Wind turbine soft airfoil control system and method

Patent · Tue Nov 29 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:5352098

Cook, G E

An apparatus is disclosed for furling, unfurling, and controlling a flexible airfoil for use in connection with a wind turbine wheel, comprising a rotatably mounted spindle journaled at one of its ends (the head end) to the hub of a wind turbine wheel, and at its other end (the foot end) in a foot plate bracket adjacent the rim of the wheel. The bracket is attached to a diametral bracing cable, and a soft airfoil is furled on the spindle. The foot plate is rotatably mounted so that the spindle foot can swing through a small arc about a centerline defined by the outer end of the cable. A ''V''-shaped boom is rotatably secured to the foot plate and the bracing cable at its free ends such that the boom is pivotable with the spindle about a common axis spaced from the rotational axis of the spindle. A pulley is affixed to the outer, apex end of the boom. An outhaul line for furling and unfurling the soft airfoil is connected at one end to the clew of the soft airfoil, is threaded through the boom pulley, and its other end is secured to and wound about the spindle in a direction opposite the furling of the airfoil. A rotation means connected to the hub end of the spindle rotates the spindle, thus furling or unfurling the airfoil automatically by the self-winding/rewinding action of the outhaul line, thereby permitting rapid and precise adjustment of the soft airfoil in response to changing wind conditions. The upper end of the V-shaped boom pivots in a special connector assembly affixed to the intersection of the three major tension cables and provides precise adjustment of that intersection in three dimensions.

• Assignee: Windpowered Machines Ltd.
• Patent Number(s): US 4417853
• OSTI ID: 5352098
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

17 WIND ENERGY
170602* -- Wind Energy Engineering-- Turbine Design & Operation
AIRFOILS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DESIGN
FLEXIBILITY
MACHINERY
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
POWER GENERATION
TENSILE PROPERTIES
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
WIND TURBINES