Wind turbine rotor blade components and methods of manufacturing the same

1. A method of manufacturing a rotor blade segment of a wind turbine, the rotor blade segment having a seamless leading edge surface, the method comprising:

providing a generally flat fiber-reinforced outer skin comprising a thermoplastic material, the generally flat fiber-reinforced outer skin defining a continuous outer surface comprising a pressure side surface extending between a pressure side aft edge and a pressure side forward edge, a suction side surface extending between a suction side forward edge and a suction side aft edge, and the seamless leading edge surface extending between the pressure side forward edge and the suction side forward edge;

forming the fiber-reinforced outer skin into a desired shape corresponding to a contour of the outer surface of the rotor blade;

applying heat to the seamless leading edge surface of the fiber-reinforced outer skin whereby the thermoplastic material becomes pliant at the leading edge surface and without significantly increasing malleability of the pressure side surface or the suction side surface, whereby the fiber-reinforced outer skin can be folded without attenuating or creating wrinkles in the pressure side surface or the suction side surface; and,

folding the fiber-reinforced outer skin about the seamless leading edge surface without attenuating or creating wrinkles in the pressure side surface or the suction side surface, whereby the pressure side surface is positioned opposite the suction side surface and the pressure side aft edge is proximate the suction side aft edge.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the fiber-reinforced outer skin into a desired shape comprises forming the fiber-reinforced outer skin on a mold, and wherein applying heat to the seamless leading edge surface comprises activating one or more independent heaters in a central portion of the mold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying heat to the seamless leading edge surface comprises positioning the seamless leading edge surface of the fiber-reinforced outer skin in thermal communication with a heated mandrel prior to folding the fiber-reinforced outer skin, wherein folding the fiber-reinforced outer skin comprises folding the fiber-reinforced outer skin over the heated mandrel.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying heat to the seamless leading edge surface comprises applying heat to the seamless leading edge surface via an infrared heater prior to folding the fiber-reinforced outer skin about the seamless leading edge surface.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the fiber-reinforced outer skin into the desired shape comprises forcing into the fiber-reinforced outer skin into the desired shape and maintaining the fiber-reinforced outer skin in the desired shape via a tooling device, the tooling device comprising at least one of vacuum, pressure, one or more magnets, one or more mechanical devices, one or more adhesives, a heating system, a cooling system, or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure side aft edge and the suction side aft edge are spaced apart such that a gap is defined between the pressure side aft edge and the suction side aft edge after folding the fiber-reinforced outer skin, further comprising moving the pressure surface and the suction side surface farther apart such that the gap expands, mounting the fiber-reinforced outer skin over a structural element of the rotor blade while the gap is expanded, and joining the pressure side aft edge and the suction side aft edge after mounting the fiber-reinforced outer skin over the structural element.

7. A method of manufacturing a rotor blade segment of a wind turbine, the rotor blade segment having a seamless leading edge surface, the method comprising:

forming an outer skin of the rotor blade segment comprising a thermoplastic material, the outer skin defining a continuous outer surface comprising a pressure side surface extending between a pressure side aft edge and a pressure side forward edge, a suction side surface extending between a suction side forward edge and a suction side aft edge, and the seamless leading edge surface extending between the pressure side forward edge and the suction side forward edge;

forming at least one three-dimensional reinforcement structure on an inner surface of the outer skin;

applying heat to the seamless leading edge surface of the fiber-reinforced outer skin whereby the thermoplastic material becomes pliant at the leading edge surface and without significantly increasing malleability of the pressure side surface or the suction side surface, whereby the fiber-reinforced outer skin can be folded without attenuating or creating wrinkles in the pressure side surface or the suction side surface; and

folding the outer skin around the at least one three-dimensional reinforcement structure without attenuating or creating wrinkles in the pressure side surface or the suction side surface, whereby the pressure side surface is positioned opposite the suction side surface and the pressure side aft edge is proximate the suction side aft edge.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein forming the outer skin comprises forming the outer skin on a mold, and wherein applying heat to the seamless leading edge surface comprises activating an independent heater in a central portion of the mold.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein applying heat to the seamless leading edge surface comprises positioning the seamless leading edge surface of the outer skin in thermal communication with a heated mandrel prior to folding the outer skin, wherein folding the outer skin comprises folding the outer skin over the heated mandrel.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein applying heat to the seamless leading edge surface comprises applying heat to the seamless leading edge surface via an infrared heater prior to folding the outer skin around the at least one three-dimensional reinforcement structure.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein forming the at least one three-dimensional reinforcement structure comprises printing and depositing the at least one three-dimensional reinforcement structure via a computer numeric control device onto the inner surface of the outer skin, wherein the at least one three-dimensional reinforcement structure bonds to the inner surface of the outer skin as the reinforcement structure is being deposited.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pressure side aft edge and the suction side aft edge are spaced apart such that a gap is defined between the pressure side aft edge and the suction side aft edge after folding the outer skin, further comprising moving the pressure surface and the suction side surface farther apart such that the gap expands, mounting the outer skin over a structural element of the rotor blade while the gap is expanded after folding the outer skin, and joining the pressure side aft edge and the suction side aft edge after mounting the outer skin over the structural element.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising adding a bond cap between the at least one three-dimensional reinforcement structure and the seamless leading edge surface prior to folding the outer skin.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein forming the at least one three-dimensional reinforcement structure includes forming a bond cap proximate the seamless leading edge surface while forming the at least one three-dimensional reinforcement structure, the bond cap integral with the at least one three-dimensional reinforcement structure.