Wind turbine blade
AssigneeEcotecnia, s.coop.c.l
InventorsPep Prats Mustaros, Gottfried Schuon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wind turbine blade includes a drain comprising at least one bore formed on the surface of the blade and communicating with the interior of the blade, the bore being located at the root area. The bore is preferably from 8 mm to 15 mm wide. In blades having an internal strengthening structural member creating an enclosure, there is a bore on either side of the enclosure member. The bore is within 5 cm from the enclosure member.
Claims15
A wind turbine blade which comprises:
- a blade body extending from a blade root area to a blade tip and defining a blade cavity, said blade body adapted for use in a wind turbine and adapted to connect to a wind turbine rotor hub at said root area, said blade body including a blade surface comprising a suction side and a pressure side;
- and a drain for draining off water that condenses inside said blade cavity, wherein said drain comprises at least one hole formed on said surface of said wind turbine blade and communicating with said blade cavity, said at least one hole being located at said wind turbine blade root area.
A method of draining the interior of a wind turbine blade, said method comprising:
- providing a wind turbine blade having a root area adapted for being connected to a wind turbine rotor hub;
- forming a drain communicating with the interior of said blade in the region of said root of said blade;
- and draining water from said blade through said drain while said blade is operating slowly in an idling condition.
A wind turbine comprising a rotor hub and three wind turbine blades attached to said rotor hub, each of said wind turbine blades including at least two drain holes, both of said drain holes in each of said blades located at the root area of said blade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.