Windmill rotor and wind blades therefor

• US 6,582,196 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2000
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LM Wind Power US Technology ApS (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LM Glasfiber A/S (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Inventors: Andersen, Søren, Albertsen, Henrik, Grabau, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): VERDIER, CHRISTOPHER M
• Application Number:
  US09/486,700
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 416/10, 416/11, 416/228, 416/235, 416/237, 416/238, 416/9, 416/202, 416/240, 416/223.R, 415/4.3, 415/4.5, 415/908
• US Class Current: 416/202
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0608 characterised by their aerodynamic shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A windmill rotor of the front-runner type and airfoil type wind blades therefor in which the blade tips have a longitudinally forwardly curved configuration. The curvature solves the problem of inward flexure of the blade in strong wind conditions, without requiring modification of the manner in which the rotor as a whole is mounted in order to avoid having the blade strike the windmill tower under such strong wind conditions.

Claims

1. A windmill of the front-runner type having a rotor rotatably carried on a windmill tower for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation and having a plurality of airfoil shaped blades mounted on the rotor with a front side thereof adapted to face away from the tower and counter to a direction of wind travel toward the tower, the airfoil shaped blades projecting radially from the rotor a distance which renders the blades resiliently bendable toward the windmill tower under the action of moderate to strong wind pressure applied to the front side of the blades;

wherein said airfoil shaped blades have a rotor-mounted body portion which extends in a plane which is perpendicular to said axis of rotation and have a free tip end portion which has a longitudinal forward curvature relative to said normal plane, said curvature extending along at least an outer one-third of the blade in a longitudinal direction of the blade and being of a magnitude which places a free tip end of each blade completely in front of said normal plane so as to avoid that said resiliently bendable blades contact the windmill tower during strong wind pressure.

2. Windmill according to claim 1, wherein said magnitude of the forward curvature corresponds to a radius of a root part of the blade.

3. A windmill according to claim 1, wherein said curvature commencing at approximately an outer one-third of the blade in a longitudinal direction of the blade from said rotor hub.

4. A rotor for a windmill of the front-runner type, said rotor having a shaft projecting from a rotor hub in a direction of wind travel and adapted for rotatably carrying the rotor directly on a windmill tower for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation passing through the windmill tower and having a plurality of airfoil shaped blades mounted on the rotor with a front side thereof adapted to face in an opposite direction from said shaft and counter to said direction of wind travel, the airfoil shaped blades projecting radially from the rotor a distance which renders the blades resiliently bendable toward the windmill tower under the action of moderate to strong wind pressure applied to the front side of the blades;

wherein said airfoil shaped blades have a rotor-mounted body portion which extends in a plane which is perpendicular to said axis of rotation and have a free tip end portion which has a longitudinal forward curvature relative to said normal plane, said curvature extending along at least an outer one-third of the of the blade in a longitudinal direction of the blade and being of a magnitude which places a free tip end of each blade completely in front of said normal plane so as to avoid that said resiliently bendable blades contact the windmill tower during strong wind pressure.

5. A rotor according to claim 4, wherein said magnitude of the forward curvature corresponds to a radius of a root part of the blade.

6. A rotor according to claim 4, wherein said curvature commencing at approximately an outer one-third of the blade in a longitudinal direction of the blade from said rotor hub.