WIND TURBINE ROTOR BLADE

Abstract

A wind turbine rotor blade is provided with a rotor blade root region, a rotor blade tip region, a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, a trailing edge and at least one flange along a longitudinal direction of the rotor blade. Furthermore, a deflecting unit is provided between one end of the at least one flange and the rotor blade tip region. At least one air scoop is provided on the flange, wherein the air scoop protrudes in a region between a first and second flange.

Claims

1. A wind turbine rotor blade, comprising: a rotor blade root region, a rotor blade tip region, a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, a trailing edge, first and second flanges extending between the pressure side and the suction side and along a longitudinal direction of the rotor blade, a deflector between the rotor blade tip region and ends of the first and second flanges, wherein the deflector is configured to deflect heated air flowing from the rotor blade root region along the first and second flanges, at least one air scoop on one of the first or second flanges, and a boundary-layer extraction unit that adjoins ends of the first and second flanges at the rotor blade tip region, wherein the boundary-layer extraction unit is configured to extract a turbulent boundary layer or openings of an air flow.

2. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein the at least one air scoop protrudes in a region between first and second flanges and is configured to produce a negative pressure in a region between the first and second flanges.

3. (canceled)

4. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein the boundary-layer extraction unit comprises a plurality of recesses.

5. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein a first end of the boundary-layer extraction unit is coupled to the first flange and a second end is coupled to the second flange.

6. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein the rotor blade tip region comprises an at least partially hollow rotor blade tip, wherein the deflector covers a portion of the rotor blade tip region, wherein the wind turbine blade further comprises a first air channel and a second air channel, wherein the first air channel is between a first end of the deflector and a nose cap, and the second air channel is between a second end of the deflector and a trailing edge.

7. A wind turbine comprising at least one wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1.

8. The wind turbine rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein the boundary-layer extraction unit that is a plate coupled to ends of the first and second flanges.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Advantages and exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a wind turbine,

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a schematic and sectional view of a rotor blade of the wind turbine from FIG. 1,

[0029] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a rotor blade tip region of the rotor blade,

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a section of the rotor blade,

[0031] FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of a further section of the rotor blade, and

[0032] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the rotor-blade-tip side region of the rotor blade.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a wind turbine. The wind turbine 100 comprises a tower 102 and a nacelle 104 on the tower 102. An aerodynamic rotor 106 with three rotor blades 200 and a spinner 110 is provided on the nacelle 104. The aerodynamic rotor 106 is set in rotary movement by the wind during operation of the wind turbine and thus also turns a rotor or rotor of a generator which is coupled directly or indirectly to the aerodynamic rotor 106. The electric generator is arranged in the nacelle 104 and generates electrical energy. The pitch angle of the rotor blades 200 can be varied by pitch motors on the rotor blade roots of the respective rotor blades 200.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a schematic and sectional view of a rotor blade of the wind turbine from FIG. 1. The rotor blade 200 has a rotor blade root region 200a, a rotor blade tip region 200b, a rotor blade tip 240, a leading edge 201, a trailing edge 202, a pressure side 200c and a suction side 200d. At least one flange 210 extends along a longitudinal direction L of the rotor blade 200 inside the rotor blade. For example, two flanges 211, 212 can be provided, which can initially be arranged parallel and running towards one another in the region of the rotor blade tip 240. In this case, the length of the first flange 211 can be less than the length of the second flange 212. The rotor blade tip 240 can be configured as a separate part and be fastened to the rest of the rotor blade 200.

[0035] Heated air can be guided along the flanges in the direction of the rotor blade tip 240 and then deflected. Optionally the rotor blade tip can be configured to be at least partially hollow so that a portion of the heated air can flow through the rotor blade tip 240 to de-ice the rotor blade tip 240.

[0036] According to one aspect of the present invention, the heated air can either be produced in the rotor blade root region in which air is heated by means of a heater 300 or the heated air is fed to the rotor blade in the rotor blade root region.

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a rotor blade tip region of the rotor blade. From the rotor blade root region 200a an air flow (e.g., air heated by the heater 300) flows along the leading edge 200c to the rotor blade tip region 200b and there impinges upon a deflector 250 which, for example, can be configured as a foam wedge. A rotor blade nose cap 260 can be provided in the rotor blade tip region 200b. The deflector 250 has a first end 251 and a second end 252. A free space 253 can be provided between the second end 252 and the rotor blade noise cap 260 so that a portion of the air flow can flow into the rotor blade tip 240 through this free space. The rotor blade tip 240 can at least partially comprise a hollow space 241 so that the air can flow into the hollow space 241 and can flow out again. A further passage 254 is further provided between the first end 251 of the deflector and a trailing edge 200d so that the air can flow through here. The majority of the air flow is then deflected through the deflector 250 so that the air can then flow between the first flange 211 and the trailing edge back again to the rotor blade root 200a.

[0038] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a section of the rotor blade. For further improvement of the air flow, an air scoop 270 can be provided in the first flange 212. The air scoop 270 then extends into the region between the first and second flange 211, 212.

[0039] According to one aspect of the present invention, a rotor blade can be provided with an air scoop on the second flange 212 without providing a deflector 250. Furthermore, the rotor blade need not have a hollow blade tip.

[0040] For further improvement of the air flow in the region of the rotor blade tip, a boundary-layer extraction unit 280 can be provided which can be provided in the region of the ends of the first and second flange.

[0041] FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of a further section of the rotor blade. The boundary-layer extraction unit 280 can be configured as a boundary-layer extraction plate and can have a first end 282 and a second end 283. The second end 283 is coupled to one end of the first flange 212 whilst the first end 282 is coupled to one end of the flange 211. Furthermore a plurality of elongate recesses 281 are provided.

[0042] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the rotor-blade-tip-side region of the rotor blade. FIG. 6 in particular shows the rotor blade tip 240, a foam wedge 250, the air scoop 270 and the boundary-layer extraction unit 280, e.g., in the form of a boundary-layer extraction plate.

[0043] The air scoop 270 is provided at or in the region of the flange 212 and serves as a bypass air scoop. By means of this air scoop 270 a flow in the deflecting region can be optimized in that the boundary-layer flow is extracted at the flange end and flow detachments and turbulence are reduced. For further improvement of the flow in the deflection region, a boundary-layer extraction unit 280 is provided which comprises elongate recesses in the deflection region. The deflector 250 can be implemented as a foam wedge and serves as a deflection for an air flow. The deflector 250 is provided in the region of the rotor blade tip 240. The deflector 250 can in this case serve as a flange extension and ensure an improved air guidance into the blade tip. In this case, a main flow which impinges upon the deflector can be deflected accordingly so that it, for example, flows back between the first and second flange 211, 212 or between the flange 211 and the trailing edge back to the rotor blade root. A partial flow flows between the two flanges back to the rotor blade root and a portion of the flow flows between the flange 211 and the trailing edge back to the rotor blade root.