Abstract:
This invention relates generally to an article that includes a non-wetting surface having a dynamic contact angle of at least about 90°. The surface is patterned with macro- scale features configured to induce controlled asymmetry in a liquid film produced by impingement of a droplet onto the surface, thereby reducing time of contact between the droplet and the surface.
Abstract:
The invention relates to an arrangement to improve the surface of a wind turbine blade. According to the arrangement invented a plastic tape is arranged at specific locations of the blade to reinforce the blade-surface there. The plastic tape shows a sandwich structure with at least two layers. The plastic tape comprises a first layer, which comprises a carbon fiber. The carbon-fibers are arranged and positioned to guide electrical power for de-icing purposes. The plastic tape comprises on a first side of the tape a second layer, which is connected with the first layer. The second layer comprises a pure thermoplastic fluoropolymer.
Abstract:
Es wird ein Windenergieanlagen-Rotorblatt mit mindestens einer elektrisch betreibbaren Heizmatte (400), welche im Inneren (200) des Rotorblattes (100) befestigt ist, vorgesehen.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for detecting icing and other loadings on blades of wind turbines. Advantageously, the method utilizes existing wind turbine actuators, for example pitch actuators, far excitation of blade vibrations. Vibration sensors on the blade such as strain sensors or accelerometers measure the blade vibrations excited in response to the actively excised vibrations. By comparing the measured response with previously obtained reference responses, it is possible to determine if blade icing is present.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a wind energy plant, comprising a rotor (2) having blades (21) and a generator (13) driven by said rotor for generating electric energy, wherein the pitch of the blades (21) can be adjusted and a pitch system (4) for adjusting the pitch angle (?) of the blades (21) is provided, which is supplied by a hub power source (40), wherein further an additional electric load (5) is provided on the hub, and wherein a pitch power control device (6) is provided, which dynamically distributes the power of the hub power source (40) between the pitch system (4) and the additional electric load (5) and further acts on the pitch system (4) such that the power consumption thereof during high-load operation is reduced. In this way, the power consumption of the pitch system (4) during high-load operation can be reduced and additional power provided for operating the additional load (5). Even high-performance additional loads (5), such as a blade heater, can be operated in this way, without having to boost the hub power source (40).
Abstract:
The invention provides a method and system of monitoring bending strain on a wind turbine blade. The method in one aspect comprises:. locating at least three strain sensors on the turbine blade, in use each strain sensor providing a strain measurement, the strain sensors located such that edgewise and flapwise bending can be determined from the strain measurements; calculating a plurality of resultant bending strains using the strain measurements; calculating an average resultant bending strain from the plurality of resultant bending strains; and calculating a confidence value for a first sensor based on a comparison of resultant bending strains derived from the strain measurement from the first sensor with the average resultant bending strain.
Abstract:
The present invention describes a blade (100) for a wind turbine. The blade (100) comprises at least one heating mat (101) for generating heat, wherein the heating mat (101) is mounted at an outer surface (104) of the blade (100). The blade (100) further comprises at least one through-hole (102) running from an inner space (103) of the blade (100) to the outer surface (104) of the blade (100). The blade (100) further comprises at least one conductive element (105), wherein the conductive element (105) is electrically coupled to the heating mat (101). The conductive element (105) is inserted in the through-hole (102) for generating an electric connection between the inner space (103) and the outer surface (104).
Abstract:
It is described a method for determining a mass change at a rotating blade of a wind turbine, the method comprising: measuring a vibration quantity representative of a vibration of the wind turbine; measuring an azimuthal quantity representative of a rotation angle of the blade; determining a frequency quantity representative of a vibration frequency of the blade from the vibration quantity and the azimuthal quantity; determining the mass change at the blade based on the frequency quantity.
Abstract:
The invention refers to a method for de-icing a blade of a wind turbine. The de-icing is carried out by means of stalling the wind turbine and at least to a position where enough turbulence is created to induce vibrations in the blade allowing ice to break off.
Abstract:
A hydro-pneumatic system generates power from wind energy transferred to a hydraulic flow, which in turn enables production of electricity by actuating a hydraulic motor/turbine. The wind hydro-generator works efficiently and at higher capacity utilizations at lower and higher wind speeds than conventional wind turbine technology. Conceptually, the invention represents a wind hydro-generator that uses a wind rotor to generate a torque, rather than to simply convert the wind power into a rotary motion and exploit the velocity. The torque is converted directly by a hydraulic generator into a water flow whose pressure is stabilized by a pressure vessel using compressed air to amortize the variances of the gusts of the wind. This stabilizes and steadies the power delivered by the water flow to the hydraulic motor over reasonable periods of time.