Blade for a water current turbine rotor, water current turbine comprising such a blade, associated water current turbine and method for producing such a blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10030520-B2
Application number	US-201314374582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2013
Priority date	Jan 27, 2012
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A blade for a water current turbine rotor, which extends along a radial direction and comprises an outer surface, an inner surface, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. The leading edge is the edge of the blade that extends along the radial direction and is disposed upstream in the direction in which the water flows along the blade, while the trailing edge is the edge of the blade opposite the leading edge and is disposed downstream in the direction of flow. At least one portion of the blade has a profile comprising a thick portion and a thin portion, the cross section being perpendicular to the radial direction. The thick portion and the thin portion each have a maximum thickness along a direction perpendicular to the outer surface, the maximum thickness of the thick portion being at least four times greater than the maximum thickness of the thin portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotor for a marine turbine, the rotor comprising:
an inner ring configured to revolve around a longitudinal axis, the inner ring having a first diameter;
an outer ring configured to revolve around the longitudinal axis, the outer ring having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter; and
at least one blade extending in a radial direction between the inner ring and the outer ring, the at least one blade having a leading edge positioned upstream following a direction of the water flowing along the at least one blade, and a trailing edge positioned downstream following a direction of a flow of water along the blade,
wherein at least one portion of the at least one blade, in a transverse section according to a cross-section thereof, has a profile with a thick part and a thin part, in which a length of a curve of the thin part is between 0.1 times a length of a cord between the leading edge and the trailing edge and 0.9 times the length of the cord inclusive, wherein a maximum thickness of the thick part is less than or equal to 0.25 times the length of the cord between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and the thick part has a plane of symmetry which is parallel to the radial direction such that respective curves of the outer surface and the inner surface of the thick part are symmetric along an entire length of the thick part.

2. The rotor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one blade presents the thick part and the thin part independently of a position in the radial direction of the cross-section.

3. The rotor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one blade presents a same profile independently of a position in the radial direction of the cross-section.

4. The rotor of claim 1 , wherein the length of the cord between the leading edge and the trailing edge is variable depending on a position in the radial direction of the cross-section.

5. The rotor of claim 1 , wherein the length of the cord between the leading edge and the trailing edge decreases from the inner ring towards the outer ring.

6. The rotor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one blade comprises an inflexion point that corresponds approximately to a delimitation between the thick part and the thin part.

7. A rotor for a marine turbine, the rotor comprising:
a first ring configured to revolve around an axis;
a second ring configured to revolve around the axis, and which is concentrically arranged relative to the first ring; and
at least one blade extending in a radial direction between the first ring and the second ring, the at least one blade having an outer surface, an inner surface, a leading edge, and a trailing edge,
wherein at least one portion of the at least one blade presents, in a traverse section according to a cross-section, a profile with a first part having a first thickness in a direction perpendicular to the outer surface, and a second part having a second thickness in a direction perpendicular to the outer surface, the first thickness being at least four times greater than the second thickness, and a length of a curve of the second part is between 0.1 times a length of a cord between the leading edge and the trailing edge and 0.9 times the length of the cord inclusive, wherein the first thickness is less than or equal to 0.25 times the length of the cord between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and the second part has a plane of symmetry which is parallel to the radial direction such that respective curves of the outer surface and the inner surface of the second part are symmetric along an entire length of the second part.

8. The rotor of claim 7 , wherein the at least one blade presents the first part and the second part independently of a position in the radial direction of the cross-section.

9. The rotor of claim 7 , wherein the at least one blade presents a same profile independently of a position in the radial direction of the cross-section.

10. The rotor of claim 7 , wherein the length of the cord between the leading edge and the trailing edge is variable depending on a position in the radial direction of the cross-section.

11. The rotor of claim 7 , wherein the length of the cord between the leading edge and the trailing edge decreases from the inner ring towards the second ring.

12. The rotor of claim 7 , wherein the at least one blade comprises an inflexion point that corresponds approximately to a delimitation between the first part and the second part.

Assignees

• Ge Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd

Inventors

• Duchene Hugo
• Cagnin Philippe
• Girard-Pecarrere Antoine

Classifications

• F03B13/10

  Submerged units incorporating electric generators or motors · CPC title

• F03B17/061

  with rotation axis substantially in flow direction · CPC title

• F05B2240/301

  Cross-section characteristics · CPC title

• F03B3/121 Primary

  Blades, their form or construction · CPC title

• Y10T29/49336

  Blade making · CPC title