Wind turbine blade with trailing edge flaps

p0001The invention relates to a rotor blade of a rotor of a wind turbine, with over the rotor blade length extending leading and trailing rear edge.

p0002Rotor blades of the type mentioned are preferably arranged on a plurality of radially around a hub. The rotor blades are preferably twisted. They serve as propulsion organs through incident air flow to produce a rotational movement about the hub. In known wind turbines rotors according to the expected on-site wind conditions designed rotor blades or a rotor blade (Einflügler) are elected, has been that, the shaping, twisting, leaf length, leaf depth and so on are in the preparation tailored to the application site and can therefore operation are not changed.

p0003The document <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="DE873980C"><text>DE 873 980 C</text></patcit> describes an adjustable blades for wind engines, wherein the vane of a guiding surface, a middle part and a control surface exists.

p0004The document <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="EP1186532A"><text>EP 1186532 A</text></patcit> describes a torque limiting device with two brakes to reduce asymmetries in aircraft wings.

p0005The document <patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="US2003091436A1"><text>US 2003/091436 A1</text></patcit> describes a method and apparatus for regulating the air flow around the wing of a wind turbine.

p0006The document <patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="DE2908761A"><text>DE 29 08 761 A</text></patcit> describes blades for wind engines, which are designed according to aerodynamic principles and takeoff and landing aids have installed.

p0007The document "<nplcit id="ncit0001" npl-type="b"><text>Hau, Erich: "Wind turbines, foundations, technology, demand, profitability", 2nd Edition Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York, 1996, pp 113,116,117.</text></nplcit>"Discloses a rudder controlled rotor blade comprising four trailing edge flap with the blade tip of the rotor flaps decreasing depths.

p0008The object of the invention is to provide a rotor blade of a rotor of a wind turbine, which can be customized to management on the respective prevailing situation.

p0009This object is achieved by the rotor blade as defined in claim. 1 The area of ​​the sheet trailing edge is formed at least over a portion of the rotor blade length as independently adjustable in the pivot angle aerodynamic flaps. The pivotable, and thus the aerodynamic properties of the blade-changing flaps can be adjusted in its tilt angle such that a performance adjustment takes place. It may therefore be an adaptation to the incoming flow and / or drag and lift conditions. The aerodynamic lift can enhance or diminish or affect specifically to stall. The invention is a load reduction operation, for example, at extremely high flow, possible.

p0010It is advantageous if the flaps are pivotally mounted towards the top and / or toward the underside of the rotor blade. Thus they can be pivoted from a central neutral position both in the one and in the other direction. In this way it is possible to influence the profile center line of the rotor blade accordingly. The result is a corresponding aerodynamic behavior.

p0011It is advantageous if one, the flap is provided in desired pivot position displacing and holding controller. The controller pivots the flaps in the desired position and fixed this position until by renewed control commands a new position to be occupied.

p0012The valves are all in the area of ​​blade trailing edge, due to their radial arrangement for turning circle of the rotor at least one flap is provided which is further away from the axis of rotation of the rotor as another flap which is located more towards the rotational axis. The peripheral velocity is therefore greater, the farther away it is from the rotational axis of the flap. Since the plurality of flaps can be adjusted independently in their position, very finely metered aerodynamic changes on the rotor blade profile are invalid.

p0013The flap chord of a flap can be determined as a function of the rotor blade chord in the construction. A plurality of flaps on a rotor blade have different depths to large flaps. So it is for example possible to use a flap with large flap chord for the braking of the rotor or a traction of the rotor. Another flap with smaller flap chord can be used to adjust the performance in normal operation optimally.

p0014In particular, it may be provided that is located at the trailing edge of the rotor blade flaps adjoin one another directly, so -about the length of the blade as seen directly adjacent to each other.

p0015It is advantageous if one of the flaps as the shape of the airfoil of the rotor blade by pivoting influencing Flap is exclusively formed. Since the pivot position of the flap changes the profile center line, in particular bulges, such flap is called Flap. With the change in the course of the profile center line to the aerodynamic properties of the rotor blade change.

p0016One of the valves may be preferably constructed as airbrake and / or as starting aids flap.

p0017The pivoting of the flap may preferably be carried out continuously or in stages. Continuous adjustment allows a particularly fine tuning to the wind technical situation in each case present.

p0018The drawings illustrate the invention with reference to embodiments specifically:<dl id="dl0001"><dt>figure 1</dt><dd>a plan view of a portion of a two aerodynamic flaps provided rotor blade, which is not, however, part of Erfinding,</dd><dt>figure 2</dt><dd>a further embodiment of one of the <figref idrefs="f0001">figure 1</figref> appropriate representation,</dd><dt>figure 3</dt><dd>a cross-section through the profile of a rotor blade,</dd><dt>figure 4</dt><dd>a side consideration a portion of a rotor blade,</dd><dt>figure 5</dt><dd>a cross-sectional view of a rotor blade with in neutral position standing flap and</dd><dt>figure 6</dt><dd>a cross-sectional view of a rotor blade with far deflected flap.</dd></dl>

p0019The <figref idrefs="f0001">figure 1</figref> shows a portion of a rotor blade 1, the allendings not part of the Invention, a rotor of a wind turbine not shown. The rotor may, for example, have three at 120 ° staggered blades. 1 In operation, the rotor rotates in the<figref idrefs="f0001">figure 1</figref> indicated rotational axis 2. The rotation is in the <figref idrefs="f0001">figure 1</figref> indicated by the arrow 3rd

p0020The rotor blade 1 comprises a leading edge 4 and a trailing edge, the fifth The leading edge 4 is in rotation 3; the blade trailing edge 5 is opposite to the direction of rotation. 3 In the area of ​​blade trailing edge 5 of the blade 1 is a first flap 6 and - it angrenzend- a second flap 7 formed. Both doors 6, 7 are pivotally supported around a rotation axis 8 and the axis of rotation 9 at the rotor blade first The both rotating axes 8 and 9 have radial or approximately radial course on in relation to the rotor and are aligned in the embodiment of<figref idrefs="f0001">figure 1</figref> together. By a control device not shown in detail can be 6 and 7 pivot about their respective axis of rotation 8 and 9, the flaps. The respective pivoting takes place continuously (infinitely), each flap 6, 7 -According<figref idrefs="f0001">figure 3</figref>- Can be pivoted toward the top 10 of the rotor blade 1, so that the broken position gives 11 or there is a pivoting in the opposite direction is possible, whereby the broken line position adjusts 12th

p0021The embodiment of the invention in the <figref idrefs="f0001">figure 2</figref> substantially corresponds to the embodiment of the <figref idrefs="f0001">figure 1</figref>, To be so below only describes the changes. It can be seen that the flap chord 13 of the two flaps 6 and 7 is different in size, with the flap 6 with the larger flap chord 13 is closer to the axis of rotation 2 and the flap 7 with the lower flap chord 13 further away from the axis of rotation. 2 Due to the different depths flaps 13 of the two flaps 6 and 7 also have the axes of rotation 8 and 9 different locations, ie they are parallel or approximately parallel to each other are added.

p0022The <figref idrefs="f0001">figure 4</figref> illustrates the deployed position a flap 6 in a side view of the rotor blade 1. The rotation axis 2 is located in the plane; the rotor blade moves in accordance with numeral 3 in the leaf level inside. The position marked 11 of the flap 6, which accordingly also from the<figref idrefs="f0001">figure 3</figref> results, is oriented in the direction to the top side 10 of the rotor blade, while the opposite position of the flap 6, which is marked with 12, an orientation of the flap 6 in the direction of the underside 14 of the rotor blade 1 features.

p0023The <figref idrefs="f0001">figure 5</figref> shows a flap 6 in the middle or neutral position, ie, the profile center line 15 of the rotor blade 1 is substantially straight or slightly curved. If the flap 6 in a position in accordance with<figref idrefs="f0001">figure 6</figref> pivoted, so changes decisively also the course of the profile center line 15, so that there are correspondingly different aerodynamic properties of the rotor blade. 1

p0024Due to the inventive aerodynamic flap, which can in particular be formed as a flaperon, an adaptation to the incoming flow and / or the resistance characteristic and / or the buoyancy is possible. The adjustment is made by appropriate pivoting of one or more flaps. In the embodiments, the rotor blades are shown with a plurality of flaps. Of course, it is also conceivable that a rotor blade has only one flap. It is also possible that a flap or that a plurality of flaps extending over the entire length of the rotor blade 1 / extend. Using the control device allows the position of one or more flaps change such that a braking effect occurs. On the other hand, it is also conceivable to bring the rotor to facilitate starting of the flaps to a position in which they facilitate starting, thus causing a greater aerodynamic lift. Further, it is possible due to the flaps to reduce the blade loading, provided that due to the aerodynamic conditions of a high material stress occurs. Further, limiting the rotor speed by means of the flap is adjustable, can be proceeded in a manner that it comes to a targeted flow separation and / or to a targeted reduction in the aerodynamic lift. Overall therefore the attainable torque of the rotor is affected accordingly. The flap 6 in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 can be preferably used for braking or traction. The flap 7, in the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2 is preferably used for performance adaptation, in particular the load increase or load reduction.

p0025It is preferred also conceivable that in case of multiple flaps these opposite directions to one another to be adjusted, that is, a flap is shifted toward the top side 10 of the rotor blade 1 and the other flap in the direction toward the underside 14 of the rotor blade 1, thereby providing an effective and customization is possible.

p0026Notwithstanding be emerging from the embodiments rotational axes 8, 9 of the flaps 6, 7, a different mechanism may be provided, which leads to a corresponding challenge or cross pivoting the flap, this movement but not carried out to a linear axis of rotation, but along a respective displacement path.