IP Library Granted Patent US 10,047,719
Granted Patent B2
US 10,047,719 · App. 14/820,720 · Granted Aug 14, 2018

Winglet for a wind turbine rotor blade

Inventors: Klaus Ulrich Koegler (Rheine, DE); Ariane Frere (Brussels, BE); Andreas Herrig (Rheine, DE)
Assignee: General Electric Company
F03D1/0633F05B2240/30Y02E10/721
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,047,719
App. No.
14/820,720
Granted
Aug 14, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one aspect, a winglet for a rotor blade is disclosed. The winglet may generally include a winglet body extending at least partially between a winglet origin and a blade tip. The winglet body may define a sweep and a pre-bend. The sweep defined between the winglet origin and the blade tip may range from about 0.5% to about 4.0% of a span of the rotor blade. The pre-bend defined between the winglet origin and the blade tip may range from about 1.5% to about 4.5% of the span of the rotor blade.

Claims (29)

1. A winglet for a rotor blade, comprising:

a winglet body extending at least partially between a winglet origin and a blade tip and including a plurality of radial locations between the winglet origin and the blade tip, the winglet body defining a sweep at each of the plurality of radial locations generally in accordance with the values for sweep shown in TABLE 1,

wherein the winglet body further defines a cant angle, the cant angle at the blade tip ranging from 60 degrees to 130 degrees, and

wherein each of the values for sweep shown in TABLE 1 is variable within a tolerance range of +/−10%.

2. The winglet of claim 1 , wherein the cant angle at a given radial location along the winglet body is defined as an angle measured in a local Y-Z plane of the winglet body between a reference line extending parallel to a local Z-axis for the winglet body and a reference line extending tangent to a blade reference line for the rotor blade at the given radial location.

3. The winglet of claim 1 , wherein the cant angle at the blade tip ranges from 70 degrees to 100 degrees.

4. The winglet of claim 1 , wherein the winglet body further defines a chord, the chord at the winglet origin ranging from 1.2% to 2.6% of the span of the rotor blade.

5. The winglet of claim 1 , wherein the winglet body further defines a chord, the chord at the blade tip ranging from 0.0% to 0.5% of the span of the rotor blade.

6. The winglet of claim 1 , wherein the winglet body further defines a spanwise radius, the spanwise radius defined between the winglet origin and the blade tip ranging from 2.4% to 4% of the span of the rotor blade.

7. The winglet of claim 1 , wherein the winglet body further defines a twist angle, the twist angle at the winglet origin ranging from −4.6 degrees to 1.4 degrees.

8. The winglet of claim 1 , wherein the winglet body further defines a twist angle, the twist angle at the blade tip ranging from −4.0 degrees to 2.0 degrees.

9. The winglet of claim 1 , wherein the winglet body further defines a pre-bend between the winglet origin and the blade tip that ranges from 1.5% to 4.5% of the span of the rotor blade.

10. A winglet for a rotor blade, comprising:

a winglet body extending at least partially between a winglet origin and a blade tip and including a plurality of radial locations between the winglet origin and the blade tip, the winglet body defining a sweep and a cant angle, the cant angle at a given radial location along the winglet body being defined as an angle measured in a local Y-Z plane of the winglet body between a reference line extending parallel to a local Z-axis for the winglet body and a reference line extending tangent to a blade reference line for the rotor blade at the given radial location, the cant angle being defined at each of the plurality of radial locations generally in accordance with the values for cant angle shown in TABLE 1,

wherein the sweep defined between the winglet origin and the blade tip ranges from 1.7% to 2.8% of a span of the rotor blade, and

wherein each of the values for cant angle shown in TABLE 1 is variable within a tolerance range of +/−20 degrees.

11. The winglet of claim 10 , wherein the winglet body further defines a chord at the blade tip ranging from 0.0% to 0.5% of a span of the rotor blade and a chord at the winglet origin ranging from 1.2% to 2.6% of a span of the rotor blade.

12. A rotor blade for a wind turbine, the rotor blade comprising:

a blade body extending from a blade root towards a blade tip; and

a winglet body extending between a winglet origin defined at an interface between the blade body and the winglet body and a tip end defined at the blade tip, the winglet body including a plurality of radial locations between the winglet origin and the blade tip, the winglet body defining a sweep and a pre-bend, the pre-bend being defined at each of the plurality of radial locations generally in accordance with the values for pre-bend shown in TABLE 1,

wherein the sweep defined between the winglet origin and the blade tip ranges from 1.7% to 2.8% of a span of the rotor blade, and

wherein each of the values for pre-bend shown in TABLE 1 is variable within a tolerance range of +/−10%.

13. The rotor blade of claim 12 , wherein the winglet body further defines a cant angle, the cant angle at the blade tip ranging from 60 degrees to 130 degrees, the cant angle at a given radial location along the winglet body is defined as an angle measured in a local Y-Z plane of the winglet body between a reference line extending parallel to a local Z-axis for the winglet body and a reference line extending tangent to a blade reference line for the rotor blade at the given radial location.

14. The rotor blade of claim 13 , wherein the cant angle at the blade tip ranges from 70 degrees to 100 degrees.

15. The rotor blade of claim 12 , wherein the winglet body further defines a chord, the chord at the winglet origin ranging from 1.2% to 2.6% of the span of the rotor blade.

16. The rotor blade of claim 12 , wherein the winglet body further defines a chord, the chord at the blade tip ranging from 0.0% to 0.5% of the span of the rotor blade.

17. The rotor blade of claim 12 , wherein the winglet body further defines a spanwise radius, the spanwise radius defined between the winglet origin and the blade tip ranging from 2.4% to 4% of the span of the rotor blade.

18. The rotor blade of claim 12 , wherein the winglet body further defines a twist angle, the twist angle at the winglet origin ranging from −4.6 degrees to 1.4 degrees.

19. The rotor blade of claim 12 , wherein the winglet body further defines a twist angle, the twist angle at the blade tip ranging from −4.0 degrees to 2.0 degrees.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 22, 2024
From: LM WIND POWER US TECHNOLOGY APS
To: GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 066869/0770 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 9, 2023
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: LM WIND POWER US TECHNOLOGY APS
Reel/Frame 065531/0160 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2015
From: GE WIND ENERGY GMBH
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 036791/0698 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2015
From: KOEGLER, KLAUS ULRICH; FRERE, ARIANE; HERRIG, ANDREAS
To: GE WIND ENERGY GMBH
Reel/Frame 036777/0526 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 13424518 · Mar 20, 2012
Related Publication 20160025066A1 · Jan 28, 2016