Rotor blade assembly for wind turbine

1. A rotor blade assembly, comprising:

a rotor blade having exterior surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending between a tip and a root, the rotor blade further defining a span and a chord, the rotor blade comprising a skin layer that includes the exterior surfaces; and,

a passive spoiler assembly operable to alter a flow past an exterior surface of the rotor blade, the spoiler assembly comprising a spoiler feature movable between a non-deployed position and a deployed position and a biasing element providing a biasing force to the spoiler feature,

wherein movement of the spoiler feature from the non-deployed position to the deployed position is caused by a change in an applied force to the spoiler feature by the skin layer.

2. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the applied force is a compressive force.

3. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein an exterior surface of the spoiler feature in the non-deployed position is generally flush with the exterior surfaces of the rotor blade.

4. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein a first end of the spoiler feature is coupled to the skin layer.

5. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the biasing element biases the spoiler feature towards the non-deployed position.

6. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spoiler assembly further comprises a secondary spoiler feature extending along a portion of an exterior surface of the rotor blade and across the spoiler feature, and wherein movement of the spoiler feature from the non-deployed position to the deployed position causes movement of the secondary spoiler feature from as non-deployed position to a deployed position.

7. The rotor blade assembly of claim 6 , wherein the secondary spoiler feature extends in a generally span-wise direction.

8. The rotor blade assembly of claim 6 , wherein a first end of the secondary spoiler feature is coupled to the skin layer.

9. The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spoiler assembly is disposed on the suction side of the rotor blade.

10. A wind turbine, comprising:

a plurality of rotor blades each having exterior surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending between a tip and a root, each of the plurality of rotor blades further defining a span and a chord, each of the plurality of rotor blades further comprising a skin layer that includes the exterior surfaces of that rotor blade; and,

a passive spoiler assembly operable to alter a flow past an exterior surface of one of the plurality of rotor blades, the spoiler assembly comprising a spoiler feature movable between a non-deployed position and a deployed position and a biasing element providing a biasing force to the spoiler feature,

wherein movement of the spoiler feature from the non-deployed position to the deployed position is caused by a change in an applied force to the spoiler feature by the skin layer.

11. The wind turbine of claim 10 , wherein the applied force is a compressive force.

12. The wind turbine of claim 10 , wherein an exterior surface of the spoiler feature in the non-deployed position is generally flush with the exterior surfaces of the rotor blade.

13. The wind turbine of claim 10 , wherein a first end of the spoiler feature is coupled to the skin layer.

14. The wind turbine of claim 10 , wherein the biasing element biases the spoiler feature towards the non-deployed position.

15. The wind turbine of claim 10 , wherein the spoiler assembly further comprises a secondary spoiler feature extending along a portion of an exterior surf ace of the rotor blade and across the spoiler feature, and wherein movement of the spoiler feature from the non-deployed position to the deployed position causes movement of the secondary spoiler feature from a non-deployed position to a deployed position.

16. The wind turbine of claim 15 , wherein the secondary spoiler feature extends in a generally span-wise direction.

17. The wind turbine of claim 15 , wherein a first end of the secondary spoiler feature is coupled to the skin layer.

18. The wind turbine of claim 10 , wherein the spoiler assembly is disposed on the suction side of the rotor blade.

19. A rotor blade assembly, comprising;

a rotor blade having exterior surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending between a tip and a root, the rotor blade further defining a span and a chord, the rotor blade comprising a skin layer that includes the exterior surfaces; and,

a passive spoiler assembly operable to alter a flow past an exterior surface of the rotor blade, the spoiler assembly comprising a spoiler feature movable between a non-deployed position and a deployed position and a secondary spoiler feature extending along a portion of an exterior surface of the rotor blade and across the spoiler feature,

wherein movement of the spoiler feature from the non-deployed position to the deployed position is caused by a change in an applied force to the spoiler feature by the skin layer, and wherein movement of the spoiler feature from the non-deployed position to the deployed position causes movement of the secondary spoiler feature from a non-deployed position to a deployed position.

20. The rotor blade assembly of claim 19 , wherein the applied force is a compressive force.