Patent Description:
Climate change has created an urgent need for sustainable energy, putting the spotlight on wind power as a cost-effective and clean energy source. Wind turbines typically comprise a tower, generator, gearbox, nacelle, and one or more rotor blades, which capture kinetic energy of wind using known airfoil principles. With increasing energy demand, modern wind turbines can have power ratings of above <NUM> MW and may have rotor blades that exceed <NUM> meters in length.

Wind turbine blades are typically made from a fibre-reinforced polymer material and comprise a pressure side shell half and a suction side shell half. The cross-sectional profile of a typical blade includes an airfoil for creating an air flow leading to a pressure difference between both sides. The resulting lift force generates torque for producing electricity. Wind turbine blades are usually manufactured by forming two shell parts or shell halves from layers of woven fabric or fibre and resin. Spar caps or main laminates are placed or integrated in the shell halves and may be combined with shear webs or spar beams to form structural support members. Spar caps or main laminates may be joined to, or integrated within, the inside of the suction and pressure halves of the shell.

As the size of wind turbine blades increases, various challenges arise from the blades being subjected to increased forces during operation, requiring improved reinforcing structures. In some known solutions, pultruded fibrous strips of material are used to design spar caps. Pultrusion is a continuous process in which fibres are pulled through a supply of liquid resin and then heated in a chamber where the resin is cured. Such pultruded strips can be cut to any desired length. As such, the pultrusion process is typically characterized by a continuous process that produces composite parts having a constant cross-section. Thus, a plurality of pultrusions can be vacuum infused together in a mould to form the spar caps.

Typically, a spar cap in a wind turbine blade is made from either carbon pultrusions or glass pultrusions. Carbon fibres are typically lighter than glass fibres by volume, and have improved tensile and compressive strength. One of the challenges of wind turbine blade manufacturing is that a lightning protection system of the blade often requires that at least some blade components have a sufficiently high electrical conductivity through the thickness of the components, such as reinforcing sections like spar caps. There is thus an ongoing need for an improved pultruded spar cap and method for incorporating such spar cap in a wind turbine blade.

<CIT> discloses a carbon-glass mixed pultrusion plate for a main beam comprising a plurality of carbon-glass mixed pultrusion plates and a plurality of first conductive fabrics. The plurality of carbon-glass mixed pultrusion plates are stacked along the width direction and the thickness direction and a first conductive fabric is laid between two adjacent layers of carbon glass mixed pultrusion plates. The first conductive fabrics exceed the corresponding layers of carbon-glass mixed pultrusion plates and are downwards or upwards clung to the side surfaces of the carbon-glass mixed pultrusion plates, so that two adjacent layers of first conductive fabrics are overlapped.

Also, an existing challenge of known pultrusion processes is to obtain a correct and consistent placement of the fibre material. Some of the known techniques make it difficult to control the fibre location and to maintain the correct distribution within the pultruded article.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wind turbine blade with an improved reinforcing structure, such as a spar cap, and to provide a method for manufacturing said reinforcing structure that allows for an improved control of the architecture of pultruded articles.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an optimized arrangement of materials used in the manufacture of a spar cap.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a reinforcing structure for a wind turbine blade which is cost efficient structure and has optimized material characteristics for use in a lightning protection system of the blade.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a suitable reinforcing structure for a wind turbine blade which can be manufactured efficiently.

It has been found that one or more of the aforementioned objects can be obtained by providing a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell component, the method comprising the steps of.

It was found that this method allows for a significantly improved control of the architecture of the pultrusion plate, in particular with respect to the correct positioning of the carbon fibre material and the glass fibre material. Since the glass fibre material is held together or consolidated, preferably at the centre of the pultrusion plate, it can be ensured that the adjacent or surrounding carbon fibre material is distributed and maintained at the correct location. Using one or more of the suggested approaches to consolidate or hold together the glass fibre material, i.e. providing (i) a glass fibre fabric, (ii) a glass fibre preform comprising a consolidated arrangement of glass fibres and a binding agent, or (iii) a plurality of glass fibres encapsulated by a veil or a foil, provides an even and well-defined distribution of the carbon fibre material in the hybrid pultrusion process. This, in turn, is critical for the intended use of the pultrusion plates, i.e., as part of a lightning protection system of the wind turbined blade.

Additionally, this method and structure of the pultrusion plate are found to enhance the lightning protection properties and structural performance of the blade. In particular, it was found that the present solution reduces the risk for flaring over the pultrusion spar beam. Thus, structural and lightning protection performance can be enhanced at minimum material cost. Carbon fibres usually have high electrical conductivity and high stiffness per weight. These properties are desirable in the spar cap of a wind turbine blade. However, drawbacks of carbon fibres include the relatively low strain to failure and the comparatively high price per kg. Glass fibres are typically cheaper and have higher strain to failure. However, the electrical conductivity of glass fibres is minimal and stiffness per weight is significantly lower.

It is particularly preferred that the glass fibre material of the pultrusion plate is surrounded by the carbon fibre material. Preferably, the glass fibre material of the pultrusion plate is surrounded by the carbon fibre material along the lateral surfaces and along the top and bottom surfaces of the pultrusion plate. In a preferred embodiment of the pultrusion plate, the glass fibre fabric, the glass fibre preform or the plurality of glass fibres encapsulated by a veil or a foil, are encapsulated with carbon fibres.

In a preferred embodiment, the glass fibre material is a glass fibre fabric. In a preferred embodiment, the glass fibre fabric is a stitched fabric, a woven fabric, a knit fabric, a nonwoven fabric or a continuous filament mat. In some embodiments, the glass fibre fabric is a UD-fabric that is woven or stitched.

In a preferred embodiment, the glass fibre material is a glass fibre preform comprising a consolidated arrangement of glass fibres and a binding agent. The glass fibre preform preferably comprises a glass fibre material which is at least partially joined together by means of the binding agent, wherein the binding agent is preferably present in an amount of <NUM>-<NUM> wt% relative to the weight of the fibre material of the preform. In some embodiments, the glass fibre material comprises, or consists of, glass fibre rovings. In a preferred embodiment, the binding agent is present in an amount of <NUM>-<NUM> wt% relative to the weight of the fibre material. In some embodiments, the binding agent is a thermoplastic binding agent. Typically, for forming the preform, the fibre material is at least partially joined together by means of the binding agent by thermal bonding. The binding agent for preparing the preform could be a binding powder, such as a thermoplastic binding powder.

In a preferred embodiment, the binding agent of the preform is present in an amount of <NUM>-<NUM> wt%, preferably <NUM>-<NUM> wt%, more preferably <NUM>-<NUM> wt%, relative to the weight of the fibre material in the preform. The binding agent may also comprise two or more different substances. According to another embodiment, the melting point of the binding agent is between <NUM>° and <NUM>, preferably between <NUM> and <NUM>, such as between <NUM> and <NUM>, or between <NUM> and <NUM>. According to a preferred embodiment, the binding agent comprises a polyester, preferably a bisphenolic polyester. An example of such binding agent is a polyester marketed under the name NEOXIL <NUM>. Examples include NEOXIL <NUM> PMX, NEOXIL <NUM> KS <NUM> and NEOXIL <NUM> HF 2B, all manufactured by DSM Composite Resins AG. Preferably, the binding agent is a polyester, preferably a bisphenolic polyester. In other embodiments, the binding agent is a hotmelt adhesive or based on a prepreg resin.

In a preferred embodiment, the glass fibre preform comprises multiple glass fibre layers stacked on top of each other. The multiple glass fibre layers, such as three or more glass fibre layers, may be consolidated or bound together by, for example, a binding agent or an adhesive, or by a stitching. In a preferred embodiment, the glass fibre preform comprises glass fibre rovings.

In another preferred embodiment, the glass fibre material of the pultrusion plate comprises a plurality of glass fibres encapsulated by a veil or a foil or combinations thereof.

It is preferred that the glass fibre fabric, the glass fibre preform or the plurality of glass fibres encapsulated by a veil or a foil, are substantially slab-shaped. In a preferred embodiment, the glass fibre fabric, the glass fibre preform or the plurality of glass fibres encapsulated by a veil or a foil has the shape of a rectangular cuboid. Typically, the glass fibre fabric, the glass fibre preform or the plurality of glass fibres encapsulated by a veil or a foil, will have a rectangular cross section.

It is also preferred that the glass fibre fabric, the glass fibre preform and/or the plurality of glass fibres encapsulated by a veil or a foil, are formed prior to the pultrusion process.

Thus, the glass fibre fabric, the glass fibre preform and/or the plurality of glass fibres encapsulated by a veil or a foil, are used in the pultrusion process, preferably as centre or core reinforcement material, preferably in combination with a plurality of tows of carbon fibre.

In a preferred embodiment, the carbon fibre material of the pultrusion plate comprises a plurality of tows of carbon fibre material, and wherein adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the entire lateral surfaces of the pultrusion plate.

In a preferred embodiment, the ratio of carbon fibre material to glass fibre material in the pultrusion plate is between <NUM>/<NUM> to <NUM>/<NUM>, preferably <NUM>/<NUM> to <NUM>/<NUM>. This was found to provide optimised properties of the pultrusion plate in terms of electrical conductivity and overall stiffness. In some embodiments, a conductive material, such as a carbon biax layer, a carbon veil or a glass/carbon hybrid fabric or a glass/carbon hybrid veil, is used to electrically connect the pultrusion plates transversely within a stack of adjacent pultrusion plates. This can be implemented as an interlayer between pultrusion plates or only as the first and/or last layer in the stack of pultrusion plates.

The step of arranging the pultrusion plates on blade shell material in a mould for the blade shell component preferably comprises arranging the pultrusion plates into adjacent stacks of pultrusion plates, wherein adjacent refers to a substantially chordwise direction. These stacks usually extend in a substantially spanwise direction of the shell half. The step of bonding the pultrusion plates with the blade shell material to form the blade shell component usually comprises a resin infusion step in which the pultrusion plates and the blade shell material are infused with a resin, for example in a VARTM process.

The terms tows and rovings are used interchangeably herein. In some embodiments, each tow comprises a plurality of carbon filaments, wherein each filament comprises an outer layer of sizing. In addition, each pultrusion plate preferably comprises a resin or binding agent which is used in the pultrusion process for joining the carbon fibre material and the glass fibre material into a single pultrusion string. Preferably, each pultrusion plate comprises a matrix of fibre tows arranged in columns and rows, as seen in a vertical cross section of the plate. Thus, pultrusion fibre material may comprise glass fibres, carbon fibres, a resin or binding agent, and optionally additional reinforcing material. Typically, the pultrusion plate has a constant cross-section along its length.

Adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the entire lateral surfaces of the pultrusion plate, that is, from the top surface to the bottom surface. It is thus particularly preferred that the lateral surfaces of the pultrusion plate are free from glass fibre material.

Each stack of pultrusion plates may comprise <NUM>-<NUM>, such as <NUM>-<NUM> pultrusion plates successively arranged on top of each other. Thus, each stack will usually extend in a spanwise direction of the blade. In a midsection between a root end and a tip end, each stack may comprise <NUM>-<NUM> layers of pultrusion plates, whereas towards the root end and towards the tip end the number of layered pultrusion plates may decrease to <NUM>-<NUM>. Thus, the stack of pultrusion plates is preferably tapered towards both the root end and the distal end. Such configuration advantageously allows for a profile that is consistent with the thickness profile of the shell. Typically, two or more, or three or more stacks of pultrusion plates are arranged next to each other, adjacent to each other in a substantially chordwise direction. Typically, a resin will be infused in the stack of pultrusion plates. This can, for example, be done using vacuum-assisted resin transfer moulding.

The blade shell component is usually a shell half, such as a shell half with a reinforcing structure such as a spar cap. The blade shell material may include one or more fibre layers and/or a gelcoat. The plurality of pultrusion plates will typically extend in a spanwise direction of the shell half or of the blade. Thus, at least some of the pultrusion plates have preferably a length corresponding to <NUM>-<NUM>% of the blade length. A polymer resin is typically infused into pultrusion plates following the lay-up into the shell half.

In a preferred embodiment, the pultrusion fibre material comprises a plurality of tows of carbon fibre material. In a preferred embodiment, each tow comprises <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> filaments, preferably <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> filaments, of carbon fibre.

In a preferred embodiment, the tows of carbon fibre material extend substantially parallel to each other within the pultrusion plate. In a preferred embodiment, the tows of carbon fibre material are arranged in an array, preferably a regular array, of rows and columns of tows, as seen in a vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate. The rows will typically extend in a substantially horizontal or chordwise direction, whereas the columns will typically extend in a substantially vertical or flapwise direction. The array of rows and columns of tows will typically be constant over the length of the pultrusion plate.

In a preferred embodiment, the tows of carbon fibre material are arranged in a plurality of rows of tows, and optionally a plurality of columns of tows, as seen in a vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate.

In a preferred embodiment, the lateral surfaces of each pultrusion plate are free from glass fibres, preferably by providing a continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material along the lateral edges of the pultrusion plate, the continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extending from the top surface to the opposing bottom surface of the pultrusion plate. In some embodiments, the adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extend from each lateral surface inward over a chordwise or horizontal distance of <NUM>-<NUM>, preferably <NUM>-<NUM>. In some embodiments, said chordwise or horizontal distance is longer, e.g. <NUM>-<NUM> at the top and bottom surfaces of the pultrusion plate, and shorter towards the midpoint of each lateral surface, such as <NUM>-<NUM>.

In a preferred embodiment, the glass fibre material and the plurality of tows of carbon fibre material form a non-random pattern, preferably a symmetrical pattern, as seen in a vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate. Typically, the pattern is constant over the length of the pultrusion plate. In another preferred embodiment, the pattern comprises one more vertical columns of carbon fibre tows extending from the top surface to the bottom surface of the pultrusion plate, as seen in a vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate. It is preferred that the pattern has reflectional symmetry or bilateral symmetry as appearing on the vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate, such that the left and right sides are mirror images of each other.

In a preferred embodiment, the pultrusion plates are arranged into adjacent stacks of pultrusion plates, and wherein a continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extends from the top surface of the uppermost pultrusion plate to the bottom surface of the lowermost pultrusion plate of each stack of pultrusion plates. Said continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material within the stack is preferably an electrically conducting path. Thus, the entire stack may conduct a lightning current from the top surface of the stack to the bottom surface of the stack, preferably in a substantially vertical or flapwise direction.

It is particularly preferred that the pultrusion plates, and the reinforcing structure comprising the pultrusion plates, do not comprise any isolated tows of carbon fibre material, such as tows of carbon fibre material that are not electrically coupled to another tow of carbon fibre material. Thus, in a particularly preferred embodiment, all tows of carbon fibre material within the pultrusion plate are electrically coupled, i.e. providing a conduction path for electrical energy, such as a lightning current, between the tows of carbon fibre material. This is found to effectively prevent flashovers inside the spar cap when the blade is hit by a lightning strike, thus preventing damage to the pultrusion plate and to the reinforcing structure, such as the spar cap.

In some embodiments, the stacked pultrusion plates are pre-bonded together prior to being bonded to the blade shell. Alternatively, the stacked pultrusion plates are co-bonded with the blade shell materials. In a preferred embodiment, the stacked pultrusion plates are bonded with the blade shell material using an adhesive or in a vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding (VARTM) process.

Usually, the top and bottom surfaces face opposing flapwise directions, whereas the lateral surface typically face towards the trailing edge and towards the leading edge of the blade half, respectively. The present inventors have found that an efficient lightning protection system benefits from the conductive carbon fibre materials being connected electrically and/or physically throughout the reinforcing structure, in particular in the vertical or flapwise direction, along the lateral edges of the stacked pultrusion plates, to ensure that flashovers do not occur inside the spar cap when the blade is hit by a lightning strike. Thus, it is advantageous that the electrical conductivity through the thickness of the pultrusion plates is relatively high. Thus, the continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extending from the top surface to the opposing bottom surface of the pultrusion plate may advantageously provide an electrically conducting path, in particular for lightning strikes, throughout the vertical direction of the pultrusion plate. In a preferred embodiment, the continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extends substantially vertically within the pultrusion plate.

In a preferred embodiment, adjoining tows of carbon fibre material means adjacent tows of carbon fibre material that are spaced apart by a distance not more than <NUM>, such as not more than <NUM>, preferably not more <NUM>, such as not more than <NUM>, preferably not more than <NUM>. Such maximum distances are found to provide a sufficiently electrically conductive path between adjoining tows of carbon fibre material.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the distance between adjoining tows of carbon fibre material is less than <NUM>, preferably less than <NUM>, more preferably less than <NUM>, most preferably less than <NUM>. In some embodiments, the distance between adjoining tows of carbon fibre material is zero.

In a preferred embodiment, adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the top surface of each pultrusion plate. In another preferred embodiment, adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the bottom surface of each pultrusion plate. The adjoining tows of carbon fibre material may extend from the top and from the bottom surface, respectively, inward along a vertical distance of <NUM>-<NUM>, such as <NUM>-<NUM>.

In a preferred embodiment, several adjacent columns of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the entire lateral surfaces of the pultrusion plate.

In a preferred embodiment, a continuous, preferably substantially horizontal, row of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extends between the lateral surfaces, said continuous row being spaced apart from the top surface and from the bottom surface of the pultrusion plate.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to pultrusion plate comprising a top surface, an opposing bottom surface and two lateral surfaces, wherein the pultrusion plate is formed of a pultrusion fibre material comprising a glass fibre material and a carbon fibre material, wherein carbon fibre material is provided along the entire lateral surfaces of the pultrusion plate, and wherein the glass fibre material is selected from.

In a preferred embodiment of the pultrusion plate, the glass fibre preform comprises multiple glass fibre layers stacked on top of each other. In a preferred embodiment of the pultrusion plate, the glass fibre fabric is a stitched fabric, a woven fabric, a knit fabric, a nonwoven fabric or a continuous filament mat. In a preferred embodiment, the glass fibre preform comprises glass fibre rovings.

Preferably, the carbon fibre material comprises a plurality of tows of carbon fibre material, and wherein adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the entire lateral surfaces of the pultrusion plate. In a preferred embodiment, the tows of carbon fibre material are arranged in a plurality of rows of tows, and optionally a plurality of columns of tows, as seen in a vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate.

In a preferred embodiment, the lateral surfaces of the pultrusion plate are free from glass fibres, preferably by providing a continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material along the lateral edges of the pultrusion plate, the continuous path of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extending from the top surface to the opposing bottom surface of the pultrusion plate.

In a preferred embodiment, the glass fibre material and the carbon fibre material form a non-random pattern, preferably a symmetrical pattern, as seen in a vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a reinforcing structure for a wind turbine blade, the reinforcing structure comprising a plurality of pultrusion plates according to the present invention.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a pultrusion plate comprising a top surface, an opposing bottom surface and two lateral surfaces, wherein the pultrusion plate is formed of a pultrusion fibre material comprising a glass fibre material and a plurality of tows of carbon fibre material, and wherein adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the entire top surface and along the entire bottom surface of the pultrusion plate. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell component, the method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of pultrusion plates, wherein each pultrusion plate comprises a top surface, an opposing bottom surface and two lateral surfaces, arranging the pultrusion plates on a blade shell material in a mould for the blade shell component, and bonding the pultrusion plates with the blade shell material to form the blade shell component, wherein each pultrusion plate is formed of a pultrusion fibre material comprising a glass fibre material, such as a glass fibre fabric or a glass fibre preform, and a plurality of tows of carbon fibre material, and wherein adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the entire top surface and along the entire bottom surface of the pultrusion plate.

The top and bottom surfaces of the pultrusion plate may be covered by peel ply. In a preferred embodiment, the pultrusion plates have a length corresponding to an entire length of a spar cap for a wind turbine blade shell. In a preferred embodiment, the pultrusion plates are bonded with the blade shell material in a resin infusion process.

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a wind turbine blade shell component, such as shell half, obtainable by the method of the present invention. The present invention also relates to a wind turbine blade having a pressure side shell and a suction side shell, wherein the suction and pressure side shells are joined along a leading and trailing edge of the blade. One or both of the suction and pressure side shell components further include a reinforcing structure, such as a spar cap bonded to an interior surface of the shell, wherein the spar cap includes a plurality of pultrusion plates according to the present invention. The pultrusion plates preferably have a continuous unbroken length along an entire length of the spar cap.

In a preferred embodiment, the pultrusion plate has a rectangular cross section. In a preferred embodiment, the pultrusion plate has the shape of a rectangular cuboid. The pultrusion plate has a length, which typically extend in a substantially spanwise direction when the pultrusion plate is arranged in the blade shell. The pultrusion plate also has a width, which typically extends in a substantially chordwise direction when the pultrusion plate is arranged in the blade shell. The pultrusion plate also has a height or thickness, which typically extends in a substantially flapwise direction when the pultrusion plate is arranged in the blade shell. The thickness of the pultrusion plate is preferably between <NUM> and <NUM>, more preferably between <NUM> and <NUM>. The length of the plate is typically its largest dimension. The length of the plate extends in the same direction as its longitudinal axis.

The length of the pultrusion plate is typically between <NUM> and <NUM> meters, preferably between <NUM> and <NUM> meters, more preferably between <NUM> and <NUM> meters. The height/thickness of the pultrusion plate is preferably between <NUM> and <NUM> millimeters, preferably between <NUM> and <NUM> millimeters, most preferably between <NUM> and <NUM> millimeters. The width of the plate is preferably between <NUM> and <NUM> millimeters, most preferably between <NUM> and <NUM> millimeters. In a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing structure, such as the spar cap, comprises between <NUM> and <NUM> stacks of pultrusion plates arranged next to each other, more preferably between <NUM> and <NUM> stacks. Each stack may comprise up to <NUM> pultrusion plates arranged on top of each other, such as <NUM>-<NUM> pultrusion plates or <NUM>-<NUM> pultrusion plates. Thus, each reinforcing section, such as each spar cap, may comprise <NUM> to <NUM> pultrusion plates.

The pultrusion fibre material preferably comprises a plurality of tows or rovings of carbon fibre material. Thus, each pultrusion plate may comprise <NUM>-<NUM> tows of carbon fibre material in total. The tows will usually extend in the length direction of the pultrusion plate, i.e. substantially parallel to its longitudinal axis, or parallel to the spanwise direction when arranged in the blade shell. In a preferred embodiment, the tows of carbon fibre material are arranged in a regular array or regular grid of rows and columns of tows, as seen in a vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate. The pultrusion plate preferably comprises at least <NUM> rows and at least <NUM> columns of tows.

All features and embodiments discussed above with respect to the method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell component likewise apply to the pultrusion plate or to the reinforcing structure of the present invention and vice versa.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a reinforcing structure for a wind turbine blade, the reinforcing structure comprising a plurality of pultrusion plates according to the present invention. The reinforcing structure will typically be a spar cap or a main laminate. In some embodiments, the reinforcing structure comprises a box spar. In other embodiments, the reinforcing structure comprises a spar beam. In a preferred embodiment, the elongate reinforcing structure is a spar structure, such as a spar cap, a spar beam or a box spar. It is preferred that the reinforcing structure extends along the blade in a spanwise direction. Typically, the reinforcing structure will extend over <NUM>-<NUM>% of the blade length. The wind turbine blade is usually manufactured from two shell halves, a pressure side shell half and a suction side shell half. Preferably, both shell halves comprise an elongate reinforcing structure, such as a spar cap or a main laminate, according to the present invention.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a wind turbine blade or to a wind turbine blade component comprising a reinforcing structure according to the present invention, or to a wind turbine blade shell component obtainable by the afore-mentioned method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell component. In another aspect, the present invention relates to a wind turbine blade shell component comprising a plurality of pultrusion plates according to the present invention.

The present invention also relates to a lightning protection system for a wind turbine blade, the lightning protection system comprising a lightning conductor, such as a cable, for example a copper cable, disposed at least partially in the interior of the blade, one or more electrically conducting lightning receptors disposed on one or more of the surfaces of the blade, wherein the one or more electrically conducting lightning receptors are electrically connected to a plurality of pultrusion plates according to the present invention, or to a reinforcing structure, such as a spar cap, of the present invention. In another aspect, the present invention relates to a wind turbine blade comprising a lightning protection system as described above, i.e. the lightning protection system comprising a lightning conductor, such as a cable, for example a copper cable, disposed at least partially in the interior of the blade, one or more electrically conducting lightning receptors disposed on one or more of the surfaces of the blade, wherein the one or more electrically conducting lightning receptors are electrically connected to a plurality of pultrusion plates according to the present invention, or to a reinforcing structure, such as a spar cap, of the present invention.

The shell halves will typically be produced by infusing a fibre lay-up of fibre material with a resin such as epoxy, polyester or vinyl ester. Usually, the pressure side shell half and the suction side shell half are manufactured using a blade mould. Each of the shell halves may comprise spar caps or main laminates provided along the respective pressure and suction side shell members as reinforcing structures. The spar caps or main laminates may be affixed to the inner faces of the shell halves.

The spar structure is preferably a longitudinally extending load carrying structure, preferably comprising a beam or spar box for connecting and stabilizing the shell halves. The spar structure may be adapted to carry a substantial part of the load on the blade. In some embodiments, the reinforcing structure is arranged within the pressure side shell half. In other embodiments, the reinforcing structure is arranged within the suction side shell half.

In a preferred embodiment, the pressure side shell half and the suction side shell half of the blade are manufactured in respective mould halves, preferably by vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding. According to some embodiments, the pressure side shell half and the suction side shell half each have a longitudinal extent L of <NUM>-<NUM>, preferably <NUM>-<NUM>.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises a step of arranging one or more shear webs in at least one of the shell halves, usually at the location of the reinforcing structure. Each shear web may comprise a web body, a first web foot flange at a first end of the web body, and a second web foot flange at a second end of the web body. In some embodiments, the shear webs are substantially I-shaped. Alternatively, the shear webs may be substantially C-shaped.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a pultrusion process for manufacturing the pultrusion plate of the present invention, and to a pultrusion plate obtainable by said pultrusion process. Said pultrusion process preferably comprises the provision of a plurality of bobbins carrying respective tows of carbon fibre material. A centre reinforcement material is provided in the form of a glass fibre fabric, a glass fibre preform comprising a fibre material, or a glass fibre material encapsulated by a veil or foil, as further explained above. The tows of carbon fibre material and the centre reinforcement material are preferably pulled through guide plates, a resin bath, and a heated die by a pulling mechanism. The continuous pultrusion string can be cut into individual pultrusion plates with a length of between <NUM>-<NUM> meters, preferably <NUM>-<NUM> meters, by a cutter. The shaped impregnated plates are then advantageously cured. The guide plates and/or the die may take the form of a spreader or inlet comprising multiple apertures, some of the apertures receiving a respective carbon fibre tow, and other apertures receiving the glass fibre material, preferably a glass fibre fabric or preform. The apertures can be spaced and they are located so as to guide the fibre to form a desired pattern of glass fibre material and carbon fibre material in the pultrusion plates.

As used herein, the term "vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate" refers to a cross section of the pultrusion plate on a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, i.e. the axis along the length direction of the pultrusion plate, which is usually the direction in which the pultrusion plate has its greatest extension. When arranged in the blade shell, the longitudinal axis or the length extension of the pultrusion plate will usually coincide substantially with a spanwise direction of the blade.

As used herein, the term "spanwise" is used to describe the orientation of a measurement or element along the blade from its root end to its tip end. In some embodiments, spanwise is the direction along the longitudinal axis and longitudinal extent of the wind turbine blade.

As used herein, the term "horizontal" refers to a direction that is substantially parallel to the chord of the blade when the pultrusion plates are arranged in the blade shell. The vertical direction is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal direction, extending in a substantially flapwise direction of the blade.

As used herein the term "fabric" means a material comprising a network of fibres including, but not limited to, woven or knitted materials, tufted or tufted-like materials, nonwoven webs, and so forth.

The invention is explained in detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings, in which.

<FIG> illustrates a conventional modern upwind wind turbine according to the so-called "Danish concept" with a tower <NUM>, a nacelle <NUM> and a rotor with a substantially horizontal rotor shaft. The rotor includes a hub <NUM> and three blades <NUM> extending radially from the hub <NUM>, each having a blade root <NUM> nearest the hub and a blade tip <NUM> farthest from the hub <NUM>. The rotor has a radius denoted R.

<FIG> shows a schematic view of a wind turbine blade <NUM>. The wind turbine blade <NUM> has the shape of a conventional wind turbine blade and comprises a root region <NUM> closest to the hub, a profiled or an airfoil region <NUM> farthest away from the hub and a transition region <NUM> between the root region <NUM> and the airfoil region <NUM>.

The chord length of the transition region <NUM> typically increases with increasing distance rfrom the hub.

<FIG> also illustrates the longitudinal extent L, length or longitudinal axis of the blade.

The blade is typically made from a pressure side shell part <NUM> and a suction side shell part <NUM> that are glued to each other along bond lines at the leading edge <NUM> and the trailing edge of the blade <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a schematic view of a cross section of the blade along the line I-I shown in <FIG>. As previously mentioned, the blade <NUM> comprises a pressure side shell part <NUM> and a suction side shell part <NUM>. The pressure side shell part <NUM> comprises a spar cap <NUM>, also called a main laminate, which constitutes a load bearing part of the pressure side shell part <NUM>. The spar cap <NUM> comprises a plurality of fibre layers <NUM> mainly comprising unidirectional fibres aligned along the longitudinal direction of the blade in order to provide stiffness to the blade. The suction side shell part <NUM> also comprises a spar cap <NUM> comprising a plurality of fibre layers <NUM>. The pressure side shell part <NUM> may also comprise a sandwich core material <NUM> typically made of balsawood or foamed polymer and sandwiched between a number of fibre-reinforced skin layers. The sandwich core material <NUM> is used to provide stiffness to the shell in order to ensure that the shell substantially maintains its aerodynamic profile during rotation of the blade. Similarly, the suction side shell part <NUM> may also comprise a sandwich core material <NUM>.

The spar cap <NUM> of the pressure side shell part <NUM> and the spar cap <NUM> of the suction side shell part <NUM> are connected via a first shear web <NUM> and a second shear web <NUM>. The shear webs <NUM>, <NUM> are in the shown embodiment shaped as substantially I-shaped webs. The first shear web <NUM> comprises a shear web body and two web foot flanges. The shear web body comprises a sandwich core material <NUM>, such as balsawood or foamed polymer, covered by a number of skin layers <NUM> made of a number of fibre layers. The blade shells <NUM>, <NUM> may comprise further fibre-reinforcement at the leading edge and the trailing edge. Typically, the shell parts <NUM>, <NUM> are bonded to each other via glue flanges.

<FIG> is a schematic top view of a shell half <NUM> of a wind turbine blade according to the present invention, illustrating the location of a reinforcing structure <NUM> having a spanwise extent Se. In the illustrated embodiment, the reinforcing structure <NUM> comprises three adjacent stacks 66a, 66b, 66c of pultrusion plates. As seen in <FIG>, the elongate reinforcing structure <NUM> extends in a substantially spanwise direction of the blade, with adjacent stacks 66a, 66b, 66c of pultrusion plates. The elongate reinforcing structure <NUM> has a tip end <NUM>, closest to the tip end of the blade, and a root end <NUM>, closest to the root end of the blade. The elongate reinforcing structure also comprises a spanwise extending front edge <NUM>, which is closest to the leading edge <NUM> of the blade, and a spanwise extending rear edge <NUM>, which is closest to the trailing edge <NUM> of the blade.

<FIG> is a schematic vertical cross section through part of a shell half with a reinforcing structure <NUM> of the present invention, as seen from the root end of the blade. The reinforcing structure <NUM>, such as a spar cap, comprises a plurality of pultrusion plates <NUM> according to the present invention, arranged in adjacent stacks 66a-e, which are arranged on blade shell material <NUM> in mould <NUM> for the blade shell component, such as a shell half. The stacked pultrusion plates <NUM> are then bonded with the blade shell material <NUM> to form the blade shell component, such as the shell half with the spar cap. Core material <NUM> is arranged on either chordwise side of the reinforcing structure <NUM>. A first shear web <NUM> and a second shear web <NUM> is placed on the spar cap <NUM> via respective bond lines <NUM>. The stacks 66a-e may be covered by a carbon biax layer <NUM> or a carbon veil or a glass/carbon hybrid fabric or a glass/carbon hybrid veil extending towards current connection terminal <NUM> of a lightning protection system.

<FIG> illustrates a pultrusion process for manufacturing the pultrusion plates <NUM> of the present invention. The pultrusion process makes use of a pultrusion system <NUM> which comprises a portion for receiving a plurality of bobbins <NUM> each supply a tow of carbon fibre material <NUM> from a creel <NUM>. A centre reinforcement material <NUM> is provided in the form of a glass fibre fabric, a glass fibre preform comprising a fibre material, or a glass fibre material encapsulated by a veil or foil, as further explained below.

The tows <NUM> and the glass fibre fabric <NUM> are pulled through guide plates <NUM>, resin bath <NUM>, and heated die <NUM> by pulling mechanism <NUM>. The pultrusion string <NUM> is cut into individual pultrusion plates <NUM> by cutter <NUM>. The shaped impregnated fibres are cured and can optionally be wound onto a roll. The guide plates and/or the die may take the form of a spreader or inlet comprising multiple apertures, each aperture receiving a respective carbon fibre tow or glass fibre two. The apertures can be spaced and they are located so as to guide the fibre tows and the fabric/preform/encapsulated glass fibre part to form a desired pattern of glass fibre material and carbon fibre material in the pultrusion plates <NUM>. The enlarged view of the pultrusion plate <NUM> in <FIG> also illustrates its longitudinal axis La and its length l. The height/thickness h and width w of the pultrusion plate are illustrated in <FIG>, see plate 64f.

Various of the patterns of a hybrid pultrusion plate are illustrated in <FIG>. Each pultrusion plate <NUM> in the various embodiments illustrated in <FIG> comprises a plurality of tows of glass fibre material <NUM>, indicated as white elliptical shapes, and a plurality of tows ofcarbon fibre material <NUM>, indicated as black elliptical shapes. As illustrated in <FIG>, the tows of glass fibre material <NUM> and the tows of carbon fibre material <NUM> are arranged in an array of rows <NUM> and columns <NUM> of tows, as seen in a vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate.

As illustrated in <FIG>, each pultrusion plate comprises a top surface <NUM>, an opposing bottom surface <NUM> and two lateral surfaces <NUM>, <NUM>, wherein adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the lateral surfaces <NUM>, <NUM>. This provides respective continuous paths 67a, 67b of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extending from the top surface <NUM> to the opposing bottom surface <NUM> of the pultrusion plate <NUM> along the lateral surfaces.

As seen in the various embodiments of <FIG>, the plurality of tows of glass fibre material <NUM> and the plurality of tows of carbon fibre material <NUM> form a non-random pattern, preferably a symmetrical pattern, as seen in a vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate <NUM>. <FIG> shows an embodiment where adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are only provided along the lateral surfaces <NUM>, <NUM>. In <FIG>, the carbon tows additionally extend along part of the upper and lower surfaces <NUM>, <NUM>, to some extent from the lateral surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> towards the centre. In the embodiment of <FIG>, the carbon tows additionally extend along the upper and lower surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> across the entire width of the pultrusion plate. The embodiment illustrated in <FIG> comprises several rows of adjoining carbon tows <NUM> along the lateral surfaces, as well as a continuous line of carbon tows extending between the lateral edges within the pultrusion plate. A similar configuration is shown in <FIG>, wherein the centre line is somewhat more scattered. Finally, <FIG> illustrates an embodiment in which several rows of adjoining carbon tows <NUM> are provided along the lateral surfaces, and in addition a checkerboard pattern is provided in a centre region of the pultrusion plate <NUM>.

<FIG> is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a reinforcing structure <NUM> such as a spar cap comprising three chordwise adjacent stacks 66a-c of four pultrusion plates <NUM> per stack. Several continuous paths of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material extend from the top surface of the reinforcing structure <NUM> to its bottom surface as illustrated at 67a by way of the adjoining carbon tows provided at the lateral edges of the individual plates <NUM>.

<FIG> is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of a pultrusion plate <NUM>. Here, adjoining tows of carbon fibre material <NUM> are provided along the top surface <NUM> and the bottom surface <NUM> of the pultrusion plate, whereas the lateral edges <NUM>, <NUM> comprise both carbon fibre tows and glass fibre tows. Thus, a conductive path of adjoining carbon fibre tows is provided in a horizontal direction.

<FIG> is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of yet additional embodiments of a pultrusion plate. Again, the plurality of tows of glass fibre material <NUM> and the plurality of tows of carbon fibre material <NUM> form a non-random pattern as seen in a vertical cross section of the pultrusion plate <NUM>. In each of <FIG>, adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided along the lateral surfaces <NUM>, <NUM>. Also, a continuous line of carbon tows extends through the centre, between the lateral edges of the pultrusion plate.

Furthermore, one or more vertically extending columns of adjoining tows of carbon fibre material are provided closer to the middle of the pultrusion plate, some of which extend all the way from the top surface to the bottom surface, see <FIG> and some of which extend only to the top surface, but not to the bottom surface, see <FIG> shows an embodiment wherein a vertical column extends at the centre of the plate, however, without extending all the way to the top surface or to the bottom surface.

<FIG> is a schematic illustration of a lightning protection system of the present invention. The lightning protection system <NUM> comprises a lightning conductor <NUM>, preferably a down conductor, disposed at least partially in the interior of the blade <NUM>. A tip lightning receptor <NUM> and two side lightning receptors <NUM>, <NUM> are disposed on or in one or more of the outer surfaces of the blade <NUM>, wherein the electrically conducting lightning receptors <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are electrically connected to a spar cap <NUM> of the present invention. The spar cap <NUM> may advantageously comprise a plurality of pultrusion plates according to the invention, for example, as illustrated in <FIG>,.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a pultrusion plate <NUM> according to the present invention. A carbon fibre material <NUM> is provided along the entire lateral surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> of the pultrusion plate, and also along the top surface <NUM> and along the bottom surface <NUM> in the illustrated embodiment. The glass fibre material is present as a glass fibre fabric <NUM>, e.g., a stitched glass fibre fabric. A similar embodiment of a pultrusion plate according to the present invention is shown in <FIG>, which is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line a-a' in <FIG>. Here, carbon fibre material is provided as tows <NUM> of carbon fibre material extending along the lateral surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> and along the top/bottom surfaces.

Another embodiment of a pultrusion plate <NUM> of the present invention is illustrated in <FIG>, which is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line a-a' in <FIG>. Here, the glass fibre material at the centre of the plate is a glass fibre preform <NUM>, which may be composed of a consolidated arrangement of glass fibres, such as glass fibre layers 114a-d, which are consolidated by a binding agent. <FIG> illustrates a third embodiment of a pultrusion plate according to the present invention, which comprises a plurality of glass fibres, such as tows <NUM> of glass fibre material, encapsulated by a veil or a foil <NUM>. Again, this glass fibre arrangement is surrounded by a plurality of tows <NUM> of carbon fibre material.

Advantageously, the glass fibre fabric <NUM>, the glass fibre preform <NUM> or the plurality of glass fibres encapsulated by a veil <NUM> or a foil are joined with the carbon fibre material, such as a plurality of tows of carbon fibre material in the pultrusion process, as illustrated in <FIG> wherein the reference numeral <NUM> denotes the glass fibre fabric, the glass fibre preform or the plurality of glass fibres encapsulated by a veil or a foil.

Claim 1:
A method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade shell component (<NUM>), the method comprising the steps of
providing a plurality of pultrusion plates (<NUM>), wherein each pultrusion plate (<NUM>) comprises a top surface (<NUM>), an opposing bottom surface (<NUM>) and two lateral surfaces (<NUM>, <NUM>),
arranging the pultrusion plates (<NUM>) on a blade shell material (<NUM>) in a mould (<NUM>) for the blade shell component, and
bonding the pultrusion plates (<NUM>) with the blade shell material to form the blade shell component,
wherein each pultrusion plate (<NUM>) is formed of a pultrusion fibre material comprising a glass fibre material (<NUM>) and a carbon fibre material (<NUM>), characterized in that carbon fibre material is provided along the entire lateral surfaces (<NUM>, <NUM>) of the pultrusion plate, and wherein the glass fibre material is selected from
a glass fibre fabric (<NUM>),
a glass fibre preform (<NUM>) comprising a consolidated arrangement of glass fibres (<NUM>) and a binding agent, and
a plurality of glass fibres encapsulated by a veil or a foil (<NUM>).