Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine. The rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having a blade root section and a rigid ring insert. The rotor blade has pressure and suction sides extending between leading and trailing edges. The blade root section includes an end face configured to attach the rotor blade assembly to a hub. Further, the blade root section includes a span-wise end portion defined by inner and outer circumferential components separated by a radial gap. The radial gap includes a first laminate material embedded between the inner and outer circumferential components at a first span-wise depth and a second laminate material embedded between the inner and outer circumferential components at a second span-wise depth. Thus, the rigid ring insert is disposed in the radial gap and embedded between the first and second laminate materials.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine. The rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having a blade root section and a rigid ring insert. The rotor blade has pressure and suction sides extending between leading and trailing edges. The blade root section includes an end face configured to attach the rotor blade assembly to a hub. Further, the blade root section includes a span-wise end portion defined by inner and outer circumferential components separated by a radial gap. The radial gap includes a first laminate material embedded between the inner and outer circumferential components at a first span-wise depth and a second laminate material embedded between the inner and outer circumferential components at a second span-wise depth. Thus, the rigid ring insert is disposed in the radial gap and embedded between the first and second laminate materials.

Abstract: A method for installing a shear web insert between a blade segment and a blade insert of a rotor blade assembly is disclosed. The blade segment may include a first shear web and the blade insert may include a second shear web. The method may generally include coupling a first positioning device along an inner surface of a first side of the rotor blade assembly, inserting the shear web insert horizontally between the first and second shear webs until a first side face of the shear web insert engages the first positioning device and coupling a first retention device along the inner surface of the first side of the rotor blade assembly so that the first retention device is positioned adjacent to a second side face of the shear web insert, wherein the second side face is opposite the first side face.

Abstract: A method for installing a shear web insert between a blade segment and a blade insert of a rotor blade assembly is disclosed. The blade segment may include a first shear web and the blade insert may include a second shear web. The method may generally include coupling a first positioning device along an inner surface of a first side of the rotor blade assembly, inserting the shear web insert horizontally between the first and second shear webs until a first side face of the shear web insert engages the first positioning device and coupling a first retention device along the inner surface of the first side of the rotor blade assembly so that the first retention device is positioned adjacent to a second side face of the shear web insert, wherein the second side face is opposite the first side face.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing a fiber reinforced portion of a wind turbine rotor blade include disposing a continuous fiber mat adjacent a prefabricated layer, wherein the continuous fiber mat comprises randomly arranged reinforcing fibers and wherein the prefabricated layer comprises reinforcing fibers and a cured polymeric resin. The method further includes disposing a structural layer adjacent the continuous fiber mat opposite the prefabricated layer, wherein the structural layer comprises reinforcing fibers. The method then includes infusing a polymeric resin through at least the continuous fiber mat and curing the resin to form the fiber reinforced portion of the wind turbine rotor blade.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a blade using a mold having a shape corresponding to a predetermined finished shape of at least a portion of the blade. The method includes stacking a plurality of layers of a material in the mold, stacking at least one component with the stack of the plurality of layers, wherein the component is a composite comprising a cured resin and at least one layer of fiber, and laminating the stack of the plurality of layers and the component.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a root portion of a wind turbine blade includes, in an exemplary embodiment, providing an outer layer of reinforcing fibers including at least two woven mats of reinforcing fibers, providing an inner layer of reinforcing fibers including at least two woven mats of reinforcing fibers, and positioning at least two bands of reinforcing fibers between the inner and outer layers, with each band of reinforcing fibers including at least two woven mats of reinforcing fibers. The method further includes positioning a mat of randomly arranged reinforcing fibers between each pair of adjacent bands of reinforcing fibers, introducing a polymeric resin into the root potion of the wind turbine blade, infusing the resin through the outer layer, the inner layer, each band of reinforcing fibers, and each mat of random reinforcing fibers, and curing the resin to form the root portion of the wind turbine blade.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for forming a blade-section including a transporting frame, at least one transporting support removeably associated with the transporting frame, and a blade-section forming structure receptive of the transporting frame and the at least one transporting support.

Abstract: Disclosed is a modularly constructed rotorblade including a leading and a trailing edge, including a plurality of rotorblade sections in bonded association, and at least one bonding line disposed away from continuous contact with the leading edge and the trailing edge.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a wind turbine rotor blade includes, in one embodiment, the steps of providing a core, and applying at least one reinforcing skin to the core to form a blade subassembly. Each reinforcing skin is formed from a mat of reinforcing fibers. The method also includes applying a micro-porous membrane over the at least one reinforcing skin, applying a vacuum film over the micro-porous membrane, introducing a polymeric resin to the core, infusing the resin through the core and through the at least one reinforcing skin by applying a vacuum to the blade assembly, and curing the resin to form the rotor blade.