Support for rotating a composite part and related method

Abstract

The invention relates to a support and a support assembly for rotating a composite part. The support includes a stationary support and a rotatable support, where the stationary support is configured to support the rotatable support and the rotatable support is configured to receive and secure the composite portion, and where the rotatable support is configured to rotate relative to the stationary support. The present disclosure further relates to methods and assemblies for rotating a composite part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority from European patent application EP 22382376.6 filed on April 21, 2023.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for handling spar caps of wind turbine blades. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods and systems for rotating spar caps. Moreover, the present disclosure also relates to support assemblies for rotating composite parts and methods for rotating composite parts. Background Art

[0003] Modern wind turbines are commonly used to supply electricity to an electricity grid. Such wind turbines generally comprise a tower and a rotor arranged on the tower. The rotor, which typically comprises a hub and a plurality of blades, is set to rotate under the influence of the wind on the blades. The rotation generates a torque, which is usually transmitted to a generator via a rotor shaft, either directly ("direct drive") or by using a gearbox. In this way, the generator produces electricity that can be supplied to an electricity grid.

[0004] In order to extract more energy from the wind, the size of the rotor diameter is increased by increasing the size of the wind turbine blades. Larger size blades introduce higher physical loads into the blades and related components. Wind turbine rotor blades generally include a main body shell formed from two shell halves of a composite material, such as a glass fiber reinforced composite.

[0005] The main body shell is relatively lightweight and has structural properties that are not designed to withstand the bending moments and other loads acting on the blades during operation. In order to improve the structural properties of the rotor blades, such as stiffness and strength, the blades are generally reinforced with structural members, such as one or more spar caps at the suction and pressure sides of the blades, with shear webs connecting them. Such spar caps may also be referred to as the "main laminate" or "spar cap laminate" of the wind turbine blade. Throughout this disclosure, these terms may be used interchangeably.

[0006] Spar caps and other composites can be manufactured using several materials such as glass fiber laminate composites and carbon fiber laminate composites. Modern spar caps can be manufactured using pultruded composites, in particular, carbon fiber based pultruded composites. Fiber laminates or fiber pultruded panels are generally bonded together in a resin infusion process to form a composite part such as a spar cap. After the infusion and curing process, the composite part is demoulded to subsequently perform post-molding tasks such as inspection of the quality of the manufactured component and, for example, one or more treatments such as surface treatment to improve the quality.

[0007] Inspections are performed to verify whether the product has some defects that may affect the mechanical properties of the component or the ability to perform further manufacturing processes. Visual inspections, ultrasonic techniques, radiographic techniques, acoustic techniques, and other techniques can be used to verify that the quality of the component meets relevant internal or external quality standards. In addition, surface treatment techniques can be applied to composite components to reduce surface defects, remove excess material (e.g., resin), or prepare the surface for subsequent manufacturing steps, such as, for example, bonding with another material or composite. Surface treatment techniques can include removing spalling, grinding, sanding, media blasting, and others.

[0008] Generally, inspection and surface treatment techniques can be performed on both sides of the composite component. Thus, to facilitate these processes, the composite component is generally rotated several times until all tasks are completed and the component is set aside.

[0009] Due to the size and weight of the composite components involved in wind turbine manufacturing, the rotation of the composite components is generally performed with the help of lifting equipment (i.e. a crane or a crane with a long boom with holding elements such as slings that lift the component and help qualified operators to rotate it). This results in a very time-consuming process, in which multiple operators are required to control and guide the rotation of the composite part. Moreover, it poses a certain degree of risk to the operators and, if the rotation is not performed accurately, it may even affect the final quality of the product. This results in a complex task requiring a lot of manual labor and which may affect the productivity of the final product.

[0010] The present disclosure provides examples of supports and methods that at least partially overcome some of the shortcomings of existing approaches. Summary of the invention

[0011] In a first aspect, a support for rotating a composite part is provided. The support includes a stationary support and a rotatable support. The stationary support is configured to support the rotatable support. In addition, the rotatable support is configured to receive the composite part and secure it. Moreover, the rotatable support is configured to rotate relative to the stationary support. The rotatable support is also configured to maintain the orientation of the composite part at a plurality of discrete angular positions.

[0012] According to this first aspect, the support allows a composite part, such as, for example, a spar cap, to be rotated without the use of additional lifting equipment. Moreover, since the rotatable support is configured to secure the composite part, additional work can be performed on the composite part while the composite part is held in the support. Furthermore, the fact that the rotatable support is configured to rotate the composite part to a plurality of discrete angular positions can greatly facilitate inspection and surface treatment of the composite part. At the same time, manual rotation of the part can be reduced or omitted, which reduces risk or hazardous situations and can provide an increased productivity of the composite part.

[0013] In another aspect, a method for rotating a spar cap using a rotatable support is provided. The method includes providing the spar cap on a plurality of rotatable supports and securing the spar cap to the plurality of rotatable supports. Additionally, the method includes rotating the plurality of rotatable supports to modify the orientation of the spar cap.

[0014] According to this aspect, the method allows the spar caps to be rotated in a safe and reliable manner. Furthermore, the rotation of the spar caps can be controlled at all times, it does not require manual guidance by an operator and does not require lifting equipment such as a crane or other. This can reduce operator safety risks and make the rotation process more streamlined. Furthermore, it significantly reduces the number of operators required to safely rotate the spar caps.

[0015] Throughout this disclosure, the terms "pultruded composite," "pultruded sheet," "pultrusion," or similar terms are generally used to define a reinforcement material (eg, fibers or braided or woven strands) that is impregnated with a resin and pulled through a heated die such that the resin cures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a wind turbine according to one example; Figure 2A is a schematic diagram illustrating a wind turbine blade according to one example; Figure 2B schematically illustrates the internal structure of a wind turbine blade; Figure 2C illustrates a molding system that may be used in the manufacture of wind turbine blades; Figure 3 schematically illustrates a support according to an example; Figure 4 schematically illustrates a support according to another example; Figure 5 Schematically illustrates another configuration Figure 3 Supporting parts; Figure 6 schematically illustrates another example of a support according to the present disclosure; Figure 7 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a support assembly according to one example; Figure 8 schematically illustrates a top view of a support assembly according to another example; Fig. 9 and Fig.10 schematically illustrates an example of a support assembly including a plurality of supports; and Fig.11 is a flow chart of a method for rotating a spar cap according to one example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation only and not as a limitation. Indeed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present disclosure. For example, a feature illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used together with another embodiment to produce yet another embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0018] Figure 1 A conventional modern upwind wind turbine 2 according to the so-called "Danish concept" is shown, having a tower 4, a nacelle 6 and a rotor with a substantially horizontal rotor axis. The rotor comprises a hub 8 and three blades 10 extending radially from the hub 8, each having a blade root 16 closest to the hub and a blade tip 14 farthest from the hub 8.

[0019] Figure 2A A schematic view of an exemplary wind turbine blade 10 is shown. The wind turbine blade 10 has the shape of a conventional wind turbine blade with a root end 17 and a tip end 15 and includes a root region 30 closest to the hub, a profiled or airfoil region 34 farthest from the hub, and a transition region 32 between the root region 30 and the airfoil region 34. The blade 10 includes a leading edge 18 that faces in the direction of rotation of the blade 10 when the blade is mounted on the hub, and a trailing edge 20 that faces in the opposite direction of the leading edge 18.

[0020] The airfoil region 34 (also referred to as the profiled region) has an ideal or nearly ideal blade shape with respect to generating lift, while the root region 30 has a substantially circular or elliptical cross section for reasons of structural convenience, which, for example, makes it easier and safer to mount the blade 10 to the hub. The diameter (or chord) of the root region 30 may be constant along the entire root region 30. The transition region 32 has a transition profile that gradually changes from the circular or elliptical shape of the root region 30 to the airfoil profile of the airfoil region 34. The chord length of the transition region 32 typically increases as the distance r from the hub increases. The airfoil region 34 has an airfoil profile having a chord extending between the leading edge 18 and the trailing edge 20 of the blade 10. The width of the chord decreases as the distance r from the hub increases.

[0021] The shoulder 40 of the blade 10 is defined as the location where the blade 10 has its maximum chord length. The shoulder 40 is typically provided at the boundary between the transition region 32 and the airfoil region 34.

[0022] It should be noted that the chords of different sections of the blade do not typically lie in a common plane, as the blade may be twisted and / or bent (i.e., pre-bent), thereby providing the chord plane with a correspondingly twisted and / or bent course, which is most often the case in order to compensate for the local velocity of the blade depending on the radius from the hub. The wind turbine blade 10 includes a blade shell, which includes two blade shell parts or half shells, a first blade shell part 24 and a second blade shell part 26, which are typically made of fiber reinforced polymer. The wind turbine blade 10 may include additional shell parts, such as a third shell part and / or a fourth shell part. The first blade shell part 24 is typically a pressure side or upwind blade shell part. The second blade shell part 26 is typically a suction side or downwind blade shell part. The first blade shell part 24 and the second blade shell part 26 are fastened together with an adhesive (such as an adhesive) along a bond line or glue joint 28 extending along the trailing edge 20 and the leading edge 18 of the blade 10. Typically, the root ends of the blade shell portions 24, 26 have a semi-circular or semi-oval outer cross-sectional shape.

[0023] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of an exemplary wind turbine blade 10, such as a cross-sectional view of an airfoil region of the wind turbine blade 10. The wind turbine blade 10 includes a leading edge 18, a trailing edge 20, a pressure side 24, a suction side 26, a first spar cap 74, and a second spar cap 76. The wind turbine blade 10 includes a chord line 38 between the leading edge 18 and the trailing edge 20. The wind turbine blade 10 includes a shear web 42, such as a leading edge shear web and a trailing edge shear web. The shear web 42 can alternatively be a spar box having a spar side, such as a trailing edge spar side and a leading edge spar side. The spar caps 74, 76 can include carbon fiber, while the remainder of the shell portions 24, 26 can include glass fiber.

[0024] Figure 2C 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary mold system for molding a blade shell of a wind turbine blade. The mold system 100 includes a first mold 102 and a second mold 112. The first mold 102 is configured for manufacturing a first blade shell portion of a wind turbine blade, such as an upwind shell portion of a wind turbine blade (forming a pressure side). The second mold 112 is configured for manufacturing a second blade shell portion of a wind turbine blade, such as a downwind shell portion of a wind turbine blade (forming a suction side). The mold system 100 further includes mold surfaces 104, 114 for depositing fibers.

[0025] Figure 3 A front view of a support 200 according to one example is schematically illustrated. The support 200 is configured to rotate a composite part 201 and includes a stationary support 210 and a rotatable support 220. The stationary support 210 is configured to support the rotatable support 220. In addition, the rotatable support 220 is configured to receive the composite part 201 and secure the composite part 201. In addition, the rotatable support 220 is configured to rotate relative to the stationary support 210 and maintain the orientation of the composite part 201 at a plurality of discrete angular positions.

[0026] The composite section may be an elongated section. In particular, the composite section may be a spar cap having a length of, for example, 30 meters or more, particularly 50 or 60 meters or more and more particularly 70 meters or more.

[0027] The rotatable support 220 may comprise a receiving area 223 for the composite part 201. Thus, the rotatable support 220 may receive the composite part 201 at a substantially flat receiving surface 223. Alternatively, the receiving area 223 may be shaped and dimensioned to match the shape of the composite part 201, i.e. it may have a curved cross-section.

[0028] The rotatable support 220 may further include a guide plane 222. In some examples, a loading station and / or an unloading station may be provided on either side of the support 200. A spar cap or other composite part may be positioned on the loading station. In some examples, the spar cap or composite part may slide on the guide plane from the loading station to a receiving area 223. After rotating more than 180 degrees, the part may slide out of the receiving area 223 to an unloading station. At the unloading station, further processing (sanding, cleaning, inspection, or other) may be performed, or the part may be picked up for further processing elsewhere.

[0029] In some examples, the rotatable support 220 can include two parts 230, 240. The first part 230 can be configured to receive the composite part 201, and the second part 240 can be configured to secure the composite part 201. Thus, the composite part 201 can be secured during rotation to avoid undesired movement of the composite part 201. The composite part 201 can be at least partially unsecured during a surface preparation task or during an inspection, so that an operator can access areas hidden under the securing elements.

[0030] In an example, rotatable support 220 may include a strap to secure composite part 201 to rotatable support 220. The strap may be tensioned using a ratchet or other. Other elements such as pins, clamps, pressure pads, fastening plates, or other elements may also be used to secure composite part 201 to rotatable support 220. These elements (i.e., clamps) may be mounted in rotatable support 220 and may be manually or automatically adjusted to press against composite part 201.

[0031] exist Figure 3 In the example illustrated in FIG, the first portion 230 and the second portion 240 of the rotatable support 220 include an articulated connection 235. This allows one portion to rotate relative to the other to provide access to the receiving area 223. As will be discussed below, other types of connections between the first portion 223 and the second portion 240 can also be employed.

[0032] In an example, the support 200 may further include a coupling mechanism 236 to hold the two parts 230, 240 of the rotatable support 220 together. The coupling mechanism 236 may include a male-female connector located in the stationary support 210 and / or in the rotatable support 220. If the coupling mechanism 236 is located in the rotatable support 220, it may allow the two parts 230, 240 to be held together independently of the stationary support 210. Other coupling mechanisms can be used. Note that in Figure 3 In FIG. 2 , the two parts 230 , 240 of the rotatable support 220 are partially open and the coupling mechanism 236 is not holding them together. Figure 5 2 shows a configuration in which the two parts 230 , 240 of the rotatable support 220 are closed and the composite part 201 is fastened.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , in some examples, the support 200 can include a plurality of wheels 215 to easily move the support 200 and arrange it at a desired location.

[0034] Figure 4 Another example of a support 200 according to the present disclosure is shown. Note that Figure 4 The support 200 in FIG. 2 has been illustrated without the second part 240 of the rotatable support 220. As illustrated, the first part 230 and the second part 240 of the rotating support may be detachable. The first part 230 and the second part 240 may be disconnected from each other in different situations during composite manipulation, processing or inspection. It may be convenient to disassemble the two parts 230, 240 before laying the composite part 201 in the support 200, so that the operator has more space to manipulate. Similarly, it may be convenient to disassemble the two parts 230, 240 after rotation and before performing a surface treatment step or a surface inspection step. This may improve the accessibility of the composite part 201.

[0035] In some examples, the support 200 may include a stationary support 210 configured to change the position of the contact surface with the rotatable support 220 along the vertical axis v (i.e., using telescopic legs, sliding mechanisms, or other). This can allow for accommodating composite parts 201 of different sizes and shapes. In an example, the composite part 201 can be substantially flat, and the heights of the multiple supports 200 arranged together can be the same. Moreover, the composite part 201 can be placed so that the center of gravity of the composite part 201 is substantially consistent with the center of rotation of the rotatable support 220. This can facilitate the rotation of the composite part 201. In other examples, multiple supports 200 can be used to hold and rotate a composite part 201 having a curved surface. Each of the multiple supports 200 can have a receiving area 223 at a different height to compensate for the curvature of the composite part 201.

[0036] In an example, receiving area 223 of support 200 may not be located at the center of rotation of support 200. This may facilitate rotating curved composite portion 201 without inducing unnecessary tension in composite portion 201.

[0037] Figure 5 Schematically shows Figure 3 200. The support 200 includes a stationary support 210 including a contact surface 211 to support a rotatable support 220. Moreover, the two parts 230, 240 of the rotatable support 220 define a frame 221 including an outer surface that substantially matches the contact surface 211 of the stationary support 210. In some examples, the contact surface 211 of the stationary support 210 can be substantially concave, and the frame 221 of the rotatable support 220 can be substantially circular.

[0038] In some examples, the rotatable support may be rotated manually. An operator or operators may provide the force or torque necessary to rotate the rotatable support relative to the stationary support. If a composite part, such as a spar cap, is supported simultaneously by multiple supports 200 spaced apart from one another, each of the corresponding rotatable supports 220 may be rotated simultaneously. Physical linkages may be provided between different supports so that if one rotatable support is rotated, the rotation is mechanically transmitted to the other supports.

[0039] In other examples, one or more of the supports 200 may include a drive, such as a motor, to provide the torque necessary for rotation.

[0040] In some examples, the rotating support 220 may include a shaft (not shown) extending from the rotating support 220 and serving as a rotation axis. In addition, the shaft may be rotatably supported by the stationary support 210.

[0041] In an example, the support 200 may include a braking system to reduce the rotation rate of the rotatable support 220. The braking system may include a hydraulic brake, a pneumatic brake, a mechanical brake, an electromagnetic brake, or others. The braking system may be located in one of the rotatable support 220 or the stationary support 210. Moreover, the support 200 may include a seat ring in the other of the rotatable support 220 or the stationary support 210 for activating the braking system. Similar to the previous description of Figure 3 As discussed above, the support 200 may include a locking mechanism to fix the position of the rotatable support 210 relative to the stationary support 220. Thus, the braking system may be used to reduce the rotation speed, and once the rotatable support 210 is stationary, the locking mechanism may be activated to fix the position (i.e., angular position), and the braking system is released.

[0042] Figure 6 A perspective view of a support 200 according to another example is schematically illustrated. As illustrated, the support 200 may be connected to an additional similar support (not shown) via a connecting rod 340.

[0043] The support 200 includes a stationary support 210 and a rotatable support 220. The stationary support 210 is configured to support the rotatable support 220. In this example, the stationary support 210 may include a driver to provide the necessary torque and facilitate the rotation of the rotatable support 220.

[0044] The support (s) 200 may include one or more actuators activated by a driver. The support (s) 200 may include one or more rotatable elements 212 configured to rotate a rotatable support 220. The rotatable elements 212 may engage with a circular contact surface 211 of the rotatable support 220. In an example, at least one of the rotatable elements 212 may be a pinion gear that may mesh with a ring gear 222 of the rotatable support 220. Additionally or alternatively, the rotatable element 212 may also include a low friction roller configured to at least partially guide the rotatable support 220 and facilitate stable rotation of the rotatable support 220. The low friction roller may rotate freely and may be distributed around the periphery of the rotatable support 220.

[0045] In addition, the driver can be fed by a controller. Thus, the controller can feed the driver with a variable frequency driver power signal or a variable amplitude power signal. The controller can modulate the signal sent to the driver to increase or decrease the speed and / or torque of the driver, and thus increase or decrease the speed and / or torque of the rotatable support 220.

[0046] Additionally, the stationary support 210 of the support 200 may include an upright extension 214 configured to receive a portion of the rotatable support 220 when the rotatable support is open. Thus, in examples where the rotatable support 220 includes two parts that are movable (i.e., hingedly coupled), an operator may open the rotatable support 220 and secure the corresponding part to the upright extension 214. This provides a more secure arrangement and limits the risk of accidents or injuries to operators near the support 200.

[0047] Figure 7 A perspective view of a support assembly 300 for rotating a composite part (not shown) according to an example of the present disclosure is shown. Note that the support assembly 300 shown includes two supports 200, but as will be described with respect to Figure 8 While discussed, other numbers of supports 200 may be employed. The supports 200 include stationary supports 210, rotatable supports 220, and connecting rods 340 between the supports 200. The stationary supports 210 are configured to support and guide the corresponding rotatable supports 220. Moreover, the rotatable supports 220 are configured to receive and secure the composite part.

[0048] exist Figure 7In the example of, the rotatable support 220 includes two parts 230, 240, which are illustrated in a closed configuration. The two parts 230, 240 can be at least partially open to receive the composite part. Once the composite part has been placed and fastened to the rotatable support 220, the drive can start the rotation of the rotatable support 220. The drive can be operably connected to one or more actuators (such as low friction rollers and gears, i.e., pinions, worms or other). Thus, the drive can provide smooth rotation of the composite part. The drive can provide a rotation accuracy of at least 2 degrees (i.e., close to 0.1π radians) and more accurately at least 1 degree (i.e., close to 0.05π radians) to the rotatable support 220.

[0049] and, Figure 7 It is shown that since the wheels 215 are located below the support 200, the assembly 300 can be freely moved around the site (ie, the manufacturing plant). In addition, in order to tighten and level the assembly 300, the support 200 can include a height adjustment assembly 216 to control the height and relative inclination of each of the supports 200.

[0050] In addition, a physical link 340 may be provided between the supports 200. The link may be configured to provide synchronization of the rotation of the rotatable supports 220. The link may provide synchronization by means of a controller and a set of actuators that control the rotation of the rotatable supports 210. In addition, the link 340 may provide synchronization by combining electronic synchronization with mechanical synchronization, i.e., it may control several master rotating supports that are mechanically coupled to the slave supports. Thus, the link 340 is one or more of a mechanical link or a connecting link between the drivers of the rotatable supports 220.

[0051] If you can Figure 7 As seen in FIG. 2 , the stationary support 210 may include one or more upstanding extensions 214 configured to receive a portion of the rotatable support 220 when the rotatable support 220 is in the open configuration.

[0052] In any of the examples disclosed herein, support 200 may include pads or other protective elements in the rotatable support to protect the spar caps (or other composite parts) while they are being handled.

[0053] Figure 8A top view of a support assembly 300 for rotating a composite part 201 according to an example is shown. The support assembly 300 includes a plurality of supports 200, including a stationary support, a rotatable support 220, and a connecting rod 340. The stationary support is configured to support and guide the corresponding rotatable support 220. Moreover, the rotatable support 220 is configured to receive and secure the composite part 201. In addition, the rotatable support 220 is configured to rotate relative to the corresponding stationary support 210. Note that in Figure 6 , the stationary support is partially hidden beneath the rotatable support 220 and the composite portion 201.

[0054] In addition, the connecting rod 340 is configured to provide synchronization of the rotation of the rotatable support 220. Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the example of FIG. 3 , the linkage 340 may provide synchronization by means of a mechanical connection (ie, a structural element connecting the rotatable support 220), by means of a connecting link between the drives, or by a combination thereof.

[0055] Moreover, the support assembly 300 may include a spacer 310 to distribute a plurality of supports 200 and fix them relative to each other at a predetermined distance. The spacer 310 may provide stability to the assembly and may ensure that the distance between the supports makes the composite member 201 not subject to excessive bending. The spacer 310 may be 5 meters, 10 meters, or 15 meters long. However, depending on the specifications of the composite member 201 and the supports 200, spacers of other sizes may also be used. Depending on the spacer arrangement, a plurality of supports 200 may be spaced apart by 3 meters or more, specifically 5 meters or more, and more specifically 10 meters or more. Note that spacers 310 of other sizes may result in a greater or lesser distance between the supports 200. In addition, a plurality of supports 200 may be spaced apart by a range of distances without spacers 310 between them. It is also noted that the physical link 340 may also function as a spacer 310 and vice versa, ie a connecting link 340 may be provided between two supports 200 via a rigid structural element.

[0056] In addition, the plurality of rotatable supports 200 may include at least 5 or more, specifically 8 or more, and more specifically 12 rotatable supports 200 or more.

[0057] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 A partial view and a full view of a support assembly comprising a plurality of supports 200 are provided, respectively. In the example, the supports 200 are equally spaced. The support assembly of this example comprises 15 supports and may span a length of, for example, 70 meters.

[0058] In an example, the composite member 201 may include a pultruded sheet stack infused with resin. The pultruded sheet stack may include carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, or other suitable fibers. In addition, the infused pultruded sheet stack may include epoxy resin, polyester resin, vinyl ester resin, or other suitable resins.

[0059] Fig.11 4 is a flow chart of a method 400 for rotating spar caps using rotatable supports 200 according to the present disclosure. The method 400 includes, at block 401, providing spar caps on a plurality of rotatable supports 200. Moreover, the method 400 also includes, at block 402, securing the spar caps to the plurality of rotatable supports 200. Furthermore, the method 400 also includes rotating 403 the plurality of rotatable supports 200 to modify the orientation of the spar caps.

[0060] In some examples, providing 401 spar caps on the plurality of rotatable supports 200 includes positioning the spar caps 401 in a substantially horizontal orientation.

[0061] In an example, rotating 403 the plurality of rotatable supports 200 includes rotating the spar caps by about 90 degrees to a substantially vertical orientation and checking the quality of the spar caps and / or performing a process on the spar caps. Other magnitudes of rotation of the spar caps are also possible, i.e., about 180 degrees or 270 degrees or others. For example, a rotation of about 20 degrees or several rotations of a given angle (i.e., 5 degrees) to tilt the spar caps is also contemplated to inspect the surface of the spar caps in detail. More specifically, rotating 403 the plurality of rotatable supports 200 may include rotating the spar caps 201 by about 180 degrees to an inverted horizontal position and checking the quality of the spar caps 201 and / or performing a process on the spar caps 201.

[0062] Additionally, the method 400 may further comprise at least partially releasing the spar caps from the rotatable support 200. This may be performed after rotating 403 the rotatable support 200 such that the operator accesses the surface of the spar caps below the fastening elements.

[0063] Moreover, the step of rotating 403 the rotatable supports 200 may include synchronous rotation. Furthermore, rotating 403 the rotatable supports 200 may include the controller sending a command to the actuator and the actuator rotating 403 at least one of the rotatable supports 200. In other examples, the rotation may be performed manually, i.e., by rotating 403 at least one of the rotatable supports, and the synchronization may be achieved by a mechanical element that transmits the rotation between the rotatable supports 200 (i.e., the connecting rods 340).

[0064] In addition, the plurality of rotatable supports 200 of method 400 may include at least 5 or more, specifically 8 or more rotatable supports. The rotatable supports 200 may be spaced 3 meters or more, specifically 5 meters or more, and more specifically 10 meters or more apart.

[0065] In some examples, step 401 of providing spar caps on a plurality of rotatable supports 200 may include sliding the spar caps into the rotatable supports 220. Furthermore, after the rotation (i.e., a rotation of substantially 180 degrees), the method 400 may include sliding the spar caps out of the rotatable supports 220. To do so, the supports 200 may be configured to receive the spar caps through side ports (i.e., openings in the rotatable supports 220 that allow the spar caps to be introduced in a substantially horizontal direction). Furthermore, the supports 200 may include a delivery assembly at least at one side of the rotatable supports 220 to facilitate sliding the spar caps into the rotatable supports 220.

[0066] Note that some of the technical features described with respect to the support 200 and support assembly 300 may be included in the method 400 for rotating the spar cap, and vice versa. Moreover, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the various steps described in conjunction with the rotation and synchronization of the support 200 by the controller and drive may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. A skilled person may implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application.

[0067] The controller described in conjunction with the disclosure herein may be implemented or executed using one or more general purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), cloud computing architectures, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic controllers (PLCs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0068] The present disclosure also relates to a computing system suitable for performing any of the methods disclosed herein.

[0069] The present disclosure also relates to a computer program or a computer program product comprising instructions (codes) which, when executed, perform any of the methods disclosed herein.

[0070] The computer program may be in the form of source code, object code, a code intermediate source and object code, such as in partially compiled form or in any other form suitable for use in the implementation of the process. The carrier may be any entity or device capable of carrying a computer program.

[0071] If implemented in software / firmware, the function can be stored or transmitted on computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or codes on computer-readable medium.Computer-readable medium includes both computer storage medium and communication medium, and communication medium includes any medium that promotes transferring computer program from one place to another place.Storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by general or special-purpose computer.By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable medium can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD / DVD or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage device or can be used for carrying or storing desired program code means in the form of instruction or data structure and can be accessed by general or special-purpose computer or general or special-purpose processor any other medium.Moreover, any connection is appropriately referred to as computer-readable medium.For example, if coaxial cable, optical fiber cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL) or wireless technology such as infrared, radio and microwave are used to transmit software / firmware from website, server or other remote source, coaxial cable, optical fiber cable, twisted pair, DSL or wireless technology such as infrared, radio and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk and disc as used herein include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc, where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0072] This written description uses examples to disclose the present teachings (including preferred embodiments) and also enables any person skilled in the art to practice the present teachings (including making and using any device or system and performing any incorporated method). The scope of patentability is defined by the claims and may include other examples that occur to a person skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that are not different from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements that are not substantially different from the literal language of the claims. Aspects from the various embodiments described and other known equivalents for each such aspect can be mixed and matched by a person of ordinary skill in the art to construct additional embodiments and techniques according to the principles of the present application. If reference symbols related to the drawings are placed in parentheses in the claims, the reference symbols are merely used to try to improve the understandability of the claim and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the claim.

Claims

1. A support (200) for rotating a composite part (201), the support (200) comprising a stationary support (210) and a rotatable support (220), wherein: The stationary support (210) is configured to support the rotatable support (220), and The rotatable support (220) is configured to receive the composite part (201) and secure the composite part (201), and wherein the rotatable support (220) is configured to rotate relative to the stationary support (210) and maintain the orientation of the composite part (201) at multiple discrete angular positions.

2. The support member (200) according to claim 1, wherein: The support (200) includes a locking mechanism to fix the position of the rotatable support (210) relative to the stationary support (220).

3. The support (200) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein: The rotatable support (220) comprises two parts (230, 240), a first part (230) configured to receive the composite part (201) and a second part (240) configured to secure the composite part (201).

4. The support member (200) according to claim 3, wherein: The first part (230) and the second part (240) are detachable.

5. The support (200) according to any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein: The stationary support (210) comprises a contact surface (211) to support the rotatable support (220), and the two parts (230, 240) of the rotatable support (220) define a frame (221), the frame (221) comprising an outer surface substantially matching the contact surface (211) of the stationary support (210).

6. The support member (200) according to claim 5, wherein: The contact surface (211) of the stationary support (210) is substantially concave and the frame (221) of the rotatable support (220) is substantially circular.

7. A support assembly (300) for rotating a composite part (201), the support assembly (300) comprising a plurality of supports (200) and a connecting rod (340) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The connecting rod (340) is configured to provide synchronization of rotation of the rotatable support (220).

8. The support assembly (300) according to claim 7, wherein: The link (340) is one or more of a mechanical link or a connecting link between the drivers of the rotatable support (220).

9. The support assembly (300) according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein: The rotatable supports are spaced at least 3 meters away from each other, in particular at least 5 meters away from each other.

10. A method (400) for rotating a spar cap using a rotatable support (200), the method comprising: providing (401) spar caps on a plurality of rotatable supports (200); securing (402) the spar cap to the plurality of rotatable supports (200); as well as The plurality of rotatable supports (200) are rotated (403) to modify the orientation of the spar caps.

11. The method (400) of claim 10, wherein: Rotating (403) the plurality of rotatable supports (200) includes synchronous rotation of the rotatable supports (200).

12. The method (400) according to any one of claims 10 or 11, wherein: A separate drive is provided for the rotatable supports (200), and rotating (403) the plurality of rotatable supports (200) comprises the separate drive acting on the corresponding rotatable supports (200).

13. The method (400) according to any one of claims 10-12, wherein: Providing (401) the spar caps on the plurality of rotatable supports (200) includes positioning the spar caps in a substantially horizontal orientation.

14. The method (400) of claim 13, wherein: Rotating (403) the plurality of rotatable supports (200) includes rotating the spar caps approximately 90 degrees to a substantially vertical orientation and inspecting the quality of the spar caps and / or performing processing on the spar caps.

15. The method (400) of claim 13, wherein: Rotating (403) the plurality of rotatable supports includes rotating the spar caps approximately 180 degrees to an inverted horizontal position and inspecting the quality of the spar caps and / or performing a process on the spar caps.

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