion using at least one of a single lap joint, a double lap joint, an abutment bonded joint, a V-notch bonded joint, a laminate, or one or more mechanical joints.

[0051] Clause 20. The method of clauses 13 to 19, wherein the maximum dimension of the at least one second portion of the joined structural components is equal to or less than about 15 meters.

[0052] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems, and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a joint structural component of a rotor blade, the method comprising: forming at least one first portion of the joint structural component via at least one customized mold, the at least one first portion having one or more customized characteristics associated with the rotor blade; providing at least one second portion of the joint structural component, the at least one second portion of the joint structural component being a prefabricated component; arranging the at least one first portion and the at least one second portion of the joined structural component together at an interface; and The at least one first portion and the at least one second portion are joined together at the interface to produce the joined structural component.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The prefabricated components comprise a sandwich panel construction.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The joint structural component is a shear web of the rotor blade.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The one or more tailored properties of the at least one first portion include at least one of a leg angle, a leg radius, a core thickness and a reinforcement layer of the shear web.

5. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 4, wherein: The rotor blades are part of a wind turbine.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The at least one first portion comprises a first customized foot portion and a second customized foot portion, wherein forming the at least one first portion of the engagement structural component via the at least one customized mold further comprises: The first and second customized foot portions of the shear web are formed in the at least one customized mold, the first and second customized foot portions being integrally formed together as a single component.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: Forming the first customized foot portion and the second customized foot portion of the shear web in the at least one customized mold further comprises: Each of the first and second tailored leg portions of the shear web is formed with a tapered region comprising a transition from a first thickness to a second thickness equal to a thickness of at least one second portion of the joined structural component.

8. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, further comprising: The single component is cut after forming to separate the first customized foot portion from the second customized foot portion.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: Cutting the single component after forming to separate the first customized foot portion from the second customized foot portion further comprises: After forming, the single component is cut along a centerline of the at least one first portion using a fixed reference point on an upwind flange or a downwind web flange of the shear web of the wind turbine to separate the first customized foot portion from the second customized foot portion.

10. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 9, wherein: Arranging the at least one first portion and the at least one second portion of the joined structural component together at the interface further comprises: arranging the first and second customized standoff portions of the shear web at opposite ends of an assembly fixture such that the first and second customized standoff portions are separated from each other by a gap; and The at least one second portion is disposed within the gap between the first customized foot portion and the second customized foot portion.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: Joining the at least one first portion and the at least one second portion together at the interface to produce the joined structural component further comprises joining the at least one first portion and the at least one second portion together at the interface using at least one of a single lap joint, a double lap joint, an abutment bonded joint, a V-notch bonded joint, a laminated portion, or one or more mechanical joints.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The maximum dimension of the at least one second portion of the joined structural component is equal to or less than about 15 meters.

13. A method of manufacturing a shear web of a rotor blade, the method comprising: forming first and second customized foot portions of the shear web together as an integral, single component in at least one customized mold, the first and second customized foot portions having one or more customized properties associated with the shear web; cutting the integral single piece after forming to separate the first customized foot portion from the second customized foot portion; providing at least one second portion of the shear web, the at least one second portion of the shear web being prefabricated; arranging the first and second customized foot portions and the at least one second portion of the shear web together at an interface; and The first and second customized foot portions are joined together with the at least one second portion at the interface to produce the shear web.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The one or more customized characteristics include at least one of a leg angle, a leg radius, a core thickness, and a reinforcement layer of the shear web.

15. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 14, wherein: The at least one second portion of the shear web has a sandwich plate construction.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein: Forming the first customized foot portion and the second customized foot portion of the shear web together as the single component in the at least one customized mold further comprises: Each of the first and second customized foot portions of the shear web is formed with a tapered region comprising a transition from a first thickness to a second thickness equal to a thickness of the at least one second portion of the shear web.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein: Cutting the integral single component after forming to separate the first customized support foot portion from the second customized support foot portion further includes: after forming, using a fixed reference point on the upwind flange or the downwind web flange of the shear web of the wind turbine, along its centerline, cutting the integral single component to separate the first customized support foot portion from the second customized support foot portion.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein: Arranging the first and second customized foot portions and the at least one second portion of the shear web together at the interface further comprises: arranging the first and second customized standoff portions of the shear web at opposite ends of an assembly fixture such that the first and second customized standoff portions are separated from each other by a gap; and The at least one second portion is disposed within the gap between the first customized foot portion and the second customized foot portion.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein: Joining the first and second customized foot portions together with the at least one second portion at the interface to produce the shear web further comprises: At the interface, the first customized foot portion and the second customized foot portion are joined together with the at least one second portion using at least one of a single lap joint, a double lap joint, an abutting bonded joint, a V-notch bonded joint, a laminate, or one or more mechanical joints.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein: The maximum dimension of the at least one second portion of the shear web is equal to or less than about 15 meters.

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