Multiple airfoil wind turbine blade assembly
OwnerHoward Harrisoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved wind turbine blade assembly for a wind turbine, and an improved wind turbine, having multiple airfoils, specifically, at least a primary airfoil and a secondary airfoil with an aerodynamic gap therebetween.
Claims33
A wind turbine blade assembly for a wind turbine, having, when assembled on said wind turbine, a root portion proximal to a hub of said wind turbine and a tip portion distal to said hub, said wind turbine blade assembly comprising:
- a. a primary airfoil having a primary leading edge;
- and
- b. a secondary airfoil having a secondary leading edge;
- wherein there is an aerodynamic gap between said primary airfoil and said secondary airfoil, with said primary airfoil configured to be located upwind of said secondary airfoil when assembled on the wind turbine.
The wind turbine blade assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said primary airfoil and said secondary airfoil are structurally connected by struts extending through said aerodynamic gap.
The wind turbine blade assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said primary airfoil and said secondary airfoil have chord lengths that are greater at the root portion than at the tip portion.
The wind turbine blade assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said aerodynamic gap is greater at the root portion than at the tip portion.
The wind turbine blade assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said aerodynamic gap is a constant portion of the chord length of said primary airfoil and said secondary airfoil, along the entire length of said primary airfoil and said secondary airfoil.
The wind turbine blade assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said secondary leading edge is configured to have rotational displacement with respect to the primary leading edge.
The wind turbine blade assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said primary airfoil and secondary airfoil have a differential pitch angle of between about −6 to +6 degrees, preferably between about −3 to +3 degrees.
The wind turbine blade assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein said primary airfoil and said secondary airfoil are mounted on separate hubs.
The wind turbine blade assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein said primary airfoil and said secondary airfoil are joined at the root portion and at the tip portion.
The wind turbine blade assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the root portion comprises a flange configured to be matingly attached to a wind turbine hub.
The wind turbine blade assembly of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a tip airfoil distal to said primary airfoil and said secondary airfoil, relative to the root portion.
A wind turbine blade assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of said primary airfoil and said secondary airfoil is a thin airfoil.
A wind turbine blade assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of said primary airfoil and said secondary airfoil is an adaptive airfoil such that the shape or angle of the adaptive airfoil can be modified while said blade assembly is assembled on said turbine.
A wind turbine comprising at least one wind turbine blade assembly of any one of the preceding claims.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.