Rotor blade assembly having vortex generators for wind turbine

Abstract

Rotor blade assemblies for wind turbines are provided. In one embodiment, a rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade, and a plurality of vortex generators configured on at least one of a suction side or a pressure side and disposed within an inboard area of the rotor blade. The plurality of vortex generators include a row of vortex generators extending in a generally span-wise direction, the row comprising a first portion of vortex generators and a second portion of vortex generators, the second portion of vortex generators spaced apart from the first portion of vortex generators in the span-wise direction. Each first portion vortex generator is disposed at a first chord-wise location, and each second portion vortex generator is disposed at a second chord-wise location different from the first chord-wise location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         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 each extending between a tip and a root, the rotor blade further defining a span and a chord, and   a plurality of vortex generators configured on at least one of the suction side or the pressure side and disposed within an inboard area of the rotor blade, the plurality of vortex generators comprising a row of vortex generators extending in a generally span-wise direction, the row comprising a first portion of vortex generators and a second portion of vortex generators, the second portion of vortex generators spaced apart from the first portion of vortex generators in the span-wise direction, each first portion vortex generator disposed at a first chord-wise location, and each second portion vortex generator disposed at a second chord-wise location different from the first chord-wise location.   
     
     
         2 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first portion of vortex generators and each of the second portion of vortex generators is disposed between approximately 10% and approximately 40% of a local chord. 
     
     
         3 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first chord-wise location is between approximately 10% of a local chord and 20% of a local chord, and wherein the second chord-wise location is between approximately 25% of a local chord and approximately 35% of a local chord. 
     
     
         4 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first chord-wise location is approximately 15% of a local chord and the second chord-wise location is approximately 30% of a local chord. 
     
     
         5 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vortex generators further comprises at least one vortex generator disposed in a transition location between the first portion and the second portion in the generally span-wise direction and between the first chord-wise location and the second chord-wise location. 
     
     
         6 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of vortex generators comprises two vortex generators disposed in transition locations, a first vortex generator of the two vortex generators disposed at approximately 20% of a local chord and a second vortex generator of the two vortex generators disposed at approximately 25% of a local chord. 
     
     
         7 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first portion of vortex generators is further disposed between the root and a span-wise maximum chord location. 
     
     
         8 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of vortex generators comprises a fin extending at an angle relative to the local chord. 
     
     
         9 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first portion vortex generators has a height and a length that are greater than a height and a length of each of the second portion vortex generators. 
     
     
         10 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of vortex generators has an aspect ratio between approximately 4 and approximately 10. 
     
     
         11 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of vortex generators has a height between approximately 0.5% and approximately 4% of the local chord. 
     
     
         12 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of vortex generators has a height between approximately 0.5 and approximately 7 times a local boundary layer thickness at a span-wise location of the first portion vortex generator. 
     
     
         13 . The rotor blade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of vortex generators has a length between approximately 4% and approximately 20% of the local chord. 
     
     
         14 . A wind turbine, comprising:
 a tower;   a nacelle mounted on the tower; and   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 each extending between a tip and a root, each of the plurality of rotor blades further defining a span and a chord,   a plurality of vortex generators configured on at least one of the suction side or the pressure side of at least one of the plurality of rotor blades and disposed within an inboard area of the at least one of the plurality of rotor blades, the plurality of vortex generators comprising a row of vortex generators extending in a generally span-wise direction, the row comprising a first portion of vortex generators and a second portion of vortex generators, the second portion of vortex generators spaced apart from the first portion of vortex generators in the span-wise direction, each first portion vortex generator disposed at a first chord-wise location, and each second portion vortex generator disposed at a second chord-wise location different from the first chord-wise location.   
     
     
         15 . The wind turbine of  claim 14 , wherein the first chord-wise location is between approximately 10% of a local chord and 20% of a local chord, and wherein the second chord-wise location is between approximately 25% of a local chord and approximately 35% of a local chord. 
     
     
         16 . The wind turbine of  claim 14 , wherein the first chord-wise location is approximately 15% of a local chord and the second chord-wise location is approximately 30% of a local chord. 
     
     
         17 . The wind turbine of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of vortex generators further comprises at least one vortex generator disposed in a transition location between the first portion and the second portion in the generally span-wise direction and between the first chord-wise location and the second chord-wise location. 
     
     
         18 . The wind turbine of  claim 14 , wherein each of the first portion vortex generators has a height and a length that are greater than a height and a length of each of the second portion vortex generators. 
     
     
         19 . The wind turbine of  claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of vortex generators has an aspect ratio between approximately 4 and approximately 10. 
     
     
         20 . A vortex generator assembly for a wind turbine rotor blade, the vortex generator assembly comprising:
 a plurality of vortex generators arranged in a single row and configured for mounting on at least one of a suction side or a pressure side of the wind turbine rotor blade, the plurality of vortex generators comprising a first portion of vortex generators and a second portion of vortex generators, the second portion of vortex generators arranged to be spaced apart from the first portion of vortex generators in a span-wise direction, each first portion vortex generator arranged to be disposed at a first chord-wise location, and each second portion vortex generator arranged to be disposed at a second chord-wise location different from the first chord-wise location.