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US 7,740,450 B2Granted
Lightweight hub for rotors
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorRonald Ralph Cairo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A structure for a hub of a rotor includes a space frame having truss members configured to carry primary torsion, bending, and direct loading. The structure also includes a shell on the space frame configured to stabilize the space frame and carry shear loading.
Claims18
A structure for a hub of a rotor, said structure comprising:
- a space frame having truss members configured to carry primary torsion, bending, and direct loading, the truss members further configured to frame a first cut-out configured for a first blade, frame a second cut-out configured for a second blade, frame a third cut-out configured for a shaft, and frame a fourth cut-out configured for a spinner coupled to the hub;
- and
- a meridional stiffened thin shell on the space frame configured to stabilize the space frame and carry shear loading.
A wind turbine for mounting on a tower, said wind turbine comprising:
- a generator;
- a shaft operatively coupled to said generator;
- a hub coupled to the shaft,
- wherein the hub further comprises a space frame having truss members configured to carry primary torsion, bending, and direct loading, the truss members further configured to frame a first cut-out configured for a first blade, frame a second cut-out configured for a second blade, frame a third cut-out configured for a shaft, and frame a fourth cut-out configured for a spinner coupled to the hub;
- and
- a meridional stiffened thin shell on the space frame configured to stabilize the space frame and carry shear loading.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.