Granted Patent B2

US 12,285,919 · App. 18/259,784 · Granted Apr 29, 2025

Inventors: Peter Anthony Broome (Park Ridge, IL); Allen Russel Hall (New Orleans, LA); Chad Allen Boudoin (New Orleans, LA)

Assignee: LM Wind Power US Technology ApS

B29C66/81455B29C65/26B29C65/4835B29C66/634B29C66/636B29C66/721B29C66/9221B29C66/92441F03D1/0675B29L2031/085F05B2240/302

Abstract

Claims (32)

1. A method for joining rotor blade segments of a rotor blade, the method comprising:

providing a first blade segment;

positioning a bladder assembly on the first blade segment;

positioning an adhesive element in a first position on the first blade segment;

positioning a second blade segment with the first blade segment so as to define an inner cavity therebetween, the adhesive element and the bladder assembly being within the inner cavity, the second blade segment defining a clearance relative to the adhesive element in the first position;

inflating the bladder assembly to apply a force to the adhesive element, thereby causing the adhesive element to move from the first position to a second position that contacts the first blade segment and the second blade segment; and

allowing the adhesive element to cure so as to secure the first blade segment to the second blade segment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first blade segment comprises one of a suction-side surface or a pressure-side surface, and wherein the second blade segment comprises an opposing suction-side surface or pressure-side surface, and wherein positioning the adhesive element in the first position on the first blade segment further comprises:

molding the adhesive element so as to establish a first cross-sectional profile of the adhesive element when in the first position on the first blade segment.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein inflating the bladder assembly to apply the force to the adhesive element changes the first cross-sectional profile of the adhesive element in the first position to a second cross-sectional profile in the second position.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bladder assembly defines a length extending between a first end and a second end, the bladder assembly comprising:

an outer bladder configured to contact the adhesive element;

a permeable liner positioned radially inward of the outer bladder; and

an inner bladder positioned radially inward of the permeable liner.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the inner bladder has a constant maximum diameter along the length.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the inner bladder comprises at least a first bladder portion and a second bladder portion, the first bladder portion having a maximum diameter which is greater than a maximum diameter of the second bladder portion.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the bladder assembly further comprises:

at least one condition sensor positioned along the length, wherein the at least one condition sensor is configured to record data indicative of at least one of temperature, pressure, and humidity within the inner cavity during the curing of the adhesive element.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the bladder assembly further comprises a labyrinthine structure comprising a plurality of pre-formed turns.

9. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

removing at least a portion of the bladder assembly from the inner cavity after allowing the adhesive element to cure.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

retaining at least a portion of the outer bladder within the inner cavity after allowing the adhesive element to cure.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein inflating the bladder assembly comprises:

introducing a pressurized fluid into the bladder assembly via an access port; and

maintaining the bladder assembly at a target pressure while allowing the adhesive element to cure.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein maintaining the bladder assembly at the target pressure further comprises:

reducing the pressurized fluid within the bladder assembly in response to an exothermic expansion of the adhesive element during the curing; and

introducing an additional quantity of pressurized fluid into the bladder assembly in response to a contraction of the adhesive element while allowing the adhesive element to cure following the exothermic expansion.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting a pressure value within the bladder assembly via at least one pressure sensor.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

while inflating the bladder assembly, maintaining a target temperature within the inner cavity by at least one of introducing a quantity of heated fluid so as to increase a temperature within the inner cavity or circulating a quantity of ambient temperature fluid or chilled fluid to decrease a temperature within the inner cavity.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (161)