Quick adaptation of wind turbine blade flow regulation
AssigneeSiemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
InventorJohn Nieuwenhuizen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is an arrangement for releasing fluid from a deformable container adapted to modify a state of an adaptable flow regulating device of a wind turbine rotor blade, the arrangement including: a valve connectable to the container; an exhaust tube connected to the valve, wherein the valve is adjustable to allow fluid communication between a lumen of the container and a lumen of the exhaust tube.
Claims12
An arrangement for releasing fluid from a deformable container adapted to modify a state of an adaptable flow regulating device of a wind turbine rotor blade, the arrangement comprising:
- a valve connectable to the container;
- an exhaust tube connected to the valve, wherein the valve is adjustable to allow fluid communication between a lumen of the container and a lumen of the exhaust tube;
- wherein a length and a profile of a cross sectional area of the exhaust tube are selected such that a volume of the lumen of the exhaust tube substantially equals a working volume of the container, and wherein the exhaust tube comprises at an end not connected to the valve an exhaust tube outlet exposed to the environment or to atmosphere.
An adaptable flow regulating device, for a wind turbine rotor blade, comprising:
- an airfoil surface to be exposed to an air flow during rotation of the rotor blade;
- a deformable container coupled to the airfoil surface and adapted to be deformed by inflating or deflating it using fluid, thereby changing position and/or orientation and/or tilt of the airfoil surface for modifying a state of the adaptable flow regulating device;
- and
- an arrangement having a valve connectable to the deformable container and an exhaust tube connected to the valve, wherein the valve is adjustable to allow communication of the fluid between a lumen of the deformable container and a lumen of the exhaust tube, wherein a length and a profile of a cross sectional area of the exhaust tube are selected such that a volume of the lumen of the exhaust tube substantially equals a working volume of the deformable container, and wherein the exhaust tube comprises at an end not connected to the valve an exhaust tube outlet exposed to the environment or to atmosphere.
A method of releasing fluid from a deformable container adapted to modify a state of an adaptable flow regulating device of a wind turbine rotor blade, the method comprising:
- opening a valve connected to the deformable container to allow fluid communication between a lumen of the deformable container and a lumen of an exhaust tube connected to the valve, wherein a length and a profile of a cross sectional area of the exhaust tube are selected such that a volume of the lumen of the exhaust tube substantially equals a working volume of the deformable container, and wherein the exhaust tube comprises at an end not connected to the valve an exhaust tube outlet exposed to the environment or to atmosphere.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.