Structure and method for self-aligning rotor blade joints

摘要

An inventive self-aligning blade joint structure is provided to facilitate assembly and clamping of wind turbine blade sections carried on a transporter. The blade joint structure includes alignment pins on one end bulkhead of a blade body section at the joint and complimentary female bushings on a bulkhead of an adjacent blade body section to permit fine alignment of the joint. The blade joint structure also includes through holes in the end bulkheads for the adjacent blade body sections to permit clamping of the sections in preparation for application of adhesive bonding to the joint. A pair of male scarfed surfaces of spar caps extend from one blade section into the second blade section and engage female scarfed surfaces of spar caps formed in the second blade section and recessed from the joint. An inventive method is provided to utilize the self-aligning blade joint structure for assembly of the blade sections.