ROTOR BLADE

Abstract

A rotor blade for a wind power generator which is a lift type blade having a wide chord length at a blade end portion. The rotor blade (1) comprises a side surface with a thickness that gradually decreases from a blade root (1A) to a blade end portion, and a front surface (1D) which gradually inclines in a direction of a back surface (1E) from the blade root (1A) to the blade end portion. Owing to a difference in the thickness, a speed of airflow passing in a chord direction at the blade root, when the rotor blade is rotating, increases at the blade end portion, and air pressure at the blade root is reduces at the blade end portion, and airflow concentrating, due to the reduction of the air pressure at the blade root, naturally moves to the blade end portion due to a difference in the air pressure.

Claims

1. A rotor blade which is a lift type blade having a chord length gradually increased from a blade root to a blade end portion, comprising: a leading edge of which a maximum thickness is gradually decreased from the blade root to the blade end portion in a side view; a front surface gradually inclined in a direction of a back surface from the blade root to a maximum chord length portion; and an inclined portion formed of a blade end portion which is inclined in a front surface direction from the maximum chord length portion, wherein an airflow is directed from the blade root to the maximum chord length portion at where an air pressure is decreased when rotating.

2. The rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein the front surface of the lift type blade is gradually inclined in the direction of the back surface from the blade root to the blade end portion, and a backward portion behind a width center line of a chord of the lift type blade is gradually shifted to the direction of the front surface from the blade root to the blade end portion.

3. The rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the blade root is 300% plus or minus 10% of a thickness of the maximum chord length portion, the blade end portion is the inclined portion inclined in the direction of the front surface from a front surface of the maximum chord length portion, and airflows gathering to the blade root due to a difference among high-speed flows on the front surface by Coanda effect when rotating are naturally directed to the inclined portion.

4. The rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein the lift type blade is fixed to a hub of a rotor at an attack angle of 0 degree.

5. The rotor blade according to claim 1, wherein the maximum chord length of the blade end portion is within a range of 40 to 50% of a rotation radius, a chord length of the blade root on the front surface is within a range of 30 to 35% of the maximum chord length, a thickness in a side surface of the blade root is within a range of 72 to 76% of the chord length of the blade root, and a thickness of the blade end portion is within a range of 30 to 35% of the thickness of the blade root.

6. The rotor blade according to claim 2, wherein the lift type blade is fixed to a hub of a rotor at an attack angle of 0 degree.

7. The rotor blade according to claim 3, wherein the lift type blade is fixed to a hub of a rotor at an attack angle of 0 degree.

8. The rotor blade according to claim 2, wherein the maximum chord length of the blade end portion is within a range of 40 to 50% of a rotation radius, a chord length of the blade root on the front surface is within a range of 30 to 35% of the maximum chord length, a thickness in a side surface of the blade root is within a range of 72 to 76% of the chord length of the blade root, and a thickness of the blade end portion is within a range of 30 to 35% of the thickness of the blade root.

9. The rotor blade according to claim 3, wherein the maximum chord length of the blade end portion is within a range of 40 to 50% of a rotation radius, a chord length of the blade root on the front surface is within a range of 30 to 35% of the maximum chord length, a thickness in a side surface of the blade root is within a range of 72 to 76% of the chord length of the blade root, and a thickness of the blade end portion is within a range of 30 to 35% of the thickness of the blade root.

10. The rotor blade according to claim 4, wherein the maximum chord length of the blade end portion is within a range of 40 to 50% of a rotation radius, a chord length of the blade root on the front surface is within a range of 30 to 35% of the maximum chord length, a thickness in a side surface of the blade root is within a range of 72 to 76% of the chord length of the blade root, and a thickness of the blade end portion is within a range of 30 to 35% of the thickness of the blade root.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a rotor blade showing an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view thereof;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof:

[0024] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof;

[0025] FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1;

[0026] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 1;

[0027] FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line C-C in FIG. 1:

[0028] FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line D-D in FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line E-E in FIG. 1;

[0030] FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line F-F in FIG. 1;

[0031] FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line G-G in FIG. 1;

[0032] FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line H-H in FIG. 1;

[0033] FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along the line I-I in FIG. 1;

[0034] FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of a rotor to which three rotor blades of the present invention are fixed; and

[0035] FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of a rotor blade showing variation of airflows.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0036] Examples according to the present invention are described with the drawings as follows. The drawings show the best shape as a result of repeating experiments, and each numerical value range presents their permissible ranges for altering.

[0037] In FIG. 1, a rotor blade 1 is a lift type blade (it is simply referred to as blade below), and a shape of its front surface is shown in bilateral symmetry. It is also possible to use a rotor blade of which a front surface has an asymmetric shape.

[0038] The front surface 1D) of the blade 1 has a chord length which is gradually increased from a blade root 1A to a maximum chord length portion 1B, and the chord length at the maximum chord length portion 1B is within a range of 45 to 50% of a rotation radius of the blade 1.

[0039] When the chord length is less than this range, a wind receiving area is small and a rotation efficiency of the lift type blade 1 of which a blade end portion is formed into an inclined portion 1C is difficult to be raised.

[0040] When the chord length is more than 50%, the rotation efficiency is difficult to be raised due to an influence of a turbulent flow occurred by a blade 1 fitted to a hub 3 at a forward position in a rotation direction.

[0041] A ratio of the chord length of the blade root 1A to that of the maximum chord length portion B on the front surface 1D of the blade 1 is set at about one-third and so on, namely within a range of 30 to 35%.

[0042] When the chord length of the blade root 1A is more than this range, a passing property of airflow is lowered when rotating and a passing time is increased. When the chord length is less than this range, a passing speed of the airflow by Coanda effect and strength are decreased.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2, thickness of the blade 1 is maximum at the blade root 1A and is gradually decreased to a tip portion 1H in a side view, and the tip portion 1H is made into a semicircle shape. The thickness of the blade end portion is set at about one-third of the thickness of the blade root 1A and so on, namely within a range of 30 to 35%.

[0044] An inclined portion 1C is formed by inclining the blade end portion in a direction of a front surface from the maximum chord length portion 1B on the front surface 1D.

[0045] This inclined portion 1C is inclined in a direction perpendicular to the front surface 1D, wherein the direction is shown by an arrow A in FIG. 3. When an attack angle is set at 17 degrees as an example, this arrow A direction is turned by about 17 degrees to a trailing edge 1G direction.

[0046] Therefore, the airflow moving from the blade root 1A and passing through the front surface 1D of the inclined portion 1C passes through in an intermediate direction (arrow B direction) between the direction of the tip portion 1H of this inclined portion 1C (shown by an arrow A) and the direction of the trailing edge 1G in the counter-rotation direction side. Due to a counteraction, a rotation efficiency of the blade 1 is increased.

[0047] In other words, when this blade 1 rotates by receiving the airflow on the front surface 1D, the airflow does not pass through in a rotating circle of the blade 1 in the direction of the back surface 1E, and passes through in the direction of the back surface 1E of the inclined portion 1C, that is, in an oblique direction between the counter-rotation direction and a centrifugal direction as shown by an arrow C in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus, a counteraction due to the airflow flowing in the arrow C direction in FIG. 1 is directed to an opposite direction of the flowing direction, and the blade 1 is effectively rotated in the rotation direction faster than the wind speed.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1. This section corresponds to the maximum chord length portion 1B, a leading edge 1F is formed into a semicircle shape, a diameter of the leading edge 1F is the same as thickness of it, and this section is gradually thinned toward the trailing edge 1G.

[0049] The thickness of the blade end portion is set at about one-third of the chord length of the blade root 1A. This numerical value is balanced by a factor in which the front surface 1D is inclined by about 2 degrees in the direction of the back surface 1E.

[0050] A maximum thickness of the leading edge 1F at the maximum chord length portion 1B is set at 12% plus or minus 1% of the chord length. Since the cross section of the leading edge 1F has the semicircle shape, a relative flow flows smoothly even if the relative flow hits the leading edge 1F from whatever direction.

[0051] In this way, it is possible to reduce resistance by making the attack angle close to 0 degree even if the chord length is long, but a torque is reduced. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, when the front surface 1D is inclined from the rotation direction by about 5 degrees such that the trailing edge 1G is arranged in the back surface 1E side, it is also possible to smooth a counteraction due to the passing flow in the chord direction by the Coanda effect according to the rotation and the rotation due to the wind receiving.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 1. The maximum thickness of the leading edge 1F is 20% plus or minus 2% of the chord length. This thickness is about one-fourth when comparing with that of the blade root 1A shown in FIG. 8. Thus, the resistance when rotating is low.

[0053] FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line C-C in FIG. 1. The maximum thickness of the leading edge 1F is 38% plus or minus 2% of the chord length.

[0054] Thus, even if the attack angle is 0 degree, it is possible to smooth the counteraction due to the passing flow in the chord direction by the Coanda effect according to the rotation and the rotation due to the wind receiving.

[0055] FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 1D-D in FIG. 1. The maximum thickness of the leading edge 1F of the blade root 1A is 75% plus or minus 2% of the chord length as shown in the drawing. The front surface 1D is inclined such that the trailing edge is arranged in the back surface 1E side compared to a forward portion of the front surface 1D).

[0056] When the chord length of the blade root 1A is large, a crossing angle between the front surface 1D of the blade root 1A and the rotation direction is small. It is preferable that this crossing angle between the front surface 1D of the blade root 1A and the rotation direction is 45 degrees. When the crossing angle is less than 45 degrees, a force for pushing the blade 1 in the rotation direction by the airflow is reduced, and the torque is reduced.

[0057] In FIGS. 5 to 8, the larger the ratio of the maximum thickness of the leading edge 1F to the chord length is, the faster the flow speed by the Coanda effect occurring when rotating is.

[0058] Therefore, the flow speed passing through the front surface 1D by the Coanda effect is faster at the blade root 1A than at the blade end portion 1H.

[0059] In FIG. 1, generally, a peripheral speed is faster at the blade end portion 1H than at the blade root 1A. Thus, since the airflow passing through the peripheral surface of the maximum chord length portion 1B with a high speed due to the Coanda effect is low in an air density, the airflow is low in air pressure and draws airflows of atmospheric pressure from the surroundings.

[0060] In FIGS. 5 to 8, the thicker the maximum thickness of the leading edge 1F, the faster the flow speed of the airflow passing through the front surface 1D by the Coanda effect. Thus, a flow rate is increased proportional to the flow speed, and the torque of the blade 1 is increased due to a counteraction.

[0061] Moreover, since the high-speed flow is lower in air pressure than the surroundings, airflows in atmospheric pressure are drawn from the front side of the front surface 1D to a backward portion behind a width center line S of a chord in the direction of the trailing edge 1G in FIGS. 5 to 8, and the rotation efficiency is increased.

[0062] Simultaneously, as shown in FIG. 2, since the front surface 1D is inclined in the direction of the back surface 1E from the blade root 1A to the maximum chord length portion 1B, the airflow flowing in the centrifugal direction on the front surface 1D moves from the blade root 1A in the direction of the tip portion 1H, hits the inclined portion 1C, passes through in the arrow B direction in FIG. 3, pushes the blade 1 in the rotation direction due to the counteraction, and increases the torque.

[0063] FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of the rotor 2 in which the blades 1 are fixed to a hub 3. The blades 1 are fixed to the hub 3 such that each attack angle at the respective maximum chord length portions 1B is set at 0 degree.

[0064] Conventionally, since the blade is twisted such that the attack angle is increased toward the blade end portion 1H, cavitation occurs at the blade root 1A close to the hub 3 when rotating at a high speed.

[0065] In the present invention, although a twist is not seen in a side view as shown in FIG. 2, the front surface 1D is gradually inclined in the direction of the back surface 1E by about 2 degrees from the blade root 1A to the maximum chord length portion 1B on the drawing by thinning the blade end portion 1H compared to the blade root 1A. Thus, the airflow easily moves from the blade root 1A in the direction of the maximum chord length portion 1B.

[0066] Moreover, since the blade end portion is thinned compared to the blade root 1A, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the trailing edge 1G is positioned at the back surface 1E side at the blade root 1A. The closer the position of the trailing edge 1G gets to the maximum chord length portion 1B, the more the position of the trailing edge 1G is shifted in the direction of the front surface 1D.

[0067] In other words, a forward portion before the width center line S of the chord on the front surface 1D is inclined in the direction of the back surface 1E from the blade root 1A to the tip portion 1H side, and a backward portion behind the width center line S of the chord is gradually shifted in the direction of the front surface 1D from the blade root 1A to the tip portion 1H side.

[0068] Thus, at a portion near the trailing edge 1G on the chord, the closer the airflow moving from the blade root 1A in the direction of the maximum chord length portion 1B when rotating gets to the maximum chord length portion 1B, the more the airflow is shifted in the direction of the front surface.

[0069] As a result, the closer the airflow hitting the front surface 1D of the blade 1 gets to the maximum chord length portion 1B from the blade root 1A, the more the airflow is increased in a wind pressure. The inclined portion 1C is pressed by a strong wind power, and a rotational torque with an excellent efficiency can be obtained by a principle of leverage.

[0070] In FIG. 15, it is explained a relation between the inclination of the whole front surface 1D and each change of the airflows by the inclined portion 1C. In FIG. 15, each airflow shown by arrows W1, W2, W3 reaches respective points a, b, e from a left side simultaneously.

[0071] A time in which the airflow shown by the arrow W2 reaches from the point b to the point d is the same as that in which the airflow shown by the arrow W1 reaches from the point a to the point d. Therefore, a speed in which the airflow W1 reaches from the point a to the point d is faster than that in which the airflow W2 reaches from the point b to the point d, and an air pressure is decreased according to the speed difference.

[0072] The time in which the airflow shown by the arrow W2 reaches from the point b to the point d is the same as that in which the airflow shown by the arrow W3 reaches from the point e to the point f. Then, a time in which the airflow shown by the arrow W2 reaches from the point c to the point d is the same as that in which the airflow shown by the arrow W3 reaches from the point f to the point d. Therefore, an airflow between the points f and d is in a high speed and is in a low pressure.

[0073] Accordingly, as a result that the front surface 1D of the blade 1 is inclined in the direction of the back surface 1E toward the maximum chord length portion 1B, it is possible to understand that the high-speed flow occurs between the points f to d, and that the airflows of low pressure concentrate on the maximum chord length portion 1B.

[0074] When the low air pressure occurs, airflows of atmospheric pressure surge from the surroundings and pass through in a high speed in the arrow C direction shown in FIG. 2 and in the arrow B direction shown in FIG. 3, and the high-speed rotation of the blade 1 is accelerated in a high efficiency due to a counteraction.

[0075] In this way, the blade of the present invention has a unique structure such as that the maximum chord length is 300% plus or minus 10% of the chord length of the blade root 1A, that the thickness of the blade end portion 1H is about one-third of that of the blade root 1A in a side view, that the front surface 1D is inclined in the direction of the back surface 1E from the blade root 1A to the maximum chord length portion 1B, and that the trailing edge 1G in the backward portion behind the width center line S of the chord is gradually shifted in the direction of the front surface 1D from the blade root 1A to the maximum chord length portion 1B. A total efficiency of these features accelerates the effect of rotation in the high efficiency.

[0076] The blade 1 comprises the maximum chord length portion 1B which has a large chord length, a large wind receiving area and thickness smaller than that of a blade root 1A, and the blade 1 has a high rotation efficiency. Therefore, the blade 1 can be applied to a wind power generation system and a high generating efficiency can be obtained.