University of Virginia Patent Foundation

University of Illinois

Seimens Vdo Automotive Corporation

Michael S Selig

Eric Loth

Frank Stauder

William Holmes

Adam Steele

A downwind morphing rotor that exhibits bending loads that will be reduced by aligning the rotor blades with the composite forces. This reduces the net loads on the blades which therefore allow for a reduced blade mass for a given maximum stress. The downwind morphing varies the amount of downstream deflection as a function of wind speed, where the rotor blades are generally fully-aligned to non-azimuthal forces for wind speeds between rated and cut-out conditions, while only the outer segments of the blades are generally aligned between cut-in and rated wind speeds. This alignment for large (MW-scale) rated turbines results in much larger downstream deflections of the blades at high wind speeds as compared to that of a conventional rigid single-piece upwind turbine blade.

Morphing segmented wind turbine and related method

A wind turbine for generating electricity having a turbine assembly mounted on an inner support positioned within an aerodynamic fairing. The turbine assembly has an electrical generator positioned on the inner support and having a rotor shaft rotatable by a rotor blade. The aerodynamic fairing reduces the drag and wake created by the inner support.

2-D fairing for a wind turbine tower

A downwind morphing rotor that exhibits bending loads that will be reduced by aligning the rotor blades with the composite forces. This reduces the net loads on the blades which therefore allow for a reduced blade mass for a given maximum stress. Also provided is a pre-aligned configuration rotor whereby the rotor geometry and orientation does not change with wind speed, and instead is fixed at a constant downwind deflection consistent with alignment at or near the rated wind speed conditions. Also provided is a twist morphing rotor where the airfoil-shapes around the spars twist relative to the wind due to aerodynamic forces so as to unload the rotors when there is a gust. This can help reduce unsteady stresses on the blade and therefore may allow for reduced blade mass and cost. The twist morphing rotor may be combined with either downwind morphing rotor or pre-alignment rotor.

Airfoils having high lift to drag characteristics at low Reynolds number are disclosed. The airfoils including a leading edge , a trailing edge spaced from the leading edge, an upper surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and a lower surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge. An airfoil designed for a tip region of a blade has a thickness in a range of 3% to 13%, a Reynolds number in a range from 120,000 to 400,000, and a maximum lift coefficient in a range from 1.0 to 1.2. An airfoil designed for a midspan region of a blade has a thickness in a range of 3% to 13%, a Reynolds number in a range from 90,000 to 200,000, and a maximum lift coefficient in a range from 1.4 to 1.6. An airfoil designed for a root region of a blade has a thickness in a range of 5% to 15%, a Reynolds number in a range from 60,000 to 120,000, and a maximum lift coefficient in a range from 1.8 to 2.0.

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Mahomet, IL, United States of America

Michael S Selig