General Electric Seeks Patent for Method for Manufacturing a Hollow Composite Structure, Particularly a Spar Beam for a Wind Turbine Rotor Blade and an Associated Mandrel

Alexandria, Jan. 21 -- General Electric has sought a patent for method for manufacturing a hollow composite structure, particularly a spar beam for a wind turbine rotor blade and an associated mandrel. Rondeau Louis, Yarbrough Aaron A, Chen Xu and Shillig Scott Iverson developed the invention.

The patent application number is 17/312735. International Patent Classification codes are B29C 33/50 20060101 B29C033/50, B29C 70/44 20060101 B29C070/44 and B29D 99/00 20060101 B29D099/00. Cooperative Patent Classification codes are B29C 70/446 20130101, B29D 99/0028 20130101, B29C 33/505 20130101 and F03D 1/0675 20130101.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has released the abstract. According to the abstract, "A method for producing a hollow composite structure, such as a spar beam for use in a wind turbine blade, includes placing fiber reinforcement material around a mandrel within a mold, and curing the fiber reinforcement material. The mandrel is formed from a compressible material having a rigid neutral state with a rigidity to maintain a defined shape of the mandrel during lay up and curing of the fiber reinforcement material. Subsequent to curing, a vacuum is drawn on the mandrel to compress the compressible material so that the compressed mandrel can be drawn out through an opening in the composite structure, the opening having a size such that the mandrel could not be withdrawn through the opening in the rigid neutral state of the mandrel."