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Title: Load attenuating passively adaptive wind turbine blade

Abstract

A method and apparatus for improving wind turbine performance by alleviating loads and controlling the rotor. The invention employs the use of a passively adaptive blade that senses the wind velocity or rotational speed, and accordingly modifies its aerodynamic configuration. The invention exploits the load mitigation prospects of a blade that twists toward feather as it bends. The invention includes passively adaptive wind turbine rotors or blades with currently preferred power control features. The apparatus is a composite fiber horizontal axis wind-turbine blade, in which a substantial majority of fibers in the blade skin are inclined at angles of between 15 and 30 degrees to the axis of the blade, to produces passive adaptive aeroelastic tailoring (bend-twist coupling) to alleviate loading without unduly jeopardizing performance.

Inventors:
 [1];  [1]
  1. Albuquerque, NM
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
875189
Patent Number(s):
H002057
Application Number:
09/758166
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2001 Jan 10
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
load; attenuating; passively; adaptive; wind; turbine; blade; method; apparatus; improving; performance; alleviating; loads; controlling; rotor; employs; senses; velocity; rotational; speed; accordingly; modifies; aerodynamic; configuration; exploits; mitigation; prospects; twists; feather; bends; rotors; blades; currently; power; control; features; composite; fiber; horizontal; axis; wind-turbine; substantial; majority; fibers; inclined; angles; degrees; produces; passive; aeroelastic; tailoring; bend-twist; coupling; alleviate; loading; unduly; jeopardizing; rotational speed; wind velocity; statutory invention registration; /416/

Citation Formats

Veers, Paul S., and Lobitz, Donald W. Load attenuating passively adaptive wind turbine blade. United States: N. p., 2003. Web.
Veers, Paul S., & Lobitz, Donald W. Load attenuating passively adaptive wind turbine blade. United States.
Veers, Paul S., and Lobitz, Donald W. 2003. "Load attenuating passively adaptive wind turbine blade". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/875189.
@article{osti_875189,
title = {Load attenuating passively adaptive wind turbine blade},
author = {Veers, Paul S. and Lobitz, Donald W.},
abstractNote = {A method and apparatus for improving wind turbine performance by alleviating loads and controlling the rotor. The invention employs the use of a passively adaptive blade that senses the wind velocity or rotational speed, and accordingly modifies its aerodynamic configuration. The invention exploits the load mitigation prospects of a blade that twists toward feather as it bends. The invention includes passively adaptive wind turbine rotors or blades with currently preferred power control features. The apparatus is a composite fiber horizontal axis wind-turbine blade, in which a substantial majority of fibers in the blade skin are inclined at angles of between 15 and 30 degrees to the axis of the blade, to produces passive adaptive aeroelastic tailoring (bend-twist coupling) to alleviate loading without unduly jeopardizing performance.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/875189}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2003},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2003}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Implementation of bending-torsion coupling in the design of a wind-turbine rotor-blade
journal, July 1999


Design, Manufacture and Testing of A Bend-Twist D-Spar
report, June 1999


Aeroelastic behavior of twist-coupled HAWT blades
conference, February 2013


Moment-Based Probability Modeling and Extreme Response Estimation, The FITS Routine Version 1.2
report, November 1999


Self-regulating composite bearingless wind turbine
journal, January 1978


Effects of Blade Bending on Aerodynamic Control of Fluctuating Loads on Teetered HAWT Rotors
journal, November 1996


Load mitigation with twist-coupled HAWT blades
conference, February 2013


Design criteria for passive pitch control of wind turbines using self-twisting blades
journal, July 1995


Performance of twist-coupled blades on variable speed rotors
conference, February 2013


NREL airfoil families for HAWTs
report, January 1995