Means for alleviating strain on a wind turbine rotor blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10247169-B2
Application number	US-201515101043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2015
Priority date	Feb 12, 2014
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A rotor blade for a wind turbine with an aerodynamic device, and an aerodynamic device is provided. The rotor blade includes a main body defining a pressure side and a suction side of the rotor blade, and includes a main body trailing edge section. The rotor blade includes an aerodynamic device with an attachment section for attaching the aerodynamic device to the main body trailing edge section, an aerodynamic section for influencing the aerodynamic properties of the rotor blade, and a buckling section for controlling the orientation and/or the shape of the aerodynamic section with regard to the main body. The aerodynamic device is configured such that it deforms elastically for a force component acting in flapwise direction on the buckling section, and deforms abruptly if a force component of about the size of the stability limit of the buckling section acts in flapwise direction on the buckling section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rotor blade for a wind turbine, the rotor blade comprising:
a main body defining a pressure side and a suction side of the rotor blade, the main body having a main body trailing edge section, a leading edge section, and a span; and
an aerodynamic device, the aerodynamic device having an attachment section for attaching the aerodynamic device to the main body trailing edge section along a portion of the span, an aerodynamic section for influencing the aerodynamic properties of the rotor blade, and a buckling section to control a configuration of the aerodynamic section with regard to the main body;
wherein the aerodynamic device has a device trailing edge that extends past the main body trailing edge section within the portion of the span in a direction distal to the leading edge section of the main body;
wherein the aerodynamic device is configured such that the aerodynamic device:
deforms elastically for a force component below an elasticity limit acting in flapwise direction on the buckling section, and
deforms abruptly if a force component of a size that is within a predetermined range from of a stability limit of the buckling section acts in flapwise direction on the buckling section,

wherein the configuration of the aerodynamic section with regard to the main body is changed if the buckling section deforms abruptly, and load on the rotor blade is alleviated due to the change of the configuration of the aerodynamic section.

2. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the aerodynamic device is shaped as a flap.

3. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the aerodynamic section of the aerodynamic device comprises a plurality of serrations to reduce emission of noise.

4. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein at least the buckling section of the aerodynamic device is made of rubber and/or silicone to realize the abrupt deformation if a force component of the size that is within a predetermined range from of the stability limit of the buckling section acts in flapwise direction on the buckling section.

5. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the attachment section and/or the aerodynamic section of the aerodynamic device are substantially rigid with regard to the force component acting in flapwise direction on the aerodynamic device.

6. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the aerodynamic device comprises a device leading edge section and a device trailing edge section, the device leading edge section being attached to the main body trailing edge section, and the device trailing edge section builds the trailing edge section of the rotor blade.

7. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the aerodynamic device comprises at least one stabilizer for reducing the deformation of the aerodynamic device in substantially flapwise direction, for the force component being smaller than the stability limit of the buckling section.

8. The rotor blade according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one stabilizer extends in substantially chordwise direction of the rotor blade.

9. The rotor blade according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one stabilizer delimits the aerodynamic device at a radially inner edge of the aerodynamic device, and a further stabilizer delimits the aerodynamic device at a radially outer edge of the aerodynamic device.

10. The rotor blade according claim 7 , wherein the at least one stabilizer is attached to the buckling section by an angle which is smaller than 150 degrees.

11. The rotor blade according claim 7 , wherein the at least one stabilizer is attached to the buckling section by an angle of substantially 90 degrees.

12. The rotor blade according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one stabilizer is bent towards the pressure side or towards the suction side of the rotor blade.

13. The rotor blade according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one stabilizer comprises a corrugation to control more accurately the abrupt deformation of the buckling section if the force component of the size that is within a predetermined range from of the stability limit of the buckling section acts in flapwise direction on the buckling section.

14. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the buckling section comprises a nonlinear spring to realize the abrupt deformation if the force component of the size that is within a predetermined range from of the stability limit of the buckling section acts in flapwise direction on the buckling section.

15. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the buckling section comprises a first end and a second end, the first end is attached to the main body trailing edge section, and the second end is attached to the aerodynamic section of the aerodynamic device.

16. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the aerodynamic device comprises a plurality of connection members for connecting the aerodynamic section of the aerodynamic device to the main body trailing edge section, and each connection member of the plurality of connection members comprises a buckling section and an attachment section.

17. The rotor blade according to claim 10 , wherein the angle is smaller than 120 degrees.

18. An aerodynamic device, comprising:
an attachment section for attaching the aerodynamic device to a main body trailing edge section along a portion of a span of a rotor blade for a wind turbine,
an aerodynamic section for influencing the aerodynamic properties of the rotor blade, and
a buckling section to control a configuration of the aerodynamic section with regard to a main body of the rotor blade;
wherein the aerodynamic device has a device trailing edge that extends past the main body trailing edge section within the portion of the span in a direction distal to the leading edge section of the main body;
wherein the aerodynamic device is configured such that the aerodynamic device:
deforms elastically for a force component below an elasticity limit acting in flapwise direction on the buckling section, and
deforms abruptly if a force component of a size that is within a predetermined range from a stability limit of the buckling section acts in flapwise direction on the buckling section,

wherein the configuration of the aerodynamic section with regard to the main body is changed if the buckling section deforms abruptly, and load on the rotor blade is alleviated due to the change of the configuration of the aerodynamic section.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Gonzalez Alejandro Gomez
• Loeven Alex
• Torgard Sigmund Wenningsted

Classifications

• F05B2240/311

  flexible or elastic · CPC title

• F03D1/0641 Primary

  of the section profile of the blades, i.e. aerofoil profile · CPC title

• F03D7/0296

  to prevent, counteract or reduce noise emissions · CPC title

• F03D7/0236 Primary

  by changing the active surface of the wind engaging parts, e.g. reefing or furling · CPC title

• F03D1/0683

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic