Aeroelastically coupled blades for vertical axis wind turbines
| DWPI Title: Vertical axis wind turbine e.g. Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine, for converting kinetic energy from wind into mechanical energy used to produce electricity, has wind turbine blade including attachment segment that is coupled with tower |
| Abstract: Various technologies described herein pertain to a vertical axis wind turbine blade configured to rotate about a rotation axis. The vertical axis wind turbine blade includes at least an attachment segment, a rear swept segment, and optionally, a forward swept segment. The attachment segment is contiguous with the forward swept segment, and the forward swept segment is contiguous with the rear swept segment. The attachment segment includes a first portion of a centroid axis, the forward swept segment includes a second portion of the centroid axis, and the rear swept segment includes a third portion of the centroid axis. The second portion of the centroid axis is angularly displaced ahead of the first portion of the centroid axis and the third portion of the centroid axis is angularly displaced behind the first portion of the centroid axis in the direction of rotation about the rotation axis. |
| Use: Vertical axis wind turbine such as Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine (claimed) e.g. sweep-twist-coupled Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine and extension-twist-coupled Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine, sweep-twist-coupled U-shaped vertical axis wind turbine, sweep-twist-coupled H-shaped vertical axis wind turbine, bend-twist coupled H-shaped vertical axis wind turbine and bend-twist-coupled U-shaped vertical axis wind turbine, for converting kinetic energy from wind into mechanical energy used to produce electricity. |
| Advantage: The vertical axis wind turbine blade can twist in proportion to rate of rotation about a rotation axis to passively control over speed and twist into airflow direction when the vertical axis wind turbine blade is aerodynamically loaded to smooth cyclic load and power variation due to orientation of fibers of an orthotropic laminate within a blade structure so as to increase turbine efficiency and achieve smooth power output and aerodynamic braking performance during operation. The vertical axis wind turbine blades can bend due to centrifugal forces for causing lateral surfaces of the blades to provide increasing amount of static twist to increase drag over entire rotation as rate of rotation increases, thus providing passive speed limitation to control over speed. |
| Novelty: The turbine (100) has a vertical axis wind turbine blade (102) including a forward swept segment (118) whose proximal side (132) is contiguous with a distal side (130) of a rear swept segment (120) of the blade. A portion of a centroid axis of the forward segment is angularly displaced ahead of a portion of a centroid axis of a first attachment segment (114) of the blade in direction of rotation about a rotation axis. A second attachment segment (112) of the blade is contiguous with a distal side (134) of the forward swept segment. The first attachment segment is coupled with a tower (108). |
| Filed: 8/21/2012 |
| Application Number: US13590903A |
| Tech ID: SD 12006.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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