Airfoils for wind turbine

Patent · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2000

OSTI ID:873012

Tangler, James L ^[1]; Somers, Dan M ^[2]

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1. Boulder, CO
2. State College, PA

Airfoils for the tip and mid-span regions of a wind turbine blade have upper surface and lower surface shapes and contours between a leading edge and a trailing edge that minimize roughness effects of the airfoil and provide maximum lift coefficients that are largely insensitive to roughness effects. The airfoil in one embodiment is shaped and contoured to have a thickness in a range of about fourteen to seventeen percent, a Reynolds number in a range of about 1,500,000 to 2,000,000, and a maximum lift coefficient in a range of about 1.4 to 1.5. In another embodiment, the airfoil is shaped and contoured to have a thickness in a range of about fourteen percent to sixteen percent, a Reynolds number in a range of about 1,500,000 to 3,000,000, and a maximum lift coefficient in a range of about 0.7 to 1.5. Another embodiment of the airfoil is shaped and contoured to have a Reynolds in a range of about 1,500,000 to 4,000,000, and a maximum lift coefficient in a range of about 1.0 to 1.5.

• Research Organization: Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-83CH10093
• Assignee: Midwest Research Institute (Kansas City, MO)
• Patent Number(s): US 6068446
• OSTI ID: 873012
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

airfoils
wind
turbine
tip
mid-span
regions
blade
upper
surface
shapes
contours
leading
edge
trailing
minimize
roughness
effects
airfoil
provide
maximum
lift
coefficients
insensitive
embodiment
shaped
contoured
thickness
range
fourteen
seventeen
percent
reynolds
500
000
coefficient
sixteen
lift coefficient
maximum lift
leading edge
wind turbine
upper surface
turbine blade
trailing edge
provide maximum
roughness effects
surface shape
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