公开(公告)号：US11162476B2

公开(公告)日：2021-11-02

申请号：US16174781

申请日：2018-10-30

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Thomas Merzhaeuser ,  Dominic Alexander Von Terzi

IPC: F03D1/06 ,  F03D80/50 ,  F03D80/30

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade that is pre-staged for subsequent retrofitting with a replacement blade tip segment includes providing the wind turbine blade with a continuous spar structure from a root end to a tip end of the wind turbine blade. At a pre-defined span-wise location, one of a span-wise extending beam structure or span-wise extending receiver section is configured with the spar structure.

公开(公告)号：US10830207B2

公开(公告)日：2020-11-10

申请号：US16114341

申请日：2018-08-28

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Thomas Merzhaeuser ,  Mathilde Aubrion ,  Rishikesh Kumar ,  Soeren Steffensen

IPC: F03D1/06 ,  F03D80/30

Abstract: A jointed wind turbine rotor blade includes a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. A beam structure extends span-wise from the first blade segment into a receiving section formed in the second blade segment. The receiving section includes opposite spar caps and opposite interconnecting webs. The spar caps have a constant thickness along the receiving section where the spar caps overlap with the beam structure and are formed of a material or combination of materials along the receiving section to produce a desired stiffness of the spar caps along the receiving section. The webs have a reduced amount of conductive material adjacent to a chord-wise joint between the blade segments.

公开(公告)号：US20200095977A1

公开(公告)日：2020-03-26

申请号：US16139185

申请日：2018-09-24

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Thomas Merzhaeuser ,  Andreas Herrig

IPC: F03D1/06 ,  F01D25/06

Abstract: A method to reduce noise and vibration between separate blade segments of a jointed wind turbine rotor blade includes determining an actual offset at a chord-wise joint line between the shell members of the first and second blade segments at a load condition on the jointed wind turbine rotor blade, wherein the offset is any one or combination of a flap-wise offset, a twist-wise offset, or a yawl-wise offset. The method defines a modified configuration of the joint structure at a no-load condition on the wind turbine rotor blade that compensates at least partially for the actual offset at the load condition, and the first and second blade segments are connected with the modified configuration of the joint structure.

公开(公告)号：US20200072189A1

公开(公告)日：2020-03-05

申请号：US16114341

申请日：2018-08-28

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Thomas Merzhaeuser ,  Mathilde Aubrion ,  Rishikesh Kumar ,  Soeren Steffensen

IPC: F03D1/06

Abstract: A jointed wind turbine rotor blade includes a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. A beam structure extends span-wise from the first blade segment into a receiving section formed in the second blade segment. The receiving section includes opposite spar caps and opposite interconnecting webs. The spar caps have a constant thickness along the receiving section where the spar caps overlap with the beam structure and are formed of a material or combination of materials along the receiving section to produce a desired stiffness of the spar caps along the receiving section. The webs have a reduced amount of conductive material adjacent to a chord-wise joint between the blade segments.

公开(公告)号：US20190153995A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-23

申请号：US15818980

申请日：2017-11-21

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： James Robert Tobin ,  Thomas Merzhaeuser ,  Peggy Lynn Baehmann

IPC: F03D1/06 ,  B29C64/10 ,  B29C70/30

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an outer skin of a rotor blade includes forming an outer skin layer of the outer skin from a first combination of at least one of one or more resins or fiber materials. The method also includes forming an inner skin layer of the outer skin from a second combination of at least one of one or more resins or fiber materials. More specifically, the first and second combinations are different. Further, the method includes arranging the outer and inner skin layers together in a stacked configuration. In addition, the method includes joining the outer and inner skin layers together to form the outer skin.

公开(公告)号：US20180340511A1

公开(公告)日：2018-11-29

申请号：US15603929

申请日：2017-05-24

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Danilo Veljkovic ,  Brian Scott Redmon ,  Roland Joseph Menassa ,  Thomas Merzhaeuser ,  Daniel Alan Hynum ,  Alan M. Walker ,  Shridhar Champaknath Nath

IPC: F03D1/06 ,  F03D13/10

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method of assembly of a rotor blade for a wind turbine. The method includes placing a first rotor blade section onto a first set location of an assembly fixture, wherein the first rotor blade includes a first locating datum such that the assembly fixture at the first set location constrains movement of the first rotor blade section at the first locating datum along a first direction; placing the first rotor blade section onto a second set location of the assembly fixture, wherein the first rotor blade includes a second locating datum such that the assembly fixture at the second set location constrains movement of the first rotor blade section at the second locating datum along a second direction; and positioning a second rotor blade section onto the first rotor blade section within the assembly fixture.

公开(公告)号：US20170363062A1

公开(公告)日：2017-12-21

申请号：US15185345

申请日：2016-06-17

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Thomas Merzhaeuser ,  Sara Simonne Louisa Delport

IPC: F03D1/06 ,  F03D13/20

CPC classification number: F03D1/0675 ,  F03D1/0633 ,  F03D1/0691 ,  F03D13/20 ,  F03D80/00 ,  F05B2220/30 ,  F05B2240/21 ,  F05B2240/302 ,  F05B2260/3011 ,  F05B2270/33 ,  Y02E10/721

Abstract: A rotor blade for addressing the deflection of rotor blades of a wind turbine. The rotor blade includes a plurality of exterior surfaces defining a blade body having a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge and a trailing edge. The blade body extending between a blade tip and a blade root. The blade body including a breakaway tip portion defined by a predetermined breaking point. The breakaway tip portion is configured to break away from the remaining portion of the blade body when subject to a predetermined tower strike load. A wind turbine including the rotor blade configuration is further disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20220082079A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-17

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

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：US20220065219A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-03

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：US20220065218A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-03

申请号：US17413001

申请日：2018-12-11

Applicant: General Electric Company

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

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 has at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface and an internal support structure. The first blade segment defines a first pre-bend in a flap-wise direction. The second blade segment defines a different, second pre-bend in the flap-wise direction. Further, the first pre-bend is greater than the second pre-bend. In addition, the first and second pre-bends provide an overall pre-bend in the flap-wise direction away from a tower of the wind turbine that allows for a predetermined deflection of the rotor blade towards the tower.