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Method and apparatus for cleaning and de-icing wind turbine rotor blades

A technology for wind turbines and rotor blades, applied to cleaning methods and appliances, cleaning methods using liquids, wind power engines, etc., which can solve the problems of high cost and time-consuming

Inactive Publication Date: 2013-07-31
GENERAL ELECTRIC CO
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

These existing techniques are time consuming, require appropriate levels of manpower, and are costly

Method used

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  • Method and apparatus for cleaning and de-icing wind turbine rotor blades
  • Method and apparatus for cleaning and de-icing wind turbine rotor blades
  • Method and apparatus for cleaning and de-icing wind turbine rotor blades

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Embodiment Construction

[0050] Methods and apparatus for cleaning and / or deicing the outer surfaces of wind turbine rotor blades are described in detail below. The used cleaning fluid used to clean and / or de-ice the rotor blades is collected, filtered and reused to clean other rotor blades. A cleaning fluid may be used to remove grime from the rotor blades and / or to remove ice from the rotor blades. The cleaning device is positioned so as to collect used cleaning fluid for reuse. The device includes an oval spray head that surrounds a portion of the rotor blade to allow cleaning of the entire outer surface at one time. The elliptical spray head is attached to a lift arm which moves the spray head along the longitudinal axis of the rotor blade to allow cleaning of the outer surface along the length of the rotor blade. A cylindrical collection curtain can be attached at one end to the oval spray head and at a second end to a tank containing the cleaning fluid to surround the rotor blades and clean an...

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PUM

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Abstract

A cleaning apparatus (30) for cleaning at least one of grime and built-up ice off wind turbine rotor blades (24) is provided. The cleaning apparatus includes a tank (32) mounted on a base (36), a plurality of lifting arms (38,40) mounted on the base adjacent the tank, an elliptical spray head (50) attached to the lifting arms, the lifting arms sized to lift the elliptical spray head from a first position to a second position, the second position farther away from the tank than the first position, and at least one pipe (54), a first end (56) of the pipe connected to the elliptical spray head, and a second end of the pipe operatively coupled to a pump (60), the pump operatively coupled to the tank.

Description

technical field [0001] The field of the invention relates generally to wind turbine rotor blades, and more specifically, to methods and apparatus for cleaning and deicing wind turbine rotor blades. Background technique [0002] The rotor blades of a wind turbine are designed for optimal aerodynamic characteristics to optimize the performance of the wind turbine to maximize power production. During operation of a wind turbine, rotor blades are exposed to numerous atmospheric conditions that can lead to the accumulation of grime from dust, salt, dead insects, bird droppings, and other foreign matter on the surface of the rotor blades. Dirty rotor blades reduce the efficiency of wind turbines. During operation of a wind turbine, ice can accumulate on the rotor blades in extremely cold weather. Ice buildup on turbine blades can cause rotor imbalance, which can increase turbine load. In addition to this, ice buildup on the turbine blades may reduce the efficiency of the wind t...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(China)
IPC IPC(8): B08B3/02
CPCB08B3/04F03D11/0016B08B17/025B08B17/00F03D11/0025Y02E10/722B08B3/022F03D1/003F03D80/55F03D80/40F03D80/50Y02E10/72
Inventor R·库马V·M·希雷马斯D·萨卡拉朱K·V·劳N·R·纳达姆帕利
Owner GENERAL ELECTRIC CO