A lightweight, stiff and strong iso-grid (corrugated) shaped component 2 forms the internal structural body within a structural sheath (14, fig.3) of an airfoil, eg wind turbine blade. The iso-grid component 2 may be formed from upper and lower skins 9,10 forming pockets 11. The iso-grid 2 maybe extruded externally at the base of the blade or airfoil so that it can form a circular or part circular closed attachment hub. The iso-grid 2 can be manufactured from a variety of isotropic, or quasi-isotropic or orthotropic materials such as metals or composites, eg 3D composite weave material. The final shape can be adjusted to suit the design by cutting the continuous 3D weave material at the appropriate length and shape to fit within the blade airfoil geometry. The iso-grid internal structure maybe bonded to its mating aerodynamic shape outer sleeve (14) by a suitable matrix material. The iso-grid may be applied wing tip to wing tip either on the inside of the pressure surface or the suction surface of an airfoil, thus providing unbroken structural continuity on at least one face.
展开▼
