Patent ID: 8057189

Claim:
A wind turbine blade with a leading edge and a trailing edge, said blade comprising: an upper shell member and a lower shell member, each of said upper shell member and said lower shell member comprising a forward attachment edge, said attachment edges transversely spaced from each other and disposed rearward of said leading edge; a preformed bond cap having opposite legs with rearward edges mounted to said attachment edges of said upper and lower shell members, said bond cap preformed into an aerodynamic parabolic shape and size so as to define said leading edge of said blade and lie essentially flush with said upper and lower shell members; said attachment edges comprising recessed surfaces defined by decreased thickness edges in said upper and lower shell members, said rearward edges of said bond cap residing within and bonded directly to said decreased thickness edges so as to be essentially flush with said upper and lower shell members; an internal structural stiffener between said opposite legs of said bond cap and spaced forward of said attachment edges; and wherein said bond cap defines a primary external bonding bridge between said upper and lower shell members and defines at least a portion of said leading edge of said blade.