Patent ID: 8506248
Filing Date: 2013-08-13
Classification: F03D,F05B,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A wind turbine rotor blade, comprising: a root portion; an airfoil portion extending from said root portion and defined by a leading edge and a trailing edge; said airfoil portion further comprising a main foil section having a suction side surface and a pressure side surface, and a trailing edge section that is pivotally connected to said main foil section along a span-wise extending hinge line interface; a passive torsion element coupled between said main foil section and said trailing edge section, said torsion element biased to a neutral position wherein said trailing edge section is pivoted chord-wise to a low wind speed position towards said pressure side surface of said main foil section; and said trailing edge section being self-actuating from said low wind speed position to an increased wind speed aerodynamic position relative to said main foil section as a function of the biasing force of said passive torsion element and wind speed over said airfoil section; and wherein said hinge line interface comprises a rounded face defined on said trailing edge section that is nested within a rounded recess defined in said main foil section.