Apparatus and method for aerodynamic performance enhancement of a wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10132290-B2
Application number	US-201514887381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2015
Priority date	Jun 29, 2012
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A deployable aerodynamic component configured to be mounted to a wind turbine. The wind turbine includes at least one rotor blade. The deployable aerodynamic component configured to be positioned in front of an inner portion of the at least one rotor blade, and is structurally configured to cover a substantial portion of the inner portion of the at least one rotor blade in a wind direction during deployment of the deployable aerodynamic component and to allow the passage therethrough of an incoming wind when non-deployed. Further described is a wind turbine including the above-described deployable aerodynamic component and method for aerodynamic performance enhancement of an existing wind turbine, wherein the method includes mounting the above-described deployable aerodynamic component to a wind turbine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aerodynamic component for a wind turbine configured to be mounted to said wind turbine, wherein at least one rotor blade is connected to a hub of said wind turbine and defines an inner portion and a profiled outer portion, the aerodynamic component comprising:
a front portion configured to be positioned in front of the inner portion of the at least one rotor blade of the wind turbine in operation;
wherein the aerodynamic component is structurally configured to:
operate in a deployed state to redirect an incoming wind toward the profiled outer portion of the at least one rotor blade;
operate in a non-deployed state to allow the incoming wind to flow toward the inner portion of the at least one rotor blade; and
allow rotation of the at least one rotor blade about its longitudinal axis for pitch angle adjustment of the at least one rotor blade without interfering with the deployment of the aerodynamic component,

wherein the aerodynamic component is structurally configured as one of:
a roller and support arc deployable aerodynamic component comprising a frame about which a plurality of support arcs are moveable, a roller coupled to each of the plurality of support arcs and the frame, and a skin-like covering supported by the plurality of support arcs;
an umbrella-like deployable aerodynamic component comprising a support structure comprised of a skin-like covering, an extension tube, a plurality of spreaders configured to provide immediate support to the skin-like covering, a plurality of secondary supports coupled to the plurality of spreaders and a support structure hub through which the extension tube extends;
a weighted cable deployable aerodynamic component comprising a plurality of cables, each having a first end extending from a central component at a front portion to a second end proximate a rear portion onto which a weight is coupled and a skin-like covering supported by the plurality of cables to provide deployment in response to a spinning action of the central component;
or
a rotor flap deployable aerodynamic component comprising a plurality of rotor flaps, each of the plurality of rotor flaps configured in alignment with and retractable into a rotor blade of the plurality of rotor blades.

2. The aerodynamic component according to claim 1 , wherein in a side view, the aerodynamic component has a deployed shape of a substantially spherical segment.

3. The aerodynamic component according to claim 1 , wherein in a side view the aerodynamic component has a substantially paraboloidal shape.

4. The aerodynamic component according to claim 1 , wherein the aerodynamic component is a nose cone of the hub.

5. The aerodynamic component according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the aerodynamic component is configured to detach from the wind turbine.

6. The aerodynamic component according to claim 1 , wherein the umbrella-like deployable aerodynamic component further comprises a plurality of power heads proximate the support structure hub providing slideable movement of the support structure hub in a forward and aft direction enabling deployment and retraction of the umbrella-like deployable aerodynamic component.

7. The aerodynamic component according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of rotor flaps of the rotor flap deployable aerodynamic component has a delta-like shape in a deployed state relevant to each of the at least one rotor blade.

8. A wind turbine comprising:
a hub;
at least one rotor blade connected to the hub, the rotor blade comprising an inner portion and a profiled outer portion; and
a deployable aerodynamic component configured to be mounted to the wind turbine, the deployable aerodynamic component comprising:
a front portion configured to be positioned in front of the inner portion of the at least one rotor blade of the wind turbine in operation;
wherein the deployable aerodynamic component is structurally configured to:
operate in a deployed state to redirect an incoming wind toward the profiled outer portion of the at least one rotor blade;
operate in a non-deployed state to allow the incoming wind to flow toward the inner portion of the at least one rotor blade; and
allow rotation of the at least one rotor blade about its longitudinal axis for pitch angle adjustment of the at least one rotor blade without interfering with the deployment of the aerodynamic component,

wherein the deployable aerodynamic component is structurally configured as one of:
a roller and support arc deployable aerodynamic component comprising a frame about which a plurality of support arcs are moveable, a roller coupled to each of the plurality of support arcs and the frame, and a skin-like covering supported by the plurality of support arcs;
an umbrella-like deployable aerodynamic component comprising a support structure comprised of a skin-like covering, an extension tube, a plurality of spreaders configured to provide immediate support to the skin-like covering, a plurality of secondary supports coupled to the plurality of spreaders and a support structure hub through which the extension tube extends;
a weighted cable deployable aerodynamic component comprising a plurality of cables, each having a first end extending from a central component at a front portion to a second end proximate a rear portion onto which a weight is coupled and a skin-like covering supported by the plurality of cables to provide deployment in response to a spinning action of the central component;
or
a rotor flap deployable aerodynamic component comprising a plurality of rotor flaps, each of the plurality of rotor flaps configured in alignment with and retractable into a rotor blade of the plurality of rotor blades.

9. The wind turbine according to claim 8 , wherein the deployable aerodynamic component has a shape of one of a substantially spherical segment or a paraboloidal shape.

10. The wind turbine according to claim 8 , wherein the deployable aerodynamic component is configured to detach from the wind turbine.

11. The wind turbine according to claim 8 , wherein the deployable umbrella-like aerodynamic component further comprises a plurality of power heads proximate the support structure hub providing slideable movement of the support structure hub in a forward and aft direction enabling deployment and retraction of the umbrella-like deployable aerodynamic component.

12. The wind turbine according to claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of rotor flaps of the rotor flap deployable aerodynamic component has a delta-like shape in a deployed state relevant to each of the at least one rotor blade.

13. The wind turbine according to claim 8 , wherein the deployable aerodynamic component is a nose cone of the hub.

14. A method for aerodynamic performance enhancement of a wind turbine comprising:
providing a wind turbine including a hub and at least one rotor blade connected to the hub, the at least one rotor blade having an inner portion and a profiled outer portion;
mounting a deployable aerodynamic component to the wind turbine;
determining the presence of winds exceeding preset parameters;
deploying the deployable aerodynamic component to redirect an incoming wind toward the profiled outer portion of the at least one rotor blade when winds do not exceed the present parameters and operating the deployable aerodynamic component in a non-deployed state to allow the incoming wind to flow toward the inner portion of the at least one rotor blade when winds exceed the present parameters; and
rotating the at least one rotor blade about its longitudinal axis to generate energy,
wherein the de

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Opaits Dmitry Floryovych
• Saddoughi Seyed Gholamali
• Bennett Grover Andrew
• Boespflug Matthew Patrick
• Johnson Stephen Bertram
• Baehmann Peggy Lynn
• Lopez Fulton Jose
• Erno Daniel Jason
• Zirin Robert Michael
• Gupta Anurag

Classifications

• Y02E10/721

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F05B2240/12

  Fluid guiding means, e.g. vanes · CPC title

• F03D1/0625 Primary

  of the whole rotor, i.e. form features of the rotor unit · CPC title

• Y10T29/49316

  Impeller making · CPC title

• F03D1/0691

  of the hub · CPC title