Abstract

The Composite Bearingless Rotor (CBR) concept has been shown to have characteristics ideally suited for wind turbine applications. Originally developed for helicopters to reduce weight, costs and complexity, the CBR eliminates blade bearings and hinges through the utilization of the unique structural characteristics of uniaxial composite materials. This rotor concept was further developed under an ERDA contract to provide a fully self-regulating and self-aligning wind turbine. Such a system was achieved without the need for auxiliary controls or sensors. These features allow self-starting for wind initiating from any direction and automatic pitch and yaw variations to optimize performance under all normal wind conditions. The work described in this report consists of the design and fabrication of a 4.5 ft dynamically scaled wind turbine model and the successful testing of this model in the United Technologies Research Center low speed wind tunnel.

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