US 11,867,156 B2
System and method for mitigating vortex-shedding vibrations or stall-induced vibrations on rotor blade of a wind turbine during standstill
Andreas Herrig, Garching b. Muenchen (DE); Benjamin Patrick Hallissy, Greenville, SC (US); Marc Canal, Barcelona (ES); and Jordy Hertel Nilsson van Kalken, Lunderskov (DK)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Sep. 17, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/023,457.
Claims priority of application No. 19382809 (EP), filed on Sep. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0079896 A1, Mar. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. F03D 80/50 (2016.01); F03D 3/04 (2006.01)
CPC F03D 80/50 (2016.05) [F03D 3/04 (2013.01); F05B 2230/80 (2013.01); F05B 2260/30 (2013.01); F05B 2260/96 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for mitigating vortex-shedding vibrations or stall-induced vibrations on one or more rotor blades of a wind turbine during standstill, the apparatus comprising:
at least one positioning element located between a blade tip section and a blade root section of a respective rotor blade of the one or more rotor blades, the at least one positioning element adapted for wrapping around at least a portion of the respective rotor blade;
at least one airflow modifying element coupled to the at least one positioning element, the at least one airflow modifying element defining a height relative to a surface of the respective rotor blade; and,
at least one securing element operably coupled to the at least one positioning element for temporarily securing the at least one airflow modifying element to the respective rotor blade;
wherein the at least one positioning element comprises at least one cord member helically wrapped around a portion of the respective rotor blade.
 
6. A method for mitigating vortex-shedding vibrations or stall-induced vibrations on one or more rotor blades of a wind turbine during standstill, the method comprising:
installing a vibration-mitigation apparatus on a rotor blade of the one or more rotor blades, wherein installation of the vibration-mitigation apparatus further comprises:
positioning at least one airflow modifying element at a desired location along an outer surface of the rotor blade with at least one positioning element wherein the at least one positioning element comprises at least one cord member helically wrapped around a portion of the respective rotor blade; and,
securing the at least one positioning element to the outer surface of the rotor blade via at least one securing element;
performing an installation, a commissioning, a maintenance and/or a repair operation on the wind turbine with the vibration-mitigation apparatus installed; and,
once the installation, commissioning, maintenance and/or the repair operation is complete, removing the vibration-mitigation apparatus from the rotor blade.