IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,313,031
Granted Patent B2
US 12,313,031 · App. 17/826,448 · Granted May 27, 2025

Wind turbine blade and method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade

Inventors: Morten Ravn (Egtved, DK); Peter Hansen (Kolding, DK); Simon Berg Bojesen (Billund, DK); Casper Skovby (Roskilde, DK); Mads Døssing (Kolding, DK); Peter Bæk (Kolding, DK); Christian Frank Andersen (Kolding, DK); Michael Klitgaard (Odense S, DK); Mark Olaf Slot (Odense sV, DK)
Assignee: LM WIND POWER US TECHNOLOGY APS
F03D1/0675F03D1/0679F03D1/0688F03D1/069F03D1/0682F05B2230/23F05B2280/6013
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,313,031
App. No.
17/826,448
Granted
May 27, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wind turbine blade includes a profiled contour with a leading edge and a trailing edge, and a chord extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, along with a blade shell with a pressure side and a suction side, a first main spar cap integrated in the pressure side of the blade shell, a second main spar cap integrated in the suction side of the blade shell, and one or more shear webs connected between the first main spar cap and the second main spar cap. The blade shell includes at least a first load carrying structure arranged at the leading edge or the trailing edge and having a first extension, including a first primary extension on a first side of the chord, where the first primary extension is at least 60% of the first extension.

Claims (22)

1. A wind turbine blade ( 10 ), comprising:

a profiled contour with a leading edge ( 56 ) and a trailing edge ( 58 ), and a chord ( 60 ) extending between the leading edge ( 56 ) and the trailing edge ( 58 );

a blade shell ( 64 ) with a pressure side and a suction side;

a first main spar cap ( 70 ) integrated in the pressure side of the blade shell ( 64 );

a second main spar cap ( 72 ) integrated in the suction side of the blade shell ( 64 ); and

one or more shear webs ( 74 , 76 ) connected between the first main spar cap ( 70 ) and the second main spar cap ( 72 ),

wherein the blade shell ( 64 ) comprises at least a first load carrying structure ( 78 ) comprising one or more unidirectional fiber layers and being arranged at the leading edge ( 56 ), wherein the first load carrying structure has a first extension including a first primary extension (E 1,1 ) on a first side of the chord ( 60 ), wherein the first primary extension is at least 60% of the first extension, and wherein the first load carrying structure provides increased edgewise damping of the wind turbine blade at wind speeds above a minimal wind speed threshold, wherein the minimal wind speed threshold is between 16 m/s and 18 m/s.

2. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the first extension of the first load carrying structure includes a first secondary extension (E 1,2 ) on a second side of the chord, wherein the first secondary extension is less than 20% of the first extension.

3. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the first load carrying structure is arranged at the leading edge, wherein the first side of the chord is the pressure side, and wherein the first primary extension is at least 80% of the first extension.

4. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the first load carrying structure comprises at least 10 layers of reinforcement material.

5. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the blade shell comprises a second load carrying structure ( 90 ) arranged at the trailing edge, wherein the second load carrying structure has a second extension including a second primary extension (E 2,1 ) on a second side of the chord, and wherein the second primary extension is at least 60% of the second extension.

6. The wind turbine blade according to claim 5 , wherein the second extension of the second load carrying structure includes a second secondary extension (E 2,2 ) on the first side of the chord, wherein the second secondary extension is less than 25% of the second extension.

7. The wind turbine blade according to claim 5 , wherein the second load carrying structure is arranged at the trailing edge, wherein the second side of the chord is the suction side, and wherein the second primary extension is at least 80% of the second extension.

8. The wind turbine blade according to claim 5 , wherein the second load carrying structure comprises at least 10 layers of reinforcement material.

9. The wind turbine blade according to claim 5 , wherein the wind turbine blade comprises a first blade shell part and a second blade shell part, wherein the first load carrying structure is arranged in the first blade shell part, and wherein the second load carrying structure is arranged in the second blade shell part.

10. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the first load carrying structure is asymmetric at the leading edge with respect to the chord.

11. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the wind turbine blade comprises a first blade shell part and a second blade shell part, wherein the first load carrying structure is arranged in the first blade shell part.

12. A method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade comprising a profiled contour with a leading edge and a trailing edge and a chord extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, a blade shell with a pressure side and a suction side, a first main spar cap integrated in the pressure side of the blade shell, a second main spar cap integrated in the suction side of the blade shell, and one or more shear webs connected between the first main spar cap and the second main spar cap, the method comprising:

arranging a first reinforcement fiber layup at the leading edge or the trailing edge, wherein the first reinforcement fiber layup has a first extension including a first primary extension on a first side of the chord, wherein the first primary extension is at least 60% of the first extension, wherein the first primary extension being at least 60% of the first extension provides increased edgewise damping of the wind turbine blade at wind speeds above a minimal wind speed threshold, wherein the minimal wind speed threshold is between 16 m/s and 18 m/s.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the method comprises the further step of arranging a second reinforcement fiber layup at the trailing edge, wherein the second reinforcement fiber layup has a second extension including a second primary extension on a second side of the chord, wherein the second primary extension is at least 60% of the second extension.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the method comprises the further step of supplying resin to the first and/or second reinforcement fiber layup and curing the resin to form a first blade shell part and/or a second blade shell part.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the method comprises the further step of joining first and second blade shell parts of the wind turbine blade.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 14, 2023
From: RAVN, MORTEN; HANSEN, PETER; BERG BOJESEN, SIMON; SKOVBY, CASPER; DØSSING, MADS; BÆK, PETER; ANDERSEN, CHRISTIAN FRANK; KLITGAARD, MICHAEL; SLOT, MARK OLAF
To: LM WIND POWER US TECHNOLOGY APS
Reel/Frame 062689/0763 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 16312681 · Dec 21, 2018
Related Publication 20230084177A1 · Mar 16, 2023
References Cited (21)
US 7811063B2 · Bonnet · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 7837439B2 · Bech · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 8172542B2 · Hirano · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 8540491B2 · Gruhn · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 9541061B2 · Sievers · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 10137542B2 · Upton · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10487797B2 · Hancock · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 11161208B2 · Upton · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20110031757A1 · Mitsuoka · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20120061007A1 · Gunther · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 20150151390A1 · Upton · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150198141A1 · Hayden et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150252779A1 · Sievers · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20180297308A1 · Hedges · 2018 [cited by examiner]
AU 2010294625A1 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
KR 101520898B1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO 8100993A1 · 1981 [cited by applicant]
WO 9943955A1 · 1999 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2015158346A1 · 2015 [cited by examiner]
International Search Report dated Sep. 7, 2017 issued in corresponding International Application No. PCT/EP2017/065570 (from the parent application). [cited by applicant]
Indian First Examination Report dated Mar. 30, 2021 corresponding to application No. 201947002933 (from the parent application). [cited by applicant]