Provided is a leading-edge protector for a wind turbine rotor blade, including a curved body shaped for attachment to the rotor blade along at least a section of its leading edge; a plurality of fins, each fin extending radially outward from the curved body and terminating in a blunt outer face; and a plurality of reinforcement bands, wherein a reinforcement band is attached to the blunt outer face of a fin. Also provided is a method of manufacturing such a leading-edge protector.

Disclosed are vertical axis turbines comprising: a turbine shaft; a plurality of helicoidal blades mounted on the turbine shaft, each blade comprising a front face and a rear face; and a plurality of venturis, each venturi comprising a channel extending through each of the plurality of blades from the front face thereof to the rear face thereof.

A protective covering can protect a surface of a composite article from lightning strikes, wherein the surface includes at least one grounding connection. The covering includes a conductive sheet formed from electrically conductive material configured to be affixed to the composite article over a portion of the surface adjacent the grounding connection; and a perforated overlaminate sheet comprising a dielectric material configured to be affixed to the composite article over the conductive sheet. The perforated overlaminate sheet distributes electrical current of the lighting strikes over an area of the protective covering.

The present disclosure relates to wind turbine blades (22) configured to receive a peripheral device (250a, 250b, 250c) at a portion of the outer surface (211) of the blade (22), and wherein the wind turbine blade (22) is configured to magnetically couple to the peripheral device (250a, 250b, 250c). The present disclosure also relates to wind turbine blade assemblies (200) and methods (700) to provide the same.

A wind turbine including: at least a rotor blade including an aerodynamic device for influencing the airflow flowing from the leading edge section of the rotor blade to the trailing edge section of the rotor blade, wherein the aerodynamic device is mounted at a surface of the rotor blade, an actuator of the aerodynamic device for actuating the aerodynamic device at least between a first protruded configuration and a second retracted configuration, a pressure supply system for operating the actuator by means of a pressurized fluid, an acoustic receiver for measuring an acoustic signal in the pressure supply system, and a diagnostic unit connected to the acoustic receiver and configured for deriving an operative status of the aerodynamic device based on the acoustic signal, is provided.

A method for creating a transition from an edge of an add-on part mounted on the outer surface of a rotor blade, including the steps: delimiting an application area on the rotor blade surface and the add-on part to be covered by a sealant compound with a thin and smooth masking tape; dispensing of the sealant on the application area; distribution of the sealant; removing the masking tape; and smoothening of a sealant transition step with a flexible tool, is provided.

A wind turbine rotor blade is also provided.

A wind turbine including: at least a rotor blade including an aerodynamic device for influencing the airflow flowing from the leading edge section of the rotor blade to the trailing edge section of the rotor blade, wherein the aerodynamic device is mounted at a surface of the rotor blade, an actuator of the aerodynamic device for actuating the aerodynamic device at least between a first protruded configuration and a second retracted configuration, a pressure supply system for operating the actuator by means of a pressurized fluid, an acoustic receiver for measuring an acoustic signal in the pressure supply system, and a diagnostic unit connected to the acoustic receiver and configured for deriving an operative status of the aerodynamic device based on the acoustic signal, is provided.

Disclosed are vertical axis turbines comprising: a turbine shaft; a plurality of helicoidal blades mounted on the turbine shaft, each blade comprising a front face and a rear face; and a plurality of venturis, each venturi comprising a channel extending through each of the plurality of blades from the front face thereof to the rear face thereof.

Provided is a leading-edge protector for a wind turbine rotor blade, including a curved body shaped for attachment to the rotor blade along at least a section of its leading edge; a plurality of fins, each fin extending radially outward from the curved body and terminating in a blunt outer face; and a plurality of reinforcement bands, wherein a reinforcement band is attached to the blunt outer face of a fin. Also provided is a method of manufacturing such a leading-edge protector.

Presented herein are articles and methods relating to manufactured superhydrophobic, superoleophobic, and/or supermetallophobic surfaces with macro-scale features (macro features) configured to induce controlled asymmetry in a liquid film produced by impinging phase (e.g., impinging droplet(s)) onto the surface, thereby further reducing the contact time between an impinging liquid and the surface.