Wind turbine rotor

Patent · Tue Dec 10 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5904329

Baskin, J M; Miller, G E; Wiesner, W

A fixed pitch wind turbine rotor is teeter mounted onto a low speed input shaft which is connected to the input of a step-up transmission. The output of the transmission is connected to a rotary pole amplitude modulated induction machine which is operable as a generator at a plurality of discreet speeds of rotation and is also operable as a startup motor for the rotor. A switch responsive to the rotational speed of the wind turbine rotor switches the generator from one speed of operation to the other. The rotor hub and the inner body portions of two blades which extend radially outwardly in opposite directions from the hub, are constructed from steel. The outer end portions of the blade are constructed from a lighter material, such as wood, and are both thinner and narrower than the remainder of the rotor. The outer end section of each blade includes a main body portion and a trailing edge portion which is hinge-connected to the main body portion. Each blade includes a centrifugal force operated positioning means which normally holds the drag brake section in a retracted position, but operates in response to a predetermined magnitude of centrifugal force to move the drag brake section into its deployed position. Each blade has an airfoil cross section and each blade has a plus twist inner portion adjacent the hub changing to first a zero twist and then a minus twist as it extends radially outwardly from the hub.

• Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Patent Number(s): US 4557666
• OSTI ID: 5904329
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 29 Sep 1983; Other Information: PAT-APPL-537749
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

17 WIND ENERGY
WIND TURBINES
DESIGN
ROTORS
AIRFOILS
ANGULAR VELOCITY
ELECTRIC GENERATORS
MECHANICAL TRANSMISSIONS
PERFORMANCE
SWITCHES
TILT MECHANISMS
TURBINE BLADES
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
MACHINE PARTS
MACHINERY
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
VELOCITY
170602* - Wind Energy Engineering- Turbine Design & Operation