IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0154371
(2011-06-06)
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등록번호 |
US-8382440
(2013-02-26)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Baker, Myles L.
- Arendt, Cory P.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Modular Wind Energy, Inc.
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
13 인용 특허 :
38 |
초록
▼
Wind turbine systems and methods are disclosed herein. A representative system includes a wind turbine blade having an inner region that has an internal load-bearing truss structure, and an outer region that has an internal, non-truss, load-bearing structure. In particular embodiments, the truss str
Wind turbine systems and methods are disclosed herein. A representative system includes a wind turbine blade having an inner region that has an internal load-bearing truss structure, and an outer region that has an internal, non-truss, load-bearing structure. In particular embodiments, the truss structure can include a triangular arrangement of spars, and/or can include truss attachment members that connect components of the truss without the use of holes in the spars. Spars can be produced from a plurality of pultruded composite members laminated together in longitudinally extending portions. The longitudinally extending portions can be connected at joints that interleave projections and recesses of each of the spar portions. The blades can include fan-shaped transitions at a hub attachment portion, formed by laminated layers and/or a combination of laminated layers and transition plates.
대표청구항
▼
1. A wind turbine system, comprising: a wind turbine blade including: a generally arcuate hub attachment element;an external aerodynamic surface having a longitudinal axis, a chordwise axis transverse to the longitudinal axis, and a thickness axis transverse to both the chordwise and longitudinal ax
1. A wind turbine system, comprising: a wind turbine blade including: a generally arcuate hub attachment element;an external aerodynamic surface having a longitudinal axis, a chordwise axis transverse to the longitudinal axis, and a thickness axis transverse to both the chordwise and longitudinal axes; anda spar extending along the longitudinal axis, the spar including a plurality of layers stacked relative to each other at a location spaced apart from the hub attachment element, wherein the plurality of layers transition from a rectangular cross-sectional shape to an arcuate cross-sectional shape at the hub attachment element. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the layers include a first number of layers having generally unidirectional fibers aligned with the longitudinal axis at a first location positioned a first distance from the hub attachment element, and second number of layers having unidirectional fibers aligned with the longitudinal axis at a second location positioned a second distance from the hub attachment portion, the second distance being less than the first distance, the second number being less than the first number. 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a third number of layers oriented at a non-zero, positive value relative to the longitudinal axis at the second location, and a fourth number of layers oriented at a non-zero negative value relative to the spanwise axis at the second location. 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the third number is different than the second number. 5. The system of claim 1 wherein the spar is one of three spars, each having stacked layers that transition from a rectangular cross-sectional shape to an arcuate cross-sectional shape at the hub attachment element. 6. The system of claim 1 wherein the hub attachment element includes a ring. 7. The system of claim 6 wherein the ring includes a bolt holes positioned to attach the wind turbine blade to a hub. 8. The system of claim 1 wherein the spar is a first spar and forms a portion of a truss structure, the truss structure further including a second spar, a third spar, a plurality of ribs positioned transverse to the spars, and a plurality of truss members connected between the spars and the ribs. 9. A wind turbine system, comprising: a wind turbine blade including: an external aerodynamic surface having a longitudinal axis, a chordwise axis transverse to the longitudinal axis, and a thickness axis transverse to both the chordwise and longitudinal axes;a spar extending along the longitudinal axis, the spar including a plurality of layers stacked relative to each other;a generally arcuate hub attachment element; anda transition element attached to the hub attachment element and to the layers of the spar, the transition element having recesses in which the layers are received, at least part of the transition element having an arcuate cross-sectional shape. 10. The system of claim 9 wherein the hub attachment element includes a generally circular ring, and wherein the transition element is attached to the generally circular ring. 11. The system of claim 10 wherein the transition element includes a transition plate having a generally rectilinear cross-sectional shape at an interface with the layer, and a generally arcuate shape at an interface with the generally circular ring. 12. The system of claim 9 wherein the transition element is one of two transition plates, each having recesses in which layers of the spar are received, with a first one of the transition plates receiving first layers and a second one of the transition plates receiving second layers different than the first, the first transition plate being positioned radially inwardly from the second transition plate. 13. The system of claim 9 wherein the spar is one of multiple spars extending along the longitudinal axis, with each spar including a plurality of layers stacked relative to each other, and wherein the transition element is one of a plurality of transition plates, each having recesses in which the layers of a corresponding one of the spars are received. 14. The system of claim 9 wherein the layers are composite layers. 15. The system of claim 9 wherein the spar is a first spar and forms a portion of a truss structure, the truss structure further including a second spar, a third spar, a plurality of ribs positioned transverse to the spars, and a plurality of truss members connected between the spars and the ribs. 16. A method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade, comprising: positioning a spar to extend in a longitudinal direction, the spar including a plurality of stacked layers and having a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape;positioning an arcuate hub attachment element proximate to the spar;mechanically attaching the spar to the hub attachment element via a transition portion that transitions between the generally rectangular cross-sectional shape at the spar and an arcuate shape at the hub attachment element. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein mechanically attaching includes shaping individual layers of the spar to have an increased circumferential extent and an increasingly arcuate shape as the individual layers extend toward the hub attachment element. 18. The method of, claim 17 further comprising selecting first individual layers of the spar to have an increased circumferential extent and an increasingly arcuate shape as the first individual layers extend toward the hub attachment element, and selecting second individual layers to terminate at a location spaced apart from the hub attachment element. 19. The method of claim 17 further comprising: selecting first individual layers of the spar to have an increased circumferential extent and an increasingly arcuate shape as the first individual layers extend toward the hub attachment element;selecting second individual layers to terminate at a location spaced apart from the hub attachment element; andadding third layers in place of at least some of the second layers, wherein the first layers have fibers with a first directional orientation, the second layers have fibers with a second directional orientation, and the third layers have fibers with a third directional orientation different than the second directional orientation. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising orienting fibers of the second layers to be generally parallel to the longitudinal direction, and orienting fibers of the third layers non-parallel to the longitudinal direction. 21. The method of claim 16 wherein mechanically attaching the spar to the hub attachment element includes: positioning a transition element between the spar and the hub attachment element;receiving layers of the spar in corresponding recesses of the transition element;attaching the received layers to the transition element; andattaching an arcuate portion of the transition element to the hub attachment element. 22. The method of claim 21 wherein the transition element is a first transition element, and wherein receiving layers includes receiving first layers, and wherein the method further comprises: positioning a second transition element between the spar and the hub attachment element;receiving second layers of the spar in corresponding recesses of the second transition element;attaching the received layers to the second transition element; andattaching an arcuate portion of the second transition element to the hub attachment element, with the second transition element being positioned radially outwardly from the first transition element. 23. The method of claim 21 wherein the transition element is a first transition element, and the spar is a first spar, and wherein the method further comprises: positioning a second spar to extend generally in the longitudinal direction, the second spar including a plurality of stacked layers and having a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape;positioning a second transition element between the second spar and the hub attachment element;receiving layers of the second spar in corresponding recesses of the second transition element;attaching the received layers to the second transition element; andattaching an arcuate portion of the second transition element to the hub attachment element at a different circumferential location than where the first transition element is attached to the hub attachment element. 24. The method of claim 16 wherein the transition element includes a plate that tapers from an arcuate cross-sectional shape at the hub attachment element to a generally rectilinear cross-sectional shape at an interface with the spar. 25. The method of claim 16 wherein the spar is a first spar, and wherein the method further comprises: positioning a second spar to be spaced apart from the first spar;positioning a third spar to be spaced apart from the first and second sparspositioning a plurality of ribs transverse to the spars; andconnecting a plurality of truss members between the spars and the ribs.
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