A wind turbine (1) comprising a tower (2), a nacelle (3) and a hub (7) is disclosed. The hub (7) comprises a blade carrying structure (4) with one or more wind turbine blades (5) connected to thereto. Each of the wind turbine blades (5) defines an aerodynamic profile having a thickness which varies along a length of the wind turbine blade (5). Each of the wind turbine blades (5) is connected to the blade carrying structure (4) via a hinge (6) at a hinge position of the wind turbine blade (5), each wind turbine blade (5) thereby being arranged to perform pivot movements relative to the blade carrying structure (4) between a minimum pivot angle and a maximum pivot angle. The hinge position is arranged at a distance from the inner tip end (5a) and at a distance from the outer tip end (5b), and the thickness, or the thickness-to chord ratio, at the hinge position is larger than the thickness, or the thickness-to-chord ratio, at the inner tip end (5a) and larger than the thickness, or the thickness-to-chord ratio, at the outer tip end (5b).

A wind turbine (1) comprising a tower (2), a nacelle (3) and a hub (7) is disclosed. The hub (7) comprises a blade carrying structure (4) with one or more wind turbine blades (5) connected thereto. Each of the wind turbine blades (5) defines an aerodynamic profile having a chord which varies along a length of the wind turbine blade (5). Each of the wind turbine blades (5) is connected to the blade carrying structure (4) via a hinge (6) at a hinge position of the wind turbine blade (5), each wind turbine blade (5) thereby being arranged to perform pivot movements relative to the blade carrying structure (4) between a minimum pivot angle and a maximum pivot angle. The hinge position is arranged at a distance from the inner tip end (5a) and at a distance from the outer tip end (5b), and the chord at the hinge position is larger than or equal to the chord at the inner tip end (5a) and larger than the chord at the outer tip end (5b).

A joint (1) for the oscillating connection of the rotary shaft (S) of a wind turbine, comprising a box-shaped hub (2) which defines a longitudinal axis (L) and is provided with one pair of holes (4) longitudinally opposite and aligned with each other, a shaft head (3) suited to be connected to the rotary shaft (S) and having one pair of pivots (7) which are designed to be inserted in the holes (4) of the hub (2) and have a cylindrical outer surface (8) and a transverse end edge (9), and one pair of hinges (10) placed at the level of the pair of holes (4) to promote the oscillating connection of said pivots (4) to the hub (2). Each hinge (10) comprises at least one plain bearing (13) mounted on the outer surface (8) of a corresponding pivot (7), a plurality of damper elements (14) operatively interacting with the edge (9) of the hub (2) and connection means (15) suited to mutually connect said at least one plain bearing (13) with the plurality of damper elements (14) in such a way as to obtain a unitary assembly (16).

A method for starting a wind turbine with hinged wind turbine blades, the wind turbine further comprising an adjustable biasing mechanism arranged to apply an adjustable biasing force to each wind turbine blade which biases the wind turbine blade towards a position defining a minimum pivot angle. The biasing mechanism is adjusted to apply a predefined biasing force to each wind turbine blade, and the pivot angle of each wind turbine blade is monitored. The wind turbine is started in the case that the pivot angle of at least one wind turbine blade exceeds a predefined pivot angle threshold.

An upwind wind turbine includes: a hub provided so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis; a plurality of blades configured to rotate together with the hub; a tilting mechanism configured to couple the hub and the blades such that the blades are tiltable relative to a rotational plane around the rotation axis; a driving device configured to drive the tilting mechanism to switch between a standing state where the blades stand and a tilted state where the blades are tilted; and a fixing/supporting mechanism provided independently from the tilting mechanism and the driving device and configured to be switched between a locked state where the blades in the standing state are prevented from tilting and an unlocked state where the blades are allowed to tilt to become the tilted state.

A wind turbine is provided. The turbine includes a support having an axis of rotation, a generator, a plurality of blades rotatably mounted on the support about the axis of rotation, the blades being moveable between a retracted position generally parallel with the axis of rotation and a fully deployed position generally perpendicular with the axis of rotation, the blades being connected to the generator such that rotation of the blades in a direction induced by wind causes the generator to produce electricity, and the provision of electricity to the generator rotates the blades, and a controller connected to the generator and configured to deliver a flow of current to the generator that is sufficient to move the blades from the retracted position toward the fully deployed position and insufficient to move the blades all the way to the fully deployed position. The flow of current induces rotation of the blades in the direction induced by wind, which creates a centrifugal force that moves the blades from the retracted position toward the fully deployed position. As the blades move from the retracted position, the blades have increasing exposure to ambient wind to receive additional rotational force from ambient wind, and the additional rotational force being sufficient to, either alone or in combination with the flow of current, move the blades into the fully deployed position.

A wind turbine is provided. The turbine includes a support having an axis of rotation, a generator, a plurality of blades rotatably mounted on the support about the axis of rotation, the blades being moveable between a retracted position generally parallel with the axis of rotation and a fully deployed position generally perpendicular with the axis of rotation, the blades being connected to the generator such that rotation of the blades in a direction induced by wind causes the generator to produce electricity, and the provision of electricity to the generator rotates the blades, and a controller connected to the generator and configured to deliver a flow of current to the generator that is sufficient to move the blades from the retracted position toward the fully deployed position and insufficient to move the blades all the way to the fully deployed position. The flow of current induces rotation of the blades in the direction induced by wind, which creates a centrifugal force that moves the blades from the retracted position toward the fully deployed position. As the blades move from the retracted position, the blades have increasing exposure to ambient wind to receive additional rotational force from ambient wind, and the additional rotational force being sufficient to, either alone or in combination with the flow of current, move the blades into the fully deployed position.

The present invention relates to a blade pitch control apparatus for a small size wind power generator. More specifically, the present invention relates to a blade pitch control apparatus for a small size wind power generator configured to accomplish continuous generation by continuously maintaining the necessary rotating force of the blade by systematically operating the ball screw, spinner driver, and pitch angle controller when the rotation number of blades exceeds the reference rotation number by over wind speed, so that the blade pitch is automatically controlled. To this end, the present invention comprises a blade combined with an outer circumference surface of a rotator, rotating by wind; a spinner box installed and fixed in the middle of the front surface of the blade; a ball screw formed with speed control wings at one end in a state positioned in the longitudinal direction in the middle of the spinner box and having screws at the other end; a spinner driver screw-combined with the screw of the ball screw, and moving to the front and back when the rotation number of blades exceeds the reference rotation number by over wind speed or when the wind speed decreases; and a pitch angle controller connected between the spinner driver and blade, folding and unfolding the blade according to the movement direction of the spinner driver to control the pitch angle of the blade.

The invention generally relates to two-bladed turbine nacelles and associated teetering hinges. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a hinge assembly encompassing a hub and two double elastomeric teeter bearings. In some aspects, the bearings are self-contained elements that can be preloaded in a controlled manner prior to their incorporation into the larger assembly.

A wind turbine assembly is provided. The assembly includes a support structure and a wind turbine mounted on the support structure. The wind turbine includes a front face with blades defining a surface area to engage incoming wind, a roll axis about which the wind turbine can rotate in response to incoming wind to drive an electric generator, where the support structure defines a horizontal tilt axis about which the wind turbine can pitch forward and backward. The tilt axis divides the surface area of the wind turbine into upper and lower portions of unequal size, such that incoming wind on the front face of the wind turbine applies unequal force to the upper and lower portions of the surface area of the wind turbine to induce pitch of the wind turbine about the tilt axis.