Method for manufacturing half-shell of wind turbine rotor blade and wind turbine rotor blade

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a half-shell of a wind turbine rotor blade and a wind turbine rotor blade. The method includes the steps of providing a mold, arranging an outer shell laminate into the mold, arranging three spar caps onto the outer shell laminate, where a second spar cap is arranged between a first spar cap and a third spar cap, the third spar cap being positioned at an outermost trailing edge, and arranging the outer shell laminate into the mold. The core elements are arranged between the first spar cap and the second spar cap and / or between the second spar cap and the third spar cap and / or between the first spar cap and the third spar cap, at least one of the core elements being a tolerance compensation element. The tolerance compensation element includes a wedge-shaped portion and interacts in a form-fitting manner with a corresponding counter wedge-shaped portion.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a half shell of a wind turbine rotor blade. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a wind turbine rotor blade having such a half shell. BACKGROUND

[0002] Wind turbines having wind turbine rotor blades are widely known in the prior art and are used for converting wind energy into electrical energy. The wind turbine rotor blades are usually manufactured in a shell design and comprise several components made of fiber-reinforced laminate material, such as an aerodynamic shell. Usually, in a first step, a half shell is produced from a number of layers of fiber composite material, a support structure, such as a spar cap, is inserted into the half shell. In a second step, after production and curing in a half shell mold of the half shell, the half shells are placed on top of each other and joined together for the production of a wind turbine rotor blade. The half shells and thus the finally produced wind turbine rotor blade can be segmented for the manufacture of so-called split or segmented wind turbine rotor blades.

[0003] The half shells are usually connected to each other inside the rotor blade by one or more (anti-shear) webs extending in the longitudinal direction of the rotor blade, which connect the spar caps of the half shells. These webs, among other things, absorb forces between the half shells during operation and thus stabilize the aerodynamic shape of the rotor blade during operation.

[0004] A challenge during the production of the half shells is the positioning, i.e. the alignment, of the spar caps and the core material (foam material or other filling material, e.g. balsa wood). In particular, the positioning of the spar caps and the core material is not reproducible for each wind turbine rotor blade. Since high tolerances are required and only a small gap between the core material and the spar cap is allowed, the positioning is time-consuming and requires many manual adjustments, such as improving the core material used. SUMMARY

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a half shell which facilitates a reliable and efficient process.

[0006] This object is solved by one aspect of the present invention. Advantageous embodiments are given in other aspects of the present invention.

[0007] According to a first aspect, a method of manufacturing a half shell of a wind turbine rotor blade is disclosed. The method comprises the following steps:

[0008] providing a mold,

[0009] arranging an outer shell laminate into the mold,

[0010] arranging a first spar cap onto the outer shell laminate,

[0011] arranging a second spar cap onto the outer shell laminate, and

[0012] arranging a third spar cap onto the outer shell laminate.

[0013] Thereby, the second spar cap is arranged between the first spar cap and the third spar cap. The third spar cap is positioned at the trailing edge. The core elements are arranged between the first spar cap and the second spar cap and / or between the second spar cap and the third spar cap and / or between the first spar cap and the third spar cap. At least one of the core elements is a tolerance compensation element comprising a wedge-shaped portion and interacting with a corresponding counter wedge-shaped portion in a form-fit manner.

[0014] The described method solves the manufacturing of a half shell comprising at least three spar caps, wherein at least one spar cap extends along a trailing edge of a wind turbine rotor blade. The spar caps need to be positioned at predetermined positions within a mold. In other words, the position of the spar caps, at least the first spar cap and the third spar cap, is fixed due to structural reasons. Core elements are arranged within the mold between the spar caps and / or around the spar caps, which core elements are placed next to each other and / or next to the spar caps in a form-fit manner. However, the core elements can typically not fit perfectly between each other and / or between the spar caps, for example due to manufacturing tolerances or due to misalignment of the spar caps. According to the present invention, at least one core element comprises a wedge-shaped portion, which wedge-shaped portion overlaps with a counter wedge-shaped portion, which counter wedge-shaped portion is part of a spar cap or part of a separate core element. Due to the wedge shape, these wedge-shaped portions can slightly slide on each other to provide a tolerance compensation in the mold for the half shell during positioning, i.e. locating or aligning, of the core elements. Thus, the wedge-shaped portions allow for a slight relative movement between the interacting elements without the need to (manually) cut one or more core elements for a perfect form-fit.

[0015] After at least arranging the core elements and the spar caps, further steps can be performed, which are not described in detail herein. For example, an inner laminate, a top laminate, can be arranged to cover the core elements and the spar caps. Thereafter, a vacuum resin infusion process is performed. Finally, a step of curing the half shell is performed to finally manufacture the half shell.

[0016] The method of the present application provides several effects and advantages. Overall, the method of the present application enables a flexible solution for the core elements to close the gap between the core elements and the spar cap. No considerable "vertical" gap between the core elements and / or the spar cap occurs, which would later on be filled with resin only in the manufacturing process. The method allows to meet the required stacking (i.e. positioning) tolerances without the need to cut one or more core panels into the desired shape in order to cooperate with adjacent core elements and / or spar caps. Thus, the cycle time for manufacturing the half shell is improved.

[0017] For example, the spar cap is a preform which is placed as one piece into the mold.

[0018] The third spar cap is arranged at the trailing edge. This means that the third spar cap forms the trailing edge or extends close to the trailing edge. For example, the third spar cap is arranged at an outermost position along the trailing edge. The position of the third spar cap is fixed. The third spar cap cannot be moved further towards the trailing edge or towards the leading edge. This leads to the tolerance problems discussed in the above description.

[0019] For example, the core element is a polymer foam element. The core element comprises a panel-like structure and can be slightly curved into a form adapted to the mold and thus to the final design of the wind turbine rotor blade.

[0020] According to embodiments, the wedge-shaped portion of the tolerance compensation element is in contact with the counter wedge-shaped portion and forms an inclined sliding plane. This facilitates an easy tolerance compensation, wherein by defining the angle of inclination the level of tolerance compensation can thus be determined. Furthermore, the area of the overlap region (the region in which the wedge-shaped portions interact with each other) can be set. For example, the two wedge-shaped portions are in direct contact or in contact with each other via one or more particularly thin intermediate layers. Thus, the intermediate layers are arranged between the two wedge-shaped portions. The one or more intermediate layers are fiber layers, in particular glass fiber layers, which are infused with resin and cured during the manufacturing of the half shell.

[0021] According to embodiments, the ratio of the length of the wedge-shaped portion of the tolerance compensation element to the thickness of the wedge-shaped portion of the tolerance compensation element is at least 5: 1 or more. In other words, the acute angle to the surface of the mold is for example about 11.3 degrees or more. This facilitates the effects and advantages mentioned above. The length is defined along the chord-wise direction between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the wind turbine rotor blade. For example, the angle at the tip of the wedge is calculated as follows: arctan(1 / 5). In other words, the wedge-shaped portion and thus the counter wedge-shaped portion is axed according to a ratio of 1 : 5 or less.

[0022] According to embodiments, the ratio of the length of the counter wedge-shaped portion to the thickness of the counter wedge-shaped portion is at least 5: 1 or more. The above described applies similarly.

[0023] According to the implementation, the length-to-thickness ratio of the wedge portion of the tolerance compensation element corresponds to the length-to-thickness ratio of the reverse wedge portion. This ensures an ideal transition between the interacting elements comprising the wedge portion and the reverse wedge portion.

[0024] According to the embodiment, the reverse wedge portion has a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the wedge portion of the tolerance compensation element. This ensures an ideal transition between the interacting elements comprising the wedge portion and the reverse wedge portion. This allows the inner and / or outer surfaces of the half-shell in the regions of the two wedge portions to be nearly flush after manufacturing.

[0025] According to the embodiment, after the vacuum resin infusion step of the semi-shell, the wedge-shaped portion and the reverse wedge-shaped portion are flush with each other on the top and bottom sides. This contributes to the effects and advantages mentioned above.

[0026] According to one embodiment, two wedge-shaped portions protrude beyond each other on the top and bottom sides of the core element. In this configuration, the two wedge-shaped portions are slightly offset towards each other for tolerance compensation. Due to the long chamfers of the wedge-shaped portions, the outer surface in the overlapping area remains flat, and no large protrusions are observed, especially after the resin curing process.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the two wedge-shaped portions are recessed from each other relative to their flush arrangement on the top and bottom sides. In this configuration, the two wedge-shaped portions are moved slightly away from each other to allow for tolerance compensation. However, the two wedge-shaped portions of the core element still overlap each other by at least 70%, preferably 80%, and most preferably 95%.

[0028] According to one implementation, the reverse wedge portion is part of a separate reverse core element, which is arranged between the tolerance compensation element and the corresponding spar cap. This allows the overlapping area to be placed anywhere between two corresponding spar caps, such as in the middle between two corresponding spar caps.

[0029] According to the embodiment, the reverse wedge portion is part of the reverse core element, which is integrally formed with the corresponding spar cap. This allows the reverse wedge portion to be inserted into the mold when the spar cap is inserted.

[0030] According to one embodiment, one of the spar caps is shaped as a reverse wedge-shaped portion, which faces the adjacent spar cap. Therefore, it is not necessary to place other core elements with reverse wedge-shaped portions into the mold.

[0031] According to another aspect, a wind turbine rotor blade is disclosed, comprising a semi-shell. The semi-shell includes a first spar cap, a second spar cap, and a third spar cap. The second spar cap is disposed between the first and third spar caps. The third spar cap is disposed at the outermost trailing edge. A core element is disposed between the first and second spar caps and / or between the second and third spar caps and / or between the first and third spar caps. At least one of the core elements is a tolerance compensation element comprising a wedge-shaped portion that interacts with a corresponding reverse wedge-shaped portion in a form-fit manner.

[0032] The wind turbine rotor blades achieve the functions and advantages mentioned above. The embodiments described above regarding the first aspect are similarly applicable to wind turbine rotor blades. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Other advantages, features, and functions are set forth in the following exemplary embodiments of the invention, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Elements with the same, similar, or analogous functions are provided with the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0034] In the attached diagram:

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a wind turbine is shown.

[0036] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the rotor blades is shown.

[0037] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the cross-section of a wind turbine rotor blade is shown.

[0038] Figure 4 A schematic flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0039] Figure 5 and Figure 6 The different steps of the method are illustrated schematically.

[0040] Figure 7 The tolerance compensation according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated schematically, and

[0041] Figures 8 to 10 Different tolerance compensation configurations according to embodiments of the present invention are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a wind turbine 100 including a tower 102 is shown. The tower 102 is fixed to the ground by means of a base 104. A nacelle 106 is rotatably mounted at one end of the tower 102 opposite to the ground. The nacelle 106 includes, for example, a generator connected to a rotor 108 via a rotor shaft (not shown). The rotor 108 includes one or more rotor blades 110 (of the wind turbine) arranged on a rotor hub 112.

[0043] During operation, rotor 108 is configured to rotate by the action of airflow, such as wind. This rotational motion is transmitted to a generator via the rotor shaft and, if necessary, via a gearbox. The generator converts the mechanical energy of rotor 108 into electrical energy.

[0044] Figure 2 An exemplary rotor blade 110 is shown. The rotor blade 110 has the shape of a conventional rotor blade and has a rotor blade root region 114 facing the rotor hub 112. The rotor blade root region 114 generally has a substantially circular cross-section. Following the rotor blade root region 114 are a transition region 116 and a contour region 118 of the rotor blade 110. The rotor blade 110 has a pressure side 122 and an opposing suction side 124 relative to the longitudinal direction 120 (also the main extension direction). The rotor blade 110 is substantially hollow internally.

[0045] In the rotor blade root region 114, a rotor blade root end 126 with a flange connection portion 128 is provided, through which the rotor blade 110 can be mechanically connected to the pitch bearing or extender. The rotor blade 110 can be a segmented rotor blade.

[0046] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional profile 130 of a wind turbine rotor blade 110 extending transversely to the longitudinal direction 120 is shown (see [reference]). Figure 2 The rotor blade 110 includes a housing 132 comprising two half-housings 134, one half-housing 134 corresponding to the pressure side 122 and the other half-housing 134 corresponding to the suction side 124. The two half-housings 134 are securely connected to each other along a longitudinal axis at opposing connection regions 136. In this example, each half-housing 134 has three spars embedded in the housing structure: a first spars cap 138, a second spars cap 140, and a third spars cap 142. Spars caps 138 to 140 may also be referred to as “primary laminates” and bear the primary loads during operation of the rotor blade 110. The third spars cap 142 extends along the trailing edge 144 of the wind turbine rotor blade 110. The rotor blade 110 also includes a shear web 144 connecting at least one pair of opposing spars caps 138 to 142.

[0047] about Figure 4 The present invention describes a method for manufacturing a semi-shell 134 for a wind turbine rotor blade 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The different stages of the method are illustrated schematically.

[0048] In the first step S1, a mold 148 is provided. The mold 148 is designed for manufacturing the rotor blade half-shell 134. Figure 5 Mold 148 is schematically shown in a top view.

[0049] In the second step S2, the outer shell laminate 150 is placed into the mold 148. The outer shell laminate 150 comprises several layers of fiber composite material, such as glass fiber layers.

[0050] In the third step S3, the first wing cap 138 is placed at a predetermined position on the outer shell laminate 150 (see...). Figure 5 The first wing cap 138 is arranged close to the leading edge 152 (see also...). Figure 3 ).

[0051] In the fourth step S4, the second wing cap 140 is placed onto the outer shell laminate 150 (see...). Figure 5 ).

[0052] In step S5, as Figure 6 As shown, the third wing cap 142 is placed on the outer shell laminate 150. The second wing cap 140 is disposed between the first wing cap 138 and the third wing cap 142. The third wing cap 142 is positioned at the outermost trailing edge 144. The third wing cap 142 extends along the trailing edge 144.

[0053] In the sixth step S6, a core element 154, for example made of foam plastic material, is placed between the spar caps 138 and 142. Also referred to as a core panel, the core element 154 has a plate-like structure and can be bent to conform to the inner surface of the mold 148 and match the aerodynamic profile of the wind turbine rotor blade 110 to be manufactured. These core elements 154 are placed adjacent to each other in a form-fitting manner within the mold 148. To provide an ideal, uniform structure and thickness for the half-shell 134, at least the following conditions must be met: no substantial gaps may exist between the core elements 154 and the spar caps 138 to 142. For example, a maximum gap of 7 mm is permitted. Furthermore, the core elements 154 must not be placed on top of each other, at least in certain areas, to avoid doubling the thickness of the half-shell 134.

[0054] The spar cap and core material panel are subject to predetermined tolerances, resulting in a tolerance chain. The position of the spar cap 138 is fixed due to structural reasons (e.g., only a 2cm tolerance is allowed), and the position of the spar cap 142 is fixed due to its position at the trailing edge. The position of the spar cap 140 is flexible within the allowed tolerances. This may result in the core element 154 potentially not fitting perfectly into the mold 148 between the spar caps 140 and 142. Therefore, according to the invention, the core element 154 located between the spar caps 140 and 142 is a tolerance compensation element that includes a wedge-shaped portion and interacts with a corresponding reverse wedge-shaped portion in a form-fit manner. For this example, this tolerance compensation is combined with... Figures 7 to 10 Describe it.

[0055] Figure 7 A portion of mold 148 is shown as an example. In mold 148, a housing laminate 150 is disposed, with a second spar cap 140 and a third spar cap 142 placed on the housing laminate 150. Furthermore, core elements 154 are disposed in mold 148. Two core elements 154 are arranged between the two shown spar caps 140 and 142. One core element 154 adjacent to the second spar cap 140 is a tolerance compensation element 156. The tolerance compensation element 156 includes a wedge-shaped portion 158. The wedge-shaped portion 158 interacts with a reverse wedge-shaped portion 160 of an adjacent component. Here, the adjacent component is another core element 154, which can be considered as a reverse core element 162.

[0056] The wedge-shaped portion 158 of the tolerance compensation element 156 directly contacts the reverse wedge-shaped portion 160 and forms an inclined sliding plane 164. The ratio of the length L of the wedge-shaped portion 158 to the thickness T of the wedge-shaped portion 158 is at least 5:1 or greater. This ratio also applies to the reverse wedge-shaped portion 160. Therefore, the ratio of the length to the thickness of the wedge-shaped portion 158 of the tolerance compensation element 156 corresponds to the ratio of the length to the thickness of the reverse wedge-shaped portion 160. Furthermore, the thickness T of the wedge-shaped portion 158 corresponds to the thickness of the reverse wedge-shaped portion 160.

[0057] With this configuration, the two core elements 156 and 162 can slide slightly relative to each other along the sliding plane 164 to provide tolerance compensation during the stacking of the parts into the mold 148. Depending on the tolerance compensation, the wedge portions 158 and 160 can be recessed relative to each other on the flush arrangement on the top side 166 and bottom side 168, or the two wedge portions 158 and 160 can protrude beyond each other on the top side 166 and bottom side 168. In either case, the two wedge portions 158 and 160 are flush with each other on the top and bottom sides at least later in the manufacturing process after the vacuum resin infusion step of the half-shell 134.

[0058] Figures 8 to 10 This involves three different structural options for tolerance compensation. Figure 8 The diagram schematically illustrates a configuration in which the reverse wedge portion 160 is part of a separate reverse core element 162, which is arranged between the tolerance compensation element 156 and the corresponding spar cap, here the third spar cap 142. This configuration... Figure 7 As shown, and for example, it allows the sliding plane 164 to be positioned anywhere between the two spar caps 140, 142, such as in the middle.

[0059] Figure 9 The configuration in which the reverse core element 162 is integrally formed with the corresponding third wing cap 142 is schematically shown.

[0060] Figure 10 The diagram schematically illustrates the configuration in which the corresponding spar cap, here the third spar cap 142, is shaped as a reverse wedge portion 160, which faces the adjacent spar cap, here the second spar cap 140.

[0061] Note that sliding plane 164 can be used as follows: Figure 7 In the direction shown or as Figures 8 to 10 It forms in the direction shown in the diagram.

[0062] As already mentioned, after positioning the core element 154 and the spar caps 138 to 142 as described above, the subsequent steps are followed to finally produce the wind turbine rotor blade 110.

[0063] Figure Labels

[0064] 100 wind turbines

[0065] 102 towers

[0066] 104 bases

[0067] 106 Nacelle

[0068] 108 rotors

[0069] 110 Rotor Blades

[0070] 112 Rotor Hub

[0071] 114 Rotor blade root region

[0072] 116 Transition Zone

[0073] 118 Outline Area

[0074] 120 Longitudinal direction

[0075] 122 Pressure side

[0076] 124 Suction Side

[0077] 126 Rotor blade root tip

[0078] 128 Flange Connection

[0079] 130 Cross-sectional Profile

[0080] 132 Casing

[0081] 134 Half-shell

[0082] 136 Connection Area

[0083] 138 First Wing Beam Cap

[0084] 140 Second Wing Beam Cap

[0085] 142 Third Wing Beam Cap

[0086] 144 Trailing edge

[0087] 146 Shear Web

[0088] 148 mold

[0089] 150 Outer shell laminate

[0090] 152 Forefront

[0091] 154-core components

[0092] 156 Tolerance Compensation Components

[0093] 158 Wedge-shaped section

[0094] 160 Reverse wedge section

[0095] 162 Reverse Core Component

[0096] 164 Sliding plane

[0097] 166 Top side

[0098] 168 Bottom side

[0099] L length

[0100] T thickness

[0101] Steps S1-S5

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a semi-housing (134) of a wind turbine rotor blade (110), the method comprising the steps of: providing a mold (148), arranging an outer housing laminate (150) into the mold (148), arranging a first spar cap (138) onto the outer housing laminate (150), arranging a second spar cap (140) onto the outer housing laminate (150), arranging a third spar cap (142) onto the outer housing laminate (150), wherein the second spar cap (140) is arranged between the first spar cap (138) and the third spar cap (142), the third spar cap (142) is positioned at an outermost trailing edge (144), and a core element (154) is arranged between the first spar cap (138) and the second spar cap (140) and / or between the second spar cap (140) and the third spar cap (142) and / or between the first spar cap (138) and the third spar cap (142), wherein at least one of the core elements (154) is a tolerance compensation element (156) comprising a wedge-shaped portion (158) and interacting with a corresponding counter wedge-shaped portion (160) in a form-fit manner.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the wedge-shaped portion (158) of the tolerance compensation element (156) is in contact with the counter wedge-shaped portion (160) and forms an inclined sliding plane (164).

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, a ratio of a length (L) of the wedge-shaped portion (158) of the tolerance compensation element (156) to a thickness (T) of the wedge-shaped portion of the tolerance compensation element (156) is at least 5: 1 or more.

4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, a ratio of a length (L) of the counter wedge-shaped portion (160) to a thickness (T) of the counter wedge-shaped portion (160) is at least 5: 1 or more.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, the ratio of the length to the thickness of the wedge-shaped portion (158) of the tolerance compensation element (156) corresponds to the ratio of the length to the thickness of the counter wedge-shaped portion (160).

6. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, the counter wedge-shaped portion (160) has a thickness (T) corresponding to the thickness (T) of the wedge-shaped portion (158) of the tolerance compensation element (156).

7. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, after a step of vacuum resin infusion of the semi-housing (134), the wedge-shaped portion (158) and the counter wedge-shaped portion (160) are flush with each other on a top side (166) and a bottom side (168).

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, both wedge-shaped portions (158, 160) protrude beyond each other on the top side (166) and the bottom side (168).

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, both wedge-shaped portions (158, 160) recede from each other with respect to a flush arrangement on the top side (166) and the bottom side (168).

10. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, the counter wedge-shaped portion (160) is part of a separate counter core element (162) arranged between the tolerance compensation element (156) and a respective spar cap (138, 140, 142).

11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The reverse wedge-shaped portion (160) is part of a reverse core element (162) which is integrally formed with the respective spar cap (138, 140, 142).

12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, One of the spar caps (138, 140, 142) is shaped as the reverse wedge-shaped portion (160) which faces the adjacent spar cap (138, 140, 142).

13. A wind turbine rotor blade (110) comprising a half shell (134), wherein The half shell (134) comprises a first spar cap (138), a second spar cap (140) and a third spar cap (142), The second spar cap (140) is arranged between the first spar cap (138) and the third spar cap (142), The third spar cap (142) is arranged at an outermost trailing edge (144), and Core elements (154) are arranged between the first spar cap (138) and the second spar cap (140) and / or between the second spar cap (140) and the third spar cap (142) and / or between the first spar cap (138) and the third spar cap (142), wherein at least one of the core elements (154) is a tolerance compensation element (156) comprising a wedge-shaped portion (158) which interacts in a form-fit manner with a corresponding reverse wedge-shaped portion (160).

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