Placement of prefabricated elements in wind turbine blade part mould

Abstract

A system for laying a first plurality of prefabricated elements in a mold for a fiber reinforced wind turbine blade portion is provided. The system comprises: a mold for forming a fiber reinforced wind turbine blade portion; a platform for carrying the first plurality of components, the platform being movable over and along at least a portion of the mold, the platform being movable to a loading position at which the first plurality of components are loadable to the platform; a pick-up and placement means for picking up each of the first plurality of components when the first plurality of components are carried on the platform while the platform is above the mold and placing the components at corresponding locations in the mold. A corresponding method and placement tool are also provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method, a system and a laying tool for manufacturing a composite wind turbine blade shell part, which composite wind turbine blade shell part includes a plurality of prefabricated elements, such as a wind turbine blade core panel. Background Art

[0002] Wind energy provides a clean and environmentally friendly energy source. A wind turbine generally includes a tower, a generator, a gearbox, a nacelle and one or more rotor blades. Wind turbine blades capture the kinetic energy of the wind using known airfoil principles. Wind turbine blades are typically manufactured by forming two shell parts or shell halves from multiple layers or plies of woven fabric or fibers and resin.

[0003] Wind turbine blades are increasing in size (both in length and in width), and thus more material is required when manufacturing the wind turbine blade shell part in a mold. This is complex in terms of organizing the material entering the mold during manufacturing and transporting this material and the consumables to their point of use. As the blade size increases, there is a tendency for personnel to spend significantly more time in the mold because more material needs to be placed in the mold, which increases the amount of movement on certain parts of the mold and thus increases the amount of movement on the material that has been carefully laid out in the mold. This can extend the manufacturing time because defects in the laid material must be corrected. In addition, the time required to transport the material also increases, and personnel are needed who can advantageously perform tasks more productively than transporting the material.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to reduce the amount of personnel movement in the mold during the manufacture of the wind turbine blade shell part, which is a problem exacerbated by the increasing size of the wind turbine blade. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The above problems are alleviated by the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a system for laying a first plurality of prefabricated elements in a mold for a fiber-reinforced wind turbine blade part, such as a wind turbine blade shell part. The system includes: - a mold for forming a fiber-reinforced wind turbine blade part, - a platform for carrying the first plurality of elements, the platform being movable above and along at least a part of the mold, the platform being movable to a loading position at which the first plurality of elements can be loaded onto the platform, - a pick-and-place device for picking up each of the elements in the first plurality of elements while the first plurality of elements are carried on the platform and while the platform is located above the mold, and placing the elements at corresponding positions in the mold.

[0007] The system according to the first aspect of the invention eliminates or at least reduces the need for personnel to walk into the mold to place prefabricated elements in the mold for a wind turbine blade part such as a shell part of a wind turbine blade. This avoids personnel coming into contact with the material already placed in the mold, which is prone to disturbance if stepped on. If the material is disturbed, it needs to be re-arranged in the mold, which is time-consuming. Another advantage of the system is that multiple elements can be readily available at the location where they are to be placed, which increases the laying speed. For some types of elements, such as core panels, the distance between adjacent elements must be at most 2 mm, which takes time to achieve. The present invention compensates for this time-consuming process in two ways, namely, making the placement of the panels easier and making the panels more readily available at different points of use.

[0008] In some embodiments, the system further comprises a gantry movable along at least a portion of the mold, to which a platform and / or a pick-and-place device is or can be attached. Gantries have been used at many wind turbine blade part manufacturing sites and can be adapted to different tools. Conventionally, however, the tools are deposition tools for delivering materials such as fiber mats and adhesives. Attaching the platform and preferably also the pick-and-place device to the gantry takes advantage of the presence of the gantry to allow the transportation of prefabricated elements via the gantry using the platform and the pick-and-place device. Existing gantries are already movable along the mold and have a high load-carrying capacity, making them ideal for carrying the platform and the pick-and-place device of the present invention.

[0009] In some embodiments, both the pick-and-place device and the platform form part of a laying tool that can be attached to and detached from the gantry. Such tools attachable to the gantry make it easy to construct a gantry with a platform and a pick-and-place device.

[0010] In some embodiments, the pick-and-place device is adapted to pick and place core elements of a wind turbine blade shell, such as core panels for a wind turbine blade shell, in a mold. Such core panels are typically placed on top of fiber material that has already been laid in the mold. This means that the placement of the core panel is a process that occurs while the mold contains the fiber material. As mentioned above, such materials are prone to disturbance if trampled. The present invention is particularly suitable for placing core panels that are placed on fiber material already in the mold. Similarly, the present invention is well-suited for placing kits of segmented prefabricates (such as sections made of glass layers). Additionally, the multiple core panels used in a wind turbine blade section are similar to each other in shape and size, which makes them suitable for being arranged (such as by stacking) relatively easily on a platform or in a container on the platform, such as a pallet or cardboard box or trolley or other container. Thus, the system according to the present invention can significantly reduce the time required to transport elements to the point of use in the mold. This results in a higher turnover rate, i.e., a reduction in the cycle time associated with placing the components.

[0011] Mechanical pick-and-place devices reduce the need for personnel to handle the elements. This results in less damage to the elements and makes it easier to place the elements in parts of the mold that are not easily accessible to personnel.

[0012] In some embodiments, the pick-and-place device is manually operated. In other embodiments, the pick-and-place device for picking and placing a first plurality of elements in a mold includes a robot that can be controlled by a robot controller, and the robot includes a gripper end effector for picking each of the elements in the plurality of elements. This means that the robot has at least the necessary number of degrees of freedom to allow it to pick up elements from a platform and place them correctly in the mold. If different elements need to be placed at different angles (which is typically necessary because the mold surface is curved), the robot needs to be able to place the elements at the corresponding different angles. For example, this is most easily achieved by using a gripper with joints. Other ways of controlling the angle of the element can be used, but they tend to be more complex and require more space.

[0013] The robot can be manually operated, which means that the operator gives an input to control the movement of the robot. Alternatively, the robot is partially automated, for example, by allowing the operator to use a joystick and having the robot controller control the degrees of freedom to achieve the desired movement.

[0014] In some embodiments, the system further includes: - a device for identifying a first element among the first plurality of elements and a second element among the first plurality of elements, the second element being distinguishable from the first element, - a digital controller configured to control the pick-and-place device to perform the following steps: i. Pick up a first component from the platform, identify the first component, and place the first component at a first position associated with the first component; and ii. Pick up a second component from the platform, identify the second component, and place the second component at a second position associated with the second component, where the second position is different from the first position.

[0015] This enables the robot to be fully automated so that it can pick up and place at least two components at corresponding positions without human intervention. In some embodiments, the automation further includes control of the gantry, whereby when necessary, the pick-and-place device can also move along the mold to reach a specific position. If necessary, the placement positions of the components are stored in a digital memory and retrieved and used by the system to correctly place the specific components.

[0016] In some embodiments, identifying the first component and the second component includes identifying the first component and the second component based on one or more of the following: the shape of the component; the size of the component; the color of the component; the weight of the component; an electronic tag on or in the component. Then the corresponding device is included in the system.

[0017] In some embodiments, the device for identifying the first component and the second component includes an imaging device for recording an image of the first component and an image of the second component, and the digital controller is configured to identify the first component and the second component based on the images. For example, the images can be analyzed to determine the first component and the second component based on one or more of the following: letters and / or numbers on the component; barcodes on the component. Marking different components is common because many components are unique and must be placed in corresponding unique positions. The system according to this embodiment provides vision-based automation.

[0018] In some embodiments, the pick-and-place device uses a vacuum device to pick up each of the components in a first plurality of components. Vacuum gripping provides a gentle way to grip the components and is useful when the components are made of a material that allows sufficient vacuum to be established at the interface between the vacuum device and each of the components.

[0019] In some embodiments, the pick-and-place device includes a vacuum lifter having one or more suction elements for contacting and holding each of the components in a first plurality of components.

[0020] In some embodiments, the pick-and-place device includes a vacuum spider for picking up each of a plurality of components from the platform. The vacuum spider is flexible and allows controlled gripping of components having a curved surface.

[0021] Proper contact of the vacuum device with the component can be accomplished by an operator, or the system can be configured to automatically change the posture of the gripper, for example, based on an imaging system (such as the imaging device described above), or using contact sensing or distance sensing devices.

[0022] In some embodiments, the loading position of the platform is near the root end of the mold, preferably a position where the platform is not located above the mold. If an accident occurs during loading, this reduces the risk of the component or container falling onto the mold. In some embodiments, the platform is vertically displaceable at least at the loading position, optionally displaceable to a height where the platform rests on the ground. This makes it safer to load components onto the platform.

[0023] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method of laying a first plurality of prefabricated components in a mold for a fiber-reinforced wind turbine blade part such as a shell part of a wind turbine blade. The method includes: - Placing the first plurality of components on a platform at a loading position, the platform being movable above at least a portion of the mold and along at least a portion of the mold, - Moving the platform along the mold to a first platform position and using a pick-and-place device to pick up a first component of the first plurality of components and place the first component at a first component position in the mold, - Using the pick-and-place device to pick up a second component of the first plurality of components and place the second component at a second component position different from the first component position.

[0024] In some embodiments, the method includes moving the platform after moving the platform to the first platform position and before placing the second component. In some embodiments, the platform moves while the pick-and-place device picks up the first component or the second component. This reduces the time taken to place a plurality of components.

[0025] In some embodiments, the pick-and-place device includes a robot having a gripper end effector for performing the steps of picking up and placing the first and second components in the mold, and the pick-and-place device and the platform are parts of a laying tool releasably attached to a gantry movable along the mold. In some embodiments, the pick-and-place device includes a jib crane system.

[0026] In some embodiments, the pick-and-place device includes a cantilever beam or a cantilever boom.

[0027] In some embodiments, the first and second components are picked up and placed without loading one or more additional components onto the platform after picking up and placing the first component and before picking up and placing the second component. This saves even more time by avoiding having to move the pick-and-place device to the loading position each time a component needs to be placed.

[0028] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: - Placing a second plurality of elements in a mold, wherein the second plurality of elements are elements other than core elements.

[0029] - Forming a mold cavity by placing a vacuum bag over the mold, the mold cavity comprising at least the first plurality of elements, - Infusing resin into the mold cavity and curing the resin.

[0030] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: - Moving a platform along the mold to a first platform position or to a second platform position, - Picking up a first element of the second plurality of elements using a pick-and-place device and placing the first element of the second plurality of elements at a third element position in the mold, - Picking up a second element of the second plurality of elements using a pick-and-place device and placing the second element of the second plurality of elements at a fourth element position different from the third element position.

[0031] In this embodiment, the pick-and-place device is adapted to be able to handle the second plurality of elements.

[0032] In some embodiments, the first plurality of elements are a first plurality of core elements (core panels) for forming one or more core portions of a wind turbine blade section, such as the first plurality of core panels.

[0033] The second plurality of elements may for example be another type of core panel. For example, the first plurality of elements may be core panels, and the second plurality of elements may be segment prefabricates forming a kit of segment prefabricates.

[0034] Resin (such as polyester, vinyl ester or epoxy resin) acts as a matrix material for the elements.

[0035] In some embodiments, the pick-and-place device uses a vacuum device to pick up each of the elements of the first plurality of elements.

[0036] In some embodiments, the pick-and-place device includes a vacuum lifter having one or more suction elements for picking up and holding each of the elements of the first plurality of elements.

[0037] In some embodiments, the pick-and-place device includes a vacuum spider for picking up each of the plurality of elements from the platform.

[0038] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a laying tool for laying a plurality of prefabricated elements, the laying tool being attachable to a gantry configured to travel along a mold for forming a shell portion of a wind turbine blade, the laying tool comprising: - a platform, - a pick-and-place device for picking up each of the elements of the first plurality of elements while the first plurality of elements are carried on the platform and the platform is located above the mold, and placing the elements at corresponding positions in the mold.

[0039] In some embodiments, the laying tool comprises a robot and a robot controller for controlling the robot, the robot comprising a gripper end effector for picking up each of the elements of the plurality of elements from the platform and placing the elements in corresponding positions in the mold. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

[0041] Figure 1 A wind turbine is shown.

[0042] Figure 2 A wind turbine blade is shown.

[0043] Figure 3 A mold and a laying gantry for a shell portion of a wind turbine blade are shown.

[0044] Figure 4 An embodiment of a laying tool for the laying gantry is shown.

[0045] Figures 5a - 5i A method of laying wind turbine blade elements in a mold for a shell portion of a wind turbine blade as seen from the root end of the shell portion is shown.

[0046] Figures 6a - 6d A top view of a method of laying wind turbine blade elements in a mold for a shell portion of a wind turbine blade is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Like reference numerals may always refer to like elements. The drawings illustrate selected ways of implementing the present invention and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the claims. Features in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0048] Figure 1Shows a conventional modern upwind wind turbine 2 according to the so-called "Danish concept", having a tower 4, a nacelle 6 and a rotor with a substantially horizontal rotor shaft. The rotor includes a hub 8 and three blades 10 extending radially from the hub 8, each blade 10 having a blade root 16 closest to the hub and a blade tip 14 furthest from the hub 8.

[0049] Figure 2 Shows a schematic view of a wind turbine blade 10. The wind turbine blade 10 has the shape of a conventional wind turbine blade and includes a root region 30 closest to the hub, a profile or airfoil region 34 furthest 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 facing the direction of rotation of the blade 10 when the blade is mounted on the hub, and a trailing edge 20 facing the opposite direction to the leading edge 18. The outermost point of the blade 10 is the tip end 15, which is positioned opposite the root end 31 attached to the wind turbine hub 8.

[0050] The airfoil region 34 (also called the profile region) of the wind turbine blade has a blade shape that is ideal or nearly ideal for generating lift, while the root region 30 has a substantially circular or elliptical cross-section due to structural considerations, for example, which makes it easier and safer to mount the blade 10 to the hub. The diameter (or chord) of the root region 30 can be constant or can vary along the 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 with increasing distance from the hub. The airfoil region 34 has an airfoil profile that has a chord extending between the leading edge 18 and the trailing edge 20 of the blade 10. The chord length typically decreases with increasing distance from the hub.

[0051] The shoulder 40 of the blade 10 is defined as the position where the blade 10 has its maximum chord length. The shoulder 40 is typically located at the boundary between the transition region 32 and the airfoil region 34. Figure 2 Also shown is the longitudinal extent L of the blade 10 B 。L B Also represents the longitudinal axis of the blade 10.

[0052] The blade is typically made of a pressure side shell part 36 and a suction side shell part 38 glued to each other along a bonding line at the leading edge 18 and the trailing edge 20 of the blade 10. Also as described above, the bonding line is typically supplemented by an internal bonding flange. The present invention addresses how to ensure that the bonding joint provided by the internal bonding flange provides as much structural strength as possible to the blade.

[0053] Figure 3 Shows a mold for a wind turbine blade shell part (such as the suction side or pressure side of a wind turbine blade), and can be along the longitudinal axis of the mold from the root end ( Figure 3The gantry 43 at the current position) is moved to the gantry 43 at the distal end 15 at the far end of the mold 50.

[0054] The gantry includes a gantry robotic arm 45 which can carry various tools for manufacturing the shell part of a wind turbine blade. Such tools can be attached to the gantry robotic arm 45 via the gantry robotic arm mount 48. The gantry robotic arm 45 can travel left and right above the mold as shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 3 so as to allow the tools attached to the gantry robotic arm 45 to reach most or all of the mold 50 or at least be close enough to most or all of the mold 50.

[0055] Figure 4 A laying tool 60 according to an aspect of the present invention is shown. The laying tool mount 68 which can be attached to the gantry robotic arm mount 48 (see Figure 3 ) allows the laying tool 60 to be attached to the gantry. The laying tool mount 68 is adapted to the specific gantry robotic arm mount 48 of the gantry on which the laying tool 60 is to be installed.

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment, the laying tool 60 can be attached (preferably releasably attached) to the wind turbine mold gantry 43 and includes a platform 62 for holding wind turbine blade shell elements (such as core elements for the wind turbine blade shell). The laying tool further includes a pick-and-place device which includes a gripper end effector 65 attached to a displacement device, and the displacement device is configured to allow the gripper end effector (the "gripper") 65 to be displaced in three spatial dimensions, whereby an element can be picked up from the platform 62 and freely placed in the mold within the reach of the pick-and-place device. The gripper 65 can controllably grip and release elements one by one. The displacement device can include, for example: a rotatable arm 63 attached to and rotatable around a support structure 61; and a lifting device 64 attached to the rotatable arm 63, the lifting device being extendable in the vertical direction and having the gripper 65 as an end effector connection. The lifting device 64 can be horizontally displaced along the rotatable arm 63. In this example, the platform is attached to a support 61 which extends from the laying tool mount 68 in this example.

[0057] The gripper can be, for example, a suction device, which is a non-destructive type of gripper and is suitable for various types of elements of the wind turbine blade shell part, such as core elements.

[0058] Other pick-and-place devices can also be used.

[0059] Depending on the specific embodiment, at least a portion of the laying tool is power-driven, as this can increase the operating speed compared to non-powered tools. The gantry generally has a power device for powering conventional tools, as most conventional tools (such as laying tools and other deposition tools) require power to operate. Thus, the laying tool has a power connection device for receiving power from an electrical outlet (such as an electrical outlet on the gantry).

[0060] Contrary to existing tools, the laying tool 60 according to the present invention offers the possibility of delivering multiple elements relatively easily and at a significantly higher speed than current methods, which are mostly non-mechanized and prone to errors, and correcting errors wastes valuable time. Additionally, depending on the situation, laying according to the present invention allows for transporting multiple elements without exerting any pressure on the mold and the materials already placed in the mold. This reduces the risk of inadvertently displacing the elements in the mold.

[0061] Figure 5a A system including a gantry 43 is shown, in which a laying tool 60 is operably attached to the gantry 43. The gantry 43 is movable along a mold 50. The system is operable to perform the method described in detail below with respect to Figures 5b - 5i and Figures 6a - 6d The method is described with respect to providing core elements as part of the manufacture of a wind turbine blade shell portion (such as the suction side or pressure side of a wind turbine blade).

[0062] Figure 5b A platform 62 of the laying tool 60 is shown loaded with multiple elements to be placed in the mold. In this instance, the elements are accommodated in a trolley 70 (a wheeled container). The wheels allow the container to roll onto the platform. The elements can also be placed directly on the platform or on a tray, which is then placed on the platform. The number of elements that can be carried in a single run of the laying tool depends on the size of the platform and the size of the elements. An advantage of the present invention is that more than one element can be used for placement, which avoids having to obtain a new element after each element is placed (unless multiple elements are available, which means all elements need to be placed in the mold). This poses the aforementioned risks, such as the risk of displacing the materials that have been carefully placed in the mold. Thus, having multiple elements available increases the speed, and temporarily storing the elements on the platform as described above prevents damage or displacement of the materials already placed in the mold 50.

[0063] In Figure 5b a lifting device 64 having a gripper 65 as an end effector is positioned above one of the containers 70. That is, the rotatable arm 63 rotates and the lifting device 64 is displaced along the rotatable arm 63 such that the gripper 65 is positioned above the container. Thus, the laying tool is almost entirely configured to pick up from Figure 5bThe gripper in it is positioned to pick up components in a container above it.

[0064] Figure 5c It is shown that the lifting device 64 has extended vertically so that the gripper contacts the component in the container, and thus gripping can be performed. The gripper 65 and the component to be placed (including the topmost component 80a) are indicated by dashed lines in the container. As shown, the gripper 65 contacts the topmost component 80a and performs a gripping action. If the gripper 65 is a vacuum lifter, gripping is performed by providing suction in the vacuum lifter, whereby the topmost component 80a is held by the vacuum lifter. By using a vacuum spider with multiple flexible suction elements, even curved components can be held. Typically, at least some of the components required for the wind turbine blade shell section are curved to such an extent that a vacuum spider is needed in order to be able to hold the component 80a.

[0065] Figure 5d It is shown that the lifting device 64 has been lifted (by retraction). Then, the lifting device 64 and the gripper 65 holding the component 80a to be placed can be moved along the rotatable arm 63. The laying tool 60 is controlled so as to bring the component 80a to the desired placement position. The laying tool 60 is preferably controllable in three dimensions, which makes the placement of the component easier. Alternatively, a gantry would be required to assist in the displacement of the gripper, which is an unnecessarily complex solution since the gantry is large compared to the component to be placed in the mold.

[0066] Figure 5e It is shown that the lifting device 64 has been displaced to a position near the end of the rotatable arm 63, which has brought the component 80a near the edge of the mold for placement there.

[0067] Figure 5f It is shown that the lifting device 64 has been partially extended towards the surface 53 of the mold 50 or the material arranged in the mold. The component 80a is very close to the desired position. As can be seen from the previous figures, the exemplary tool has a rather large reach within the three-dimensional area defined by the rotatable arm 63 and the lifting device 64 (and by the platform 62, which limits the position with respect to the support 61). Depending on the weight of the component, some of the movements of the gripper 65 can be performed manually. For example, the gripper 65 can be attached to a rod, and the lifting device 64 is light enough to be displaced by the user along the rotatable arm 63. Such a rod can also allow the user to change the posture of the component to adapt to the curvature of the mold surface 53. There are an unlimited number of suitable pick-and-place devices available, and the choice depends on the design. For the purpose of achieving high operating speeds, some or all of the degrees of freedom are motorized, which shortens the laying time.

[0068] Figure 5f It is shown that the gripper 65 is with Figure 5eThe grippers in [description] are at different angles compared to each other. The change in angle is the result of manually performing or motorizing (such as electrically actuating) rotation in the joint that attaches the gripper 65 to the lifting device 64. In other embodiments of the laying tool 60, rotation is provided in other ways.

[0069] The rotation of the gripper 65 positions the element 80a closer to or in the same position as the final position required to place the element 80a correctly in the mold 50.

[0070] Figure 5g It shows that the element 80a has been placed in the desired position in the mold through the combined action of additional adjustment of the posture of the gripper 65 and additional vertical movement of the lifting device 64.

[0071] It can be seen that the steps described above and shown in Figures 5b - 5g allow the element to be positioned in the mold quickly, safely, and precisely. According to the present invention, the process is then repeated for other elements available in the container 70 on the platform 62.

[0072] Figure 5h It shows the placement of three additional elements 80b from the current position of the gantry. By moving the laying tool back and forth on the gantry ( Figure 5h left or right in [description], also see Figure 3 ); by rotating the rotatable arm 63; by shifting the lifting device 64 along the rotatable arm 63; and by providing appropriate vertical movement of the lifting device 64, three elements 80b can be placed. In this example, other elements can be placed along the mold 50 from the current position of the gantry.

[0073] Figure 5i It shows the placement of additional elements 80c along the longitudinal axis of the mold 50 (corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the blade shown in Figure 2 ). To place the additional elements 80c, the gantry 43 has been moved an appropriate amount along the mold 50. In this example, this is necessary because the reach of the rotatable arm 63 and the lifting device 64 is insufficient to place additional elements 80c further down along the mold 50.

[0074] According to the present invention, the platform (or one or more containers or pallets on the platform) initially includes a plurality of elements. At some point, the container may run out of elements. In this case, the gantry can be moved to a loading position where other elements to be placed in the mold are replenished into the container. As described above, carrying a plurality of elements on the platform reduces the number of times required to obtain the elements and thus reduces the amount of time from start to finish required to place the elements. Additionally, as described above, embodiments of the present invention eliminate the need for personnel to stand on the material already laid in the mold and accidentally displace some of the material. This is most easily achieved by a laying tool and a gantry that are automatically controlled and operated according to a program that defines the positions of the individual elements in the mold. Alternatively, the personnel may have wired or wireless control of the system to allow them to perform the placement of the individual elements. Also as described above, the system can be more or less automated. For example, in some embodiments, the user operates a joystick in the direction representing the desired movement of the gripper, and the system achieves the desired movement by controlling the different degrees of freedom as needed. In this example, the degrees of freedom include the position of the gantry 43 along the mold 50, the position of the laying tool 60 on the gantry 43 (from side to side), the angle of the rotatable arm 63 on the support 61, the vertical displacement of the lifting device 64, and the angle of the gripper 65 on the lifting device 64.

[0075] Figures 6a - 6d A similar process is shown in a top view of the mold.

[0076] Figure 6a The mold 50 without elements is shown. Elements such as core elements of a wind turbine blade shell section are to be placed on the fiber-reinforced material placed in the mold. Figures 6a - 6d Such material is not explicitly shown therein.

[0077] The gantry 43 with the laying tool 60 attached to it is located at a position near the root end of the mold. The gantry 43 may have previously been equipped with tools for adding wind turbine blade material (such as fiber-reinforced material) to the mold 50. These tools have been removed from the gantry robotic arm mount ( Figure 3 shown in) and replaced by the laying tool 60 as shown in Figure 4 shown in. Figure 6a The platform 62 and the rotatable arm 63 and the gantry 43 are shown ready for placing elements in the mold 50.

[0078] Figure 6b The platform 62 of the laying tool 60 is shown, which has been loaded with as described above and in Figures 5b - 5iThe container 70 (or tray or similar device) shown in [figure reference] holds the components to be placed in the mold 50. In this example, there are four containers 70 on the platform 62. This depends on the design. For long blades, it may be advantageous to provide a large platform 62 that can hold a relatively large number of components corresponding to a certain area in the mold 50. In addition to the root end, it may also be advantageous to be able to load the platform at the tip end. This reduces the travel time of the gantry 43 when additional components are needed when operating closer to the tip end rather than the root end.

[0079] Figure 6c Part of the process of placing components that has been carried out is shown. Instead of a person walking into the mold and performing the placement of components, a number of components 81 have been laid using the system according to the present invention.

[0080] Since, as Figure 6c indicated, typically a large number of components are required, the system also significantly reduces the time required to place the components. The large size of the blade also provides ample opportunity for a person to inadvertently displace the material in the mold, and the present invention alleviates this problem.

[0081] Figure 6c The lower right part of [figure reference] indicates the area corresponding to the components 80a - 80c shown in Figure 5i [figure reference]. Note that Figures 5a - 5i and Figures 6a - 6d show a process according to the present invention, but Figures 5a - 5i and Figures 6a - 6d should not be construed as showing exactly the same process. Each set of figures shows different aspects of the process according to the present invention.

[0082] As Figure 6c indicated by the dashed arrow in [figure reference], the gantry 43 with the laying tool 60 moves along the mold 50, and additional components are placed in the mold using a pick - and - place device.

[0083] Figure 6d Shows the completion of the laying of the components in the mold 50 after placing the additional components 82, whereby the process of placing all the required components 81, 82 in the mold 50 is completed. The gantry 43 and the laying tool 60 are shown in a position near the tip end of the mold 50, where the last component has been placed. Also as Figure 6d shown in [figure reference], the tip end of the blade typically does not have a core component. In this example, the spar cap 90 extends along the longitudinal axis of the blade. Alternatively, the reference numeral 90 may be the space left after placing the components 81, 82 in the mold to accommodate the spar cap.

[0084] After placing all the components, the gantry 43 with the laying tool can return to the root end of the mold 50, which corresponds to Figure 6a and6b The position shown in. This allows the placement tool 60 to be disassembled and replaced by another deposition tool. Any additional blade material can be placed, and resin can be supplied to form the composite wind turbine blade shell section. This can be done using a deposition tool or manually.

[0085] During the process of placing elements into the mold 50, it will typically be necessary to return the system to the root end in order to resupply elements, since the platform 62 is typically relatively small compared to the mold 50. The small platform 62 allows the placement tool 62 to be smaller and lighter. In addition, a larger platform also requires the placement tool to have a longer reach. Thus, a relatively small platform 62 can be used, at the cost of requiring more trips to replenish the elements on the platform 62. However, this is an acceptable compromise since the advantages of the present invention outweigh the need to move the gantry 43, for example, to the root to replenish the platform 62 with additional elements and return the gantry to the position where new elements are to be placed.

[0086] Various embodiments of the present invention are listed in the following items: 1. A system for placing a first plurality of prefabricated elements (80a - 80c, 81, 82) in a mold (50) for a fiber - reinforced wind turbine blade part, such as a wind turbine blade shell part, the system comprising: - A mold (50) for forming a fiber - reinforced wind turbine blade part, - A platform (62) for carrying the first plurality of elements, the platform being movable above and along at least a part of the mold, the platform being movable to a loading position at which the first plurality of elements can be loaded onto the platform, - Pick - and - place devices (63, 64, 65) for picking up each of the elements of the first plurality of elements when the first plurality of elements are carried on the platform and while the platform is located above the mold, and placing the elements at corresponding positions in the mold.

[0087] 2. The system according to item 1, further comprising a gantry (43) movable along at least a part of the mold, the platform and the pick - and - place devices being attached to or attachable to the gantry.

[0088] 3. The system according to item 2, wherein the pick - and - place devices and the platform form parts of a placement tool that is attachable to and detachable from the gantry.

[0089] 4. The system according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the pick - and - place devices are adapted to pick up and place in the mold core elements for a wind turbine blade shell, such as core panels for a wind turbine blade shell.

[0090] 5. The system according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the pick-and-place device for picking and placing the first plurality of components in the mold includes a robot controllable by a robot controller, the robot including an end effector gripper (65) for picking each of the components in the plurality of components.

[0091] 6. The system according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the system further comprises: - means for identifying a first component among the first plurality of components and a second component among the first plurality of components, the second component being distinguishable from the first component, - a digital controller configured to control the pick-and-place device to perform the following steps: i. pick the first component from the platform, identify the first component, and place the first component at a first position associated with the first component; and ii. pick the second component from the platform, identify the second component, and place the second component at a second predetermined position associated with the second component, wherein the second position is different from the first predetermined position.

[0092] 7. The system according to item 6, wherein identifying the first component and the second component includes identifying the first component and the second component based on one or more of the following: the shape of the component; the size of the component; the color of the component; the weight of the component; an electronic tag on or in the component.

[0093] 8. The system according to item 6, wherein the means for identifying the first component and the second component includes an imaging device for recording an image of the first component and an image of the second component, and wherein the digital controller is configured to identify the first component and the second component based on one or more of the following: letters and / or numbers on the component; barcodes on the component.

[0094] 9. The system according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the pick-and-place device picks each of the components in the first plurality of components using a vacuum device.

[0095] 10. The system according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the pick-and-place device includes a vacuum lifter having one or more suction elements for contacting and holding each of the components in the first plurality of components.

[0096] 11. The system according to item 9 or 10, wherein the pick-and-place device includes a vacuum spider for picking each of the plurality of components from the platform.

[0097] 12. The system according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the loading position of the platform is near the root end of the mold, such as in a position where the platform is not positioned above the mold.

[0098] 13. The system according to any one of the foregoing items, wherein the platform is vertically displaceable at least at the loading position and optionally displaceable to a height at which the platform rests on the ground.

[0099] 14. A method for laying a first plurality of prefabricated elements (80a - 80c, 81, 82) in a mold (50) for a fiber - reinforced wind turbine blade part, such as a shell part of a wind turbine blade, the method comprising: - Placing the first plurality of elements on a platform in a loading position, the platform being movable above and along at least a part of the mold, - Moving the platform along the mold to a first platform position and using a pick - and - place device to pick up a first element of the first plurality of elements and place the first element at a first element position in the mold, - Using the pick - and - place device to pick up a second element of the first plurality of elements and place the second element at a second element position different from the first element position.

[0100] 15. The method according to item 14, wherein the pick - and - place device comprises a robot having a gripper end - effector for performing the steps of picking up and placing the first and second elements in the mold, and wherein the pick - and - place device and the platform are parts of a laying tool releasably attached to a gantry movable along the mold.

[0101] 16. The method according to item 14 or 15, wherein the first and second elements are picked up and placed without loading one or more additional elements onto the platform after picking up and placing the first element and before picking up and placing the second element.

[0102] 17. The method according to any one of items 14 - 16, further comprising: - Placing a second plurality of elements in the mold, wherein the second plurality of elements are elements other than core elements, - Forming a mold cavity by placing a vacuum bag over the mold, the mold cavity comprising at least the first plurality of elements, - Infusing resin into the mold cavity and curing the resin.

[0103] 18. The method according to item 17, the method further comprising: - Moving the platform along the mold to the first platform position or to a second platform position, - Using the pick - and - place device to pick up a first element of the second plurality of elements and place the first element of the second plurality of elements at a third element position in the mold, - Pick up a second element from the second plurality of elements using a pick-and-place device and place the second element from the second plurality of elements at a fourth element location different from the location of the third element.

[0104] 19. The method according to any one of items 14 - 18, wherein the first plurality of elements are the first plurality of core elements for forming one or more core parts of a wind turbine blade section, such as the first plurality of core panels.

[0105] 20. The method according to any one of items 14 - 19, wherein the pick-and-place device picks up each of the elements from the first plurality of elements using a vacuum device.

[0106] 21. The method according to any one of items 14 - 20, wherein the pick-and-place device includes a vacuum lifter having one or more suction elements for picking up each of the elements from the first plurality of elements.

[0107] 22. The method according to any one of items 14 - 21, wherein the pick-and-place device includes a vacuum spider for picking up each of the plurality of elements from a platform.

[0108] 23. A laying tool (60) for laying a plurality of prefabricated elements (80a - c, 81, 82), the laying tool (60) being attachable to a gantry (43) configured to travel along a mold (50) for forming a wind turbine blade shell section, the laying tool comprising: - A platform, - A pick-and-place device for picking up each of the elements from the first plurality of elements while the first plurality of elements are carried on the platform and the platform is located above the mold, and placing the elements at corresponding positions in the mold.

[0109] 24. The laying tool according to item 23, wherein the laying tool includes a robot and a robot controller for controlling the robot, the robot including a gripper end effector (65) for picking up each of the elements from the platform and placing the elements in corresponding positions in the mold.

[0110] List of Reference Numerals 2 Wind turbine 4 Tower 6 Nacelle 8 Hub 10 Blades 11, 12 Blade shell sections 14 Blade tip 15 Tip end 16 Blade root 18 Leading edge of the blade Trailing edge of the 20 blades 30 Root region 31 Root end 32 Transition region 34 Airfoil region 36 Pressure side shell part 38 Suction side shell part 40 Blade shoulder 43 Bench 45 Bench robotic arm 48 Bench robotic arm mount 50 Blade mold for the blade shell part of a wind turbine 53 Blade mold surface, fiber - reinforced material on the blade mold surface 60 Laying tool 61 Laying tool support 62 Laying tool platform 63 Rotatable arm 64 Lifting device 65 Gripper 68 Laying tool mount 70 Component container 80a - c Components, such as core components for wind turbine blades 81 Component 82 Component 90 Spar cap / Space for the spar cap L B Longitudinal axis, longitudinal extent

Claims

1. A system for laying a first plurality of prefabricated elements (80a - 80c, 81, 82) in a mold (50) for a fiber - reinforced wind turbine blade part, such as a shell part of a wind turbine blade, the system comprises: - a mold (50) for forming the fiber - reinforced wind turbine blade part, - a platform (62) for carrying the first plurality of elements, the platform being movable above and along at least a part of the mold, the platform being movable to a loading position at which the first plurality of elements can be loaded onto the platform, - pick - and - place devices (63, 64, 65) for picking up each of the elements in the first plurality of elements when the first plurality of elements are carried on the platform and while the platform is located above the mold, and placing the elements at corresponding positions in the mold.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a gantry (43) movable along at least a part of the mold, the platform and the pick - and - place devices being attached to or attachable to the gantry.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the pick - and - place devices form part of a laying tool attachable to and detachable from the gantry together with the platform.

4. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pick - and - place devices are adapted to pick up and place a core element of a wind turbine blade shell, such as a core panel for a wind turbine blade shell, in the mold.

5. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pick - and - place devices for picking up and placing the first plurality of elements in the mold comprise a robot controllable by a robot controller, the robot including a gripper end - effector (65) for picking up each of the elements in the plurality of elements.

6. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system further comprises: - means for identifying a first element in the first plurality of elements and a second element in the first plurality of elements, the second element being distinguishable from the first element, - a digital controller configured to control the pick - and - place devices to perform the following steps: i. pick up the first element from the platform, identify the first element, and place the first element at a first position associated with the first element; and ii. pick up the second element from the platform, identify the second element, and place the second element at a second predetermined position associated with the second element, wherein the second position is different from the first predetermined position.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein identifying the first element and the second element comprises identifying the first element and the second element based on one or more of: the shape of the element; the size of the element; the color of the element; the weight of the element; an electronic tag on or in the element.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the device for identifying the first element and the second element includes an imaging device for recording an image of the first element and an image of the second element, and wherein the digital controller is configured to identify the first element and the second element based on one or more of the following: letters and / or numbers on the element; barcodes on the element.

9. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pick-and-place device picks up each of the elements in the first plurality of elements using a vacuum device, wherein the pick-and-place device includes a vacuum lifter having one or more suction elements for contacting and holding each of the elements in the first plurality of elements, and the pick-and-place device includes a vacuum spider for picking up each of the plurality of elements from the platform.

10. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the loading position of the platform is near the root end of the mold, such as in a position where the platform is not positioned above the mold, and wherein the platform is vertically displaceable at least at the loading position, optionally displaceable to a height at which the platform rests on the ground.

11. A method for laying a first plurality of prefabricated elements (80a - 80c, 81, 82) in a mold (50) for a fiber-reinforced wind turbine blade part, such as a shell part of a wind turbine blade comprising: - placing the first plurality of elements on a platform in a loading position, the platform being movable above and along at least a part of the mold, - moving the platform along the mold to a first platform position, and using a pick-and-place device to pick up a first element from the first plurality of elements and place the first element at a first element position in the mold, - using the pick-and-place device to pick up a second element from the first plurality of elements and place the second element at a second element position different from the first element position.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pick-and-place device includes a robot having a gripper end effector for performing the steps of picking up and placing the first element and the second element in the mold, and wherein the pick-and-place device and the platform are releasably attached as parts of a laying tool to a gantry movable along the mold.

13. The method according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the first element and the second element are picked up and placed without loading one or more additional elements onto the platform after picking up the first element and before picking up the second element.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising: - placing a second plurality of elements in the mold, wherein the second plurality of elements are elements other than the core element - A mold cavity is formed by placing a vacuum bag above the mold, the mold cavity including at least the first plurality of elements. - Resin is poured into the mold cavity and the resin is cured.

15. The method according to claim 14, the method further comprises: - Moving the platform along the mold to the first platform position or to a second platform position. - Using the pick-and-place device to pick up a first element of the second plurality of elements and placing the first element of the second plurality of elements at a third element position in the mold. - Using the pick-and-place device to pick up a second element of the second plurality of elements and placing the second element of the second plurality of elements at a fourth element position different from the third element position.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the first plurality of elements are a first plurality of core elements for forming one or more core portions of a wind turbine blade portion, such as a first plurality of core panels, wherein the pick-and-place device includes a vacuum lifter having one or more suction elements for contacting and holding each of the elements in the first plurality of elements, and the pick-and-place device includes a vacuum spider for picking up each of the plurality of elements from the platform.

17. A laying tool (60) for laying a plurality of prefabricated elements (80a-c, 81, 82), the laying tool (60) being attachable to a gantry (43), the gantry being configured to travel along a mold (50) for forming a wind turbine blade shell portion, the laying tool comprises: - A platform. - A pick-and-place device for picking up each of the elements in the first plurality of elements when the first plurality of elements are carried on the platform and while the platform is located above the mold, and placing the elements at corresponding positions in the mold.

18. The laying tool according to claim 17, wherein the laying tool includes a robot and a robot controller for controlling the robot, the robot including a gripper end effector (65) for picking up each of the elements in the plurality of elements from the platform and placing the elements in corresponding positions in the mold.

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