Wind turbine rotor blade assembly for reduced noise

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11781522-B2
Application number	US-202117404399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2021
Priority date	Sep 17, 2018
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

A rotor blade assembly of a wind turbine includes a rotor blade having an aerodynamic body with an inboard region and an outboard region. The inboard and outboard regions define a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. The inboard region includes a blade root, whereas the outboard region includes a blade tip. The rotor blade also defines a chord and a span. Further, the inboard region includes a transitional region of the rotor blade that includes a maximum chord. Moreover, a unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span of the rotor blade in the transitional region ranges from about −0.10 to about 0.10 from the maximum chord over about 15% of the span of the rotor blade. In addition, the unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span a slope of a change in the chord in is greater than about −0.03 at an inflection point of the chord in the outboard region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotor blade assembly of a wind turbine, the rotor blade assembly comprising:
a rotor blade comprising an aerodynamic body having an inboard region and an outboard region, the inboard and outboard regions defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge, the inboard region comprising a blade root, the outboard region comprising a blade tip, the rotor blade defining a chord and a span;
the inboard region comprising a transitional region of the rotor blade that comprises a maximum chord,
wherein a unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span of the rotor blade in the transitional region ranges from about −0.10 to about 0.10 from the maximum chord over about 15% of the span of the rotor blade, and
wherein the unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span is greater than about −0.03 at an inflection point of the chord in the outboard region.

2. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span of the rotor blade in the transitional region ranges from about −0.06 to about 0.06 from the maximum chord over about 15% of the span of the rotor blade.

3. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the transitional region comprises from about 15% span to about 30% span of the rotor blade.

4. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inboard region comprises from about 0% span to about 40% span from the blade root of the rotor blade in a span-wise direction and the outboard region comprises from about 40% span to about 100% span from the blade root of the rotor blade.

5. The rotor blade assembly of claim 4 , wherein, in the inboard region, the unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span ranges from about −0.15 to about 0.20.

6. The rotor blade assembly of claim 5 , wherein, in the inboard region, the unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span ranges from about −0.9 to about 0.125.

7. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein a second derivative of the chord in millimeters with respect to the span in millimeters is greater than −0.00002 millimeters −1 in the inboard region.

8. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein a peak of the unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span is within about 80% span.

9. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein a peak in a radius of curvature of the chord inboard of the maximum chord of the rotor blade is located within about 11% span.

10. The rotor blade assembly of claim 9 , wherein the radius of curvature at the maximum chord is greater than about 2 millimeters.

11. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein a location of a peak chord radius of curvature is within about 80% span.

12. A method for manufacturing a rotor blade of a wind turbine to mitigate noise during high wind speed conditions, the method comprising:
forming the rotor blade with an aerodynamic body having an inboard region and an outboard region, a span, and a chord, the inboard and outboard regions defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge, the inboard region having a blade root and a transitional region that includes a maximum chord, the outboard region having a blade tip; and
forming a unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span in the transitional region ranging from about −0.06 to about 0.06 over about 15% of a span of the rotor blade, wherein the unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span is greater than about −0.03 at an inflection point of the chord in the outboard region.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the transitional region comprises from about 15% span to about 30% span of the rotor blade.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the inboard region comprises from about 0% span to about 40% span from the blade root of the rotor blade in a span-wise direction and the outboard region comprises from about 40% span to about 100% span from the blade root of the rotor blade.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein, in the inboard region, the unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span ranges from about −0.15 to about 0.20.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein a second derivative of the chord in millimeters with respect to the span in millimeters is greater than −0.00002 millimeters −1 in the inboard region.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein a peak of the unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span is within about 80% span.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein a peak in a radius of curvature of the chord inboard of the maximum chord of the rotor blade is located within about 11% span.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Carroll Christian
• Fisher Murray
• Petitjean Benoit Philippe
• Herrig Andreas
• Wetzel Drew Adam
• Baker Jonathon Paul

Classifications

• F03D1/0633 Primary

  of the blades · CPC title

• F05B2230/50

  Building or constructing in particular ways · CPC title

• F05B2240/211

  with vertical axis · CPC title

• F05B2250/711

  convex · CPC title

• F05B2250/712

  concave · CPC title