General Electric Company
Methods for manufacturing wind turbine rotor blade panels having printed grid structures

Abstract:

A method for manufacturing a rotor blade panel of a wind turbine includes placing a mold of the rotor blade panel relative to a computer numeric control (CNC) device. The method also includes forming one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins in the mold. The method also includes printing and depositing, via the CNC device, printing and depositing, via the CNC device, a plurality of rib members that intersect to form at least one three-dimensional (3-D) reinforcement grid structure onto an inner surface of the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins before the one or more fiber-reinforced outer skins have cooled from forming. Further, the grid structure bonds to the fiber-reinforced outer skin(s) as the structure is deposited. In addition, the plurality of rib members include, at least, a first rib member extending in a first direction and a second rib member extending in a different, second direction. Moreover, the first rib member has a varying height along a length thereof.