# Wind Turbine Blades with a Deeply Curved Front Surface > This patent describes a wind turbine blade designed with a deeply curved, concave front surface and a high camber ratio to potentially capture more wind energy. - **Patent:** US 7614852 - **Original title:** Wind turbine blade and assembly - **Owner:** Individual - **Granted:** 2009 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 6 - **Field:** renewable_energy, mechanical, aerospace, energy ## What it does This patent details a wind turbine blade with a specific aerodynamic shape. The blade's front surface, which faces the wind (the "windward direction"), is designed to be "substantially concave in shape" (Claim 1). This means it curves inwards, like the inside of a spoon. Additionally, the blade's "camber ratio," a measure of its overall curvature, must be "greater than or equal to approximately 4%" (Claim 1), and can be as high as 50% (Claim 3). For example, a blade could have this concave front surface combined with a convex (outwardly curved) rear surface (Claim 2), creating a highly asymmetric profile (Claim 5) to optimize how the blade interacts with and captures energy from the wind. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover wind turbine blades where the front surface facing the wind is not substantially concave. - Does not cover blades with a camber ratio less than 4%. - Does not cover blades whose primary design features are symmetrical airfoils. - Does not cover blades where the concavity of the front surface does not extend above the chord line within the specified range (Claim 27). ## The clever bit The novelty lies in combining a high camber ratio with a substantially concave front surface on a wind turbine blade. Unlike many traditional airfoils that might have a convex upper surface for lift, this design proposes a 'scoop' or 'cup' shape on the windward side to interact with the wind in a distinct way. ## Real-world examples 1. Large-scale utility wind turbines 2. Offshore wind farm turbines 3. Residential wind turbines 4. Experimental blade designs for improved efficiency ## Why it matters Wind energy is a crucial and expanding field in renewable power generation. Improving the efficiency of wind turbine blades, even by small amounts, can significantly increase the amount of electricity generated from the same wind resources. This patent focuses on a specific aerodynamic design choice that could contribute to more efficient energy capture, making wind power more competitive and sustainable. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does Wind Turbine Blades with a Deeply Curved Front Surface cover? This patent describes a wind turbine blade designed with a deeply curved, concave front surface and a high camber ratio to potentially capture more wind energy. ### Who owns patent US 7614852? Individual owns this patent, granted in 2009. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on December 24, 2027, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US 7614852 cited by? This patent has been cited by 6 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? Wind energy is a crucial and expanding field in renewable power generation. Improving the efficiency of wind turbine blades, even by small amounts, can significantly increase the amount of electricity generated from the same wind resources. This patent focuses on a specific aerodynamic design choice that could contribute to more efficient energy capture, making wind power more competitive and sustainable. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover wind turbine blades where the front surface facing the wind is not substantially concave. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7614852/wind-turbine-blade-and-assembly **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US7614852 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Wind Turbine Blades Get More Lift with Extra Parts](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8303250/method-and-apparatus-for-increasing-lift-on-wind-turbine-blade) — This patent describes adding special front and back parts to a wind turbine blade to create specific air channels, making the blade generate more power from the wind. - [Wind Turbine Blades with Noise-Reducing Serrated Edges](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8932024/wind-turbine-blade-and-wind-power-generator-using-the-same) — This patent describes a wind turbine blade design that reduces noise by attaching a special serrated plate to its trailing edge, integrated directly into one of the blade's outer surfaces. - [How to Make Solar Troughs Catch More Sunlight at Their Ends](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8049150/solar-collector-with-end-modifications) — This patent describes adding special reflective extensions and caps to the ends of a single-axis tracking solar trough to capture more sunlight that would otherwise be lost, making the collector more efficient. - [How to Build an Aircraft Tail Using One-Shot Composite Curing](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11267584/orbital-refueling) — A manufacturing process for creating an aircraft's rear fuselage and vertical tail as a single, integrated composite structure to reduce weight and assembly time. - [How the String Trimmer (Weed Eater) Actually Cuts Grass](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3826068/weed-eater-string-trimmer) — This 1974 patent describes the mechanics of using a high-speed spinning plastic line to cut grass, replacing dangerous metal blades with flexible, non-metallic material.