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A rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine having a rigid root insert is disclosed. The rotor blade assembly includes a blade root section having an end face with a substantially annular cross-section defined by an outer sidewall surface and an inner sidewall surface. The end face is configured to at

A rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine having a rigid root insert is disclosed. The rotor blade assembly includes a blade root section having an end face with a substantially annular cross-section defined by an outer sidewall surface and an inner sidewall surface. The end face is configured to attach the rotor blade assembly to a hub. The rotor blade assembly includes a radial bore hole provided a predetermined span-wise distance from the end face and extending between the sidewall surfaces and a longitudinal bore hole provided between the sidewall surfaces and extending from the end face to the radial bore hole. The rigid root insert is disposed within the longitudinal bore hole and extends from the end face to the radial bore hole. As such, the rigid root insert is configured to increase the stiffness of the blade root section when the rotor blade assembly is attached to the hub with bolts that extend into and through the radial bore hole and the longitudinal bore hole.

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1. A rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine, comprising: a blade root section comprising an end face having a substantially annular cross-section defined by an outer sidewall surface and an inner sidewall surface, the end face configured to attach the rotor blade assembly to a hub;a radial bore hol

1. A rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine, comprising: a blade root section comprising an end face having a substantially annular cross-section defined by an outer sidewall surface and an inner sidewall surface, the end face configured to attach the rotor blade assembly to a hub;a radial bore hole provided at a predetermined span-wise distance from the end face and extending between the sidewall surfaces;a cross-bolt component disposed within the radial bore hole;a longitudinal bore hole provided between the sidewall surfaces and extending from the end face to the radial bore hole; and,a rigid root insert disposed within the longitudinal bore hole and extending from the end face to the cross-bolt component, the rigid root insert being flush with the end face of the blade root section and abutting against the cross-bolt component, wherein the rigid root insert is configured to increase the stiffness of the blade root section when the rotor blade assembly is attached to the hub with bolts that extend into and through the radial bore hole and the longitudinal bore hole. 2. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1, wherein the cross-bolt component comprises an internal female threaded portion. 3. The rotor blade assembly of claim 2, further comprising a bolt component comprising a male threaded portion, wherein the bolt component extends into and through the rigid root insert and at least partially through the cross-bolt component such that the male threaded portion engages the female threaded portion so as to form a T-bolt connection. 4. The rotor blade assembly as in claim 3, wherein the bolt component further comprises a nut component and a washer component configured to provide a predetermined preload to the bolt component so as to compress the rigid root insert when in an assembled state. 5. The rotor blade assembly as in claim 1, wherein the rigid root insert comprises a length substantially equal to a length of the longitudinal bore hole so as to increase the stiffness of the blade root section when the rotor blade assembly is in an assembled state. 6. The rotor blade assembly of claim 4, further comprising a pitch bearing configured between the end face of the blade root section and the hub, Wherein the rigid root insert compresses between the pitch bearing and the cross-bolt component when in an assembled state. 7. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of longitudinal bore holes and a plurality of radial bore holes, wherein the plurality of longitudinal bore holes and the plurality of radial bore holes are circumferentially-spaced in the blade root section, and wherein each of the longitudinal bore holes aligns with one of the radial bore holes to form a T-configuration. 8. The rotor blade assembly of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of rigid root inserts disposed within the plurality of longitudinal bore holes. 9. The rotor blade assembly of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of cross-bolt components disposed within the plurality of radial holes and a plurality of bolt components disposed within the plurality of rigid root inserts, wherein each cross-bolt component comprises a female threaded portion and each bolt component comprises a male threaded portion, and wherein each male threaded portion engages one of the female threaded portions so as to form a T-bolt connection. 10. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1, wherein the rigid root insert comprises a hollow bore having a smooth inner surface. 11. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1, wherein the rigid root insert comprises a cross-sectional shape, wherein the cross-sectional shape is one of a circle, annular shape, asymmetrical shape, square, oval, trapezoid, rectangle, triangle, or a portion thereof. 12. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1, wherein the end face of the root section is generally flush with an end portion of the rigid root insert. 13. A wind turbine, comprising: a tower;a nacelle configured atop the tower; and,a rotor coupled to the nacelle, the rotor comprising a rotatable hub and at least rotor blade comprising a rotor blade assembly, the rotor blade assembly comprising:a blade root section comprising an end face having a substantially annular cross-section defined by an outer sidewall surface and an inner sidewall surface, the end face configured to attach the rotor blade assembly to the rotatable hub;a plurality of radial bore holes provided at a predetermined span-wise distance from the end face and extending between the sidewall surfaces;a cross-bolt component disposed within each of the plurality of radial bore holes;a plurality of longitudinal bore holes provided between the sidewall surfaces and extending from the end face to the radial bore hole, wherein each of the longitudinal bore holes aligns with one of the radial bore holes to form a T-configuration; and,a plurality of rigid root inserts, each rigid root insert disposed within one of the plurality of longitudinal bore holes and extending from the end face to one of the plurality of the cross-bolt components, the plurality of rigid root inserts being flush with the end face of the blade root section and abutting against the cross-bolt components, wherein the plurality of rigid root inserts are configured to increase the stiffness of the blade root section when the rotor blade assembly is attached to the hub with bolts that extend into and through the radial bore hole and the longitudinal bore hole. 14. The wind turbine of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of cross-bolt components comprise a female threaded portion, the wind turbine further comprising a plurality of bolt components each comprising a male threaded portion, wherein each of the bolt components extends into and through one of the rigid root inserts and at least partially through one of the cross-bolt components such that the male threaded portion engages the female threaded portion so as to form a T-bolt connection. 15. The wind turbine of claim 14, wherein each of the bolt components further comprise a nut component and a washer component configured to provide a predetermined preload to each of the bolt components so as to compress the root inserts when in an assembled state. 16. The wind turbine of claim 15, further comprising a pitch bearing configured between the end face of the blade root section and the hub, wherein the rigid root inserts compresses between the pitch bearing and the cross-bolt components when in an assembled state. 17. A method for attaching a rotor blade to a hub of a wind turbine, the method comprising: inserting a cross-bolt component within a radial bore hole of the blade root section;installing a rigid root insert within a longitudinal bore hole of the blade root section such that the rigid root insert is flush an end face of the blade root section and abuts against the cross-bolt component;inserting a bolt component within the rigid root insert such that the bolt component engages with the cross-bolt component to form a T-bolt connection; and,compressing the rigid root insert between a pitch bearing and the cross-bolt component within the radial hole so as to increase the stiffness of the blade root section. 18. The method as in claim 17, further comprising sizing the longitudinal bore hole to accommodate the rigid root insert and the bolt component. 19. The method as in claim 17, further comprising installing a plurality of cross-bolt components and a plurality of bolt components, wherein at least one of the bolt components is inserted within the rigid root insert. 20. The method as in claim 17, wherein compressing the rigid root insert between a pitch bearing and the cross-bolt component within the radial hole further comprises securing the bolt component with a nut component and a washer component and torqueing the nut component.