Technical Note: Blade Integrated Overspeed Protection for Small Turbines — Experimental Observations. Issue 1 (February 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McMahon, Niall M.; Rogers, Patrick; Byrne, Raymond; MacArtain, Paul; Staudt, Lawrence D.
• Is Part Of: Wind engineering. Volume 38:Issue 1(2014)
• Page Start: 117
• Page End: 120
• Publication Date: 2014-02
• Subjects: Wind-pressure -- Periodicals; Winds -- Periodicals; Wind power -- Periodicals; Engineering meteorology -- Periodicals; Pression du vent; Vents; Énergie éolienne; Météorologie appliquée; Engineering meteorology; Wind power; Wind-pressure; Winds; Periodicals; 621.4505
• DOI: 10.1260/0309-524X.38.1.117
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0309-524X

Abstract

In the 1980s many wind turbines were stall-regulated fixed-pitch machines. The rotors were often equipped with blade-integrated overspeed protection such as ailerons, tip brakes and flip tips. The market for larger small wind turbines is reappearing, and it is conceivable that blade-integrated overspeed control will re-emerge as a solution. Although electrical braking techniques associated with permanent magnet generators are useful, independent rotor-based overspeed control mechanisms are at present still required for fail-safe operation. In this note, we present observations from more than twenty experimental tests. We note that it is possible to effect braking using particular leading-edge profiles.