Specialized Coatings for Wind Turbine Blades

Wind turbine blade design to protect it from erosion in a way that covers only the areas most prone to erosion without wasting material. The anti-erosion layer on the blade is offset toward the pressure side from the leading edge. This allows targeted protection of the areas where erosion is more likely, like the pressure side near the leading edge where rain and debris strike at an angle. The center point of the anti-erosion layer is shifted towards the pressure side from the leading edge along the blade profile. This provides appropriate protection for the areas most susceptible to erosion without covering the whole blade.

Superhydrophobic, superoleophobic, and supermetallophobic surfaces with macro-scale features that further reduce the contact time between impinging liquids (like water, oil, and molten metal) and the surface. The macro features induce asymmetry in the liquid film produced by impingement, enabling faster recoil and breakup of the liquid. The features have sizes like ridges and spacing greater than 0.001 mm. This reduces contact times below the theoretical minimum for superhydrophobic surfaces. It's applicable to articles like rainproof clothing, steam turbine blades, and atomizers to improve performance by rapidly repelling impinging liquids before they can foul or freeze on the surface.

Wind turbine blades with graphene-containing materials to improve durability, weight, and performance. The blades have graphene-based materials in the blade structure, load-carrying spar, surface coatings, and retrofits. This provides benefits like erosion resistance, radar stealth, impact protection, fire retardation, weight savings, electrical conductivity, and sensor integration. The graphene-enhanced wind turbine blade components improve erosion resistance, durability, weight savings, conductivity, and other properties compared to conventional blades.

A lightweight vertical windmill blade design that reduces weight and improves efficiency compared to traditional metal blades. The blade has a frame structure with cutouts covered by a layer of flexible sheet material like PTFE instead of metal. The sheet material is attached over the cutouts on the exterior or interior surface of the blade. This reduces weight while maintaining blade strength. The flexible sheet also covers the cutouts to improve airflow and reduce drag compared to exposed cutouts.

Additive manufacturing of wind turbine components using biological materials and organisms to improve structural integrity, longevity, and cost-efficiency. The manufacturing involves 3D printing turbine components like blades, hubs, and nacelles using a multi-material additive process. The components have layered structures with varying concentrations of organic and inorganic materials. The inner layers have facultative anaerobic organisms that can produce enzymes and proteins. This mimics biomimetic scaffolds and matrices found in nature. The outer layers have calcium carbonate, urea, and chitin. The gradients of materials with organisms provide structural conformity and self-healing properties. The multi-material 3D printing allows customized compositions and gradients for optimal performance and durability.

Using functionalized graphene in wind turbine blades, towers, and coatings to improve performance and durability. The graphene can be incorporated into the blade structure, load-carrying spar, surface coatings, and retrofitted onto existing blades. Benefits include reduced weight, increased strength, improved erosion resistance, better impact resistance, enhanced conductivity, radar absorption, and thermal management. Functionalized graphene in blades can also provide de-icing functionality. Graphene-containing coatings on towers can enable higher tower heights. The graphene can also be used in wind turbine sensors.

Reducing aerodynamic and hydrodynamic drag for objects like tires, vehicles, buildings, and wind turbines by mimicking natural textures found in nature. The textures on surfaces like shark skin, jellyfish, bird feathers, and lotus flowers are copied to reduce drag when exposed to fluids like air or water. This involves applying natural surface treatments to objects to reduce drag when they encounter moving fluids. The textures can also improve release of molded objects from molds and self-cleaning of molds.

Wind turbine blade design to protect against erosion in a way that covers only the most vulnerable areas. The anti-erosion layer on the blade is shifted towards the pressure side from the leading edge. This is done in part of the blade span where the anti-erosion layer extends. The shift is greater closer to the root and less near the tip. By offsetting the center of the layer towards the side with more erosion potential, it provides targeted protection where needed without unnecessarily increasing coverage.