WIND TURBINE BLADE WITH PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FLOW GUIDING DEVICE PARTS

• US 20120195764A1
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LM Glasfiber A/S (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: LM Glasfiber A/S (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Fuglsang, Peter, Bove, Stefano, Subrahmanyam, V.V., Lund, Brian, Jensen, Lars E., Radhakrishnan, Sreeram Kottumuklu
• Granted Patent: US 9,695,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 416/223.R
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0641 of the section profile of the blades, i.e. aerofoil profile
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/121 Baffles or ribs
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/301 Cross-section characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/305 Flaps, slats or spoilers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A wind turbine blade with a plurality of flow guiding device parts attached to a profiled contour on a pressure side of the blade is described. The longitudinally extending flow guiding device parts are grouped together to form a first flow guiding device group in the transition region of the blade.

Claims

1. A blade (10) for a rotor of a wind turbine (2) having a substantially horizontal rotor shaft, said rotor comprising a hub (8), from which the blade (10) extends substantially in a radial direction when mounted to the hub (8), the blade having a longitudinal direction (r) with a tip end (14) and a root end (16) and a transverse direction, the blade further comprising:

a profiled contour (40, 42, 50) including a pressure side and a suction side, as well as a leading edge (18) and a trailing edge (20) with a chord having a chord length extending there between, the profiled contour, when being impacted by an incident airflow, generating a lift, wherein the profiled contour is divided into;

a root region (30) having a substantially circular or elliptical profile closest to the hub,

an airfoil region (34) having a lift-generating profile furthest away from the hub, and

a transition region (32) between the root region (30) and the airfoil region (34), the transition region (32) having a profile gradually changing in the radial direction from the circular or elliptical profile of the root region to the lift-generating profile of the airfoil region, characterised in that

the blade is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending flow guiding device parts (70), which are grouped together to form a first flow guiding device group (77) in the transition region (32) of the blade (10), the first flow guiding device group extending along at least a longitudinal part of the transition region (32), wherein

each of the flow guiding device parts (70) is added to the profiled contour (40, 42, 50) of the blade on the pressure side (52) of the blade (10), and wherein

the flow guiding device parts (70) are arranged so as to generate a separation of airflow from the pressure side of the blade at a point between the flow guiding device parts (70) and the trailing edge (20) of the blade, when the blade is impacted by the incident airflow.

2. A wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the flow guiding device parts are shaped as planar elements protruding from the profile.

3. A wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the flow guiding device parts are shaped so that they have an inflow surface with a start point (74) oriented towards the leading edge (18) of the blade (10) and an end point (76) oriented towards the trailing edge (20) of the blade (10), the distance between the inflow surface (72) and the profiled contour (40, 42, 50) increasing from the start point (74) to the end point (76).

4. A wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the flow guiding device parts (70) are arranged so as to generate a separation of airflow from the pressure side (52) of the blade (10) at a point between the flow guiding device (70) and the trailing edge (20) of the blade (10), when the blade (10) is impacted by the incident airflow.

5. A wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein individual flow guiding parts (70) are arranged juxtaposed in the longitudinal direction of the wind turbine blade.

6. A wind turbine blade according to claim 5, wherein the flow guiding parts are arranged so as to abut each other at longitudinal ends.

7. A wind turbine blade according to claim 5, wherein the flow guiding parts are arranged with a longitudinal spacing between the flow guiding parts.

8. A wind turbine blade according to claim 7, wherein the longitudinal spacing lies in an interval between 5 mm and 50 mm, or between 5 mm and 40 mm, or between 5 mm and 30 mm.

9. A wind turbine blade according to claim 7, wherein the spacing between adjacent flow guiding parts is closed with a flexible body, e.g. made of a rubber material.

10. A wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the flow guiding device parts are arranged on a common, longitudinally extending base.

11. A wind turbine blade according to claim 10, wherein the flow guiding device parts are separated by a recess.

12. A wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of longitudinally extending flow guiding device parts (70) comprises individual flow guiding device parts, which are at least partially overlapping in the longitudinal direction of the blade.

13. A wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the individual flow guiding device parts are substantially straight in the longitudinal direction.

14. A wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the individual flow guiding device parts are curved in the longitudinal direction.

15. A wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the first flow guiding device group has a corrugated design in the longitudinal direction.