# US 2010/0166556 A1 · Partial arc shroud for wind turbine blades

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- Number: US 2010/0166556 A1
- Document ID: US20100166556A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/345,705
- Filed: 2008-12-30
- Published: 2010-07-01
- Earliest claimed: 2008-12-30
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Kevin R. Kirtley
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100166556A1

## CPC

- F03D 1/06: Rotors
- F03D 3/06: Rotors
- F05B 2240/307: Blade tip, e.g. winglets
- F05B 2240/33: Shrouds which are part of or which are rotating with the rotor
- Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
- Y02E 10/74: Wind turbines with rotation axis perpendicular to the wind direction
- F03D: WIND MOTORS
- F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A wind turbine blade includes an arcuate partial annulus arc shroud secured to a tip of the blade.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wind turbine blade, comprising an arcuate partial annulus arc shroud secured to a tip of the blade.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 1 wherein an upwind portion of an inboard side of the partial annulus arc shroud has a smaller radius than a down wind portion of the arc shroud.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 1, wherein an arc length of the partial annulus arc shroud is between 10% and 1.5% of a span of the blade.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 3, wherein an arc length of the partial annulus arc shroud is between 5% and 1.75% of a span of the blade.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 2, wherein an arc length of the partial annulus arc shroud is between 10% and 1.5% of a span of the blade.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 5, wherein an arc length of the partial annulus arc shroud is between 5% and 1.75% of a span of the blade.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 2, wherein the partial annulus arc shroud extends substantially the same length from both a pressure side of the blade and a suction side of the blade.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 3, wherein the partial annulus arc shroud extends substantially the same length from both a pressure side of the blade and a suction side of the blade.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 4, wherein the partial annulus arc shroud extends substantially the same length from both a pressure side of the blade and a suction side of the blade.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 5, wherein the partial annulus arc shroud extends substantially the same length from both a pressure side of the blade and a suction side of the blade.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 6, wherein the partial annulus arc shroud extends substantially the same length from both a pressure side of the blade and a suction side of the blade.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 1, wherein the partial annulus arc shroud has an airfoil shape

### Claim 12

A wind turbine, comprising:
a tower supporting a drive train having a gearbox and a generator;
a plurality of blades for rotating the drive train; and
an arcuate partial annulus arc shroud secured to a tip of at least one of the blades.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The wind turbine recited in claim 12, wherein an upwind portion of an inboard side of the partial annulus arc shroud has a smaller radius than a down wind portion of the arc shroud.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The wind turbine recited in claim 12, wherein the partial annulus arc shroud has an airfoil shape

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 12, wherein the partial annulus arc shroud extends forward of a leading edge of the blade.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 12, wherein the partial annulus arc shroud extends beyond a trailing edge of the blade.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The wind turbine recited in claim 12, wherein an arc length the partial arc shrouds is between 10% and 1.5% of a span of the corresponding blade

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 17, wherein an arc length of each of the partial arc shrouds is between 5% and 1.75% of a span of the corresponding blade

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 12, wherein the combined length of the arc shrouds extends between 10% and 1.5% of a blade tip annulus of the wind turbine.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The wind turbine blade recited in claim 19, wherein the combined length of the arc shrouds extends between 5% and 1.75% of a blade tip annulus of the wind turbine.