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US 9,017,034 B2Granted
Upwind wind turbine with blades supported on the leeward side
AssigneeLm Glasfiber A/S
InventorLars Fuglsang
Life of this patent
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AssigneeLm Glasfiber A/S
InventorLars Fuglsang
Estimating the term…
An upwind wind turbine comprising blades extending radially from a rigid hub on a main shaft having a horizontal axis is described. The blades and hub constitute a rotor with a rotor plane. The main shaft is pivotally mounted in a nacelle on top of a tower which pivots around the vertical axis of the tower. The rotor plane adjusts in relation to wind direction, so during normal use the rotor is positioned on the upwind side of the tower. Each blade has at least a first leeward supporting mechanism having first and second ends. The first end connects to the blade at a first leeward mounting point positioned in a radial distance from the horizontal axis. The second end connects to a second leeward mounting point at a rotatable part and is positioned in an axial distance from the rotor plane on the leeward side of the rotor.
A wind turbine (102) comprising a number of blades (110, 210, 410) extending substantially radially from a rigid hub (108, 208, 408) on a main shaft (886) having a substantially horizontal axis (221), the blades (110, 210, 410) together with the hub (108, 208, 408) constituting a rotor with a rotor plane (212), and which can be put into rotation by wind, wherein the main shaft (886) is pivotally mounted in a nacelle (106, 206) mounted on top of a tower (104, 204), the nacelle (106, 206) being able to pivot around a vertical axis in relation to the tower (104, 204), hereby being able to adjust the rotor plane of the blades (110, 210, 410) in relation to a direction of the wind, and wherein the wind turbine is an upwind machine in that the rotor during normal use of the wind turbine (102) is positioned on the upwind side of the tower (104, 204), the rotor during normal use of the wind turbine (102) having a windward side (226) and a leeward side (227), and each blade having an innermost part (228, 628) comprising a root section of the blade and an outermost part (229, 629) comprising a tip section of the blade, characterized in that each blade (110, 210, 410) is supported on the leeward side (227) so as to support the blade against forces in the upwind direction by at least a first leeward supporting means (220, 420, 520, 720, 1020) having a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to the blade at a first leeward mounting point (222, 422, 522, 722, 1022) positioned in a radial distance from the horizontal axis (221), and the second end being connected to a second leeward mounting point (224, 424, 524, 1024) at a rotatable part of the wind turbine (102), the second leeward mounting point being positioned in an axial distance from the rotor plane (212) on the leeward side (227) of the rotor, wherein the first leeward mounting point (222, 422, 522, 722, 1022) on the blade (110, 210, 410) is positioned in a radial distance of 20-100% of the full length of the blade (110, 210, 410) from the hub (108, 208, 408), wherein the blade is provided with at least a first spacing means (550, 1050) that protrudes substantially normally to the rotor plane (212) on the leeward side of the rotor, and where the spacing means intersects the first leeward supporting means (220, 420, 520, 720, 1020).
A method of supporting blades (110, 210, 410) of an upwind wind turbine (102) comprising a two or three blades (110, 210, 410), the blades being made of fiber-reinforced polymer shell bodies, each blade having a length of at least 40 meters, the blades extending substantially radially from a rigid hub (108, 208, 408), the blades (110, 210, 410) together with the hub (108, 208, 408) constituting a rotor with a rotor plane (212), characterized by providing each blade (110, 210, 410) with at least a first leeward supporting means (220, 420, 520, 720, 1020) on a leeward side (227) of the rotor plane (212), the first leeward supporting means (220, 420, 520, 720, 1020) having a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to the blade (110, 210, 410) at a first leeward mounting point (222, 422, 522, 722, 1022) positioned in a radial distance from a horizontal axis (221), and the second end being connected to a second leeward mounting point (224, 424, 524, 1024) at a rotatable part of the wind turbine (102), the second leeward mounting point (224, 424, 524, 1024) being positioned in an axial distance from the rotor plane (212) on a leeward side (227) of the rotor, wherein the first leeward mounting point (222, 422, 522, 722, 1022) on the blade (110, 210, 410) is positioned in a radial distance of 20-100% of the full length of the blade (110, 210, 410) from the hub (108, 208, 408) wherein the blade is provided with at least a first spacing means (550, 1050) that protrudes substantially normally to the rotor plane (212) on the leeward side of the rotor, and where the spacing means intersects the first leeward supporting means (220, 420, 520, 720, 1020).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.