Wind Turbine Rotor Blade Assembly for Reduced Noise
A rotor blade assembly of a wind turbine includes a rotor blade having an aerodynamic body with an inboard region and an outboard region. The inboard and outboard regions define a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. The inboard region includes a blade root, whereas the outboard region includes a blade tip. The rotor blade also defines a chord and a span. Further, the inboard region includes a transitional region of the rotor blade that includes a maximum chord. Moreover, a chord slope of the rotor blade in the transitional region ranges from about −0.10 to about 0.10 from the maximum chord over about 15% of the span of the rotor blade.
1 . A rotor blade assembly of a wind turbine, the rotor blade assembly comprising:
a rotor blade comprising an aerodynamic body having an inboard region and an outboard region, the inboard and outboard regions defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge, the inboard region comprising a blade root, the outboard region comprising a blade tip, the rotor blade defining a chord and a span;
the inboard region comprising a transitional region of the rotor blade that comprises a maximum chord,
wherein a chord slope of the rotor blade in the transitional region ranges from about −0.10 to about 0.10 from the maximum chord over about 15% of the span of the rotor blade.
2 . The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the chord slope of the rotor blade in the transitional region ranges from about −0.06 to about 0.06 from the maximum chord over about 15% of the span of the rotor blade.
3 . The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the transitional region comprises from about 15% span to about 30% span of the rotor blade.
4 . The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inboard region comprises from about 0% span to about 40% span from the blade root of the rotor blade in a span-wise direction and the outboard region comprises from about 40% span to about 100% span from the blade root of the rotor blade.
5 . The rotor blade assembly of claim 4 , wherein, in the inboard region, the chord slope ranges from about −0.15 to about 0.20.
6 . The rotor blade assembly of claim 4 , wherein, in the inboard region, the chord slope is not equal to zero.
7 . The rotor blade assembly of claim 4 , wherein a change in the chord slope is at least 0.00002 in the inboard region.
8 . The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a blade root region inboard of the maximum chord within the inboard region, wherein an inflection point from positive to negative or vice versa of a second derivative of the chord slope in the blade root region is located at less than about 15% span.
9 . The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the chord slope in the outboard region at an inflection point from concave to convex or vice versa is less than about −0.05.
10 . The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein the chord slope is less than about −0.1 between about 30% span to about 85% span from the blade root.
11 . The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein a location of an inflection point from concave to convex or vice versa of the chord slope is within about 80% span.
12 . The rotor blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein a location of a peak chord radius of curvature is within about 80% span.
13 . A method for manufacturing a rotor blade of a wind turbine to mitigate noise during high wind speed conditions, the method comprising:
forming the rotor blade with an aerodynamic body having an inboard region and an outboard region, the inboard and outboard regions defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge, the inboard region having a blade root and a transitional region that includes a maximum chord, the outboard region having a blade tip; and,
forming a chord slope in the transitional region ranging from about −0.06 to about 0.06 from the maximum chord over about 15% of a span of the rotor blade.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the transitional region comprises from about 15% span to about 30% span of the rotor blade.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the inboard region comprises from about 0% span to about 40% span from the blade root of the rotor blade in a span-wise direction and the outboard region comprises from about 40% span to about 100% span from the blade root of the rotor blade.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein, in the inboard region, the chord slope ranges from about −0.15 to about 0.20 and does not equal zero.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a change in the chord slope is at least 0.00002 in the inboard region.
18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising a blade root region inboard of the maximum chord within the inboard region, wherein an inflection point from positive to negative or vice versa of a second derivative of the chord slope in the blade root region is less than about 15% span.
19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the chord slope in the outboard region at an inflection point from concave to convex or vice versa is less than about −0.05.
20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the chord slope is less than about −0.1 between about 30% span to about 85% span from the blade root.