Wind turbine blades with aerodynamic vortex elements
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsBiao Fang, Stefan Herr, Xiaoyue Liu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wind turbine blade had a suction side surface and a pressure side surface. A plurality of vortex elements are formed on at least one of the suction side or the pressure side surfaces. The vortex elements have an upwardly inclined wind face and a downwardly inclined slip face, with the wind face and slip face meeting at a generally open-ended U-shaped ridge that defines side horns. The side horns decrease in height from a forward most portion of the ridge to the suction side surface or pressure side surface.
Claims15
A wind turbine blade, said blade comprising:
- a suction side surface and a pressure side surface;
- a plurality of vortex elements configured on at least one of said suction side or said pressure side surfaces;
- and,
- said vortex elements having an upwardly inclined wind face and a downwardly inclined slip face, said wind face and said slip face meeting at a generally open-ended U-shaped ridge that defines side horns, said side horns decreasing in height from a forward most portion of said ridge to said suction side surface or said pressure side surface, said side horns further having a cross-sectional profile that decreases in width from said forward most portion of said ridge to said suction side surface or said pressure side surface, said vortex elements have a semi-hemispherical crescent shape with a convex wind face and a concave slip face, said U-shaped ridge comprising a continuously curved arc shape.
A wind turbine, said wind turbine comprising a plurality of turbine blades, at least one of said turbine blades comprising:
- a suction side surface and a pressure side surface;
- a plurality of vortex elements configured on at least one of said suction side surface or said pressure side surface;
- and,
- said vortex elements having an upwardly inclined wind face and a downwardly inclined slip face, said wind face and said slip face meeting at a generally open-ended U-shaped ridge that defines side horns, said side horns decreasing in height from a forward most portion of said ridge to said suction side surface or said pressure side surface, said side horns having a cross-sectional profile that decreases in width from said forward most portion of said ridge to said suction side surface or said pressure side surface, said vortex elements have a semi-hemispherical crescent shape with a convex wind face and a concave slip face, said U-shaped ridge comprising a continuously curved arc shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.