Aerodynamic hub assembly for a wind turbine

• Main Authors: Erno, Jason Daniel, Kinzie, Kevin Wayne, Madge, James Henry, Khan, Zaeem Ashraf, Wilson, Ian David, Opatis, Dmytro Floriyovych, Moscinski, Michael Colan
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 03.05.2017
• Subjects: BLASTING; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER; WEAPONS; WIND MOTORS; WIND, SPRING WEIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS MOTORS

An aerodynamic hub assembly 200 for a wind turbine 100 is disclosed. The hub assembly 200 may include a hub extension 212, a rotor blade 108 having a blade root 114 and a blade tip 116, and a hub airfoil section 202 mounted at least partially over the hub extension 212. The hub airfoil section 202 may be fixed relative to the rotor blade 108 or may be configured to rotate about a common pitch axis 112 with the rotor blade 108. The hub extension 212 may be connected to and extend radially from a center of the hub assembly 200. Further, the hub assembly 200 may include a pitch bearing 220 having an inner race 222 and an outer race 224, wherein the pitch bearing 220 may be coupled between the hub extension 212 and the blade root 114. Additionally, the hub assembly 200 may also include an aerodynamically-shaped spinner 206, wherein the spinner 206 may house at least a portion of a root structure 210 extending radially from the center of the hub assembly 200.