NOISE REDUCER FOR ROTOR BLADE IN WIND TURBINE

• US 20110268558A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Lin, Wendy Wen-Ling, Driver, Howard D.
• Application Number:
  US12/972,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20110268558A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/119
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/00 Details, components or accessories not provided for in groups F03D1/00 - F03D17/00
• 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 2250/183 zigzag
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/96 Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine is disclosed. The rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending between a tip and a root. The rotor blade assembly further includes a noise reducer mounted to a surface of the rotor blade, the noise reducer comprising a plurality of noise reduction features. The rotor blade assembly further includes a bond layer disposed between the noise reducer and the rotor blade for bonding the noise reducer to the rotor blade, the bond layer having a shear modulus approximately equal to or less than 500 megapascals.

Claims

1. A rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine, comprising:

a rotor blade having surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending between a tip and a root;

a noise reducer mounted to a surface of the rotor blade, the noise reducer comprising a plurality of noise reduction features; and

,

a bond layer disposed between the noise reducer and the rotor blade for bonding the noise reducer to the rotor blade, the bond layer having a shear modulus approximately equal to or less than 500 megapascals.

2. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1, wherein the bond layer has a shear modulus approximately equal to or less than 300 megapascals.

3. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1, wherein the bond layer has a shear modulus approximately equal to or less than 20 megapascals.

4. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1, wherein the bond layer has a shear modulus approximately equal to or less than 5 megapascal.

5. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1, wherein the bond layer is configured to generally isolate the strain associated with the rotor blade.

6. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1, wherein the bond layer comprises at least one of an epoxy, a polyurethane, a methacrylate, and an acrylic.

7. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1, wherein the bond layer comprises an inner acrylic foam layer disposed between opposing outer adhesive layers, and wherein the inner acrylic foam layer has a shear modulus approximately equal to or less than 5 megapascals.

8. The rotor blade assembly of claim 7, wherein the inner acrylic foam layer comprises a closed cell acrylic foam.

9. The rotor blade assembly of claim 7, wherein the inner acrylic foam layer has a thickness in the range between approximately 0.1 millimeters and approximately 10 millimeters.

10. The rotor blade assembly of claim 7, wherein the inner acrylic foam layer has a thickness in the range between approximately 0.3 millimeters and approximately 3 millimeters.

11. The rotor blade assembly of claim 7, wherein the inner acrylic foam layer has a shear modulus in the range between approximately 5 megapascals and approximately 0.1 megapascals.

12. A rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine, comprising:

a rotor blade having surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending between a tip and a root;

a noise reducer mounted to a surface of the rotor blade, the noise reducer comprising a plurality of noise reduction features; and

,

a bond layer disposed between the noise reducer and the rotor blade for bonding the noise reducer to the rotor blade, the bond layer comprising an inner acrylic foam layer disposed between opposing outer adhesive layers.

13. The rotor blade assembly of claim 12, wherein the bond layer is configured to generally isolate the strain associated with the rotor blade.

14. The rotor blade assembly of claim 12, wherein the inner acrylic foam layer comprises a closed cell acrylic foam.

15. The rotor blade assembly of claim 12, wherein the inner acrylic foam layer has a thickness in the range between approximately 0.1 millimeters and approximately 10 millimeters.

16. The rotor blade assembly of claim 12, wherein the inner acrylic foam layer has a thickness in the range between approximately 0.3 millimeters and approximately 3 millimeters.

17. The rotor blade assembly of claim 12, wherein the inner acrylic foam layer has a shear modulus approximately equal to or less than 5 megapascals.

18. The rotor blade assembly of claim 12, wherein the inner acrylic foam layer has a shear modulus in the range between approximately 5 megapascals and approximately 0.1 megapascals.

19. A wind turbine, comprising:

a plurality of rotor blades, each of the plurality of rotor blades having surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending between a tip and a root;

a noise reducer mounted to a surface of at least one of the plurality of rotor blades, the noise reducer comprising a plurality of noise reduction features; and

,

a bond layer disposed between the noise reducer and the rotor blade for bonding the noise reducer to the rotor blade, the bond layer having a shear modulus approximately equal to or less than 500 megapascals.

20. The wind turbine of claim 19, wherein the bond layer comprises at least one of an epoxy, a polyurethane, a methacrylate, and an acrylic.