WE CLAIM
1. A rotor blade (16) of a wind turbine (10), the rotor blade (16) comprising:
a suction side surface (20) and a pressure side surface (22); and
at least one vortex generator (32) configured on at least one of said suction
side or said pressure side surfaces (20, 22), the vortex generator (32) comprising a
base portion (36) and at least one airflow modifying element (34) extending from the
base portion (36),
wherein the airflow modifying element (34) comprises one or more
discontinuities (38) formed therein so as to increase flexibility of the vortex generator
(32).
2. The rotor blade (16) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more
discontinuities (38) comprises an opening (40) in a lower portion of the airflow
modifying element (34) such that a gap is created between the airflow modifying
element (34) and the rotor blade (16).
3. The rotor blade (16) as claimed in claim 2, comprising an airflow
limiting component (44) configured to block at least a portion of the gap so as to limit
air flow through the gap.
4. The rotor blade (16) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the airflow limiting
component (44) comprises at least one of adhesive, sealant, tape, foam, cork, one or
more flaps, or a plurality of tines (52).
5. The rotor blade (16) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more
discontinuities (38) comprises a plurality of apertures (42) spaced apart along a
lengthwise axis of the airflow modifying element (34).
6. The rotor blade (16) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the apertures (42)
extend through a width of the airflow modifying element (34).
7. The rotor blade (16) as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the
apertures (42) is configured at an angle with respect to the lengthwise and widthwise
axes.
8. The rotor blade (16) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a
plurality of airflow modifying elements (34), the plurality of airflow modifying
16
elements (34) comprising at leaast one of a plurality of ribs or a plurality of tine
bundles (52).
9. The rotor blade (16) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of
airflow modifying elements (34) are arranged in pairs, and wherein each pair of
airflow modifying elements (34) are arranged at opposite angles with respect to each
other.
10. The rotor blade (16) as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the airflow
modifying elements (34) comprise a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.
11. A method (100) of manufacturing a vortex generator (32) for a rotor
blade (16) of a wind turbine (10), the method (100) comprising:
providing a mold of the vortex generator (32), the mold of the vortex generator
(32) having, at least, a base portion (36) and a plurality of airflow-modifying-element
shaped protrusions extending therefrom;
forming a sheet material to the mold so as to form the vortex generator (32),
wherein the airflow-modifying-element shaped protrusions of the mold form a
plurality of airflow modifying elements (34) in the vortex generator (32); and
forming one or more discontinuities (38) within at least one of the airflow
modifying elements (34) so as to increase flexibility of the vortex generator (32).
12. The method (100) as claimed in claim 11, wherein forming the one or
more discontinuities (38) within at least one of the airflow modifying elements (34)
further comprises at least one of: forming one or more discontinuities (38) into the
airflow-modifying-element shaped protrusions of the mold or machining one or more
discontinuities (38) into the airflow modifying elements (34) after forming the sheet
material to the mold.
13. A vortex generator (32) for a rotor blade (16) of a wind turbine (10),
the vortex generator (32) comprising:
a base portion (36) configured for attachment to at least one of a suction side
surface (20) or a pressure side surface (22) of the rotor blade (16); and
at least one airflow modifying element (34) extending from the base portion
(36), wherein the airflow modifying element (34) comprises one or more
discontinuities (38) configured therein so as to increase flexibility of the vortex
generator (32). 14. The vortex generator (32) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the one or
more discontinuities (38) comprises an opening (40) in a lower portion of the airflow
modifying element (34) such that a gap is created between the airflow modifying
element (34) and the base portion (36).
15. The vortex generator (32) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the one or
more discontinuities (38) comprises a plurality of apertures (42) spaced apart along a
lengthwise axis of the airflow modifying element (34).