Compliant structures for jointed rotor blades

1. A rotor blade for a wind turbine, comprising:

a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint, each of the first and second blade segments comprising at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface, the first blade segment comprising a beam structure having a receiving end, the receiving end comprising at least one span-wise extending pin extending therefrom, the second blade segment comprising a receiving section that receives the beam structure of the first blade segment, the receiving section comprising a chord-wise member having a pin joint slot defined therethrough, the pin joint slot receiving the span-wise extending pin at the receiving end of the beam structure so as to secure the first and second blade segments together, and

a bearing assembly comprising a bearing received within a bearing retention housing, the bearing assembly received within the pin joint slot;

at least one sleeve positioned circumferentially around the bearing between the bearing and the bearing retention housing,

wherein at least one of the chord-wise member, the pin joint slot, the bearing, the bearing retention housing, or the span-wise extending pin comprises at least one compliant structure formed of a compliant material that allows a deformation thereof to follow a shear deformation of the rotor blade, and wherein the at least one sleeve is constructed of the compliant material.

2. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein a body of at least one of the chord-wise member or the span-wise extending pin is constructed of the compliant material.

3. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the bearing retention housing is axially secured within the pin joint slot of the chord-wise member, at least in part, via a first flange.

4. The rotor blade of claim 3 , wherein the bearing retention housing further comprises a second flange for limiting rotation of the bearing within the bearing retention housing, the second flange on an opposite side of the bearing retention housing from the first flange.

5. The rotor blade of claim 3 , wherein the bearing retention housing is further axially secured within the pin joint slot of the chord-wise member, at least in part, via a retaining ring.

6. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the bearing comprises a spherical bearing.

7. The rotor blade of claim 1 , further comprising a bushing received within the pin joint slot of the chord-wise member, the at least one compliant structure comprising the bushing.

8. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the compliant material comprises at least one of an elastomeric material, a resin material, a laminate material, a graphene material, or a cellulosic material.

9. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the chord-wise member further comprises one or more grooves on one or more radially outer surfaces of the chord-wise member to support bending loads of the chord-wise joint, the one or more grooves being separate from the pin joint slot.

10. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the chord-wise member comprises a butterfly cross-section.

11. A method of joining first and second blade segments of a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the method comprising:

providing the first blade segment having a beam structure that extends in a generally span-wise direction, the beam structure having a receiving end with at least one span-wise extending pin extending therefrom;

providing the second blade segment having a receiving section that extends in the generally span-wise direction, the receiving section comprising a chord-wise member having a pin joint slot defined therethrough; and,

inserting the beam structure of the first blade segment into the receiving section of the second blade segment such that the pin joint slot receives the span-wise extending pin of the beam structure so as to secure the first and second blade segments together at a chord-wise joint;

securing a bearing within a bearing retention housing to form a bearing assembly;

securing the bearing assembly within the pin joint slot, the at least one compliant structure comprising at least one of the bearing or the bearing retention housing; and

placing at least one sleeve positioned circumferentially around the bearing between the bearing and the bearing retention housing,

wherein at least one of the chord-wise member, the pin joint slot, the bearing, the bearing retention housing, or the span-wise extending pin comprises at least one compliant structure formed of a compliant material that allows a deformation thereof to follow a shear deformation of the rotor blade, and wherein the at least one sleeve is constructed of the compliant material.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the chord-wise member or the span-wise extending pin is constructed of the compliant material.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the bearing comprises a spherical bearing.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising placing a bushing within the pin joint slot of the chord-wise member, the at least one compliant structure comprising the bushing.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the compliant material comprises at least one of an elastomeric material, a resin material, a laminate material, a graphene material, or a cellulosic material.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising forming one or more grooves on one or more radially outer surfaces of the chord-wise member to support bending loads of the chord-wise joint, the one or more grooves being separate from the pin joint slot.