Enhanced wind turbine blade
A wind turbine blade includes a root portion, a tip and a body extending between the root portion and the tip. The body has a pressure side and a suction side. The body further has at least one winglet. Each winglet has a spanwise extension towards the root portion of the rotor blade and that ends at the tip to form a winglet having a substantially C-shaped or substantially open P-shaped geometry.
1. A rotor blade for a wind turbine, the rotor blade comprising:
a center of rotation;
a root portion;
a tip; and
a body extending between said root portion and said tip, the body comprising a pressure side, a suction side, a plane, and at least one winglet, each winglet comprising a spanwise extension extending towards the root portion or center of rotation of the rotor blade and further extending towards the plane of the rotor blade and ending at the tip of the rotor blade.
2. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a substantially C-shaped geometry.
3. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a substantially open P-shaped geometry.
4. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a suction side winglet.
5. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a pressure side winglet.
6. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one winglet comprises a suction side winglet and a pressure side winglet.
7. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a smoothly curved geometry.
8. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a boxy planar geometry.
9. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein at least one winglet comprises both a curved geometry and a boxy planar geometry.
10. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a chord-split geometry.
11. The rotor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the spanwise extension towards the plane of the rotor blade comprises a cant angle more than 90 degrees.
12. A wind turbine comprising:
a center of rotation;
a tower;
a nacelle mounted atop the tower;
a rotor coupled to said nacelle, the rotor comprising a hub; and
at least one rotor blade extending from the hub, each rotor blade comprising:
a center of rotation;
a root portion;
a tip; and
a body extending between said root portion and said tip, the body comprising a pressure side, a suction side, a plane, and at least one winglet, each winglet comprising a spanwise extension extending towards the root portion or center of rotation of the rotor blade and further extending towards the rotor blade and ending at the tip of the rotor blade.
13. The wind turbine according to claim 12 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a substantially C-shaped geometry.
14. The wind turbine according to claim 12 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a substantially open P-shaped geometry.
15. The wind turbine according to claim 12 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a suction side winglet.
16. The wind turbine according to claim 12 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a pressure side winglet.
17. The wind turbine according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one winglet comprises a suction side winglet and a pressure side winglet.
18. The wind turbine according to claim 12 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a smoothly curved geometry.
19. The wind turbine according to claim 12 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a boxy planar geometry.
20. The wind turbine according to claim 12 , wherein at least one winglet comprises both a curved geometry and a boxy planar geometry.
21. The wind turbine according to claim 12 , wherein at least one winglet comprises a chord-split geometry.
22. The wind turbine according to claim 12 , wherein the spanwise extension towards the rotor blade comprises a cant angle more than 90 degrees.