Wind turbine blade with cambering flaps
View Patent ↗A wind turbine having at least a blade comprising a first component ( 11 ) having an aerodynamic profile with a leading edge ( 5 ), a trailing edge ( 7 ) and suction and pressure sides between the leading edge ( 5 ) and the trailing edge ( 7 ) and a second component ( 13 ) attached to the trailing edge ( 7 ) and/or to the leading edge ( 5 ) of the first component ( 11 ) in at least a part of the blade, in which the second component ( 13 ) comprises an upwards and/or downwards deflectable flap ( 15 ) that allows changing the flow over the blade and in which the means for deflecting the flap ( 15 ) comprise a stiff plate ( 31 ) inserted between the first component ( 11 ) and the flap ( 15 ) and stiff plate actuating means ( 33, 43 ).
1. A wind turbine having at least a blade which comprises a first component ( 11 ) having an aerodynamic profile with a leading edge ( 5 ), a trailing edge ( 7 ), and suction and pressure sides between the leading edge ( 5 ) and the trailing edge ( 7 ), and a second component ( 13 ) attached to the trailing edge ( 7 ) and/or to the leading edge ( 5 ) of the first component ( 11 ) in at least a part of the blade, wherein:
the second component ( 13 ) comprises an upwards and/or downwards deflectable flap ( 15 ) that allows changing flow over the blade;
the blade further comprising a means for deflecting the deflectable flap ( 15 ) which comprise a stiff plate ( 31 ) inserted between the first component ( 11 ) and the flap ( 15 ) and stiff plate actuating means ( 33 , 43 ) located in the first component ( 11 ) and actuated by vacuum and/or pressure.
2. A wind turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the stiff plate actuating means are vacuum operable inner chambers ( 33 ) which are located in the first component ( 11 ) close to the stiff plate ( 31 ).
3. A wind turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the stiff plate actuating means are pressure operable inner chambers ( 43 ) which are located in the first component ( 11 ) close to the stiff plate ( 31 ).
4. A wind turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the stiff plate actuating means are vacuum and pressure operable inner chambers ( 33 , 43 ) which are located in the first component ( 11 ) close to the stiff plate ( 31 ).
5. A wind turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the wind turbine also comprises means for controlling said actuating means ( 33 , 43 ) depending on the wind situation and/or the loads on the blade.
6. A wind turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the flap ( 15 ) is made in one piece of a flexible material.
7. A wind turbine according to claim 6 , wherein the flap ( 15 ) is made of rubber.
8. A wind turbine according to claim 6 , wherein the flap ( 15 ) is made of a pultruded fiber glass reinforced composite.
9. A wind turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the width W of the flap ( 15 ) is comprised between 1-20% of the chord length C of the blade in the center of the flap ( 15 ).
10. A wind turbine according to claim 9 , wherein the width W of the flap ( 15 ) is constant along the blade.
11. A wind turbine according to claim 9 , wherein the width W of the flap ( 15 ′) is variable along the blade.
12. A wind turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the flap ( 15 ) is attached to the blade leading edge ( 5 ) and/or to the blade trailing edge ( 7 ) in a section having a length lesser than ⅓ of the blade length L.
13. A wind turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the blade includes one or several second components ( 13 ) having each of them an individual flap ( 15 , 15 ′) with individual stiff plate actuating means ( 33 , 43 ).