Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Jointed wind turbine rotor blade having spar cap constructed of varying forms of materials along its span
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Application No.: US17415949Application Date: 2018-12-20
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Publication No.: US11795907B2Publication Date: 2023-10-24
- Inventor: Thomas Merzhaeuser , Andrew Mitchell Rodwell , Scott Jacob Huth , Aaron A. Yarbrough
- Applicant: General Electric Company
- Applicant Address: US NY Schenectady
- Assignee: General Electric Company
- Current Assignee: General Electric Company
- Current Assignee Address: US NY Schenectady
- Agency: Dority & Manning, P.A.
- International Application: PCT/US2018/066779 2018.12.20
- International Announcement: WO2020/131067A 2020.06.25
- Date entered country: 2021-06-18
- Main IPC: F03D1/06
- IPC: F03D1/06 ; B29D99/00 ; B29L31/08

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 has at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface and an internal support structure. The first blade segment includes a beam structure extending lengthwise that structurally connects with the second blade segment at a receiving section. At least one of the internal support structures of the first and second blade segments includes at least one spar cap. The rotor blade also includes one or more pin joints positioned on the spar cap(s) for connecting the blade segments. The spar cap is constructed of varying forms of materials along a span of the rotor blade, including at least two of: one or more infused composite laminates, one or more pre-preg composite laminates, one or more pre-fabricated or pre-cured composite elements, one or more additively-manufactured structures, or one or more non-composite structural solids.
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