Patents Examined by Thomas K Quigley
  • Patent number: 11703032
    Abstract: An optimal dispatching method and system for a wind power generation and energy storage combined system are provided. Uncertainty of a wind turbine output is characterized based on spatio-temporal coupling of the wind turbine output and an interval uncertainty set. Compared with a traditional symmetric interval uncertainty set, the uncertainty set that considers spatio-temporal effects effectively excludes some extreme scenarios with a very small probability of occurrence and reduces conservativeness of a model. A two-stage robust optimal dispatching model for the wind power generation and energy storage combined system is constructed, and a linearization technology and a nested column-and-constraint generation (C&CG) strategy are used to efficiently solve the model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: North China Electric Power University
    Inventors: Shiwei Xia, Panpan Li, Liangyun Song, Jixian Qu, Yuehui Huang
  • Patent number: 11698053
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling a wind turbine. Accordingly, a controller of the wind turbine detects a transient grid event and generates a torque command via a drive-train-damper control module. The torque command is configured to establish a default damping level of a torsional vibration resulting from the transient grid event. The controller also determines at least one oscillation parameter relating to the torsional vibration and determines a target generator torque level based thereon. The target generator torque level corresponds to an increased level of damping the torsional vibration relative to the default damping level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Jishnu Kavil Kambrath, Veena Padmarao, Kapil Jha, Arvind Kumar Tiwari
  • Patent number: 11692527
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for controlling a wind turbine, including predicting behaviour of one or more wind turbine components such as a wind turbine tower over a prediction horizon using a wind turbine model that describes dynamics of the one or more wind turbine components or states. The method includes determining behavioural constraints associated with operation of the wind turbine, wherein the behavioural constraints are based on operational parameters of the wind turbine such as operating conditions, e.g. wind speed. The method includes using the predicted behaviour of the one or more wind turbine components in a cost function, and optimising the cost function subject to the determined behavioural constraints to determine at least one control output, such as blade pitch control or generator speed control, for controlling operation of the wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Fabio Caponetti, Tobias Gybel Hovgaard, Christian Jeppesen, Silvia Estelles Martinez
  • Patent number: 11692526
    Abstract: Methods and Apparatuses for rotational speed avoidance control of a wind turbine, and the wind turbine are provided. An exemplary method includes: identifying whether a wind turbine operates repeatedly traversing a rotational speed avoidance range, based on statistical information about a rotational speed of a generator being in the rotational speed avoidance range; and adjusting a parameter of a pitch control system and/or a parameter of an electromagnetic torque control of the wind turbine based on the statistical information about the rotational speed being in the rotational speed avoidance range, in response to determining that the wind turbine operates repeatedly traversing the rotational speed avoidance range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: BEIJING GOLDWIND SCIENCE & CREATION WINDPOWER EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xinli Zhang
  • Patent number: 11695364
    Abstract: A motor/generator/transmission system includes: an axle; a stator ring having a plurality of stator coils disposed around the periphery of the stator ring, wherein each phase of the plurality of stator coils includes a respective set of multiple parallel non-twisted wires separated at the center tap with electronic switches for connecting the parallel non-twisted wires of each phase of the stator coils all in series, all in parallel, or in a combination of series and parallel; a rotor support structure coupled to the axle; a first rotor ring and a second rotor ring each having an axis of rotation coincident with the axis of rotation of the axle, at least one of the first rotor ring or the second rotor ring being slidably coupled to the rotor support structure and configured to translate along the rotor support structure in a first axial direction or in a second axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Falcon Power, LLC
    Inventors: Harley C. McDonald, James L. Bailey, Matthew C. McDonald
  • Patent number: 11674500
    Abstract: A method for controlling a wind energy farm is disclosed. A wake state of the wind energy farm is determined, including determining wake chains defining wake relationships among the wind turbines of the wind farm under the current wind conditions. For at least one of the wind turbines of the wind energy farm, a lifetime usage is estimated, based on an accumulated load measure for the wind turbine. In the case that the estimated lifetime usage is below a predefined lifetime usage limit, the wind turbine is operated in an overrated state, while monitoring wake effects at each of the wind turbines. In the case that a downstream wind turbine detects wake effects above a predefined wake threshold level, at least one wind turbine having an upstream wake relationship with the downstream wind turbine is requested to decrease the generated wake, e.g. by decreasing power production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Jacob Deleuran Grunnet, Anders Steen Nielsen
  • Patent number: 11649804
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling a wind turbine of a wind farm. Accordingly, a controller implements a first model to determine a modeled performance parameter for the first wind turbine. The modeled performance parameter is based, at least in part, on an operation of a designated grouping of wind turbines of the plurality of wind turbines, which is exclusive of the first wind turbine. The controller then determines a performance parameter differential for the first wind turbine at multiple sampling intervals. The performance parameter differential is indicative of a difference between the modeled performance parameter and a monitored performance parameter for the first wind turbine. A second model is implemented to determine a predicted performance parameter of the first wind turbine at each of a plurality of setpoint combinations based, at least in part, on the performance parameter differential the first wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Samuel Bryan Shartzer, Scott Charles Evans, Arunvenkataraman Subramanian, Dhiraj Arora, Samuel Davoust
  • Patent number: 11649805
    Abstract: A modular wind turbine system and a method of use thereof are provided. The system comprises: a mounting frame; a fixed toroidal support structure attached to the mounting frame, the toroidal support structure having a concave portion and a convex portion; a wind turbine located proximal to the concave portion of the toroidal support structure, wherein the wind turbine travels about at least a portion of the concave portion of the toroidal support structure; and a first baffle, wherein the first baffle extends about the portion of the concave portion of the toroidal support structure about which the first turbine travels, wherein the baffle surrounds a portion of the wind turbine opposite the fixed toroidal support structure, and wherein the baffle includes at least one component selectively variably adjustable so as to vary the force, direction, or disruption of flow of fluid thereby, relative to the wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: KKR IP LLC
    Inventors: Karen Anne Paré, James Work Bailar
  • Patent number: 11643168
    Abstract: A passive generator system for a marine vessel using an intake manifold having an opening at the bottom of the hull of the vessel. The intake manifold tapers to a point at the rear of the opening and extends upward to an intake funnel that reduces down to a conduit. The conduit has a first portion angled relative to the opening which joins to a second portion at an elbow. The second portion of the conduit extends horizontally to a rear of the vessel, to a conduit exit where water can exit the conduit. An impeller is location in the first portion of the conduit that drives a generator through a shaft between the impeller and the generator, the shaft passing through a top of the first portion of the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Inventor: Victor Rafael Cataluna
  • Patent number: 11639710
    Abstract: Systems and methods of autonomous farm-level control and optimization of wind turbines are provided. Exemplary embodiments comprise a site controller running on a site server. The site controller collects and analyzes yaw control data of a plurality of wind turbines and wind direction data relating to the plurality of wind turbines. The site server determines collective wind direction across an area occupied by the plurality of wind turbines and sends yaw control signals including desired nacelle yaw position instructions to the plurality of wind turbines. The site controller performs wake modeling analysis and determines desired nacelle positions of one or more of the plurality of wind turbines. The desired nacelle yaw position instructions systematically correct static yaw misalignment for all of the plurality of wind turbines. Embodiments of the disclosure provide means to perform whole site or partial site level controls of the yaw controllers of a utility scale wind turbine farm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: WindESCo, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan L. Post, Danian Zheng, Peter Bachant, Mohit Dua
  • Patent number: 11635059
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reducing peak power consumption of a grid connected power plant having a plurality of wind turbines. In response to determining that a power production value of the power plant is below a power threshold, one method includes: after a first time delay of a first group of one or more wind turbines, control the first group to operate in a power saving mode for a predefined first power saving period; and after a first time delay of a second group of one or more other wind turbines, control the second group to operate in the power saving mode for a predefined second power saving period. The first time delay of the first group is less than the first time delay of the second group and the power saving mode inhibits a power consuming activity for the wind turbines operating in the power saving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Mu Wei, Vinu Vijayan, Eric German, Brian Dial-Lapcewich
  • Patent number: 11635060
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind turbine includes determining one or more loading and travel metrics or functions thereof for one or more components of the wind turbine during operation of the wind turbine. The method also includes generating, at least in part, at least one distribution of cumulative loading data for the one or more components using the one or more loading and travel metrics during operation of the wind turbine. Further, the method includes applying a life model of the one or more components to the at least one distribution of cumulative loading data to determine an actual damage accumulation for the one or more components of the wind turbine to date. Moreover, the method includes implementing a corrective action for the wind turbine based on the damage accumulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dayu Huang, Frederick Wilson Wheeler, George Theodore Dalakos, Ameet Shridhar Deshpande, Su Liu
  • Patent number: 11624349
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for controlling noise of a wind turbine. The method includes: determining a noise-influencing sector of the wind turbine based on a position of the wind turbine and a position of a noise-influencing site; acquiring a current wind direction; determining whether the wind turbine under the current wind direction operates in the noise-influencing sector; and limiting output power of the wind turbine, and increasing, after the wind turbine goes out from the noise-influencing sector and the output power reaches a rated power, the output power, in a case that the determination is positive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: BEIJING GOLDWIND SCIENCE & CREATION WINDPOWER EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Fashun Ou
  • Patent number: 11626775
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to an apparatus for generating energy in response to a vehicle wheel rotation. The apparatus may include a first roller comprising a curved roller surface configured to be positioned in substantial physical contact with a first wheel of the vehicle. The first roller may be configured to rotate in response to a rotation of the first wheel. The apparatus may further include a first shaft rotatably couplable to the first roller such that rotation of the first roller causes the first shaft to rotate. The apparatus may further include a first generator operably coupled to the first shaft. The generator may be configured to generate an electrical output based on the rotation of the first shaft and convey the electrical output to an energy storage device or to a motor of the vehicle that converts electrical energy to mechanical energy to rotate one or more wheels of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Inventor: Anthony Macaluso
  • Patent number: 11608811
    Abstract: A method for mitigating loads acting on a rotor blade of a wind turbine includes receiving a plurality of loading signals and determining at least one load acting on the rotor blade based on the loading signals. Further, the method includes determining a type of the load(s) acting on the rotor blade. Moreover, the method includes comparing the load(s) to a loading threshold, such as an extreme loading threshold. In addition, the method includes implementing a control scheme when the load(s) exceeds the loading threshold. More specifically, the control scheme includes providing a first pitching mode for reducing a first type of load, providing a different, second pitching mode for reducing a different, second type of load, and coordinating the first and second pitching modes based on the type of the at least one load to mitigate the loads acting on the rotor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Prashanth Kumar Reddy Vaddi, Shuang Gu
  • Patent number: 11608888
    Abstract: A method for driving a transmission mechanism output power in response to an anticipated fluid-pressure gradient field is provided. The method includes sensing the change of direction of pressure gradient field at a desired location from the different area of the transmission mechanism within fluid. The method further includes constructing fluid-pressure gradient field based upon isolation-fluid apparatus or low-density fluid space installed on a transmission mechanism within fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Inventor: Yanjun Che
  • Patent number: 11585322
    Abstract: A wind turbine control apparatus, method and non-transitory computer-readable medium are disclosed. The wind turbine control apparatus comprises a generator connected to a wind turbine with a drive train. The drive train comprises a rotor, a low speed shaft, a gear box, a high speed shaft, and a controller module. The controller module is configured to obtain a maximum power within a large range of varying wind velocities by operating the rotor at a neural network determined optimal angular speed for the current wind velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
    Inventors: Mohammad Kamal Hossain, Meer Abdul Mateen Khan
  • Patent number: 11585323
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for cooperative controlling wind turbines of a wind farm, wherein the wind farm includes at least one pair of turbines aligned along a common axis approximately parallel to a current wind direction and having an upstream turbine and a downstream turbine. The method includes the steps of: a) providing a data driven model trained with a machine learning method and stored in a database, b) determining a decision parameter for controlling at least one of the upstream turbine and the downstream turbine by feeding the data driven model with the current power production of the upstream turbine which returns a prediction value indicating whether the downstream turbine will be affected by wake, and/or the temporal evolvement of the current power production of the upstream turbine; c) based on the decision parameter, determining control parameters for the upstream turbine and/or the downstream turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Inventors: Per Egedal, Peder Bay Enevoldsen, Alexander Hentschel, Markus Kaiser, Clemens Otte, Volkmar Sterzing, Steffen Udluft, Marc Christian Weber
  • Patent number: 11578695
    Abstract: Techniques for controlling rotor speed of a wind turbine. One technique includes defining a system model describing resonance dynamics of a wind turbine component, such as a wind turbine tower, where the system model has a nonlinear input term, e.g. a periodic forcing term. A transform is applied to the system model to obtain a transformed model for response oscillation amplitude of the wind turbine component, where the transformed model has a linear input term. A wind turbine model describing dynamics of the wind turbine is then defined, and includes the transformed model. A model-based control algorithm, e.g. model predictive control, is applied using the wind turbine model to determine at least one control output, e.g. generator torque, and the control output is used to control rotor speed of the wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Jacob Deleuran Grunnet, Tobias Gybel Hovgaard, Jan-Willem Van Wingerden, Sebastiaan Mulders
  • Patent number: 11569767
    Abstract: In an output control of a hybrid-type engine generator equipped with a load output demand detecting unit, a load output demand increase/decrease determination unit and an output control unit, a configuration is adopted whereby load output demand from (output required by) the load is detected, increase/decrease of the detected load output demand is determined, discharge power from the battery is added to generated power output of the engine generator unit when detected load output demand is determined to be increasing, and output of the engine generator unit is controlled so as to use some generated power output of the engine generator unit as charge power of the battery when detected load output demand is determined to be decreasing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihiko Kiyohiro, Taiyo Onodera, Minoru Maedako