IP Library Granted Patent US 11,149,707
Granted Patent B2
US 11,149,707 · App. 15/884,113 · Granted Oct 19, 2021

Wind turbine blade and method for determining arrangement of vortex generator on wind turbine blade

Inventor: Motoshi Harada (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
F03D1/0675F05B2240/122F05B2240/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,149,707
App. No.
15/884,113
Granted
Oct 19, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wind turbine blade has a vortex generator including a plurality of fins, and a height H(m) of each of the fins and a maximum chord length C (m) of the wind turbine blade satisfies 0.3×10 −2 ≤H/C≤0.9×10 −2 . The height H of the fins may satisfy H≥0.1δ 1 , provided that δ 1 is a boundary layer thickness at a rated tip speed ratio in a blade degradation state. A method for determining arrangement of a vortex generator on the wind turbine blade includes a pair of the fins arranged line-symmetrically with respect to a segment along a chordwise direction of the wind turbine blade.

Claims (28)

1. A wind turbine blade comprising:

a vortex generator including a plurality of fins,

wherein a height H(m) of each of the fins and a maximum chord length C max (m) of the wind turbine blade satisfy 0.3×10 −2 ≤H/C max ≤0.9×10 −2 ,

wherein the height H of each of the fins satisfies H≤0.1 δ 1 , provided that δ 1 is a boundary layer thickness at a rated tip speed ratio in a blade degradation state,

wherein the height H of each of the fins satisfies H≤δ 2 , provided that δ 2 is a boundary layer thickness at an optimum tip speed ratio in a blade normal state in which a surface of the wind turbine blade is smoother than in the blade degradation state,

wherein the height H(m) of each of the fins and a radius R(m) of a rotor including the wind turbine blade satisfies 0.2×10 −3 ≤H/R≤0.7×10 −3 ,

wherein all of the fins have a same size,

wherein the maximum chord length satisfies a relationship of 0.06≤C max /R≤0.08,

wherein the vortex generator includes:

a plurality of fin sets each of which is formed by a pair of fins arranged such that suction surfaces of the pair of fins face each other; and

a platform portion having a circular shape and provided for each of the plurality of fin sets, the pair of fins of said each of the plurality of fin sets being disposed on the platform portion,

wherein a distance between the pair of fins increases from leading edges of the pair of fins toward trailing edges of the pair of fins, and

wherein the vortex generator is arranged such that a ratio Z/S of an arrangement pitch Z of adjacent two of the fin sets to an interval S between the trailing edges of the pair of fins is not smaller than 1.5 and not greater than 3.0.

2. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein the fins are configured such that an angle of a fin chord with reference to a chordwise direction of the wind turbine blade is not smaller than 12 degrees and not greater than 18 degrees.

3. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein the fins are configured such that a ratio L/H of a chord length L of a fin root to the height H of each of the fins satisfies 2.0≤L/H≤4.0.

4. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein a cross section of the platform portion has a curved convex shape, at least along a blade spanwise direction of the wind turbine blade.

5. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein the suction surfaces of the pair of fins face each other, and a ratio S/H of an interval S between the trailing edges of the pair of fins to the height H of each of the pair of fins satisfies 2.5≤S/H≤5.0.

6. A method for determining arrangement of a vortex generator on the wind turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein the vortex generator includes a pair of fins arranged line-symmetrically with respect to a segment along a chordwise direction of the wind turbine blade.

7. A method for determining arrangement of a vortex generator on the wind turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein the vortex generator is arranged such that a ratio Z/H of an arrangement pitch Z of adjacent two of the fin sets to the height H of each of the pair of fins is not smaller than 6.0 and not greater than 8.0.

8. The wind turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein the boundary layer thickness δ 1 and the boundary layer thickness δ 2 increase from a leading edge toward a trailing edge of the wind turbine blade in a chordwise direction of the wind turbine blade, and

wherein each of the fins is disposed at a chordwise position such that 0.1δ 1 ≤H≤δ 2 is satisfied.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE AND REASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME: 058317/0379 Recorded Nov 20, 2023
From: ANTARES CAPITAL LP, AS AGENT
To: POTTER ELECTRIC SIGNAL COMPANY, LLC; VALCOM, INC.
Reel/Frame 065630/0330 →
CORRECTION BY DECLARATION TO CLARIFY OWNERSHIP OF APPLICATION 15884113 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME: 058317/0379 AND 058529/0040 Recorded Jul 24, 2023
From: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 064368/0127 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 3, 2022
From: POTTER ELECTRIC SIGNAL COMPANY, LLC; VALCOM, INC.
To: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC
Reel/Frame 058529/0040 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2021
From: POTTER ELECTRIC SIGNAL COMPANY, LLC; VALCOM, INC.
To: ANTARES CAPITAL LP, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 058317/0379 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 30, 2018
From: HARADA, MOTOSHI
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 044778/0035 →