General Electric Company

General Electric Renovables Espana, S.l.

Christian Aloysius Carroll

Aaron Alpheus Yarbrough

James Robert Tobin

Stefan Herr

Andreas Herrig

Bruce Clark Busbey

Aaron John Mashue

Benoit Philippe Petitjean

Jonathan Glenn Luedke

Murray Fisher

Drew Adam Wetzel

Benjamin Patrick Hallissy

Jonathon Paul Baker

Biju Nanukuttan, Jr

Benoit Philippe Armand Petitjean

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 unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span of the rotor blade in the transitional region ranges from about &#x2212;0.10 to about 0.10 from the maximum chord over about 15% of the span of the rotor blade. In addition, the unitless first derivative of the chord with respect to the span a slope of a change in the chord in is greater than about &#x2212;0.03 at an inflection point of the chord in the outboard region.

Wind turbine rotor blade assembly for reduced noise

A wind turbine includes at least one blade having a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge that define an airfoil-shaped profile. The suction side and/or the pressure side has a morphable region. The wind turbine also includes a control system configured to activate the morphable region to alter the airfoil-shaped profile and reduce negative lift generated by the blade when the blade is oriented at a negative lift angle.

Wind turbine and method of operating the same

A wind turbine rotor blade assembly and associated method include a rotor blade having a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending in a generally span-wise direction between a tip and a root. An edge extension panel is attached along either of the leading edge or trailing edge (or along both edges) in a generally span-wise direction from adjacent the root towards the tip. The edge extension panels include a cured and hardened viscous material continuous core formed onto the leading or trailing edge with a contoured generally aerodynamic outer surface.

Wind turbine rotor blade assembly with root extension panel and method of assembly

The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine. The rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having exterior surfaces defining pressure and suction sides, and leading and trailing edges extending in a generally span-wise direction between an inboard region and an outboard region. The inboard region includes a blade root having a rounded trailing edge. Further, the rotor blade assembly further includes at least one airflow separation element mounted to either or both of the pressure or suction sides of the rotor blade within the inboard region and adjacent to the rounded trailing edge. In addition, the at least one airflow separation element corresponds to a contour of the pressure side or the suction side of the rotor blade. As such, the at least one airflow separation element is configured to provide a fixed airflow separation location in the inboard region during standard operation.

Airflow configuration for a wind turbine rotor blade

Rotor blade assemblies for wind turbines are provided. In one embodiment, a rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having exterior surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge each extending between a tip and a root. The rotor blade further defines a span and a chord. A span-wise portion of the pressure side includes along a chord-wise cross-section a plurality of inflection points. The plurality of inflection points include a first inflection point and a second inflection point, the first and second inflections points positioned within approximately 50% of the chord from the leading edge.

Rotor blade assembly for wind turbine having load reduction features

In one aspect, a rotor blade for a wind turbine is disclosed. The rotor blade may include a body extending between a blade root and a blade tip. The body may define a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. In addition, the body may define a chord line extending between the leading and trailing edges. The rotor blade may also include an airfoil modifier coupled to at least one of the pressure side or the suction side of the body. The airfoil modifier may define an end surface disposed adjacent to the trailing edge. At least a portion of the end surface may extend at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the chord.

Airfoil modifiers for wind turbine rotor blades

A blade extension for a rotor blade and a rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine are disclosed. The rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having exterior surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge each extending in a generally span-wise direction between a tip and a root. At least one of the leading edge or the trailing edge has a modified aerodynamic contour. The rotor blade assembly further includes a blade extension including a first panel and an opposed second panel. Each of the first panel and the second panel includes an interior surface and an exterior surface each extending between a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end of each of the first panel and the second panel is spaced apart from the rotor blade in a generally chord-wise direction in a standard operation position.

Blade extension for rotor blade in wind turbine

A wind turbine rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending in a generally span-wise direction between a tip and a root. An edge extension is attached along either or both of the leading edge or trailing edge in a generally span-wise direction from adjacent the root towards the blade tip, with the edge extension having a contoured outer surface that defines a generally continuous aerodynamic surface. The edge extension has a terminal end that is spaced from root. A curtain is attached to the edge extension and extends in a span-wise direction from the terminal end t to the root. The curtain is formed from a pliant, flexible material that accommodates connection of the root to a rotor hub, as well as pitch movement of the rotor blade relative to the hub.

Wind turbine rotor blade assembly with root curtain

A blade extension for a rotor blade and a rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine are disclosed. The rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having exterior surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge each extending in a generally span-wise direction between a tip and a root. The rotor blade assembly further includes a blade extension including a first panel and an opposed second panel. Each of the first panel and the second panel includes an interior surface and an exterior surface each extending between a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end of each of the first panel and the second panel is spaced apart from the rotor blade in a generally chord-wise direction in a standard operation position.

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Christian Aloysius Carroll