Spoiler for a wind turbine blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9945353-B2
Application number	US-201213448617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2012
Priority date	Apr 19, 2011
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A spoiler for a rotor blade includes a base member, which base member has a mounting face for mounting onto a surface of the rotor blade, and an aerodynamic member for detachably connecting onto the base member. Further, a wind turbine includes a number of rotor blades attached to a hub, wherein at least one rotor blade has such a spoiler mounted on a surface strip of the rotor blade. Also, a method of constructing a wind turbine is provided. A rotor blade is manufactured. A base member of the spoiler is mounted onto the rotor blade. The rotor blade is connected to a hub of the wind turbine. An aerodynamic member of the spoiler is attached onto the base member, wherein at least the mounting of the base member onto the rotor blade is performed prior to the connecting of the rotor blade to the hub.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spoiler for a rotor blade of a wind turbine, comprising:
a base member having a mounting face for mounting onto a surface of the rotor blade; and
an aerodynamic member for detachably connecting onto the base member, wherein the aerodynamic member includes a connecting element for connecting to the base member, and an undulating element arranged to protrude in a direction upwardly from the base member mounted onto the surface of the rotor blade when the aerodynamic member is connected to the base member.

2. The spoiler according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting face is disposed toward a surface on the suction side and/or toward a surface on the trailing edge of the rotor blade.

3. The spoiler according to claim 2 , wherein the mounting face of the base member comprises a concave surface and/or a flat surface and/or a convex surface.

4. The spoiler according to claim 1 , wherein the base member comprises at least one through-hole for accommodating a fastener for mounting the base member onto the rotor blade.

5. The spoiler according to claim 1 , comprising a snap-fit connector and/or a tongue-and-groove connector between the base member and the connecting element.

6. The spoiler according to claim 5 , wherein the aerodynamic member comprises a reinforcing element arranged between the connecting element and the undulating element.

7. The spoiler according to claim 5 , wherein the undulating element is rigid.

8. The spoiler according to claim 6 , wherein the undulating element is rigid.

9. The spoiler according to claim 1 , wherein the aerodynamic member comprises a closed body.

10. The spoiler according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of base members and/or a plurality of aerodynamic members.

11. A wind turbine, comprising:
a plurality of rotor blades attached to a hub, wherein at least one rotor blade comprises a spoiler mounted on a surface strip of the rotor blade, which surface strip comprises a length along a suction side of the rotor blade and/or a length along the trailing edge of the rotor blade,
wherein the spoiler comprises:
a base member, which base member comprises a mounting face for mounting onto a surface of a rotor blade, and
an aerodynamic member for detachably connecting onto the base member, the aerodynamic member having at least one undulating element arranged to protrude in a direction upwardly from the base member mounted onto the rotor blade when the aerodynamic member is connected to the base member.

12. The wind turbine according to claim 11 , wherein the surface strip commences at a shoulder region of the rotor blade and extends in the direction of the blade tip.

13. The wind turbine according to claim 11 , comprising an adhesive layer between the mounting face of the base member of the spoiler and the surface strip for an adhesive connection to the surface strip, and/or a number of fasteners inserted through the base member into the rotor blade for a threaded and/or riveted connection to the rotor blade.

14. A method of constructing a wind turbine, comprising the steps of:
manufacturing a rotor blade;
mounting a base member of a spoiler onto the rotor blade;
connecting the rotor blade to a hub of the wind turbine; and
connecting an aerodynamic member of the spoiler onto the base member, the aerodynamic member having at least one undulating element arranged to protrude in a direction upwardly from the base member mounted onto the rotor blade when the aerodynamic member is connected to the base member.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the base member of the spoiler comprises a mounting face for mounting onto a surface of the rotor blade, and wherein the aerodynamic member is provided for detachably connecting onto the base member.

16. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
disconnecting the aerodynamic member from the base member of the spoiler mounted on the rotor blade, which rotor blade is connected to the hub of the wind turbine; and
connecting a replacement aerodynamic member onto the base member.

17. The spoiler according to claim 1 , wherein the undulating element comprises a wavy contour.

18. The wind turbine according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one undulating element comprises a wavy contour.

19. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one undulating element comprises a wavy contour.

Assignees

• Enevoldsen Peder Bay
• Kristensen Jens Joergen Oestergaard
• Thrue Carsten
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Enevoldsen Peder Bay
• Kristensen Jens Jørgen Østergaard
• Thrue Carsten

Classifications

• F05B2230/80

  Repairing, retrofitting or upgrading methods · CPC title

• F03D1/065 Primary

  characterised by their construction elements (F03D13/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E10/721

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F05B2240/122

  Vortex generators, turbulators, or the like, for mixing · CPC title

• F05B2250/611

  undulated · CPC title