Flap control for wind turbine blades
AssigneeVestas Wind Systems A/S
InventorCarsten Hein Westergaard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wind turbine blade has one or more trailing edge flaps. An actuator mechanism for the flaps comprises a shaft extending along the blade length driven by a motor arrangement toward the blade root. The flap is connected to the shaft through a linkage so that rotation of the shaft pivots the flap about a hinge line. The linkage may be non-rigid and coupled to the shaft through a roller, or rigid and coupled to the shaft through a crank arm mounted on the shaft. An offset actuation mechanism is provided for imparting movement to the linkage in addition to movement due to rotation of the shaft.
Claims13
A wind turbine blade comprising at least one control flap on an edge of the blade, and an actuation mechanism for controlling movement of the flap, the actuation mechanism comprising an actuator shaft extending along at least a portion of the length of the blade, an actuator coupled to the shaft to rotate the shaft, the actuator being arranged towards the root end of the blade, a linkage coupled between the flap and the actuator shaft, whereby rotary movement of the shaft moves the flap, and an offset actuation mechanism for imparting movement to the linkage in addition to movement due to rotation of the shaft.
A wind turbine having a rotor comprising a plurality of rotor blades, each rotor blade comprising at least one control flap on an edge of the blade, and an actuation mechanism for controlling movement of the flap, the actuation mechanism comprising an actuator shaft extending along at least a portion of the length of the blade, an actuator coupled to the shaft to rotate the shaft, the actuator being arranged towards the root end of the blade, a linkage coupled between the flap and the actuator shaft, whereby rotary movement of the shaft moves the flap, and an offset actuation mechanism for imparting movement to the linkage in addition to movement due to rotation of the shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.