Wind turbine blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10451037-B2
Application number	US-201415031968-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2014
Priority date	Oct 24, 2013
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

Wind turbine blades comprising one or more deformable trailing edge sections, each deformable trailing edge section comprising a first and a second actuator, wherein the second actuator is arranged substantially downstream from the first actuator, and wherein the first actuator is of a first type and wherein the second actuator is of a second type, the second type being different from the first type. The application further relates to wind turbines comprising such blades and methods of operating a wind turbine comprising one or more of such blades.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wind turbine blade comprising:
a deformable trailing edge section comprising a first actuator and a second actuator,
wherein the first actuator comprises a multistable sheet comprising a plurality of preformed bistable elements, each bistable element having two stable positions, wherein the multistable sheet is connected to a skin of the deformable trailing edge section such that upon changing one or more preformed bistable elements of the plurality of preformed bistable elements from one of the two stable positions to the other of the two stable positions, a shape of the deformable trailing edge section changes, wherein the preformed bistable elements are dimples, each dimple having a first stable position protruding from one side of the multistable sheet and a second stable position protruding from the other side of the multistable sheet,
wherein the second actuator is arranged substantially downstream from the first actuator along a chord line of the wind turbine blade, and
wherein the first actuator is of a first type and wherein the second actuator is of a second type, the second type being different from the first type.

2. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the second type is different from the first type in reaction speed.

3. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein an energy consumption of the second type is different from an energy consumption of the first type.

4. The wind turbine blade according to claim 2 , wherein the energy consumption of the first type is lower than the energy consumption of the second type.

5. The wind turbine blade according to claim 4 , wherein the second type is faster than the first type.

6. The wind turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the second actuator is selected among a group consisting of a piezoelectric element, and a hydraulic or pneumatic activated flap or spoiler.

7. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the deformable trailing edge section is provided at or near a tip of the wind turbine blade.

8. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the deformable trailing edge section extends along approximately one third of the total length of the wind turbine blade.

9. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the deformable trailing edge section spans from between 50% and 75% of the chord line of a blade section to a trailing edge of the wind turbine blade.

10. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the skin of the deformable trailing edge section or at least portions of the skin of the blade trailing edge section are made of a flexible material.

11. A wind turbine comprising one or more wind turbine blades according to claim 1 .

12. A method of operating a wind turbine comprising at least a wind turbine blade comprising one or more deformable trailing edge sections, each deformable trailing edge section comprising a first actuator and a second actuator, wherein the second actuator is arranged substantially downstream from the first actuator, and wherein the first actuator is of a first type and wherein the second actuator is of a second type, the second type being different from the first type, the method comprising:
substantially continuously determining one or more wind turbine operation conditions indicative of one or more future loads on the blades of the wind turbine,
determining, for each of the one or more future loads, a lift correction demand to adapt to the future load,
determining, for each of the lift correction demands, a maximum lift correction that can be provided by the first actuator, and a remaining lift correction, wherein remaining lift correction=lift correction demand−maximum lift correction; and
actuating the first actuator to provide the maximum lift corrections and actuating the second actuator to provide the remaining lift corrections.

13. A method of operating a wind turbine comprising at least a wind turbine blade comprising one or more deformable trailing edge sections, each deformable trailing edge section comprising a first actuator and a second actuator, wherein the second actuator is arranged substantially downstream from the first actuator, and wherein the first actuator is of a first type and wherein the second actuator is of a second type, the second type being different from the first type, the method comprising:
substantially continuously determining one or more wind turbine operation conditions indicative of a plurality of future loads on the blades of the wind turbine,
determining, for each of the plurality of future loads, a lift correction demand to adapt to the future load,
determining from the lift correction demands an average lift correction, and determining for each of the lift corrections, a remaining lift correction, wherein remaining lift correction=lift correction demand−average lift correction; and
actuating the first actuator to provide the average lift correction and actuating the second actuator to provide the remaining lift correction.

Assignees

• Alstom Renewable Technologies
• Ge Renewable Tech Wind Bv

Inventors

• Betran Palomas Jaume
• Rodriguez-Tsouroukdissian Arturo

Classifications

• F05B2270/605

  pneumatic actuators · CPC title

• F03D7/0232

  with flaps or slats (with aerodynamic drag devices on the blades for braking F03D7/0252) · CPC title

• F05B2270/331

  Mechanical loads · CPC title

• F05B2260/507

  using servos, independent actuators, etc. · CPC title

• F03D7/0236 Primary

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