Patents by Inventor Till Hoffmann

Till Hoffmann 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).

  • Patent number: 7883317
    Abstract: A method for optimizing the operation of a wind turbine is provided, the method comprising the steps of: (a) adjusting at least one control parameter of said wind turbine to a predetermined starting value; (b) measuring at least one response variable of said wind turbine and at least one further variable indicative of an ambient condition of the wind turbine; (c) repeating step (b) N times, wherein N is a predetermined integer, wherein said at least one control parameter is varied at each repetition; (d) determining a measured relation between the at least one control parameter with respect to the at least one response variable and the at least one further variable indicative of an ambient condition; (e) determining an optimized value of said at least one control parameter with respect to said response variable from said measured relation; (f) adjusting a set point of said at least one control parameter to said optimized value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Frank Theodoor Ormel, Till Hoffmann, Henk-Jan Kooijman, André Riesberg, Jean Louis Wesselink
  • Publication number: 20100133831
    Abstract: A control system for a wind turbine, the control system having at least one measurement device configured to measure at least one operating condition of the wind turbine and a first controller. The first controller is configured to calculate an operating limit of the wind turbine based on the measured operating condition and to adjust the operating limit based on a limiting condition of a component of the wind turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Inventors: Hartmut Scholte-Wassink, Mark Edward Cardinal, Anthony Michael Klodowski, Till Hoffmann, Jignesh G. Gandhi, Sidney Allen Barker, Gert Torbohm, Christoph Schulten
  • Publication number: 20100092292
    Abstract: A wind turbine includes a machine nacelle and a rotor having at least one rotor blade and a hub. An anemometer unit is adapted for measuring a first wind velocity at a first rotational position of the rotor and for measuring at least one second wind velocity at at least one second rotational position of the rotor. At least one pitch angle adjustment unit is provided for adjusting a first pitch angle and at least one second pitch angle of the at least one rotor blade as a function of the rotational position of the rotor, wherein the at least one pitch angle adjustment unit is adapted for changing the pitch angle between the first pitch angle and the at least one second pitch angle while the rotor of the wind turbine is rotating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Jacob Johannes Nies, Till Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20100054939
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for adjusting a yaw angle of a wind turbine comprising a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades and a hub are provided. The method is adapted for adjusting the yaw angle from an actual yaw angle to a desired yaw angle and comprises the steps of measuring a wind direction at the location of the wind turbine, measuring the yaw angle of the wind turbine and/or determining a wind direction relative to the nacelle orientation, calculating a pitch angle of at least one rotor blade as a function of the measured wind direction and the measured yaw angle and/or the wind direction relative to the nacelle orientation, and adjusting the pitch angle of the rotor blades according to the calculated pitch angle such that a yaw momentum is generated for changing the yaw angle from the actual yaw angle to the desired yaw angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventor: Till Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20100054941
    Abstract: The present patent application concerns a wind turbine comprising a hub and at least one rotor blade connected to the hub, the hub and the at least one rotor blade forming a wind rotor that is rotatable about a rotor axis that converts kinetic energy of the wind into another form of energy and rotatable about a yaw axis that changes the yaw of the rotor, the wind turbine further comprising at least one sensing device that senses a yaw moment of the wind rotor and the wind turbine being adapted to control the yaw of the wind rotor depending on a signal of the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventor: Till Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20100052320
    Abstract: The present invention provides a connecting device adapted for connecting a hub and a main shaft of a wind turbine. The connecting device comprises at least one sensor bolt connecting the hub and the main shaft, wherein a stress detection element is mounted inside the sensor bolt. The stress detection element is adapted to detect a length variation of the sensor bolt and to output a sensor signal indicative of the length variation of the sensor bolt. A signal output device is used for outputting the sensor signal which is indicative of a stress applied to the sensor bolt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventor: Till Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20070183885
    Abstract: A method for optimizing the operation of a wind turbine is provided, the method comprising the steps of: (a) adjusting at least one control parameter of said wind turbine to a predetermined starting value; (b) measuring at least one response variable of said wind turbine and at least one further variable indicative of an ambient condition of the wind turbine; (c) repeating step (b) N times, wherein N is a predetermined integer, wherein said at least one control parameter is varied at each repetition; (d) determining a measured relation between the at least one control parameter with respect to the at least one response variable and the at least one further variable indicative of an ambient condition; (e) determining an optimized value of said at least one control parameter with respect to said response variable from said measured relation; (f) adjusting a set point of said at least one control parameter to said optimized value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Inventors: Frank Theodoor Ormel, Till Hoffmann, Henk-Jan Kooijman, Andre Riesberg, Jean Louis Wesselink
  • Patent number: 6921985
    Abstract: A wind turbine. The wind turbine includes a blade pitch control system to vary a pitch of one or more blades and a turbine controller coupled with the blade pitch control system. A first power source is coupled with the turbine controller and with the blade pitch control system to provide power during a first mode of operation. Uninterruptible power supplies coupled to the turbine controller and with the blade pitch control system to provide power during a second mode of operation. The turbine controller detects a transition from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation and causes the blade pitch control system to vary the pitch of the one or more blades in response to the transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Wilhelm Janssen, Henning Luetze, Andreas Buecker, Till Hoffmann, Ralf Hagedorn
  • Publication number: 20040145188
    Abstract: A wind turbine. The wind turbine includes a blade pitch control system to vary a pitch of one or more blades and a turbine controller coupled with the blade pitch control system. A first power source is coupled with the turbine controller and with the blade pitch control system to provide power during a first mode of operation. Uninterruptible power supplies coupled to the turbine controller and with the blade pitch control system to provide power during a second mode of operation. The turbine controller detects a transition from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation and causes the blade pitch control system to vary the pitch of the one or more blades in response to the transition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Wilhelm Janssen, Henning Luetze, Andreas Buecker, Till Hoffmann, Ralf Hagedorn