Method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade and a wind turbine blade thereof
This invention relates to a method and a wind turbine blade, wherein one or more airflow modifying devices are attached to a wind turbine blade having a base aerodynamic profile. The base aerodynamic profile is configured to substantially carry the structural loading of this modified wind turbine blade. The airflow modifying device is manufactured via 3D-printing and/or via 3D-machining and optionally coated or laminated before attachment. Once attached, the airflow modifying device may further be coated or laminated before working the outer surfaces into their finished shape.
1. A method of manufacturing a device ( 19 ) for modifying an aerodynamic profile of a wind turbine blade ( 5 ), the wind turbine blade ( 5 ) having a base aerodynamic profile, wherein the method comprises:
manufacturing a body ( 24 ) of the device ( 19 ) having at least one outer surface ( 21 ) and at least one contact surface ( 20 ), the at least one contact surface ( 20 ) is shaped to substantially follow the contour of said base aerodynamic profile, when attached, wherein the body ( 24 ) forms a complex profile extending in a chordwise direction and further in a longitudinal direction, the complex profile is configured to modify said base aerodynamic profile of the wind turbine blade ( 5 ), when attached, and wherein the complex profile has concave and convex curvature in the chordwise and longitudinal directions; and
applying ( 33 ′) at least one layer of fibre material or a coating over at least a portion of said at least one outer surface ( 21 ) of the body ( 24 ) to form the device ( 19 ), the device ( 19 ) being configured to be attached to the wind turbine blade ( 5 ),
wherein said body ( 24 ) is manufactured ( 31 ) by three-dimensional printing and/or by three-dimensional machining of a base element ( 31 a ) of said device ( 19 ).
2. The method according to claim 1 , characterised in that said body ( 24 ) is manufactured by three-dimensional printing of the base element ( 31 a ) of the device ( 19 ), which is substantially three-dimensional machined into the complex profile.
3. The method according to claim 1 , characterised in that said at least one layer of fibre material is infused or injected with a thermoplastic binder or a thermoset resin.
4. The method according to claim 1 , characterised in that a coating is further applied over said at least one layer.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the complex profile of the body ( 24 ) is a three-dimensional profile.
6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the complex profile of the body ( 24 ) has a substantially non-constant surface gradient along both the chordwise length and longitudinal length of the body.
7. A device ( 19 ) for modifying an aerodynamic profile of a wind turbine blade ( 5 ), the device ( 19 ) comprising a body ( 24 ) forming a complex profile extending in a chordwise direction and further in a longitudinal direction, the body ( 24 ) has at least one outer surface ( 21 ) and at least one contact surface ( 20 ), the device ( 19 ) is configured to modify a base aerodynamic profile of the wind turbine blade ( 5 ), when attached, wherein the at least one contact surface ( 20 ) is shaped to substantially follow a contour of said base aerodynamic profile of the wind turbine blade ( 5 ), characterised in that at least one layer of fibre material or a coating extends over at least a portion of said at least one outer surface ( 21 ) of the body ( 24 ), and wherein the complex profile has concave and convex curvature in the chordwise and longitudinal directions.
8. The device ( 19 ) according to claim 7 , characterised in that said device ( 19 ) comprises a first sub-device ( 19 a ) and a second sub-device ( 19 b ), wherein the first sub-device ( 19 a ) and the second sub-device ( 19 b ) are configured to be jointed together and/or to be attached to the wind turbine blade ( 5 ).
9. A method of modifying an aerodynamic profile of a wind turbine blade ( 5 ), the wind turbine blade ( 5 ) having a length of at least 35 meters measured between a blade root ( 7 ) and a tip end ( 8 ), wherein the method comprising the steps of:
laying up at least one layer of a fibre material in a mould;
introducing a resin into said at least one layer of fibre material;
substantially curing said resin in the fibre material to form at least one cured blade part of the wind turbine blade ( 5 );
working ( 34 ) a side surface of said at least one cured blade part into a finished outer surface defining a pressure or suction side ( 12 , 13 ) of the wind turbine blade ( 5 ); and
attaching at least one device ( 19 ) according to claim 7 to the at least one cured blade part by applying at least one layer of fibre material over at least a portion of the at least one outer surface ( 21 ) and further over a portion of the side surface of the at least one cured blade part, wherein said at least one layer of fibre material is infused or injected with a thermoplastic binder or a thermoset resin.
10. The method according to claim 9 , characterised in that said at least one cured blade part comprises a first blade part and a second blade part, wherein the at least one device ( 19 ) is attached before or after joining said first and second blade parts.
11. The method according to claim 9 , characterised in that said at least one device ( 19 ) comprises a first sub-device ( 19 a ) and a second sub-device ( 19 b ), wherein the first sub-device ( 19 a ) is arranged on the suction side ( 13 ) and the second sub-device ( 19 b ) is arranged on the pressure side ( 12 ).
12. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the complex profile of the body ( 24 ) is a three-dimensional profile.
13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the complex profile of the body ( 24 ) has a substantially non-constant surface gradient along both the chordwise length and longitudinal length of the body.
14. A wind turbine blade for a wind turbine, the wind turbine blade ( 5 ) extending in a longitudinal direction from a blade root ( 7 ) to a tip end ( 8 ) and further in a transverse direction from a leading edge ( 9 ) to a trailing edge ( 10 ), the wind turbine blade ( 5 ) having a length of at least 35 meters measured between the blade root ( 7 ) and the tip end ( 8 ), wherein the wind turbine blade ( 5 ) comprising an aerodynamic profile which defines at least one side surface arranged between said leading edge ( 9 ) and said trailing edge ( 10 ), wherein a number of devices ( 19 ) is attached to the wind turbine blade ( 19 ), each device ( 19 ) comprises a body ( 24 ) forming a profile configured to modify the base aerodynamic profile of the wind turbine blade ( 5 ), the body defines at least one outer surface ( 21 ) facing away from said at least one side surface and at least one contact surface ( 20 ) facing said at least one side surface, characterised in that said aerodynamic profile is a base aerodynamic profile, and at least one of said devices ( 19 ) is configured according to claim 7 .
15. The wind turbine blade according to claim 14 , characterised in that said at least one of the devices ( 19 ) is positioned between 0% to 50% of the chord length from the leading edge ( 9 ).
16. The wind turbine blade according to claim 14 , characterised in that said number of devices comprises an array of devices ( 19 ), wherein said array of devices ( 19 ) extends along the leading edge ( 9 ) or the at least one side surface.
17. The wind turbine blade according to claim 14 , characterised in that said number of devices comprises a device ( 26 ) arranged at the tip end ( 8 ), wherein the at least one contact surface ( 20 ) is shaped to enclose an original tip end ( 28 ) of the wind turbine blade ( 5 ), and the complex profile is shaped to form either an extended tip end profile or a modified tip end profile.