How Tiny Bumps on Wind Turbine Blades Reduce Noise
This patent describes how small, specially shaped bumps or grooves on a wind turbine blade's underside can reduce noise by controlling airflow and preventing turbulence.
Original patent title: “Wind turbine blade with noise reducing micro boundary layer energizers”
This patent describes how small, specially shaped bumps or grooves on a wind turbine blade's underside can reduce noise by controlling airflow and preventing turbulence. Granted to General Electric in 2019 with 22 claims and 5 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2036.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent covers a wind turbine blade assembly that includes small features called "micro boundary layer energizers" on its pressure side. These energizers, which can be vanes, grooves, dents, or dimples (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1), are placed in a specific "outboard area" of the blade, between 0% and 50% of the blade's length from the tip (Claim 1). Their job is to create small swirls of air, called "longitudinal vortices," that mix the air near the blade's surface (Claim 1, Claim 2). This mixing helps the airflow stick to the blade longer, delaying "separation of a boundary layer" at low angles of attack (Claim 1). By doing this, the energizers reduce unwanted noise generated by the blade. For example, a wind turbine blade might have a series of 1-15mm high wedge-shaped bumps (Claim 6, Claim 10) positioned 20-55% of the way back from the leading edge (Claim 1) to smooth the airflow.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- It does not cover micro boundary layer energizers placed on the suction side of the rotor blade.
- It does not cover energizers positioned in the inboard portion of the blade, only the outboard area between 0%-50% from the blade tip (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- It does not cover energizers placed downstream from the start of a "separation bubble" (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- It does not cover energizers that are not specifically shaped and positioned to delay boundary layer separation at a low angle of attack (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- It does not cover energizers with x/c ratios outside the 20-55% range (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in precisely shaping and positioning these tiny "micro boundary layer energizers" on the *pressure side* of the blade to specifically generate longitudinal vortices. This targeted approach delays airflow separation at low angles of attack, which directly reduces aerodynamic noise without significantly impacting performance.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Modern large-scale wind turbine blades
GE Renewable Energy wind turbines
Aerodynamic noise reduction features on aircraft wings
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Wind turbines are a key part of renewable energy, but noise can be a significant issue for nearby communities. This patent offers a way to make wind turbines quieter by improving how air flows over the blades. Reducing noise allows wind farms to be located closer to populated areas or to operate more efficiently without causing disturbances, potentially increasing the adoption of wind power.
Filed
April 28, 2016
Granted
September 3, 2019
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
General Electric (GE) Renewable Energy, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a major player in wind turbine manufacturing and continues to innovate in blade design. Other large wind turbine manufacturers like Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, and Nordex are also actively researching and implementing aerodynamic improvements to their blades, including passive flow control devices, to enhance performance and reduce noise.
Market impact
This patent addresses a critical challenge in the wind energy market: noise pollution. By providing a method to reduce aerodynamic noise, it enables wind farms to meet stricter environmental regulations and gain greater public acceptance. This can facilitate the development of new wind projects and help existing ones operate more efficiently, making wind power a more viable and widespread energy source.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent covers a wind turbine blade assembly that includes small features called "micro boundary layer energizers" on its pressure side. These energizers, which can be vanes, grooves, dents, or dimples (Claim 1), are placed in a specific "outboard area" of the blade, between 0% and 50% of the blade's length from the tip (Claim 1). Their job is to create small swirls of air, called "longitudinal vortices," that mix the air near the blade's surface (Claim 1, Claim 2). This mixing helps the airflow stick to the blade longer, delaying "separation of a boundary layer" at low angles of attack (Claim 1). By doing this, the energizers reduce unwanted noise generated by the blade. For example, a wind turbine blade might have a series of 1-15mm high wedge-shaped bumps (Claim 6, Claim 10) positioned 20-55% of the way back from the leading edge (Claim 1) to smooth the airflow.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in precisely shaping and positioning these tiny "micro boundary layer energizers" on the *pressure side* of the blade to specifically generate longitudinal vortices. This targeted approach delays airflow separation at low angles of attack, which directly reduces aerodynamic noise without significantly impacting performance.
What it does not cover
- It does not cover micro boundary layer energizers placed on the suction side of the rotor blade.
- It does not cover energizers positioned in the inboard portion of the blade, only the outboard area between 0%-50% from the blade tip (Claim 1).
- It does not cover energizers placed downstream from the start of a "separation bubble" (Claim 1).
- It does not cover energizers that are not specifically shaped and positioned to delay boundary layer separation at a low angle of attack (Claim 1).
- It does not cover energizers with x/c ratios outside the 20-55% range (Claim 1).
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
16/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$49K – $156K
Midpoint $98K · 9.6 yr remaining · industry baseline
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
22 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Kinzie, K., Luedke, J., Herr, S., HONHOFF, S. G., & HERRIG, A. (2019). How Tiny Bumps on Wind Turbine Blades Reduce Noise (U.S. Patent No. 10,400,744). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10400744/wind-turbine-blade-with-noise-reducing-micro-boundary-layer-energizers
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Tiny Bumps on Wind Turbine Blades Reduce Noise cover?
This patent describes how small, specially shaped bumps or grooves on a wind turbine blade's underside can reduce noise by controlling airflow and preventing turbulence.
Who owns patent US 10400744?
General Electric owns this patent, granted in 2019.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on April 28, 2036, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 10400744 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 5 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Wind turbines are a key part of renewable energy, but noise can be a significant issue for nearby communities. This patent offers a way to make wind turbines quieter by improving how air flows over the blades. Reducing noise allows wind farms to be located closer to populated areas or to operate more efficiently without causing disturbances, potentially increasing the adoption of wind power.
What does this patent NOT cover?
It does not cover micro boundary layer energizers placed on the suction side of the rotor blade.
Same assignee
More from General Electric
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