Patent ID: 8267653

Claim:
An active flow control system for manipulating a boundary layer of air across a wind turbine rotor blade, the wind turbine rotor blade having at least one sidewall defining a cavity therein, the sidewall extending between a leading edge and an axially spaced trailing edge, wherein the wind turbine rotor blade has a chordwise axis defined between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and a thickness defined perpendicularly from the chordwise axis, said active flow control system comprising: an air discharge assembly coupled to the sidewall, said air discharge assembly configured to selectively discharge air from within the wind turbine rotor blade into the boundary layer; and, an air suction assembly coupled to the sidewall and to said air discharge assembly, said air suction assembly configured to channel air from the boundary layer to said air discharge assembly, said air suction assembly comprising a plurality of suction apertures defined through the sidewall, said plurality of suction apertures positioned between the trailing edge and a location of a maximum thickness of the wind turbine rotor blade with respect to the chordwise axis.