Rotor blade for a wind turbine having aerodynamic feature elements

• US 7,604,461 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bonnet, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Ninh H
• Application Number:
  US11/283,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20070110585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 416/228, 416/231.B, 416/235, 416/236.R, 416/241.R
• US Class Current: 416/235
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0641 of the section profile of the blades, i.e. aerofoil profile
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/122 Vortex generators, turbulators, or the like, for mixing
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/306 Surface measures
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/32 with roughened surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A rotor blade for a wind turbine includes a surface having a plurality of aerodynamics feature elements formed therein. The elements for influencing an airflow at the surface during operation of the wind turbine and arrayed in a two dimensional pattern.

Claims

1. A rotor blade for a wind turbine, said rotor blade comprising a first surface having a plurality of first aerodynamic feature elements formed therein and a second surface having a plurality of second aerodynamic feature elements formed therein, said first aerodynamic feature elements influencing an air flow at said first surface during operation of the wind turbine and arranged in a three-dimensional pattern, and wherein said first aerodynamic feature elements in a root region of said blade are larger than said first aerodynamic feature elements in a tip region of said blade by at least 10% in at least one dimension of said first aerodynamic feature elements, said second aerodynamic feature elements influencing an air flow at said second surface and arranged in a two-dimensional pattern, wherein said first aerodynamic feature elements have at least one of a shape, a size, and an arrangement different than at least one of a corresponding shape, size and arrangement of said second aerodynamic feature elements.

2. The rotor blade according to claim 1 wherein said first surface defines a smooth surface area and said plurality of first aerodynamic feature elements are inwardly recessed in the surface area.

3. The rotor blade according to claim 2 wherein said plurality of first and second aerodynamic feature elements are formed as, or as parts of, at least one of:

spherical cavities, rounded polygonal cavities, straight faceted edge slots, curved rounded edge slots, and multiple curvatures rounded edge slots.

4. The rotor blade according to claim 1 wherein said first surface defines a smooth surface area and said plurality of first aerodynamic feature elements are outwardly protruding from the surface area.

5. The rotor blade according to claim 4 wherein said plurality of first and second aerodynamic feature elements are formed as, or as parts of, at least one of:

spherical shapes, rounded polygonal shapes, straight faceted edge ribs, curved rounded edge ribs, and multiple curvatures rounded edge ribs.

6. The rotor blade according claim 1 wherein each of said first and second aerodynamic feature elements has at least one of a maximum extension in at least one direction along said surface of 10 centimeters and/or a maximum extension in a direction orthogonal to said surface of 1 centimeter.

7. The rotor blade according to claim 1 wherein each of said first and second aerodynamic feature elements has at least one of a minimum extension in at least one direction along said surface of 1 millimeter and a minimum extension in a direction orthogonal to the surface of 0.1 millimeter.

8. The rotor blade according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said first surface and said second surface is a coating surface comprising a hard polymer compound.

9. The rotor blade according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said first surface and said second surface is a molded fiberglass reinforced plastic construction comprising surface aerodynamic elements.