WIND TURBINE BLADES WITH MIXER LOBES

• US 20100329879A1
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: FloDesign Wind Turbine Corp.
• Original Assignee: FloDesign Wind Turbine Corp.
• Inventors: Keeley, William Scott, Kennedy, Thomas J. III, Presz, Walter M. JR., Werle, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US12/793,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20100329879A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 416/228
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0633 of the blades
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0675 of the blades
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/30 Characteristics of rotor blades, i.e. of any element transforming dynamic fluid energy to or from rotational energy and being attached to a rotor
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/301 Cross-section characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A horizontal axis wind turbine blade comprises a leading edge surface, a trailing edge surface, an upper camber surface extending between the leading edge surface and the trailing edge surface, and a lower camber surface extending between the leading edge surface and the trailing edge surface. Notably, the trailing edge surface includes a plurality of air flow mixing lobes. An ejector blade may be located above the upper camber surface and behind the trailing edge surface. The ejector blade may include an ejector blade trailing edge surface that includes a plurality of ejector blade mixing lobes. The ejector blade mixing lobes may include a plurality of ejector blade high energy mixing lobes and ejector blade low energy mixing lobes. Advantageously, the mixing lobes allow for a reduced wakes behind the HAWT and thus decrease the requisite separation distance between HAWTs in a wind farm.

Claims

1. A horizontal axis wind turbine blade, comprising:

a leading edge surface;

a trailing edge surface;

an upper camber surface extending between the leading edge surface and the trailing edge surface; and

a lower camber surface extending between the leading edge surface and the trailing edge surface;

where the trailing edge surface includes a plurality of air flow mixing lobes.

2. The blade of claim 1, where the plurality of air mixing lobes includes a plurality of high energy mixing lobes separated by a low energy mixing lobe.

3. The blade of claim 1, where the plurality of air mixing lobes includes a plurality of low mixing lobes separated by a high energy mixing lobe.

4. The blade of claim 1, further comprising an ejector blade that is located above the upper camber surface and behind the trailing edge surface.

5. The blade of claim 4, where the ejector blade comprises an ejector blade trailing edge surface that includes a plurality of ejector blade mixing lobes.

6. The blade of claim 5, where the ejector blade mixing lobes comprises a plurality of ejector blade high mixing lobes and ejector blade low mixing lobes.

7. A horizontal axis wind turbine, comprising:

a support tower having a base mountable to a surface, and a distal end;

a hub mounted to the distal end, which rotates a main shaft coupled to a gear box that provides a gear box shaft to rotate an electrical generator;

a plurality of blades rotabably secured to the hub, each blade comprising

a leading edge surface;

a trailing edge surface;

an upper camber surface extending between the leading edge surface and the trailing edge surface; and

a lower camber surface extending between the leading edge surface and the trailing edge surface;

where the trailing edge surface includes a plurality of air flow mixing lobes.

8. The horizontal axis wind turbine of claim 7, where the plurality of air mixing lobes includes a plurality of high energy mixing lobes separated by a low energy mixing lobe.

9. The horizontal axis wind turbine of claim 7, where the plurality of air mixing lobes includes a plurality of low mixing lobes separated by a high energy mixing lobe.

10. The horizontal axis wind turbine of claim 7, further comprising an ejector blade that is located above the upper camber surface and behind the trailing edge surface.

11. The horizontal axis wind turbine of claim 10, where the ejector blade comprises an ejector blade trailing edge surface that includes a plurality of ejector blade mixing lobes.

12. The horizontal axis wind turbine of claim 11, where the ejector blade mixing lobes comprises a plurality of ejector blade high mixing lobes and ejector blade low mixing lobes.