Patents Assigned to General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
  • Patent number: 11569712
    Abstract: A method for preventing damage in a bearing of a generator of an electrical power system includes monitoring one or more electrical signals of a power conversion assembly of the electrical power system. The method also includes estimating an impedance path of common mode current from a terminal to ground using the operating parameter(s) of the power conversion assembly. Further, the method includes determining a one or more magnitudes and/or a one or more phase angles of the impedance path at different frequencies, such a switching frequency and/or harmonics. Moreover, the method includes determining whether the impedance path is indicative of degradation in at least one of bearing insulation or a ground brush of the generator based on a change in the one or more magnitudes and/or the one or more phase angles. In addition, the method includes implementing a control action when the impedance path is indicative of degradation in the bearing insulation and/or the ground brush of the generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Rupam Mukherjee, Kapil Jha, Arvind Kumar Tiwari, Kum Kang Huh, Robert Gregory Wagoner
  • Patent number: 11552538
    Abstract: In a first aspect, a method for removing an electromagnetic module from an electrical machine is provided. The electrical machine comprises a plurality of electromagnetic modules having an electromagnetic material. The electromagnetic modules comprise base and a support extending from the base and supporting the electromagnetic material. The base comprises a bottom surface and a first side surface. The first side surface comprises an axially extending groove defining a cooling channel with an axially extending groove of a first side surface of an adjacent electromagnetic module. The method comprises inserting a rod in a cooling channel formed by the groove of the electromagnetic module to be removed and a groove of an adjacent electromagnetic module; releasing the electromagnetic module to be removed from a structure of the electrical machine; and sliding the electromagnetic module to be removed along the rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Julio César Urresty, Sadeo Ramtahal, César Muñiz Casais
  • Patent number: 11552584
    Abstract: The system and method described herein provide grid-forming control of a power generating asset having a generator, such as a double-fed generator, connected to a power grid. Accordingly, a stator-frequency error is determined for the generator. The components of the stator frequency error are identified as a damping component corresponding to a tower damping frequency and a stator component. Based on the stator component, a power output requirement for the generator is determined. This power output requirement is combined with the damping power command to develop a consolidated power requirement for the generator. Based on the consolidated power requirement, at least one control command for the generator is determined and an operating state of the generator is altered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Veena Padmarao, Kapil Jha, Subbarao Tatikonda, Arvind Kumar Tiwari, Werner Gerhard Barton, Vaidhya Nath Venkitanarayanan, Shan Shine
  • Patent number: 11552518
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to armature segments for an armature for an electrical machine. An armature segment may comprise a plurality of coils and an electrically insulating supporting structure providing structural support to the plurality of coils. An armature may comprise a plurality of armature segments. The present disclosure further relates to methods for assembling such armature segments and armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Andrew Thomas Cross, David Torrey, Michel Schweitzer, Bruno Crepel, Mickael Portets, Roel Schuring
  • Patent number: 11545920
    Abstract: The system and method described herein provide grid-forming control of a power generating asset having a double-fed generator connected to a power grid. Accordingly, a stator-frequency error is determined for the generator. The components of the stator frequency error are identified as a torsional component corresponding to a drivetrain torsional vibration frequency and a stator component. Based on the stator component, a power output requirement for the generator is determined. This power output requirement is combined with the damping power command to develop a consolidated power requirement for the generator. Based on the consolidated power requirement, at least one control command for the generator is determined and an operating state of the generator is altered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Shan Shine, Jishnu Kavil Kambrath, Kapil Jha, Veena Padmarao, Arvind Kumar Tiwari, Subbarao Tatikonda
  • Patent number: 11545910
    Abstract: A power conversion assembly includes a power converter having a plurality of switching devices, a power source electrically coupled to the power converter, and a direct current (DC) filter circuit bridging the power converter and the power source. The DC filter circuit includes a DC link having a positive rail, a negative rail, and a capacitor bank. The capacitor bank includes a first set of capacitors being a first type of capacitors and a second set of capacitors being a different, second type of capacitors. Each capacitor in the first set of capacitors is positioned closer to a respective switching device of the plurality of switching devices than a corresponding capacitor of the second set of capacitors to minimize impedance between each capacitor in the first set of capacitors and the respective switching device such that a majority of ripple current from the plurality of switching devices passes through the first set of capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Rajesh Bhupathi, Robert Gregory Wagoner, Zane Taylor Miller, Fernando Arturo Ramirez Sanchez, Bacil Shaqqo, Joseph Kiran Banda
  • Patent number: 11539317
    Abstract: A method for preventing damage in a bearing of a generator includes monitoring, via a controller, one or more electrical signals of the power conversion assembly. The method also includes converting the electricals signal(s) to a frequency domain. Further, the method includes extracting one or more spectral components in frequency bands of the frequency domain around one or more known characteristic frequencies of the bearing. Moreover, the method includes determining at least one characteristic of the spectral component(s) in the frequency bands. In addition, the method includes comparing the characteristic(s) of the spectral component(s) in the frequency bands to at least one baseline value. The method further includes generating a fault signal or a baseline signal for the bearing based on the comparison. In response to the fault signal being generated, the method includes implementing a control action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Rupam Mukherjee, Arvind Kumar Tiwari, Shahid Ali
  • Patent number: 11530680
    Abstract: Methods for installing a wind turbine blade on a wind turbine hub include hoisting the wind turbine blade towards the wind turbine hub; bringing the wind turbine blade and the wind turbine hub into contact through an adaptable resilient body such that the adaptable resilient body is compressed between the wind turbine blade and the wind turbine hub; reducing a dimension of the adaptable resilient body such that the wind turbine blade approaches the wind turbine hub; and mounting the wind turbine blade to the wind turbine hub. Also, assemblies for assisting in mounting the wind turbine blade to the wind turbine hub and adapted wind turbine hubs are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventor: Vincent Cazenave
  • Patent number: 11519392
    Abstract: In a first aspect, a roller pitch bearing for a wind turbine is provided. The roller pitch bearing comprises a first bearing component and a second bearing component, the first bearing component being configured to rotate with respect to the second bearing component; wherein one of the first and the second bearing components is configured to be coupled to a wind turbine blade and the other one of the first and the second bearing components is configured to be coupled to a rotor hub of a wind turbine. The roller pitch bearing further a limiting structure attached to the first bearing component, the limiting structure radially extending from the first bearing component towards the second bearing component to limit a radial movement between the bearing components. In further aspect, a rotor for a wind turbine comprising a roller pitch bearing is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Santiago Canedo Pardo, Javier Bescos Grillo
  • Patent number: 11499532
    Abstract: A nacelle assembly for a wind turbine is connected to a wind turbine tower through a yaw system and includes a front region coupled to a rotor having a rotor hub and at least one rotor blade. The nacelle assembly includes a nacelle having a cover structure to house wind turbine components and an add-on wind flow deflector system that is coupled to an outside of the cover structure. The wind flow deflector system guides wind flowing to the nacelle for reducing a drag of the nacelle when a wind direction is misaligned with respect to the longitudinal wind direction in a yaw system failure event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Andreas Herrig, Santiago Tomas Monpol, Benjamin Patrick Hallissy
  • Patent number: 11456645
    Abstract: A method for controlling an inverter-based resource having an asynchronous machine connected to a power grid to provide grid-forming control of the inverter-based resource includes coupling at least one additional device to terminals of a first converter of the inverter-based resource. Further, the method includes emulating, via a controller, at least one of the at least one additional device or the first converter as a first virtual synchronous machine. Moreover, the method includes coordinating, via the controller, operation of the first virtual synchronous machine and a second converter of the inverter-based resource using a vector-control approach to control at least one of voltage and frequency at a point of interconnection between the inverter-based resource and the power grid in a closed loop manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Shan Shine, Kapil Jha, Veena Padmarao, Arvind Kumar Tiwari, Subbarao Tatikonda, Werner Gerhard Barton
  • Patent number: 11456688
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for operating a power generating asset having a generator operably coupled to a power grid. The generator having a rotor and a stator. The stator being operably coupled to a transformer, and ultimately to the power grid, via a sync-switch assembly. The sync-switch assembly having a plurality of switching devices electrically coupled in parallel. Accordingly, a controller detects an approach of at least one operating parameter of the power generating asset to a first parameter threshold. In response to detecting the approach of the operating parameter to the first parameter threshold, the controller independently changes an operating state of a first switching device of the plurality of switching devices of the sync-switch assembly. Each switching device of the plurality of switching devices is independently controllable via the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Kasi Viswanadha Raju Gadiraju, Joseph Lawrence Chacon, Steven Wade Sutherland, Arvind Kumar Tiwari
  • Patent number: 11448188
    Abstract: Methods of operating a wind turbine (1) having a generator (10) and a power converter (60). The methods may comprise: determining a reduced first power setpoint (94) in response to an operational condition; reducing active power from a line-side converter (66) to an electrical grid (80) according to the reduced first power setpoint (94); determining a reduced power setpoint (92) for a machine-side converter (62); reducing a torque applied to the generator (10) by the machine-side converter (62) such that active power according to the reduced second power setpoint (92) is produced by the generator (10); and dissipating a power surplus in one or more resistive elements (68) as long as the second power setpoint is superior to the first power setpoint. Wind turbines configured for such methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Javier Sanchez Navarro, Domenico Ricchiuto, Leonardo Mandrioli, Oriol Caubet Busquet
  • Patent number: 11441541
    Abstract: A main shaft assembly of a wind turbine and method for manufacturing the same are provided. Accordingly, the main shaft assembly includes a structural/shaft body defining a cavity therein. The shaft body is configured to transmit a load of the wind turbine developed in response to the wind. An inner body is located within the cavity. The inner body is non-loadbearing with respect to the load. At least one sensor is coupled to the inner body and positioned within the cavity for detecting a deflection of the shaft body in response to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Robert Peter Slack, Roberto Leal Rodriguez, Michael A. Garry, Matteo Bellucci
  • Patent number: 11434867
    Abstract: A hub assembly or a rotor of a wind turbine includes a hub having openings to connect rotor blades thereto. The hub assembly includes a pitch bearing (3) and a pitch carrier positioned between the hub and the pitch bearing, the pitch carrier configured to support a pitch system for adjusting a blade pitch of the rotor blades. The pitch carrier includes a strip plate arranged between two opposite regions of a perimeter of the opening. A mounting structure attaches the strip plate to the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Javier Bescos Grillo, Josep Bosch-Collado, John T. Olesen, Przemyslaw Skierczynski
  • Patent number: 11434877
    Abstract: Direct-drive wind turbines (160) are disclosed. The wind turbine comprise a generator (3) mounted on a frame (1), the generator (3) comprising a generator stator (32) and a generator rotor (31) configured to rotate about a rotation axis (RA), the frame (1) has a protruding portion (11) extending beyond the generator (3), the protruding portion (11) comprising a first structure and a second structure; wherein the first and second structures are configured to rotate relative to each other and about the rotation axis (RA); wherein the first structure is attached to the generator stator (32) and the second structure is attached to the generator rotor (31); a brake system (2) attached to the first and second structures, the brake system (2) being spaced away from the generator (3) along the rotation axis (RA). Also disclosed are methods (200) for braking a direct-drive wind turbine (160).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Jan Erich Hemmelmann, Julian Fernandez Buezas
  • Patent number: 11421653
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for the robust, multivariable control of a power generating asset via H-infinity loop shaping using coprime factorization. Accordingly, a controller of the power generating asset computes a gain value for an H-infinity (H?) module in real-time at predetermined sampling intervals using an actuator dynamic model. The controller then determines an acceleration factor based, at least in part, on the gain value of the H? module. Based, at least in part on the acceleration vector, the controller generates a control vector. An operating state of at least one component of the power generating asset is changed based on the control vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Masoud Abbaszadeh, Fabiano Daher Adegas, Fernando Javier D'Amato
  • Patent number: 11408396
    Abstract: A wind turbine and method are provided for defining a plurality of thrust limits for the wind turbine located at a site and having a rotor with rotor blades, wherein the thrust limits define values of aerodynamic thrust on the rotor not to be exceeded in operation. The method includes providing a wind speed distribution representative for the site and defining one or more isolines of constant turbulence probability representing a turbulence parameter as a function of wind speed. The isolines correspond to quantile levels of turbulence of the wind speed distribution and the turbulence parameter is indicative of wind speed variation. The turbulence parameter is determined by continuously measuring wind speed upstream of the rotor with an active sensing system and calculating the wind speed variations from the measured wind speed. Turbulence ranges are defined with respect to the isolines and thrust limits are defined for the turbulence ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Pierino Gianni Bonanni, Xu Fu, Francesco Perrone
  • Patent number: 11401918
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling a wind turbine. Accordingly, a controller of the wind turbine detects an oscillation in the power output of the wind turbine during a recovery from a transient event. In response to detecting the oscillation, a portion of the power output during a peak phase of the oscillation is stored in an energy storage device. A portion of the stored power is then discharged during a valley phase of the oscillation in order to reduce an amplitude of the oscillation of the power output that is delivered to the power grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Jishnu Kavil Kambrath, Veena Padmarao, Kapil Jha, Nithya Anand, Arvind Kumar Tiwari
  • Patent number: 11387699
    Abstract: A generator, which may be used in a wind turbine, has a first stationary component carrying a first winding configuration and a second rotating component carrying a second winding configuration. The second rotating component includes a body portion and a plurality of teeth spaced around and extending radially from the body portion. The second winding configuration is arranged in slots defined between adjacent teeth. A housing is arranged around and rotates with the body portion. A heat exchange circuit is arranged on the second rotating component and includes a coolant channel defined in the teeth; a pump; and a heat exchanger arranged on the housing so as to rotate with the housing, the heat exchanger transverse to a rotational direction of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Roelof Willem Schuring, Lana Maria Osusky, Andrew Thomas Cross, David Allan Torrey