Wind turbine rotor aileron

A method for operating a wind turbine, said turbine having a rotor with at least one blade, an aileron being pivotally mounted to the blade and actuable by a cyclic actuator which changes the angular position of the aileron, relative to said blade, continuously with respect to the azimuthal position of the blade, said method comprising:

• with a controller,
• i) measuring the azimuthal position of said blade;
• ii) causing adjustment of the cyclic actuator to a position based upon said azimuthal position;
• and
• iii) causing said cyclic actuator to adjust the angular position of the aileron as the rotor rotates.

A method for controlling a wind turbine having a rotor with a blade, an aileron pivotally coupled to said blade, and an actuator assembly for adjusting the angular position of the aileron relative to the blade, said rotor rotating under the influence of wind blowing at a wind speed, said method comprising the steps:

• i) defining a first regime comprising wind speeds less than or equal to a lower threshold wind speed;
• ii) defining a second regime comprising wind speeds greater than or equal to an upper threshold wind speed, said upper threshold wind speed being greater than said lower threshold wind speed;
• iii) actuating said aileron to a lower bound angular position when said wind turbine is rotating under the influence of wind blowing at a wind speed which is within said first regime;
• and
• iv) actuating said aileron to an upper bound angular position when said wind turbine is rotating under the influence of wind blowing at a wind speed which is within said second regime.