Methods for manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades and components thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to methods for manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades and components thereof. In one embodiment, the method includes forming an outer surface of a rotor blade panel from one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins. The method also includes printing and depositing at least one reinforcement structure onto an inner surface of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins to form the rotor blade panel, wherein the reinforcement structure bonds to the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins as the reinforcement structure is being deposited.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for manufacturing a rotor blade panel of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
 providing one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins constructed of a thermoplastic material or a thermoset material in a mold of the rotor blade panel;   forcing the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins into a desired shape corresponding to a contour of an outer surface of the rotor blade panel;   additively printing and depositing, via an extruder of a three-dimensional (3-D) printer, liquid thermoplastic material or liquid thermoset material layer-by-layer onto an inner surface of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins to form at least one 3-D reinforcement structure thereon, thereby forming the rotor blade panel,   wherein the liquid thermoplastic material or the liquid thermoset material of the reinforcement structure solidifies and bonds to the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins as the reinforcement structure is being printed and deposited so as to maintain the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins in the desired shape such that when the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins with the reinforcement structure printed thereto is released, the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins retain the desired shape in at least areas where the reinforcement structure is printed.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins or the reinforcement structure comprises a fiber material, wherein the fiber material comprises a plurality of fibers, the plurality of fibers comprising at least one of glass fibers, nanofibers, carbon fibers, metal fibers, wood fibers, bamboo fibers, polymer fibers, or ceramic fibers 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the rotor blade panel comprises at least one of a pressure side surface, a suction side surface, a trailing edge, a leading edge, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising printing and depositing, via the 3-D printer, the reinforcement structure along a contour of the inner surface of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising printing and depositing, via the 3-D printer, one or more aerodynamic surface features to the outer surface of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising forming the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins via at least one of injection molding, three-dimensional (3-D) printing, two-dimensional (2-D) pultrusion, 3-D pultrusion, thermoforming, vacuum forming, pressure forming, bladder forming, automated fiber deposition, automated fiber tape deposition, or vacuum infusion. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising treating the inner surface of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins to promote bonding between the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins and the reinforcement structure. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein treating the inner surface of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins further comprises at least one of flame treating, plasma treating, chemical treating, chemical etching, mechanical abrading, embossing, or elevating a temperature of one or more areas to be printed on the fiber-reinforced outer skins. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising printing and depositing, via the 3-D printer, one or more structural components at one or more locations on the rotor blade panel, the one or more locations comprising at least one of a leading edge, a trailing edge, one or more spar caps, or a shear web. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising securing one or more inner skins to the rotor blade panel. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising printing and depositing, via the 3-D printer, one or more additional features directly to the rotor blade panel, wherein heat from the printing and depositing bonds the one or more additional features to the rotor blade panel. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more additional features comprise at least one of a spar cap, a shear web, a structural shear clip, a lightning cable connection guide, a lightning cable cover, a gusset feature, a landing interface, or a trough for one or more spar caps. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising forming the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins with one or more areas having more matrix resin material as compared to other areas on the inside surface thereof to promote bonding. 
     
     
         34 . A rotor blade panel for a rotor blade of a wind turbine formed by a method comprising the steps of:
 forcing one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins into a desired shape corresponding to a contour of an outer surface of the rotor blade panel;   additively printing and depositing, via an extruder of a three-dimensional (3-D) printer, liquid thermoplastic material or liquid thermoset material layer-by-layer onto an inner surface of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins to form at least one 3-D reinforcement structure thereon,   wherein the liquid thermoplastic material or the liquid thermoset material of the at least one 3-D reinforcement structure solidifies and bonds to the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins as the at least one 3-D reinforcement structure is being printed and deposited so as to maintain the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins in the desired shape such that when the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins with the at least one 3-D reinforcement structure printed thereto is released, the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins retain the desired shape in at least areas where the at least one 3-D reinforcement structure is printed.   
     
     
         35 . The rotor blade panel of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins further comprise one or more continuous, multi-axial fiber-reinforced outer skins. 
     
     
         36 . The rotor blade panel of  claim 34 , wherein the at least one 3-D reinforcement structure comprises one or more discrete fibers. 
     
     
         37 . The rotor blade panel of  claim 34 , wherein the rotor blade panel is free of adhesive between the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins and the at least one 3-D reinforcement structure. 
     
     
         38 . The rotor blade panel of  claim 34 , further comprising one or more additional features printed directly onto the rotor blade panel, wherein heat from printing bonds the one or more additional features to the rotor blade panel. 
     
     
         39 . The rotor blade panel of  claim 38 , wherein the one or more additional features comprise at least one of a spar cap, a shear web, a structural shear clip, a lightning cable connection guide, a lightning cable cover, a gusset feature, a landing interface, or a trough for one or more spar caps. 
     
     
         40 . The rotor blade panel of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins comprise one or more areas having more matrix resin material as compared to other areas on the inside surface thereof to promote bonding.