Wind turbine rotor blade joint

1. A blade segment for a rotor blade formed from a plurality of blade segments, the blade segment having a span and a chord, the blade segment comprising:

a shell segment having a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the shell segment further having a tip end and a root end; and,

at least one joint portion projecting from the shell segment at one of the tip end or the root end and defining a generally span-wise extending joining surface, the at least one joint portion further defining a first generally chord-wise extending joining surface adjacent the leading edge and a second generally chord-wise extending joining surface adjacent the trailing edge;

wherein the joint portion allows the blade segment to be rigidly coupled in a chord-wise direction to an adjacent blade segment with a respective mating joint portion.

2. The blade segment of claim 1 , the joint portion defining a generally span-wise step, the step defining the joining surface.

3. The blade segment of claim 1 , further comprising a joint feature associated with the joint portion, the joint feature projecting generally perpendicularly with respect to the joining surface.

4. The blade segment of claim 3 , wherein the joint feature is a male joint feature projecting from the joint portion.

5. The blade segment of claim 3 , wherein the joint feature is a female joint feature projecting into the joint portion.

6. The blade segment of claim 3 , wherein the joint feature has a thickness, and wherein the thickness tapers through the joint feature in the span-wise direction.

7. The blade segment of claim 1 , the one of the tip end or the root end defining a first connection point and a second connection point, the first and second connection points spaced from each other in the generally span-wise direction.

8. The blade segment of claim 1 , the joining surface defining a first connection point and a second connection point, the first and second connection points spaced from each other in the generally span-wise direction.

9. The blade segment of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of joint portions projecting from the shell segment, one of the plurality of joint portions projecting from the tip end and one of the plurality of joint portions projecting from the root end, each of the plurality of joint portions defining a generally span-wise extending joining surface.

10. The blade segment of claim 1 , wherein the joint portion partially defines the leading edge.

11. The blade segment of claim 1 , wherein the joint portion partially defines the trailing edge.

12. A rotor blade having a span and a chord, the rotor blade comprising:

a first blade segment and a second blade segment, each of the first and second blade segments comprising:

a shell segment having a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the shell segment further having a tip end and a root end; and,

at least one joint portion projecting from the shell segment at one of the tip end or the root end and defining a generally span-wise extending joining surface, the at least one joint portion further defining a first generally chord-wise extending joining surface adjacent the leading edge and a second generally chord-wise extending joining surface adjacent the trailing edge,

wherein the joint portions of each of the first and second blade segments allow the first and second blade segments to be rigidly coupled together in a chord-wise direction.

13. The rotor blade of claim 12 , the joint portions each defining a generally span-wise step, the steps defining the joining surfaces.

14. The rotor blade of claim 12 , further comprising a joint feature associated with each of the joint portions, the joint features projecting generally perpendicularly with respect to the joining surfaces.

15. The rotor blade of claim 14 , wherein the joint feature of the first blade segment is a male joint feature projecting from the joint portion of the first blade segment, and wherein the joint feature of the second blade segment is a female joint feature projecting into the joint portion of the second blade segment.

16. The rotor blade of claim 12 , wherein the joint portions of the first blade segment and the second blade segment are bonded together.

17. The rotor blade of claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of mechanical fasteners extending between the first blade segment and the second blade segment, connecting the first blade segment and the second blade segment together.

18. The rotor blade of claim 17 , wherein at least a portion of the mechanical fasteners extend in a generally span-wise direction through the one of the tip end or the root end of the first blade segment and the one of the tip end or the root end of the second blade segment.

19. The rotor blade of claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of the mechanical fasteners extend in a generally chord-wise direction through the joining surfaces of the first and second blade segments.

20. The rotor blade of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of mechanical fasteners include a first mechanical fastener and a second mechanical fastener, and wherein the first and second mechanical fasteners are spaced from each other in the generally span-wise direction.