Root flap for rotor blade in wind turbine

Abstract

A rotor blade assembly and a method for reducing the separation region of a rotor blade for a wind turbine are disclosed. The rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having exterior surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending in a generally span-wise direction between a tip and a root. The rotor blade assembly further includes a flap extending in the generally span-wise direction from the root towards the tip. The flap includes an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface conformingly mounted to at least one of the pressure side, the suction side, or the trailing edge, the outer surface and at least one of the pressure side or the suction side defining a generally continuous aerodynamic surface.

1 . A rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine, the rotor blade assembly comprising:
 a rotor blade having exterior surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending in a generally span-wise direction between a tip and a root; and,   a flap extending in the generally span-wise direction from the root towards the tip, the flap comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface conformingly mounted to at least one of the pressure side, the suction side, or the trailing edge, the outer surface and at least one of the pressure side or the suction side defining a generally continuous aerodynamic surface.   
     
     
         2 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the flap has a generally decreasing cross-sectional area in the span-wise direction towards the tip. 
     
     
         3 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the flap extends in a generally chord-wise direction no further than a maximum chord of the rotor blade. 
     
     
         4 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the flap comprises a pressure side portion and a suction side portion. 
     
     
         5 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the outer surface of the flap further comprises a planer portion extending between the pressure side portion and suction side portion. 
     
     
         6 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the planer portion extends in the generally span-wise direction. 
     
     
         7 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the planer portion is generally perpendicular to a local chord of the rotor blade. 
     
     
         8 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the planer portion extends no further than the maximum chord of the rotor blade. 
     
     
         9 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface is conformingly mounted to the pressure side and the trailing edge. 
     
     
         10 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface is conformingly mounted to the suction side and the trailing edge. 
     
     
         11 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface is conformingly mounted to the pressure side, the suction side, and the trailing edge. 
     
     
         12 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface and the pressure side define a generally continuous aerodynamic surface. 
     
     
         13 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface and the suction side define a generally continuous aerodynamic surface. 
     
     
         14 . A wind turbine, comprising:
 a plurality of rotor blades, each of the plurality of rotor blades having exterior surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending in a generally span-wise direction between a tip and a root; and,   a flap extending in the generally span-wise direction from the root towards the tip of at least one of the plurality of rotor blades, the flap comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface conformingly mounted to at least one of the pressure side, the suction side, or the trailing edge of the at least one of the plurality of rotor blades, the outer surface and at least one of the pressure side or the suction side of the at least one of the plurality of rotor blades defining a generally continuous aerodynamic surface.   
     
     
         15 . The wind turbine of  claim 14 , wherein the flap has a generally decreasing cross-sectional area in the span-wise direction towards the tip. 
     
     
         16 . The wind turbine of  claim 14 , wherein the flap extends in a generally chord-wise direction no further than a maximum chord of the rotor blade. 
     
     
         17 . The wind turbine of  claim 14 , wherein the outer surface of the flap comprises a pressure side portion and a suction side portion. 
     
     
         18 . The wind turbine of  claim 17 , wherein the outer surface of the flap further comprises a planer portion extending between the pressure side portion and suction side portion. 
     
     
         19 . The wind turbine of  claim 14 , wherein the inner surface is conformingly mounted to the pressure side, the suction side, and the trailing edge. 
     
     
         20 . A method for reducing the separation region of a rotor blade for a wind turbine, the method comprising:
 mounting a flap to a rotor blade, the rotor blade having exterior surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending in a generally span-wise direction between a tip and a root, the flap extending in the generally span-wise direction from the root towards the tip, the flap comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface conformingly mounted to at least one of the pressure side, the suction side, or the trailing edge, the outer surface and at least one of the pressure side or the suction side defining a generally continuous aerodynamic surface; and,   rotating the rotor blade on the wind turbine.