Slender Blades: A Breakthrough in Rotor Design
Slender Blades, invented by Corten in 2007 and patented by CortEnergy by four patent families, have revolutionized wind turbine rotor design, increasing energy yield by 6%–10% without adding extra loads. The first image showcases an example of a Slender Blade. The second image depicts a typical, non-slender blade design that was standard before 2007. Today, approximately 80% of all new wind turbines worldwide utilize Slender Blades.
Additionally, Slender Blade rotors can achieve an extra 1%–2% energy gain when combined with Corten Vortex Generators.
The patents originating from CortEnergy are currently owned by Enercon via Wobben Properties, though CortEnergy retains application rights for wind turbines up to 500 kW.