Wind turbine comprising elastically flexible rotor blades

Abstract

The invention relates to a wind turbine having a tower, a nacelle that is mounted on the tower and can be rotated about the axis of the tower, and a rotor which is carried by the nacelle on the lee side and having at least one rotor blade. The flexural strength of the at least one rotor blade permitting the elastic flexure of said blade by more than half of its extension and allowing deflection by more than two thirds of its total length.

1 - 7 . (canceled)  
   
   
       8 . A wind turbine having a tower, a nacelle located on the tower and rotatable about its axis, and a rotor having at least one rotor blade rotating on the lee side and carried by the nacelle by a hub, the wind turbine comprising: 
 a) the at least one rotor blade firmly connected to the hub and fabricated from a high strength material having a low modulus of elasticity thereby giving the at least one rotor blade a flexural strength for allowing their elastic flexure by more than half a total length of said at least one rotor blade and a constant profile thickness and profile depth over said total blade length.    
   
   
       9 . The wind turbine of  claim 8 , wherein the flexural strength of the at least one rotor blade allows for deflection thereof by more than two-thirds of the total length of said at least one rotor blade.  
   
   
       10 . The wind turbine of  claim 8 , wherein the constant profile thickness of said total blade length of said at least one rotor blade has a relative profile thickness between 5% and 15%.  
   
   
       11 . The wind turbine of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one rotor blade is made from an extruded composite fiber profile.  
   
   
       12 . The wind turbine of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one rotor blade is an extruded profile of fiber glass-reinforced plastic.  
   
   
       13 . The wind turbine of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one rotor blade comprises two rotor blades disposed in outwardly opposed directions from said hub.  
   
   
       14 . The wind turbine of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one rotor blade comprises more than two rotor blades disposed in outwardly directions from said hub.