General Electric Company

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Kevin James Standish

Stefan Herr

Kevin Wayne Kinzie

Kevin Richard Kirtley

Brandon Shane Gerber

Benoit P Petitjean

Jamie Thomas Livingston

John M Obrecht

Kirk Gee Pierce

Thomas Frank Fric

Nishant Govindbhai Parsania

Bernard P Landa

Klaus Ulrich Koegler

Nicholas Keane Althoff

Drew Eisenberg

Balaji Subramanian

Nicolas K Althoff

Alonso Zamora

Paul F Medina

A power producing spinner () for a wind turbine (), the wind turbine () having a plurality of blades () interconnected about an axis of rotation () by a hub (). The power producing spinner () includes an aerodynamic shape () extending radially outward from the axis of rotation () to define an upwind airfoil portion () disposed upwind of an inboard portion () of each blade () of the wind turbine (). The power producing spinner () is effective to extract energy from an air flow () flowing over the spinner () and to increase an aerodynamic efficiency of the blades ().

Power producing spinner for a wind turbine

A blade for a wind turbine includes a total backward twist of between approximately 6 degrees and approximately 15 degrees between an outer approximately 1 percent to approximately 10 percent of a rotor radius of the blade; and a total normalized chord change of between approximately one percent and approximately two percent between the outer approximately 1 percent to approximately 10 percent of the rotor radius of the blade.

Wind turbine blades with twisted and tapered tips

A blade for a wind turbine includes a total backward twist of between approximately 6 degrees and approximately 15 degrees between an outer approximately 1 percent to approximately 10 percent of a rotor radius of the blade.

Wind turbine blades with twisted tips

The present invention includes a rotor blade () having a blade body () with a leading edge () and a trailing edge () and opposed first and second surfaces () extending there between defining an airfoil shape () in cross-section. A passageway () extends through the blade body () between the first and second surfaces (). A flexible member () is sealed over one end () of the passageway (). Advantageously, the flexible member () is passively responsive to changes in a differential pressure between the first and second surfaces () to move between a deactivated position () and an activated position () where the flexible member () extends away from the airfoil shape () to function as a load mitigation device () for the wind turbine rotor blade ().

Load mitigation device for wind turbine blades

Airfoils are provided for a wind turbine blade that is associated with a wind turbine hub. Each airfoil includes a blunt trailing edge, a substantially oval shaped suction side, and a substantially S-shaped pressure side. The airfoils decrease in cross-sectional area along the turbine blade in a direction extending away from the wind turbine hub.

Wind turbine airfoil family

A method for operating a wind turbine. The method includes providing a wind turbine having at least one blade having adjustable pitch angle that is adjusted according to an operational parameter schedule. A blade efficiency parameter is determined in response to a wind speed and a rotor speed. A minimum pitch angle is determined in response to the blade efficiency parameter and the pitch angle of the at least one blade in response to the blade efficiency parameter is maintained to an angle equal to or greater than the minimum pitch angle independent of the operational parameter schedule. A wind turbine plant and a method for servicing a wind turbine are also disclosed.

Blade pitch management method and system

A blade for a wind turbine includes a total backward twist of between approximately 6 degrees and approximately 15 degrees between an outer approximately 1 percent to 10 percent of a rotor radius of the blade; and an approximate planform distribution within the following ranges where 'r/R' is an approximate normalized distance outward from a center of rotation of the blade along a span of the blade; and 'c/R(LE)' and &#x201c;c/R(TE)&#x201d; are approximate relative positions of a leading (LE) and trailing edge (TE) of a chord &#x201c;c&#x201d; expressed as a percentage of a distance outward from the center of rotation at each r/R.

Wind turbine blade planforms with twisted and tapered tips

A lift device for a wind turbine blade. The lift device includes a first sidewall and an opposing second sidewall. The lift device is configured to be coupled to the wind turbine blade along a leading edge of the wind turbine blade, and to generate lift when airflow is directed across a surface of the lift device.

Method and apparatus for increasing lift on wind turbine blade

A wind turbine includes a tower supporting a drive train with a rotor, at least one blade extending radially from the rotor; and a plurality of substantially flat flaps extending substantially perpendicular from a suction surface of the blade and along different chord lines near a tip of the blade for capturing and directing tip vortices toward a trailing edge of the blade.

Wind turbine blade tip vortex breakers

A method of assembling a rotor blade for a turbine is provided that includes forming a rotor blade trailing edge by coupling a suction side terminus to a pressure side terminus and positioning a trailing edge assembly between the suction side terminus and the pressure side terminus, the trailing edge assembly having a varying cross-section.

Rotor blade trailing edge assemby and method of use

A wind turbine blade that includes integrated erosion, lightning and icing protection for a leading edge. The leading edge includes a frontal surface with an erosion shield positioned external to the frontal surface. An internal lightning conveyance path is provided with an electrical connection from the erosion shield to the internal lightning conveyance path. A heat-generating element is positioned between the erosion shield and the frontal surface and a heat conduction path is provided from the heat-generating element to the erosion shield. Further, a structure is provided for connecting the heat-generating element to an energy source within the blade.

Integrated leading edge for wind turbine blade

A family of airfoils for a wind turbine blade. Each airfoil may include a blunt trailing edge, a substantially oval shaped suction side, and a substantially S-shaped pressure side.

A blade for a wind turbine includes a chord of length 'c' positioned with a leading edge tip chord angle and trailing edge tip chord angle of between approximately 45 and 75 degrees; a tip having a shear web plane radii distribution in the ranges of where 'L/c' is a range of an approximate normalized location along the chord line expressed as a percentage of the chord length from a leading edge of the blade; and where &#x201c;R/c&#x201d; is a range of an approximate normalized shear web plane tip radius expressed as a percentage of the chord length, for each normalized location L/c.

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Kevin James Standish