IP Library Granted Patent US 10,227,963
Granted Patent B2
US 10,227,963 · App. 14/908,909 · Granted Mar 12, 2019

Rotor blade for a wind turbine, and wind turbine field

Inventors: Arne Van Garrel (Petten, NL); Edwin Theodorus Gerardus Bot (Petten, NL)
Assignee: STICHTING ENERGIEONDERZOEK CENTRUM NEDERLAND
F03D1/0675F03D1/0633F03D9/257F05B2240/122F05B2240/30F05B2260/96Y02E10/721
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,227,963
App. No.
14/908,909
Granted
Mar 12, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Rotor blade for a wind turbine, including a main blade part ( 4 ) with a blade tip ( 8 ). The blade tip ( 8 ) results in a blade tip vortex downstream of the rotor blade ( 1 ) during operation. The blade tip ( 8 ) includes a vortex de-stabilizer ( 7 ) which is configured to de-stabilize the blade tip vortex during operation of the rotor blade ( 1 ). Furthermore, a wind turbine field including a plurality of wind turbines positioned in a grid. One or more wind turbines on a boundary of the predetermined grid (e.g. a front row of the grid) are provided with at least one such rotor blade ( 1 ).

Claims (22)

1. A wind turbine field comprising:

a plurality of wind turbines positioned in a predetermined grid, wherein only on a boundary of the predetermined grid at least one wind turbine is provided with at least one rotor blade comprising a main blade part with a blade tip, the blade tip resulting in a blade tip vortex downstream of the rotor blade during operation,

wherein the blade tip comprises a vortex de-stabilizer, the vortex de-stabilizer comprising one or more local surface modification elements in a span wise area at the blade tip and being configured to de-stabilize the blade tip vortex and increase wake mixing downstream of the at least one wind turbine during operation of the rotor blade, and the vortex de-stabilizer being provided along a span wise total length L 2 of at most 10% of a span wise total length L 1 of the main blade part.

2. The wind turbine field of claim 1 , wherein the vortex de-stabilizer is provided along a span wise total length L 2 of at most 5% of a span wise total length (L 1 ) of the main blade part.

3. The wind turbine field of claim 1 , wherein the vortex de-stabilizer has a periodicity along the trailing edge with a periodic width between 40% and 300% of an associated local chord length Lc of the blade tip.

4. The wind turbine field of claim 3 , wherein the periodic width is between 50% and 200%, of an associated local chord length Lc of the blade tip.

5. The wind turbine field of claim 3 , wherein the periodic width is between 80% and 160% of an associated local chord length Lc of the blade tip.

6. The wind turbine field of claim 3 , wherein the periodic width is equal to 100% of an associated local chord length Lc of the blade tip.

7. The wind turbine field of claim 1 , wherein the vortex de-stabilizer comprises one or more surface modification elements along a trailing edge of the blade tip.

8. The wind turbine field of claim 7 , wherein the vortex de-stabilizer comprises one or more downward deflection elements.

9. The wind turbine field of claim 7 , wherein the vortex de-stabilizer comprises one or more upward deflection elements.

10. The wind turbine field of claim 7 , wherein the vortex de-stabilizer is arranged to form a secondary trailing edge for the blade tip, wherein the secondary trailing edge is a straight trailing edge.

11. The wind turbine field of claim 1 , wherein the vortex de-stabilizer has an extension length of between 1% to 25% of an associated local cord length Lc of the blade tip.

12. The wind turbine field of claim 1 , wherein the vortex de-stabilizer comprises one or more of:

an element providing a local chord variation of the rotor blade profile;

an element providing a local airfoil variation of the rotor blade;

an element providing a local twist variation of the rotor blade profile;

a local chord extension element; a straight flap; a curved flap; a trailing edge deflector; a Guerney flap.

13. The wind turbine field of claim 1 , wherein the blade tip comprises a winglet or tip vane, and the vortex de-stabilizer is provided at least partly on the winglet or tip vane.

14. The wind turbine field of claim 1 , wherein the vortex de-stabilizer comprises one or more separate elements attachable to the blade tip of the rotor blade.

15. The wind turbine field of claim 1 , wherein all the wind turbines on the boundary of the predetermined grid are provided with the at least one rotor blade.

16. The wind turbine field of claim 1 , wherein only the wind turbines on a part of the boundary of the predetermined grid that is most upstream from the prevailing wind direction are provided with the at least one rotor blade.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 4, 2019
From: STICHTING ENERGIEONDERZOEK CENTRUM NEDERLAND
To: NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST-NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
Reel/Frame 050257/0519 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 9, 2016
From: BOT, EDWIN THEODORUS GERARDUS
To: STICHTING ENERGIEONDERZOEK CENTRUM NEDERLAND
Reel/Frame 038854/0237 →
Priority Claims (1)
NL 2011236 · Jul 30, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160177919A1 · Jun 23, 2016