Wind turbine blade and a method of manufacturing the wind turbine blade

1. A method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade ( 5 ), the method comprising the steps of:

laying up a number of first layers ( 20 ) of a first fibre material in a mould ( 21 ), the first layers ( 20 ) defining an outer side surface of the wind turbine blade ( 5 );

arranging a number of core elements of a core material on top of said first number of layers ( 20 );

further laying up a number of second layers ( 25 ) of the first fibre material on top of at least said number of core elements, the second layers ( 25 ) defining an inner side surface of the wind turbine blade ( 5 );

infusing said first fibre material and said core elements with a first resin;

substantially curing said first resin to form a sandwich structure of the wind turbine blade ( 5 );

arranging a number of main laminate components in a corresponding number of recesses formed by said number of core elements; and

attaching said main laminate components to the sandwich structure to form a blade shell part ( 19 ) of the wind turbine blade ( 5 ),

wherein a central core element ( 23 c ) is arranged between at least two side core elements ( 23 a , 23 b ),

wherein said at least two side core elements ( 23 a , 23 b ) are spaced apart from the central core element ( 23 c ) in a chordwise direction to form a first recess ( 24 a ) for receiving a first main laminate ( 28 a ) component and a second recess ( 24 b ) for receiving a second main laminate ( 28 b ) component, and

wherein said first and second main laminates ( 28 a , 28 b ) are interconnected by at least one intermediate skin or installation flange ( 37 b ′) extending over a top side ( 46 ) of the central core element ( 23 c ).

2. The method according to claim 1 , characterised in that at least one of said first and second main laminate ( 28 a , 28 b ) components comprises a plurality of layers ( 33 ) of a second fibre material arranged in a stacked configuration, wherein said at least one of the first and second main laminate ( 28 a , 28 b ) components is attached by infusing said second fibre material with a second resin and then curing said second resin.

3. The method according to claim 2 , characterised in that said plurality of layers ( 33 ) of the second fibre material is laid up directly in the first or second recess ( 24 a , 24 b ).

4. The method according to claim 1 , characterised in that at least one of said first and second main laminate ( 28 a , 28 b ) components is manufactured separately from the wind turbine blade ( 5 ) using a main laminate mould ( 31 ), and then attached to the sandwich structure using an adhesive.

5. The method according to claim 1 , characterised in that the first resin is introduced into at least the central core element via a central inlet ( 38 ′) channel located between said first and second recesses ( 24 a , 24 b ).

6. The method according to claim 5 , characterised in that said first resin is introduced into the first fibre material via second flow channels integrated into the central core element ( 23 c ).

7. The method according to claim 2 , characterised in that the second resin is introduced into at least the second fibre material via a central inlet ( 38 ′) channel located between said first and second main laminate ( 28 a , 28 b ) components.

8. The method according to claim 7 , characterised in that said second resin is introduced into the second fibre material via first flow channels integrated into the central core element ( 23 c ).

9. A wind turbine blade ( 5 ) manufactured according to claim 1 , the wind turbine blade ( 5 ) extending from a blade root ( 7 ) to a tip end ( 8 ) in a longitudinal direction and further from a leading edge ( 9 ) to a trailing edge ( 10 ) in a chordwise direction, the wind turbine blade ( 5 ) comprises at least one blade shell part ( 19 ) having an outer side surface and an inner side surface, wherein the at least one blade shell part ( 19 ) comprises a sandwich structure having a number of first layers ( 20 ) of a first fibre material, a central core element ( 23 c ), at least two side core elements ( 23 a , 23 b ) and a number of second layers ( 25 ) of the first fibre material,

wherein the central core element ( 23 c ) is spaced apart from the at least two side core elements ( 23 a , 23 b ) to form a first recess ( 24 a ) and a second recess ( 24 b ),

wherein a first main laminate ( 28 a ) is arranged inside the first recess ( 24 a ) and a second main laminate ( 28 b ) is arranged inside the second recess ( 24 b ),

wherein said second number of layers ( 25 ) of the first fibre material extends along the central core element ( 23 c ), the least two side core elements ( 23 a , 23 b ) and further along the first number of layers ( 20 ) within the first and second recesses ( 24 a , 24 b ), and

wherein said first and second main laminates ( 28 a , 28 b ) are interconnected by at least one intermediate skin or installation flange ( 37 b ′) extending over a top side ( 46 ) of the central core element ( 23 c ).

10. The wind turbine blade according to claim 9 , characterised in that at least one of the first and second main laminates ( 28 a , 28 b ) comprises a plurality of layers ( 33 ) of a second fibre material infused with a second resin.

11. The wind turbine blade according to claim 10 , characterised in that said first resin is equal to said second resin, and/or said first fibre material is equal to said second fibre material.

12. The wind turbine blade according to claim 9 , characterised in that the central core element ( 23 c ) further has a bottom side ( 48 ) and two opposite edge surfaces ( 44 ), wherein the central core element ( 23 c ) comprises an integrated resin flow network ( 45 ) configured to guide uncured resin from a central inlet ( 38 ′) and along the central core element ( 23 c ), optionally, further into the first and second main laminates ( 28 a , 28 b ).

13. The wind turbine blade according to claim 12 , characterised in that the resin flow network ( 25 ) comprises a number of grooves ( 42 , 43 ) formed in at least one of the top side ( 46 ), the bottom side ( 48 ) and the two opposite edge surfaces ( 44 ).

14. The wind turbine blade according to claim 13 , characterised in that a resin permeable element ( 41 ) is arranged inside at least one of said number of grooves ( 42 , 43 ).

15. A wind turbine blade ( 5 ) manufactured according to claim 1 , the wind turbine blade ( 5 ) extending from a blade root ( 7 ) to a tip end ( 8 ) in a longitudinal direction and further from a leading edge ( 9 ) to a trailing edge ( 10 ) in a chordwise direction, wherein the wind turbine blade ( 5 ) comprises at least one blade shell part ( 19 ) having an outer side surface and an inner side surface, the at least one blade shell part ( 19 ) comprising a sandwich structure having a number of first layers ( 20 ) of a first fibre material, a central core element ( 23 c ), at least two side core elements ( 23 a , 23 b ), and a number of second layers ( 25 ) of the first fibre material,

wherein the central core element ( 23 c ) is spaced apart from the at least two side core elements ( 23 a , 23 b ) to form a first recess ( 24 a ) and a second recess ( 24 b ),

wherein a first main laminate ( 28 a ) is arranged inside the first recess ( 24 a ) and a second main laminate ( 28 b ) is arranged inside the second recess ( 24 b ),

wherein said second number of layers ( 25 ) of the first fibre material extends along the central core element ( 23 c ), the least two side core elements ( 23 a , 23 b ) and further along the first number of layers ( 20 ) within the first and second recesses ( 24 a , 24 b ),

wherein the central core element ( 23 c ) has a top side ( 46 ), a bottom side ( 48 ) and two opposite edge surfaces ( 44 ), and wherein the central core element ( 23 c ) comprises an integrated resin flow network ( 45 ) configured to guide uncured resin from a central inlet ( 38 ′) and along the central core element ( 23 c ), and optionally, further into the first and second main laminates ( 28 a , 28 b ),

wherein the resin flow network ( 25 ) comprises a number of grooves ( 42 , 43 ) formed in at least one of the top side ( 46 ), the bottom side ( 48 ) and the two opposite edge surfaces ( 44 ), and

wherein a resin permeable element ( 41 ) is arranged inside at least one of said number of grooves ( 42 , 43 ).