公开(公告)号：US11614069B2

公开(公告)日：2023-03-28

申请号：US17413124

申请日：2018-12-13

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Andrew Mitchell Rodwell ,  Thomas Merzhaeuser

IPC: F03D1/06

Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine includes first and second blade segments extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. Each of the first and second blade segments includes at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface and an internal support structure. The internal support structure of the first blade segment includes a beam structure extending lengthwise, whereas the internal support structure of the second blade segment includes a receiving section that receives the beam structure of the first blade segment. Further, the rotor blade includes at least one chord-wise extending pin positioned through the beam structure and the receiving section at the chord-wise joint so as to secure the first and second blade segments together. The rotor blade includes at least one additional support member that receives a portion of the chord-wise extending pin so as to reduce a chord-wise bending deflection of the chord-wise extending pin at the chord-wise joint.

公开(公告)号：US20220120255A1

公开(公告)日：2022-04-21

申请号：US17290034

申请日：2018-11-01

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Rohit Agarwal ,  Andrew Mitchell Rodwell ,  Amir Riahi ,  Mohammad Salah Attia ,  Donald Joseph Kasperski ,  Jianqiang Chen

IPC: F03D1/06 ,  F03D13/00

Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine includes a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. Each of the first and second blade segments includes at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface. The rotor blade also includes one or more pin joints for connecting the first and second blade segments at the chord-wise joint. The pin joint(s) includes one or more pin joint tubes received within the pin joint slot(s). The pin joint slot(s) are secured within a bearing block. Further, a gap is defined between the pin joint slot(s) and the bearing block. Moreover, the rotor blade includes a shim within the gap between the pin joint slot(s) and the bearing block so as to retain the pin joint slot(s) within the bearing block. In addition, the shim is constructed of a liquid material that hardens after being poured into the gap.

公开(公告)号：US20210404437A1

公开(公告)日：2021-12-30

申请号：US17290330

申请日：2018-11-01

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Scott Jacob Huth ,  Andrew Mitchell Rodwell ,  Andrew Ross Collier ,  Alec Antonio Lopez

IPC: F03D1/06 ,  B29D99/00

Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine including first and second blade segments extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. The first and second blade segments include one or more shell members and internal support structures coupled to an inner surface of the one or more shell members of the first and second blade segments. The internal support structure of the first blade segment includes a beam structure extending between a first end at the chord-wise joint and a second end such that the beam structure is received by a receiving section of the internal support structure of the second blade segment. The rotor blade includes one or more spacer materials arranged within the first blade segment between an exterior surface of the beam structure and the inner surface of the one or more shell members to reduce a bond gap therebetween.

公开(公告)号：US12071923B2

公开(公告)日：2024-08-27

申请号：US17415924

申请日：2018-12-20

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Scott Jacob Huth ,  Andrew Mitchell Rodwell ,  Thomas Merzhaeuser

IPC: F03D1/06

CPC classification number: F03D1/0675 ,  F05B2230/604 ,  F05B2240/302

Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine including a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. Each of the first and second blade segments include one or more shell members and an internal support structure. The internal support structure of the first blade segment includes a beam structure extending between a receiving end and a second end. The internal support structure of the second blade segment includes a receiving section that receives the receiving end of the beam structure of the first blade segment. The rotor blade further includes one or more connection locations where the first and second blade segments are secured together. Moreover, when the beam structure is received within the receiving section, a gap including a varying thickness is defined and maintained between the beam structure and the receiving section in a span-wise direction of the rotor blade.

公开(公告)号：US20240018937A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-18

申请号：US18475329

申请日：2023-09-27

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Rohit Agarwal ,  Andrew Mitchell Rodwell ,  Amir Riahi ,  Mohammad Salah Attia ,  Donald Joseph Kasperski ,  Jianqiang Chen

IPC: F03D1/06 ,  F03D13/00

CPC classification number: F03D1/0675 ,  F03D13/00 ,  F05B2240/307 ,  F05B2230/604 ,  F05B2240/302 ,  F05B2260/30 ,  F05B2280/6003 ,  F05B2280/6011

Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine includes a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. Each of the first and second blade segments includes at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface. The rotor blade also includes pin joint(s) for connecting the first and second blade segments at the chord-wise joint. The pin joint(s) includes pin joint tube(s) received within the pin joint slot(s). The pin joint slot(s) are secured within a bearing block. Further, a gap is defined between the pin joint slot(s) and the bearing block. Moreover, the rotor blade includes a shim within the gap between the pin joint slot(s) and the bearing block so as to retain the pin joint slot(s) within the bearing block. In addition, the shim is constructed of a liquid material that hardens after being poured into the gap.

公开(公告)号：US20220282699A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-08

申请号：US17624994

申请日：2020-06-30

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Aaron Alpheus Yarbrough ,  Christopher Daniel Caruso ,  Andrew Mitchell Rodwell ,  Donald Joseph Kasperski

IPC: F03D1/06 ,  F03D13/10

Abstract: A segmented rotor blade for a wind turbine. The segmented rotor blade including at least a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a joint. Each of the first and second blade segments including at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface. A joint assembly coupling the first blade segment to the second blade segment via a dovetail connection at the joint. The joint assembly including at least one receiving section defining a receiving cavity, a joining structure received within the at least one receiving section to establish a dovetail connection, and a securement assembly securing the joining structure within the at least one receiving section so as to secure the dovetail connection.

公开(公告)号：US20220063216A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-03

申请号：US17312778

申请日：2018-12-11

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Scott Jacob Huth ,  Xu Chen ,  Louis Rondeau ,  Andrew Mitchell Rodwell ,  Scott Iverson Shillig

IPC: B29C70/48 ,  B29C70/44 ,  F03D1/06 ,  B29C70/84

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a structural component of a blade segment for a segmented rotor blade of a wind turbine includes providing a mold of the structural component. The mold has an outer wall that defines an outer surface of the structural component. The method also includes securing at least one tooling pin to the outer wall for defining a pin joint slot in the structural component. Further, the method includes laying up one or more outer fiber layers in the mold so as to at least partially cover the outer wall. The outer fiber layer(s) has at least one hole that receives the tooling pin(s). As such, the outer fiber layer(s) form the outer surface of the structural component. Moreover, the method includes placing one or more structural features atop the outer fiber layer(s) in the mold. In addition, the method includes infusing the outer fiber layer(s) and the structural feature(s) together via a resin material so as to form the structural component.

公开(公告)号：US20220024162A1

公开(公告)日：2022-01-27

申请号：US17413109

申请日：2018-12-11

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Andrew Mitchell Rodwell ,  Xu Chen ,  Julie Ann Shepherd ,  Scott Iverson Shillig

IPC: B29C70/88 ,  F03D1/06 ,  F03D13/30

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a structural component of a blade segment for a rotor blade includes providing a mold of the structural component having an outer wall that defines an outer surface of the structural component. The method also includes laying up one or more fiber layers in the mold so as to at least partially cover the outer wall. As such, the fiber layer(s) form the outer surface of the structural component. Further, the method includes providing one or more metal mesh layers having one or more ends. Moreover, the method includes providing a cover material to the end(s) of the metal mesh layer(s). In addition, the method includes placing the metal mesh layer(s) with the covered end(s) atop the fiber layer(s). Thus, the method includes infusing the fiber layer(s) and the metal mesh layer(s) together via a resin material so as to form the structural component.

公开(公告)号：US20220003202A1

公开(公告)日：2022-01-06

申请号：US17290013

申请日：2018-11-01

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Amir Riahi ,  Andrew Mitchell Rodwell

IPC: F03D1/06

Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine includes a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. Each of the first and second blade segments includes at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface. The rotor blade also includes one or more pin joints for connecting the first and second blade segments at the chord-wise joint. The pin joint(s) includes one or more pin joint tubes received within the pin joint slot(s). The pin joint slot(s) are secured within a load bearing block. Further, a gap is defined between the pin joint slot(s) and the load bearing block. Moreover, the rotor blade includes a shim within the gap between the pin joint slot(s) and the load bearing block so as to retain the pin joint slot(s) within the load bearing block. In addition, the shim is constructed of a liquid material that hardens after being poured into the gap.

公开(公告)号：US10563636B2

公开(公告)日：2020-02-18

申请号：US15670102

申请日：2017-08-07

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Aaron A. Yarbrough ,  Christopher Daniel Caruso ,  Scott Jacob Huth ,  Andrew Mitchell Rodwell

IPC: F03D1/06

Abstract: A joint assembly for joining rotor blade segments of a wind turbine rotor blade includes a female structural member secured within a first rotor blade segment. The female structural member includes first bore holes on opposing sides thereof that are aligned in a chord-wise direction. Further, the joint assembly includes a male structural member extending longitudinally from an end face of a second rotor blade segment. As such, the male structural member is received within the female structural member of the first rotor blade segment such that the first and second rotor blade segments are aligned and connected. The male structural member includes second bore holes on opposing sides thereof. Further, the second bore holes are aligned with the first bore holes. Moreover, the joint assembly includes at least one chord-wise extending pin extending through the first and second bore holes so as to join the first and second rotor blade segments. In addition, the male structural member has a height that increases from a blade root of the rotor blade towards the at least one chord-wise extending pin.