Patents by Inventor Kirk Gee Pierce
Kirk Gee Pierce has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8649911Abstract: A technique is provided for operating a wind farm at increased rated power output. The technique includes sensing a plurality of operating parameters of the wind turbine generator, assessing the plurality of operating parameters with respect to respective design ratings for the operating parameters, and intermittently increasing a rated power output of the wind turbine generator based upon the assessment.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2005Date of Patent: February 11, 2014Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Aaron John Avagliano, Ralph Teichmann, Kirk Gee Pierce, Paul David Hopewell, Ameet Shridhar Deshpande, Sukru Alper Eker
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Patent number: 8215906Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of controlling the aerodynamic load of a wind turbine blade by controlling the tip speed ratio (TSR) and/or blade pitch setting of the wind turbine blade so as to optimize power production. A wind turbine blade undergoes an aero-elastic response including deflection and twist that is a function of the blade loading. The blade loading is dependent on the wind speed, TSR, and pitch setting. The aero-elastic response requires a different TSR and/or pitch to be selected throughout the power curve in order to maintain the optimum power production and to improve energy capture.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2008Date of Patent: July 10, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Kirk Gee Pierce, Brandon Shane Gerber, Stefan Herr
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Patent number: 8096761Abstract: A method for operating a wind turbine. The method includes providing a wind turbine having at least one blade having adjustable pitch angle that is adjusted according to an operational parameter schedule. A blade efficiency parameter is determined in response to a wind speed and a rotor speed. A minimum pitch angle is determined in response to the blade efficiency parameter and the pitch angle of the at least one blade in response to the blade efficiency parameter is maintained to an angle equal to or greater than the minimum pitch angle independent of the operational parameter schedule. A wind turbine plant and a method for servicing a wind turbine are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2008Date of Patent: January 17, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Frank Fric, Kevin Standish, Kirk Gee Pierce, Bernard Landa
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Patent number: 7999406Abstract: A method for operating a wind turbine plant including providing a plurality of wind turbines each having a turbine rotor including at least one blade mounted to a rotatable turbine shaft and an induction generator having a stator and a rotor coupled to the turbine shaft for rotation therewith. The wind turbine is configurable to provide a variable amount of power. A control is provided capable of communicating with the plurality of wind turbines. A wind speed is measured and a power derating factor is determined in response to the measured wind speed. The determined derating factor is communicated to the plurality of wind turbines. The amount of power generated by each of the plurality of wind turbines is adjusted in response to the power derating factor. A system for operating a wind turbine plant is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2008Date of Patent: August 16, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Mark E. Cardinal, Kirk Gee Pierce
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Publication number: 20110142593Abstract: A method of validating a wind turbine including a rotor includes intentionally inducing a loading imbalance to the rotor. The method also includes measuring the loading imbalance induced to the rotor, transmitting a signal representative of the measured loading imbalance to a calibration module, and at least one of detecting an error and calibrating at least one component of the wind turbine based on the signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2010Publication date: June 16, 2011Inventors: Till Hoffmann, Gert Torbohm, Jignesh Gandhi, Robert Peter Slack, Kirk Gee Pierce
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Patent number: 7874797Abstract: A method for balancing a rotor of a rotary machine, wherein the rotor includes at least two rotor blades and a rotor shaft, includes receiving at least one measurement of either a load, an acceleration, or a displacement that pertains to at least one bending moment acting on the rotor shaft, determining at least one value of the at least one bending moment acting on the rotor shaft based, at least in part, on the received at least one measurement, and determining a pitch offset angle value of at least one rotor blade that facilitates reducing the at least one bending moment acting on the rotor shaft.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2008Date of Patent: January 25, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Kirk Gee Pierce, Robert Peter Slack
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Publication number: 20100098540Abstract: A method for operating a wind turbine. The method includes providing a wind turbine having at least one blade having adjustable pitch angle that is adjusted according to an operational parameter schedule. A blade efficiency parameter is determined in response to a wind speed and a rotor speed. A minimum pitch angle is determined in response to the blade efficiency parameter and the pitch angle of the at least one blade in response to the blade efficiency parameter is maintained to an angle equal to or greater than the minimum pitch angle independent of the operational parameter schedule. A wind turbine plant and a method for servicing a wind turbine are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2008Publication date: April 22, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Thomas Frank Fric, Kevin Standish, Kirk Gee Pierce, Bernard Landa
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Patent number: 7679215Abstract: A system and method for controlling power ramp rate of a wind farm is provided. The wind farm includes a plurality of wind turbine generators and a wind farm control system. The wind farm control system is operable to monitor rate of change of collective power output of the wind turbine generators, and to limit the rate of change of collective power output by generating a power output rate limiting signal based on the monitored rate of change of collective power output of the wind turbine generators and a desired collective power ramp of the wind turbine generators and applying the power output rate limiting signal to the plurality of wind turbine generators.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2004Date of Patent: March 16, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert William Delmerico, Mark Edward Cardinal, Kirk Gee Pierce
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Publication number: 20090311097Abstract: A wind turbine including a control system and at least one wind turbine blade having a pressure measurement system is disclosed. The pressure measurement system includes a pressure probe that provides a measurement of inflow angle to the control system. The control system adjusts the blade pitch angle of the at least one turbine blade in response to the inflow angle measurement to improve energy capture. The pressure probe is mounted by a probe support structure at a predetermined position from the leading edge of the at least one wind turbine blade.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2008Publication date: December 17, 2009Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Kirk Gee PIERCE, Stefan HERR, Ryan Michael LECLAIR, Christopher J. WINSLOW
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Publication number: 20090220340Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of controlling the aerodynamic load of a wind turbine blade by controlling the tip speed ratio (TSR) and/or blade pitch setting of the wind turbine blade so as to optimize power production. A wind turbine blade undergoes an aero-elastic response including deflection and twist that is a function of the blade loading. The blade loading is dependent on the wind speed, TSR, and pitch setting. The aero-elastic response requires a different TSR and/or pitch to be selected throughout the power curve in order to maintain the optimum power production and to improve energy capture.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 29, 2008Publication date: September 3, 2009Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Kirk Gee PIERCE, Brandon Shane GERBER, Stefan HERR
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Publication number: 20090218818Abstract: A method for operating a wind turbine plant including providing a plurality of wind turbines each having a turbine rotor including at least one blade mounted to a rotatable turbine shaft and an induction generator having a stator and a rotor coupled to the turbine shaft for rotation therewith. The wind turbine is configurable to provide a variable amount of power. A control is provided capable of communicating with the plurality of wind turbines. A wind speed is measured and a power derating factor is determined in response to the measured wind speed. The determined derating factor is communicated to the plurality of wind turbines. The amount of power generated by each of the plurality of wind turbines is adjusted in response to the power derating factor. A system for operating a wind turbine plant is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 29, 2008Publication date: September 3, 2009Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Mark E. Cardinal, Kirk Gee Pierce
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Patent number: 7581921Abstract: A control system for a rotary machine is provided. The rotary machine has at least one rotating member and at least one substantially stationary member positioned such that a clearance gap is defined between a portion of the rotating member and a portion of the substantially stationary member. The control system includes at least one clearance gap dimension measurement apparatus and at least one clearance gap adjustment assembly. The adjustment assembly is coupled in electronic data communication with the measurement apparatus. The control system is configured to process a clearance gap dimension signal and modulate the clearance gap dimension.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2006Date of Patent: September 1, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Bharat Sampathkumaran Bagepalli, Patrick Lee Jansen, Gary R. Barnes, Thomas Frank Fric, James Patrick Francis Lyons, Kirk Gee Pierce, William Edwin Holley, Corneliu Barbu
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Patent number: 7488155Abstract: A method for braking a wind turbine including at least one rotor blade coupled to a rotor. The method includes selectively controlling an angle of pitch of the at least one rotor blade with respect to a wind direction based on a design parameter of a component of the wind turbine to facilitate reducing a force induced into the wind turbine component as a result of braking.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2005Date of Patent: February 10, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Corneliu Barbu, Ralph Teichmann, Aaron Avagliano, Leonardo Cesar Kammer, Kirk Gee Pierce, David Samuel Pesetsky, Peter Gauchel
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Publication number: 20090035136Abstract: A method for balancing a rotor of a rotary machine, wherein the rotor includes at least two rotor blades and a rotor shaft, includes receiving at least one measurement of either a load, an acceleration, or a displacement that pertains to at least one bending moment acting on the rotor shaft, determining at least one value of the at least one bending moment acting on the rotor shaft based, at least in part, on the received at least one measurement, and determining a pitch offset angle value of at least one rotor blade that facilitates reducing the at least one bending moment acting on the rotor shaft.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2008Publication date: February 5, 2009Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Kirk Gee Pierce, Robert Peter Slack
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Patent number: 7437264Abstract: A method for balancing a rotor of a rotary machine, wherein the rotor includes at least two rotor blades and a rotor shaft, includes receiving at least one measurement of either a load, an acceleration, or a displacement that pertains to at least one bending moment acting on the rotor shaft, determining at least one value of the at least one bending moment acting on the rotor shaft based, at least in part, on the received at least one measurement, and determining a pitch offset angle value of at least one rotor blade that facilitates reducing the at least one bending moment acting on the rotor shaft.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2006Date of Patent: October 14, 2008Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Kirk Gee Pierce, Robert Peter Slack
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Patent number: 7352075Abstract: A method for controlling a rotational speed of a rotor having at least one rotor blade, a rotor shaft, and an electrical generator coupled thereto. The method includes controlling a torque of the rotor shaft by controlling a torque of the electrical generator, alternating between changing an angle of pitch of the at least one rotor blade and maintaining the angle of pitch of the at least one rotor blade substantially constant, and maintaining a substantially constant rotational speed of the rotor during variable wind speeds above a predetermined rated wind speed.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2006Date of Patent: April 1, 2008Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Lawrence Donald Willey, John Noel Cunningham, Eric Gebhardt, Ulrich Uphues, William Edwin Holley, Kirk Gee Pierce
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Publication number: 20070292260Abstract: A control system for a rotary machine is provided. The rotary machine has at least one rotating member and at least one substantially stationary member positioned such that a clearance gap is defined between a portion of the rotating member and a portion of the substantially stationary member. The control system includes at least one clearance gap dimension measurement apparatus and at least one clearance gap adjustment assembly. The adjustment assembly is coupled in electronic data communication with the measurement apparatus. The control system is configured to process a clearance gap dimension signal and modulate the clearance gap dimension.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2006Publication date: December 20, 2007Inventors: Bharat Sampathkumaran Bagepalli, Patrick Lee Jansen, Gary R. Barnes, Thomas Frank Fric, James Patrick Francis Lyons, Kirk Gee Pierce, William Edwin Holley, Corneliu Barbu
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Patent number: 7298059Abstract: A system and method of operating a wind farm, having multiple wind turbine generators, at high wind speeds is provided. Wind speeds at individual wind turbine generators are monitored and a signal is transmitted from the wind turbine generators to a wind farm control system based on the monitored wind speeds. Rate of change of collective power output of the wind farm is temporally monitored and is controlled by coordinating of operational states of the wind turbine generators based upon the signals transmitted by the one or more wind turbine generators, operating conditions of the wind turbine generators and the monitored rate of change of power output of the wind farm.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2004Date of Patent: November 20, 2007Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert William Delmerico, Mark Edward Cardinal, Kirk Gee Pierce
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Patent number: 7220104Abstract: A wind turbine includes a tower, a nacelle supported at an upper end of a tower, a rotor having at least one blade and being arranged at the nacelle, and a vibration load reduction system disposed at either the tower or the nacelle. The vibration load reduction system includes a base, at least two columns extending from the base, and a flowable mass located within the base and the at least two columns.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2004Date of Patent: May 22, 2007Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Danian Zheng, Mohamed Ali, Kirk Gee Pierce, Vasanth Kothnur
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Patent number: 7121795Abstract: A method for reducing at least one of loads, deflections of rotor blades, or peak rotational speed of a wind turbine includes storing recent historical pitch related data, wind related data, or both. The stored recent historical data is analyzed to determine at least one of whether rapid pitching is occurring or whether wind speed decreases are occurring. A minimum pitch, a pitch rate limit, or both are imposed on pitch angle controls of the rotor blades conditioned upon results of the analysis.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2004Date of Patent: October 17, 2006Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Emilian Mieczyslaw Moroz, Kirk Gee Pierce