Abstract: A wind turbine blade assembly comprising a wind turbine blade having a tip end and a root end, and a leading edge and a trailing edge with a chord length extending therebetween is described. The wind turbine blade assembly further comprises an aeroshell extender piece comprising a body for attachment to a trailing edge side of a profile of a wind turbine blade, the body having a first end for attachment to the trailing edge side of the profile, and a second trailing edge end to form an extended airfoil trailing edge profile for a portion of the profile of the wind turbine blade. The aeroshell extender piece is attached to the wind turbine blade at least partly using at least one profile wedge, said at least one profile wedge being shaped to compensate for the geometry of the wind turbine blade.

Abstract: A blade support cradle is described, which can be used to support a section of a wind turbine blade using an array of vacuum clamps. The cradle provides a secure and reliable system for the support of a blade section during and after blade manufacture, allowing for various operations to be easily carried out on the surface of the blade section. A method for receiving a blade section in the cradle is further described. In addition, the cradle may be used as part of a blade post-moulding station in a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade.

Abstract: A modular system for transporting wind turbine blades in at least two different spatial arrangements comprising two or more root end transport frames having a height H for supporting the root end, wherein H<D (D=bolt circle diameter), and two or more first tip end transport frames having a height H1 for supporting the blade towards the tip end, each first tip end transport frame has a base frame and a support bracket provided on top of the base frame, wherein each first tip end transport frame is stackable on top of a root end transport frame and vice versa, so the system is operable to stack successive blades in an alternating root end to tip end arrangement. The first tip end transport frame is replaceable with a second end transport frame that increase the inter-blade spacing, or with a tip end or a root end distance piece.

Abstract: A system and method for manufacturing at least a portion of a wind turbine blade is described. The invention relates to a method for ensuring a minimum bond line height between wind turbine blade components, through the use of adhesive spacer elements. The adhesive spacer elements are positioned between the blade components prior to bonding, and act to define a buffer or space between the bonding surfaces of the respective blade components, such that the adhesive bond line height between components can be effectively guaranteed without the need for accurate alignment and positioning techniques.

Abstract: A bulkhead assembly for a wind turbine blade is described, where the bulkhead is substantially formed from a flexible sheet material. In one aspect, the flexible sheet material can be attached to the larger assembly using a releasable connection, e.g. a zipped connection, to allow for relatively easy installation and removal, e.g. for repair or other service operations. At least a portion of the sheet material may be transparent, to allow for easy inspection of the interior of the wind turbine blade. In one aspect, the bulkhead assembly is arranged to couple to, or is formed integrally with, the root flange of a wind turbine blade. The use of such a flexible material to form the blade root end bulkhead allows for ease of handling and manufacturability over prior art systems.

Abstract: A system and method for the manufacture of a wind turbine blade component is described, preferably a shear web component for a wind turbine. The shear web is manufactured by using a forming tool to define a flange-shaped cavity at an end of a web member. A resin is injected into the cavity and cured to form a flange cast onto the web member. The forming tool is subsequently removed from the web member to provide a component having a load-bearing flange formed from a cured resin.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a wind turbine blade for a rotor of a wind turbine having a substantially horizontal rotor shaft, the rotor comprising a hub from which the blade extends in a substantially radial direction when mounted to the hub. The wind turbine blade comprises a profiled contour defining a leading edge and a trailing edge, a pressure side and a suction side connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge, the profiled contour generating a lift when being impacted by an incident air-flow, and a slat assembly located on the blade, the slat assembly comprising a slat device being supported by a support device positioning the slat device in a distance from the surface of the blade.

Abstract: A system for monitoring the deflection of a wind turbine blade is described. The system comprises a wireless range-measurement system, having at least one wireless communication device located towards the root end of the blade and at least one wireless communication device located towards the tip end of the blade. The root end device is provided on a bracket projecting from the external surface of the blade, to provide a communication path between the root end and tip end devices which is less susceptible to interference from multipath effects, etc. There is further provided a method to derive tilt and yaw moments from measured deflections. A control method for such a system is also described, wherein the signal gain of the communication path may be varied based at least in part upon the deflection characteristics of the wind turbine blade.

Abstract: There is described a system and apparatus for the manufacture of a wind turbine blade where portions of a blade, preferably blade half shells, are formed in suitable molds, before transferal to a post-molding station where post-molding operations can be performed. The blade shells are formed in the mold to have integrated flanges which facilitate easy handling of the blade shells during subsequent manufacturing operations. There is also described a blade cradle of a post-molding station to receive a wind turbine blade shell, where a lifting jack apparatus can be located within the blade cradle structure for the application of a lifting force to a surface of a blade shell received in the cradle, to facilitate access to all sections of the surface of the blade shell.

Abstract: A wind turbine blade having a transition between two reinforcement fiber types is described. A gradual transition is provided by a combined double-tapered thickness section with a first type of reinforcement fibers sandwiched between a second type of reinforcement fibers or vice versa. The double-tapering is provided during layup and the reinforcement material is impregnated with a polymer resin and then cured or hardened so that the two types of reinforcement fibers are embedded in a common polymer matrix.

Abstract: A manufacturing method is described for a wind turbine blade, where layers of fiber material are laid up in a mold to form a portion of the blade structure. The fiber layers are infused with a resin which is subsequently cured to form the hardened blade structure. Some of the layers of fiber material are arranged so that a portion of the layers are kept resin-free during the infusion and curing steps, so that the fiber layer extends freely out from the external surface of the blade, preferably at the blade trailing edge, to provide a flexible blade trailing edge to reduce blade operational noise.

Abstract: A wind turbine blade for a wind turbine is a shell structure of a fibre-reinforced composite and comprises a root region and an airfoil region. The root region has ring-shaped cross section and comprises a plurality of elongated bushings 7 with an inner thread 22 and embedded interspaced in the fibre-reinforced polymer so as to substantially follow the circumference of the root region and allow access from the outside to the inner threads. Each fastening member 7 is provided with a notch 60? in the periphery 11 thereof. A rod-shaped locking element 61 passes through the notch 60? in engagement therewith. The locking element 61 is fixedly and tightly fitting arranged in a through-going circular bore 65 extending through the wall of the root region.

Abstract: A wind turbine blade is described having a lightning protection system, wherein the lightning protection system is arranged to protect conductive elements or modules used in or on the blade. In one aspect, the lightning protection system comprises a conductive band to be arranged around the circumference of the blade at the location of an internal conductive module, to prevent a lightning strike from penetrating the blade and potentially damaging the internal module. In another aspect, the lightning protection system comprises a lightning down-conductor having a signal-carrying structure, e.g. a signal cable, power cable, or a waveguide, integrated into the down-conductor. In a further aspect, the lightning protection system comprises at least one lightning receptor arranged to protect externally-mounted antennas from lightning strikes.

Abstract: A method of joining components of a wind turbine blade involves the use of an adhesive arrestor rail positioned at the side of a joining surface of a first member of a wind turbine blade, the rail arranged to form an acute angle to a second opposed joining surface of a second member of a wind turbine blade. The arrestor rail acts to retain flowable adhesive within the bonding area between two joining surfaces, ensuring a full and complete bond is provided between the blade members. The rail provides a valve action, deflecting to allow for excess adhesive to extrude past the rail, indicating that the bonding area between the joining surfaces is filled with adhesive. The arrangement of the arrestor rail results in a tapering edge of the adhesive bond layer between two members. The arrangement provides a reduced likelihood of substantial crack formation in the adhesive bond layer.

Abstract: A blade (10) for a rotor of a wind turbine (2) is disclosed. The blade is assembled from an inboard blade part (50) closest to the hub and an outboard blade part (110) farthest from the hub of the wind turbine. The inboard part (50) comprises a load carrying structure (60) with a first aerodynamic shell (70) fitted to the load carrying structure (60), and the outboard part (110) comprises a blade shell (141, 143) with a load carrying structure (142, 144) integrated in the blade shell (141, 143).

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a portion of a wind turbine blade is described. The method comprising the steps of: laying up a primary fiber material in a mold; infusing said primary fiber material with a primary resin; substantially curing said primary resin in said primary fiber material to form a cured blade element; laying up a secondary fiber material on top of at least a portion of said cured blade element; infusing said secondary fiber material with a secondary resin different to said primary resin, wherein said secondary resin has a higher strength level than said primary resin; and curing said secondary resin in said secondary fiber material to form an integrated reinforced section on said cured blade element.

Abstract: A method of retrofitting vortex generators on a wind turbine blade is disclosed, the wind turbine blade being mounted on a wind turbine hub and extending in a longitudinal direction and having a tip end and a root end, the wind turbine blade further comprising a profiled contour including a pressure side and a suction side, as well as a leading edge and a trailing edge with a chord having a chord length extending there between, the profiled contour, when being impacted by an incident airflow, generating a lift. The method comprises identifying a separation line on the suction side of the wind turbine blade, and mounting one or more vortex panels including a first vortex panel comprising at least one vortex generator on the suction side of the wind turbine blade between the separation line and the leading edge of the wind turbine blade.

Abstract: A wind turbine blade having a circular root portion and provided with root bushings for mounting the blade to a wind turbine hub, and the root bushings comprise an elongated cross-sectional profile with a first dimension oriented along a radius of the circular root portion being larger than a second dimension oriented along a circumferential direction of the circular root section.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell part is described. Fiber mats and a root end insert are laid up in a mould part in a layup procedure by use of an automated layup system. The fiber mats are laid up by use of a buffer so that the fiber mats may continuously be laid up on the mould surface, also during a cutting procedure. The root end insert is prepared in advance and mounted on a mounting plate. The root end insert is lowered onto the mould by use of the mounting plate and a lowering mechanism. After the wind turbine blade shell has been moulded, the mounting plate is removed.

Abstract: A bulkhead assembly for a wind turbine blade is described, wherein a pressure relief conduit is provided at the bulkhead to allow for pressure to equalise across the bulkhead. This helps to prevent faults or cracks in the bulkhead assembly due to differences in pressure on either side of the bulkhead. Furthermore, liquid traps and/or filter media can be accommodated in the conduit to prevent the passage of liquids or other matter across the bulkhead.