Wind turbine blade

Inventors: Francesco Grasso (Oporto, PT); Rens Christiaan Verhoef (Ringkøbing, DK); Gurmukh Singh (Skjern, DK); Dave Dent (Alderholt, GB)

Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S

F03D1/0641 F03D1/0687

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12669107
App. No.: 18/549,367
Granted: Jun 30, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A wind turbine blade having a length of at least 100 meters comprising: a root end (and a tip end, the blade extending in a spanwise direction from the root end to the tip end, the root end having a substantially circular profile with a root end diameter, and a profile of the blade transitioning into a lift generating profile moving in the spanwise direction from the root end towards the tip end; a leading edge and a trailing edge, the blade extending in a chordwise direction along a chord from the leading edge to the trailing edge; an inboard region extending in the spanwise direction from the root end to a distal end, the inboard region having a length defined between the root end and the distal end; wherein in the inboard region, the chord of the blade is within 5% of the root end diameter and the inboard region has a length of at least 10% span of the blade.

Claims (24)

1 . A wind turbine blade having a length of at least 100 meters comprising:

a root end and a tip end, the blade extending in a spanwise direction from the root end to the tip end, the root end having a circular profile with a root end diameter, and a profile of the blade transitioning into a lift generating profile moving in the spanwise direction from the root end towards the tip end;

a leading edge and a trailing edge, the blade extending in a chordwise direction along a chord from the leading edge to the trailing edge; and

an inboard region extending in the spanwise direction from the root end to a distal end, the inboard region having a length defined between the root end and the distal end;

wherein in the inboard region, the chord of the blade is within 5% of the root end diameter and the inboard region has a length of at least 10% span of the blade; and

wherein in the inboard region a thickness to chord ratio of the blade profile strictly decreases from 3% span or less to the distal end of the inboard region.

2 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the inboard region has a length of at least 20% span of the blade.

3 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the inboard region has a length less than 35% span.

4 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein in the inboard region, the chord of the blade is within 2% of the root end diameter.

5 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein at the distal end of the inboard region, a thickness to chord ratio of the blade profile is less than 75%.

6 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein at the distal end of the inboard region, a thickness to chord ratio of the blade profile is less than 55%.

7 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the chord of the blade from the root end to the tip end is never greater than the root end diameter.

8 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the chord decreases monotonically from the root end to the tip end.

9 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein in the inboard region the blade comprises a profile having a flatback trailing edge.

10 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein when viewed in plan view, the leading edge has a concave shape.

11 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein when viewed in plan view the trailing edge and/or the leading edge follow a substantially straight line in the inboard region.

12 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , the blade comprising a main reinforcing structure and a rear reinforcing structure, the rear reinforcing structure being substantially straight in plan view.

13 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein vortex generators are positioned on a suction side in the inboard region of the blade.

14 . A horizontal axis wind turbine comprising a rotor having at least one blade according to claim 1 .

15 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the inboard region has a length of at least 25% span of the blade.

16 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein the inboard region has a length of at least 30% span of the blade.

17 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein in the inboard region, the chord of the blade is within 1.5% of the root end diameter.

18 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein in the inboard region, the chord of the blade is within 1% of the root end diameter.

19 . The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 , wherein at the distal end of the inboard region, a thickness to chord ratio of the blade profile is less than 45%.