Wind Turbine Rotor Blade Winglet with Curved Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional winglets for wind turbine rotor blades often create sharp corners that increase drag at the intersection with the rotor blades, diminishing their performance benefits and providing only minimal drag reduction.
Innovation Solution
A winglet design with a transition section that continuously changes in sweep angle, outboard cant angle, and twist angle throughout its length, reducing drag and enhancing performance by smoothing the aerodynamic profile from the rotor blade body to the tip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional winglets are attached to rotor blades forming sharp corners, then the winglet structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the drag at the intersection increases and performance benefits are diminished
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing the sharp corner intersection with a blended, curved transition surface between the rotor blade and winglet. This curved geometry smooths the aerodynamic profile, reducing flow separation and drag while maintaining structural integrity and manufacturability through controlled surface transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by varying the sweep angle, outboard cant angle, and twist angle continuously throughout the transition section. These angular parameters are optimized to achieve optimal drag reduction while maintaining structural feasibility and manufacturability of the winglet assembly.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If blended winglets are used to reduce drag at the intersection, then the aerodynamic profile is improved, but the performance benefits are only minimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves enhanced performance by systematically optimizing multiple angular parameters (sweep angle, outboard cant angle, twist angle) throughout the transition section. This multi-parameter optimization goes beyond conventional blended winglets by coordinating changes in all three angles to maximize aerodynamic efficiency and power coefficient improvement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enhances the blended design by implementing continuous curvature variations in the transition section, creating an optimized aerodynamic profile that smoothly guides flow from the rotor blade to the winglet. This refined curvature design improves upon conventional blended winglets by minimizing flow separation and maximizing lift-to-drag ratio.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the sweep angle, outboard cant angle, and twist angle change continuously throughout the transition section, then drag is reduced and aerodynamic performance is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent manages manufacturing complexity by defining systematic variation patterns for the angular parameters throughout the transition section. By establishing continuous but controlled changes in sweep angle, outboard cant angle, and twist angle, the design achieves optimal aerodynamic performance while maintaining manufacturability through predictable geometric progressions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent balances complexity by using continuous curvature in the transition section that, while aerodynamically optimized, follows manageable geometric patterns. The curved surfaces are designed to be manufacturable through modern composite layup techniques and molding processes, translating complex aerodynamic requirements into practical manufacturing solutions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The winglet design effectively reduces drag and increases the power coefficient of wind turbines, leading to improved efficiency and reduced energy costs by minimizing abrupt corners and optimizing aerodynamic curves.
Implementation Method 1
a winglet may decrease the amount of spanwise flow generated at the tip of a rotor blade and, thereby, reduce induced drag on the rotor blade
Implementation Method 2
The rotor blade includes a root, a tip, and a body extending from the root, the body including a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge
Data Source
AI summary
A rotor blade for a wind turbine is disclosed. The rotor blade includes a root, a tip, and a body extending from the root, the body including a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The rotor blade further includes a winglet extending between the body and the tip, the winglet including a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The winglet further includes a transition section and defines a height, a sweep angle, an outboard cant angle, and a twist angle. The sweep angle, the outboard cant angle, and the twist angle change continuously throughout the transition section.