# US 2017/0284366 A1 · Wind turbine rotor blade

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- Number: US 2017/0284366 A1
- Document ID: US20170284366A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/510,797
- Filed: 2015-05-21
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2014-09-22
- Assignees: Best Blades GmbH
- Applicants: Best Blades GmbH
- Inventors: Joerg Spitzner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170284366A1

## CPC

- F03D 7/022: {Adjusting aerodynamic properties of the blades}
- F03D 1/0633: {of the blades}
- F03D 1/0675: {of the blades}
- F05B 2230/80: Repairing, retrofitting or upgrading methods
- F05B 2240/30: Characteristics of rotor blades, i.e. of any element transforming dynamic fluid energy to or from rotational energy and being attached to a rotor
- F05B 2240/301: Cross-section characteristics
- F05B 2240/302: Segmented or sectional blades
- Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- 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
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A wind turbine rotor blade (1) with a blunt, wide and/or cut off trailing edge (15) in a hub region (111), with an air-conducting channel (23) extending radially outward for conducting suctioned air from a suction region (21) to a blow-out region (22) arranged in the blade tip region (113) inside the wind turbine rotor blade (1), wherein and boundary layer suctioning occurs on the top side (13) of the wind turbine rotor blade (1), and a boundary layer fence (28) is provided in the hub region (111) near the hub fastening means (17) in order to prevent a flow in the direction of the hub fastening means (17).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wind turbine rotor blade (1) having a top side (13), a bottom side (14), a leading edge (16), a trailing edge (15), a hub fastening means (17) and a blade tip (12) wherein the wind turbine rotor blade (1) has a hub region (111), a center region (112), and a blade tip region (113), and wherein a root region (11) is defined from the hub fastening means (17) to the maximum blade depth (Smax), wherein
an air-conducting channel (23) is provided inside the wind turbine rotor blade (1) extending radially outward for conducting suctioned air from a suction region (21) to a blow-out region (22) arranged in the blade tip region (113), and a boundary layer suctioning occurs in a suction area (21) where a suctioning of the air from the top side (13) of the wind turbine rotor blade (1) occurs,
a boundary layer fence (28) is provided in the hub region (111) near the hub fastening means (17) in order to prevent a flow in the direction of the hub fastening means (17),
the trailing edge (15) in the hub region (111) and at least in the first section of the central region (112) connected thereto is blunt, wide and/or cut off running in the direction of the blade tip region (113), wherein this continues in the root region (11) towards the direction of the blade tip (12),
the suction area (21) is arranged in the area in which a laminar air flow detaches from the top side (13) based on the rotor blade geometry, so that an attachment and continuation of laminar air flow along the top side (13) occurs, and
the suction area (21) starting at or near the boundary layer fence (28) in the hub area (111) extends into the central region (112), wherein the suction area (21) extends over the root region (11) in the direction of the blade tip (12) in the center region (112).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wind energy turbine rotor blade (1) according to claim 1, wherein the suction area (21) includes a plurality of openable and closable suction segments which can be opened and/or closed as a function of a relocation of the point at which laminar flow changes to turbulent (X) on the top surface (13) due to rotor blade geometry, which migrates due to a rotation of the rotor blade at the hub for adapting the angle of attack of the rotor blade to the wind, whereby a changeable suction line is formed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The wind energy turbine rotor blade (1) according to claim 1, wherein the maximum blade depth (Smax) of the wind turbine rotor blade (1) is provided in the hub region (111) or in the first section of the central region (112) and the blade depth (Sgr) decreases from the maximum blade depth (Smax) to the boundary layer fence (28).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The wind energy turbine rotor blade (1) according to claim 1, wherein the suction area (21) is arranged in the section of the surface from 40% of the local blade depth (Sx) from the leading edge (16) to 5% of the local blade depth (Sx) from the trailing edge (15).

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The wind energy turbine rotor blade (1) according to claim 4, wherein the suction area (21) in the hub region (111) is arranged in the section of the surface from 40% of the local blade depth (Sx) from the leading edge (16) to 30% of the local blade depth (Sx) from the trailing edge (15).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The wind energy turbine rotor blade (1) according to claim 1, wherein the blade inner body of the rotor blade (1) is used as an air-conducting channel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The wind energy turbine rotor blade (1) according to claim 1, wherein a conventional rotor blade is retrofitted with add-on components.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The wind energy turbine rotor blade (1) according to claim 7, wherein the add-on components are segmented.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The wind energy turbine rotor blade (1) according to claim 1, wherein the blade tip (12) of a rotor blade known in the prior art is retrofitted with an add-on component which does not extend the rotor blade overall length.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The wind energy turbine rotor blade (1) according to claim 1, wherein the blade tip (12) of a conventional rotor blade is retrofitted by an extension component which extends the rotor blade in its total length by 0.5 to 7 m.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The wind energy turbine rotor blade (1) according to claim 8, wherein the segmented cultivating components have at least one boundary layer fence portion (28, 28′).

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The wind energy turbine rotor blade (1) according to claim 1, wherein a valve for controlling the boundary layer influencing is arranged in the air-conducting channel (23).

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The wind energy turbine rotor blade (1) according to claim 1, wherein transport means are provided for actively influencing the boundary layer by means of air conduction within the air-conducting channel (23), so that air can be transported both from the suction area (21) to the blow-out area (22) as well as in the opposite direction.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The wind energy turbine rotor blade (1) according to claim 1, wherein the openings of the suction region (21) and/or of the blow-out region (22) are designed as bores and/or slots.