System and method for mitigating vortex-shedding vibrations or stall-induced vibrations on rotor blade of a wind turbine during standstill

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11867156-B2
Application number	US-202017023457-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2020
Priority date	Sep 18, 2019
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus for mitigating vortex-shedding vibrations or stall-induced vibrations on one or more rotor blades of a wind turbine during standstill includes at least one positioning element located between a blade tip section and a blade root section thereof. The positioning element is adapted for wrapping around at least a portion of the rotor blade. The apparatus also includes at least one airflow modifying element coupled to the positioning element and defining a height relative to a surface of the rotor blade. Additionally, the apparatus includes at least one securing element operably coupled to the positioning element for temporarily securing the airflow modifying element to the rotor blade.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for mitigating vortex-shedding vibrations or stall-induced vibrations on one or more rotor blades of a wind turbine during standstill, the apparatus comprising:
at least one positioning element located between a blade tip section and a blade root section of a respective rotor blade of the one or more rotor blades, the at least one positioning element adapted for wrapping around at least a portion of the respective rotor blade;
at least one airflow modifying element coupled to the at least one positioning element, the at least one airflow modifying element defining a height relative to a surface of the respective rotor blade; and,
at least one securing element operably coupled to the at least one positioning element for temporarily securing the at least one airflow modifying element to the respective rotor blade;
wherein the at least one positioning element comprises at least one cord member helically wrapped around a portion of the respective rotor blade.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the helically-wrapped cord element has a pitch greater than or equal to one half of a chord of the respective rotor blade up to less than or equal to six times the chord of the respective rotor blade, wherein at least a portion of the helically-wrapped cord element is separated from the surface of the respective rotor blade by a distance defined by the at least one airflow modifying element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one airflow modifying element comprises at least one of a streamer, a fence, an inflatable cell, a serration, a vortex generator, and/or a flow disruptor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one airflow modifying element comprises a plurality of airflow modifying elements distributed along and secured to the at least one positioning element.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of airflow modifying elements comprises leading-edge airflow modifying elements and trailing-edge airflow modifying elements, wherein the leading-edge airflow modifying elements and the trailing-edge airflow modifying elements are distributed in an alternating pattern along the at least one positioning element.

6. A method for mitigating vortex-shedding vibrations or stall-induced vibrations on one or more rotor blades of a wind turbine during standstill, the method comprising:
installing a vibration-mitigation apparatus on a rotor blade of the one or more rotor blades, wherein installation of the vibration-mitigation apparatus further comprises:
positioning at least one airflow modifying element at a desired location along an outer surface of the rotor blade with at least one positioning element wherein the at least one positioning element comprises at least one cord member helically wrapped around a portion of the respective rotor blade; and,
securing the at least one positioning element to the outer surface of the rotor blade via at least one securing element;
performing an installation, a commissioning, a maintenance and/or a repair operation on the wind turbine with the vibration-mitigation apparatus installed; and,
once the installation, commissioning, maintenance and/or the repair operation is complete, removing the vibration-mitigation apparatus from the rotor blade.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one airflow modifying element comprises at least one of a streamer, a fence, an inflatable cell, a serration, a vortex generator, and/or a flow disruptor.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one positioning element is positioned so as to disrupt airflow over a chordwise or spanwise section of the rotor blade, wherein at least a portion of the at least one positioning element is separated from the outer surface of the rotor blade by a distance defined by the at least one airflow modifying element.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein positioning the at least one airflow modifying element at the desired location further comprises positioning an edge of the at least one airflow modifying element adjacent to at least one of a leading edge, a trailing edge, or along a line upstream of a flow separation point on either a suction side or a pressure side of the rotor blade.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Herrig Andreas
• Hallissy Benjamin Patrick
• Canal Marc
• Van Kalken Jordy Hertel Nilsson

Classifications

• F03D80/50 Primary

  Maintenance or repair · CPC title

• F03D3/04

  having stationary wind-guiding means, e.g. with shrouds or channels (F03D9/35 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F05B2230/80

  Repairing, retrofitting or upgrading methods · CPC title

• F05B2260/30

  Retaining components in desired mutual position · CPC title

• F05B2260/96

  Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise · CPC title