Wind turbine rotor blade having an electric heating device

• US 10,294,925 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nordex Energy SE & Company KG (Nordex Se)
• Original Assignee: Nordex Energy GmbH (Nordex Se)
• Inventors: Klein, Hendrik
• Primary Examiner(s): White, Dwayne J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gillenwaters, Jackson N
• Application Number:
  US15/342,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20170122295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0675 of the blades
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/30 Lightning protection
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/40 Ice detection; De-icing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

Wind turbine rotor blade having an electric heating device for heating a heatable surface region which extends over a longitudinal section of the wind turbine rotor blade, wherein the electric heating device has a blade-tip-side end, a blade-root-side end and two profile-trailing-edge-side edges, and two outer electric conductors which are connected to the electric heating device along the profile-trailing-edge-side edges and via which the electric heating device can be supplied with a heating current, wherein at least one central electric conductor which is connected to the electric heating device at a distance from the two profile-trailing-edge-side edges in such a way that the electric heating device is divided by the at least one central electric conductor into at least two partial regions which each extend over the longitudinal section and can be supplied with an electric heating current separately from one another via two of the conductors.

Claims

1. A wind turbine rotor blade comprising:

a rotor blade body defining a longitudinal section and a heatable surface region extending over said longitudinal section;

an electric heating device configured to heat said heatable surface region;

said electric heating device having a blade-tip-side end, a blade-root-side end, a first profile-trailing-edge-side edge and a second profile-trailing-edge-side edge;

a first outer electric conductor connected to said electric heating device along said first profile-trailing-edge-side edge;

a second outer electric conductor connected to said electric heating device along said second profile-trailing-edge-side edge;

the wind turbine rotor blade defining a longitudinal axis;

said electric heating device being configured to be supplied with a heating current via said first outer electric conductor and said second outer electric conductor such that said heating current flows through said heating device in a direction substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; and

,

at least one central electric conductor connected to said electric heating device at a spaced relationship to said first and second profile-trailing-edge-side edges so as to cause said electric heating device to be divided by said central electric conductor into at least two partial regions which extend over said longitudinal section and can be supplied with an electric heating current separately from one another via two of said first outer electric conductor, said second outer electric conductor and said at least one central electric conductor.

2. The wind turbine of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one central electric conductor consists of a first and a second central electric heating conductor so as to cause said electric heating device to be subdivided into three partial regions including a central partial region; and

,

said rotor blade body has a profile nose edge arranged in said central partial region.

3. The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1, wherein:

each of said first outer electric conductor, said second outer electric conductor and said at least one central electric conductor have electrical connections to said electric heating device produced via at least one of an adhesive bond, a weld, a rivet and a threaded fastener.

4. The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1, wherein said electric heating device includes a planar carbon fiber material.

5. The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1, wherein:

said electric heating device includes electrically conductive fiber bundles; and

,

said electrically conductive fiber bundles are each electrically connected to at least two of said first outer electric conductor, said second outer electric conductor and said at least one central electric conductor and are electrically insulated from one another.

6. The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 5, wherein:

at least one of said electrically conductive fiber bundles has a first end and a second end;

said first end is connected to said first outer electric conductor;

said second end is connected to said second outer electric conductor; and

,

said at least one of said electrically conductive fiber bundles has a central section intersecting said at least one central electric conductor and is connected to said at least one central electric conductor in an electrically conductive manner.

7. The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1, wherein:

said electric heating device is configured to provide a specific area efficiency; and

,

said specific area efficiency is of different magnitudes in corresponding ones of said at least two partial regions when a defined voltage is applied to each two mutually adjacent ones of said first outer electric conductor, said second outer electric conductor and said at least one central electric conductor.

8. The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1, wherein:

said electric heating device is configured to provide a specific area efficiency; and

,

said specific area efficiency varies over a length of one of said at least two partial regions.

9. The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1, wherein said at least two partial regions include a central partial region, the wind turbine rotor blade further comprising:

a controller configured to actuate said electric heating device in a de-icing operating mode in which all of said at least two partial regions are operated with a first area efficiency; and

,

said controller being further configured to actuate said electric heating device in an anti-icing mode in which said central partial region is operated with a second area efficiency which is higher than said first area efficiency and in which the other ones of said at least two partial regions are operated with a third area efficiency which is lower than said first area efficiency.

10. The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1 further comprising at least one lightning arrestor receptor connected to each of said first outer electric conductor, said second outer electric conductor and said at least one central electric conductor in an electrically conductive manner in case of a lightning strike.

11. The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one spar cap; and

,

at least one of said first outer electric conductor, said second outer electric conductor and said at least one central electric conductor being arranged adjacent to a respective one of said at least one spar cap.

12. The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one spar cap defining a spar cap cross section; and

,

at least one of said first outer electric conductor, said second outer electric conductor and said at least one central electric conductor being integrated into a respective one of said at least one spar cap.

13. The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 11, wherein:

said at least one spar cap includes a first pressure-side spar cap, a second pressure-side spar cap, a first suction-side spar cap and a second suction-side spar cap;

said at least one central electric conductor includes a first central electric conductor and a second central electric conductor;

said first outer electric conductor is assigned to said first pressure-side spar cap;

said second outer electric conductor is assigned to said first suction-side spar cap;

said first central electric conductor is assigned to said second pressure-side spar cap; and

,

said second central electric conductor is assigned to said second suction-side spar cap.

14. The wind turbine rotor blade of claim 12, wherein:

said at least one spar cap includes a first pressure-side spar cap, a second pressure-side spar cap, a first suction-side spar cap and a second suction-side spar cap;

said at least one central electric conductor includes a first central electric conductor and a second central electric conductor;

said first outer electric conductor is assigned to said first pressure-side spar cap;

said second outer electric conductor is assigned to said first suction-side spar cap;

said first central electric conductor is assigned to said second pressure-side spar cap; and

,

said second central electric conductor is assigned to said second suction-side spar cap.

15. A wind turbine rotor blade comprising:

a rotor blade body defining a longitudinal section and a heatable surface region extending over said longitudinal section;

an electric heating device configured to heat said heatable surface region;

said electric heating device having a blade-tip-side end, a blade-root-side end, a first profile-trailing-edge-side edge and a second profile-trailing-edge-side edge;

a first outer electric conductor connected to said electric heating device along said first profile-trailing-edge-side edge;

a second outer electric conductor connected to said electric heating device along said second profile-trailing-edge-side edge;

the wind turbine rotor blade defining a longitudinal axis;

said electric heating device being configured to be supplied with a heating current via said first outer electric conductor and said second outer electric conductor such that said heating current flows through said heating device in a direction substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis;

at least one central electric conductor connected to said electric heating device at a spaced relationship to said first and second profile-trailing-edge-side edges so as to cause said electric heating device to be divided by said central electric conductor into at least two partial regions which extend over said longitudinal section and can be supplied with an electric heating current separately from one another via two of said first outer electric conductor, said second outer electric conductor and said at least one central electric conductor;

said electric heating device including electrically conductive fiber bundles;

said electrically conductive fiber bundles each being electrically connected to at least two of said first outer electric conductor, said second outer electric conductor and said at least one central electric conductor;

said electrically conductive fiber bundles being electrically insulated from one another;

at least one of said electrically conductive fiber bundles having a first end and a second end;

said first end being connected to said first outer electric conductor;

said second end being connected to said second outer electric conductor; and

,

said at least one of said electrically conductive fiber bundles having a central section intersecting said at least one central electric conductor and being connected to said at least one central electric conductor in an electrically conductive manner.