Hybrid pultrusion plates for a spar cap of a wind turbine blade

1 . A method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell component of a wind turbine blade, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of pultrusion plates;

arranging the plurality of pultrusion plates on blade shell material in a mould for the blade shell component;

bonding the plurality of pultrusion plates with the blade shell material to form the blade shell component,

providing at least one electrically conducting lightning receptor of a lightning protection system for the wind turbine blade; and

electrically connecting the at least one electrically conducting lightning receptor to the plurality of pultrusion plates,

wherein each of the plurality of pultrusion plates is formed of a pultrusion fibre material comprising glass fibres and carbon fibres,

wherein the pultrusion fibre material comprises a plurality of tows of glass fibre material and a plurality of tows of carbon fibre material,

wherein each of the plurality of pultrusion plates comprises a top surface, an opposing bottom surface and two lateral surfaces, and

wherein at least one continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material is provided within each of the plurality of pultrusion plates, the at least one continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extending from the top surface to the opposing bottom surface of each of the plurality of pultrusion plates, and wherein the adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are spaced apart with respect to one another by a distance of not more than 100 μm.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tows of glass fibre material and the tows of carbon fibre material are arranged in an array of rows and columns of tows, as seen in a vertical cross section of one of the plurality of pultrusion plates.

3 . The method according to any of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pultrusion plates are arranged into adjacent stacks of pultrusion plates, and wherein a continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extends from the top surface of an uppermost pultrusion plate to the bottom surface of a lowermost pultrusion plate of each stack of pultrusion plates, and wherein said continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material is an electrically conducting path.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a continuous path of adjoining tows of glass fibre material is provided along lateral edges of the plurality of pultrusion plates, the continuous path of adjoining tows of glass fibre material extending from the top surface to the opposing bottom surface of one of the plurality of pultrusion plates.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tows of glass fibre material and the plurality of tows of carbon fibre material form a non-random pattern, as viewed in a vertical cross section of one of the plurality of pultrusion plates.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the non-random pattern comprises an I-shaped or a rectangular arrangement of tows of carbon fibre material among adjoining tows of glass fibre material.

7 . A wind turbine blade shell component comprising:

a pultrusion plate formed of a pultrusion fibre material comprising glass fibres and carbon fibres, wherein the pultrusion fibre material comprises a plurality of tows of glass fibre material and a plurality of tows of carbon fibre material,

wherein the pultrusion plate comprises a top surface, an opposing bottom surface, and two lateral surfaces,

wherein at least one continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material is provided within the pultrusion plate, the at least one continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extending from the top surface to the opposing bottom surface of the pultrusion plate, and wherein the adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are spaced apart with respect to one another by a distance of not more than 100 μm, and

wherein at least one electrically conducting lightning receptor of a lightning protection system is electrically connected to the pultrusion plate.

8 . The wind turbine blade shell component according to claim 7 , wherein the tows of glass fibre material and the tows of carbon fibre material are arranged in an array of rows and columns of tows, as viewed in a vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate.

9 . The wind turbine blade shell component according to claim 7 , wherein a continuous path of adjoining tows of glass fibre material is provided along lateral edges of the pultrusion plate, the continuous path of adjoining tows of glass fibre material extending from the top surface to the opposing bottom surface of the pultrusion plate.

10 . The wind turbine blade shell component according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of tows of glass fibre material and the plurality of tows of carbon fibre material form a non-random pattern, as viewed in a vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate.

11 . The wind turbine blade shell component according to claim 10 , wherein the non-random pattern comprises an I-shaped or a rectangular arrangement of tows of carbon fibre material among adjoining tows of glass fibre material.

12 . A reinforcing structure for a wind turbine blade, the reinforcing structure comprising a plurality of the pultrusion plates according to claim 7 .

13 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the non-random pattern is a symmetrical pattern.

14 . The wind turbine blade shell component according to claim 10 , wherein the non-random pattern is a symmetrical pattern.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tows of glass fibre material and the plurality of tows of carbon fibre material are arranged in rows, wherein a number of the rows is at least ten.

16 . The wind turbine blade shell component according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of tows of glass fibre material and the plurality of tows of carbon fibre material are arranged in rows, wherein a number of the rows is at least ten.