Patent ID: 11919258
Assignee: TPI COMPOSITES, INC.
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F  Y | IPC B  F

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus for forming a composite wind turbine blade comprising:
a first turbine blade half comprising a first shell;
a second turbine blade half comprising a second shell;
a first mold half in an open configuration, comprising a first mold surface corresponding to the first shell;
a second mold half in an open configuration, comprising a second mold surface corresponding to the second shell;
a first vacuum bag overlaid on a spar cap on a B-surface of the first shell; and
a second vacuum bag overlaid on a spar cap on a B-surface of the second shell, the first vacuum bag distinct from the second vacuum bag;
wherein the first vacuum bag includes a first series of fluid channels for heating fluid and a second series of fluid channels for cooling fluid, each of the first and second series of fluid channels disposed on an outer surface of the first vacuum bag, at least a portion of each of the first and second series of fluid channels disposed proximate the first shell; and
wherein the second vacuum bag includes a third series of fluid channels for heating fluid and a fourth series of channels for cooling fluid, each of the third and fourth series of fluid channels disposed on an outer surface of the second vacuum bag, at least a portion of each of the third and fourth series of fluid channels disposed proximate the second shell;
wherein each of the first and second vacuum bags comprises a root region and a tip region, the root region having a first density of fluid channels and the tip region having a second density of fluid channels; and wherein
the first density of fluid channels is greater than the second density of fluid channels;
wherein the first density of fluid channels has a greater surface area in contact with the B-surfaces of the wind turbine blade than the density of second fluid channels;

an inlet fluid channel;
an outlet fluid channel,
wherein each of the inlet fluid channel and the outlet fluid channel are configured with a greater cross section than fluidly coupled first, second, third and fourth series of fluid channels.