Apparatus and method for cleaning an active flow control (AFC) system of a wind turbine

• US 7,931,445 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2009
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Haans, Wouter, Nies, Jacob Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Ninh H
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRAGER, JESSE M
• Application Number:
  US12/613,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20100143123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 415/1, 415/115, 415/116, 415/145, 416/146.R, 416/231.R, 416/1
• US Class Current: 416/231.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0608 characterised by their aerodynamic shape
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/022 Adjusting aerodynamic properties of the blades
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/55 Cleaning F03D80/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/63 Preventing clogging or obstruction of flow paths by dirt, dust, or foreign particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

An active flow control (AFC) system for use with a wind turbine is provided. The wind turbine includes at least one rotor blade. The AFC system includes at least two manifolds at least partially defined within the at least one rotor blade, at least one aperture in flow communication with each manifold of the at least two manifolds, a gas supply coupled in flow communication with the at least two manifolds, and a valve system operatively coupled to the gas supply. The valve system is configured to block a gas flow to a first manifold of the at least two manifolds to redistribute the gas flow to a second manifold of the at least two manifolds.

Claims

1. An active flow control (AFC) system for use with a wind turbine that includes at least one rotor blade, said AFC system comprising:

at least two manifolds at least partially defined within the at least one rotor blade;

at least one aperture in flow communication with each manifold of said at least two manifolds;

a gas supply coupled in flow communication with said at least two manifolds;

an AFC controller operatively coupled to said gas supply and configured to determine that at least one manifold of said at least two manifolds is fouled; and

a valve system coupled in communication with said AFC controller and operatively coupled to said gas supply, said valve system configured to block a gas flow to a first manifold of said at least two manifolds to redistribute the gas flow to a second manifold of said at least two manifolds upon the determination that the at least one manifold of said at least two manifolds is fouled.

2. The AFC system according to claim 1, wherein said valve system comprises a first valve and a second valve, the first valve operatively coupled to the first manifold and the second valve operatively coupled to the second manifold.

3. The AFC system according to claim 1, wherein said at least two manifolds are defined within one rotor blade.

4. The AFC system according to claim 1, wherein said gas supply comprises at least one of a pump, a pressure tank, a compressed gas cylinder, a compressor, a fan, a pumping device, and a blower.

5. The AFC system according to claim 1, wherein said AFC controller is further configured to control a flow rate of gas supplied from said gas supply to at least one of said at least two manifolds.

6. The AFC system according to claim 1, further comprising a second gas supply, the first manifold coupled in flow communication with the first gas supply and the second manifold coupled in flow communication with the second gas supply.

7. The AFC system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rotor blade comprises a first rotor blade and a second rotor blade, the first manifold defined in the first rotor blade and the second manifold defined in the second rotor blade.

8. A wind turbine comprising:

at least one rotor blade; and

an active flow control (AFC) system comprising;

at least two manifolds at least partially defined within said at least one rotor blade;

at least one aperture in flow communication with each manifold of said at least two manifolds;

a gas supply coupled in flow communication with said at least two manifolds;

an AFC controller operatively coupled to said gas supply and configured to determine that at least one manifold of said at least two manifolds is fouled; and

at least one valve coupled in communication with said AFC controller and operatively coupled to said gas supply, said at least one valve configured to block a gas flow to a first manifold of said at least two manifolds to redistribute the gas flow to a second manifold of said at least two manifolds upon the determination that the at least one manifold of said at least two manifolds is fouled.

9. The wind turbine according to claim 8, wherein said at least one rotor blade comprises a first rotor blade and a second rotor blade, the first manifold defined within the first rotor blade and the second manifold defined within the second rotor blade.

10. The wind turbine according to claim 9, wherein said at least one rotor blade comprises a first rotor blade and a second rotor blade, said first rotor blade comprising a first plurality of manifolds and said second rotor blade comprising a second plurality of manifolds.

11. The wind turbine according to claim 10, further comprising a second gas supply, wherein said gas supply is in flow communication with said first plurality of manifolds and said second gas supply is in flow communication with said second plurality of manifolds.

12. The wind turbine according to claim 8, wherein said AFC controller is configured to operate said AFC system in an AFC mode and a cleaning mode, wherein a gas flow rate through one manifold of said at least two manifolds during the cleaning mode is higher than a gas flow rate through the one manifold of said at least two manifolds during the AFC mode.

13. The wind turbine according to claim 8, further comprising a second gas supply having a lower flow rate than a flow rate of said gas supply, said gas supply serving as a primary cleaning gas supply and said second gas supply serving as an AFC gas supply.

14. A method for cleaning at least one manifold of at least two manifolds at least partially defined within at least one rotor blade of a wind turbine having an active flow control (AFC) system, a gas supply in flow communication with the at least two manifolds, said method comprising:

operating the AFC system in a first mode;

determining whether a first manifold of the at least two manifolds is to be cleaned; and

operating the AFC system in a second mode different than the first mode upon determining that the first manifold is to be cleaned, a gas flow rate through the first manifold during the second mode being higher than a gas flow rate through the first manifold during the first mode.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein operating the AFC system in a second mode comprises blocking a gas flow through a second manifold of the at least two manifolds to redistribute the gas flow to the unblocked first manifold.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein operating the AFC system in a second mode comprises increasing a gas flow rate of the gas flow supplied from the gas supply to the first manifold.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising increasing the gas flow rate of the gas supply by connecting a second gas supply in series to the gas supply.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the wind turbine includes at least a first rotor blade and a second rotor blade, said method further comprising operating the first rotor blade in a mode different than a mode in which the second rotor blade is operated.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the wind turbine includes at least a first rotor blade and a second rotor blade, the first manifold defined in the first rotor blade and a second manifold of the at least two manifolds defined in the second rotor blade, and wherein operating the AFC system in a second mode comprises concentrating a gas flow through the first manifold and the second manifold on the same span-wise section of each of the first rotor blade and the second rotor blade.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first manifold and a second manifold of the at least two manifolds are each in flow communication with the gas supply, said method further comprising:

supplying gas from the gas supply to the first manifold in the first mode; and

supplying gas from the gas supply to the second manifold in the second mode.