Abstract: A system and a method for setting up, commissioning, and operating a wind power plant having a plurality of wind turbine generators (WTGs) operatively connected to a power grid, the system including a reconfigurable power plant controller comprising: a first regulator, a second regulator, and a management system operatively connected to the first and second regulators. The management system comprises a control mode compatibility unit that determines, according to a predefined compatibility table, the compatibility of any new control mode to be selected in one of the regulators with the currently selected control modes, and a control mode prioritization unit that establishes, according to a predefined set of priority rules, the sequence in which the selected control modes are implemented in the regulators.

Abstract: A blade hoisting element is an intermediate piece placed between the root of the blade and the mobile track of the blade bearing. This piece comprises at least an insert and joins, by a rigid rod or strut with another intermediate piece opposing diametrically. The piece has a hole for connecting to the hoisting point and another hole for connecting to the hub, this latter fastening to the hole of the insert by a long bolt. Two hoisting points are established on the blade, at its root and at the tip; the hoisting point at the root is handled from a single lift point on the hub and the hoisting point at the tip is handled from two lift points: one from the hub and the other from the ground.

Abstract: A thermal conditioning system for an off-shore wind turbine is provided. The thermal conditioning system comprises channels for circulating ambient air from an inlet area located in the outside of the wind turbine nacelle to an outlet area located in the outside of the wind turbine preventing that the ambient air enters inside the wind turbine nacelle. The ambient air channels are arranged to cool conductively or convectively the air inside the wind turbine nacelle.

Abstract: A lightning rod system for wind turbine blades formed by various connections set up on carbon fiber laminates on the blade, equipotentializing the surface of the flanges of the beam through the deviations of a primary cable with the respective auxiliary cables, carried out with the use of a device having terminals that are connected between the ends of the cited auxiliary cable on the connection between the carbon laminates and the conductor cable or primary cable and which has elevated inductance so that it reduces the passage of current across the carbon laminate and favors the conduction through the metal cable.

Abstract: The present invention defines a system and method aiming at measuring the direct solar radiation received by a wind turbine generator in order to detect ice formation. The measured value is subsequently compared to a theoretical radiation curve wherein measured values on a cloudy day will be well below theoretical curves. Ice detection is made considering the presence of clouds and temperature. Measured parameters are preferably the direct sun radiation transmittance and ambient temperature.

Abstract: A planetary gear unit (21) of a gearbox of a wind turbine comprising a sun gear (27), planet gears (25, 25?), a ring gear (24), a planet carrier (29) and an outer casing (31); the ring gear (24) being mounted on the outer casing (31); the planet carrier (29) comprising a bogie plate (35) where planet gears (25, 25?) are rotatably mounted on planet shafts (41); the planet carrier (29) comprising a main body (51) and a backplate (53) which can be joined/disjoined to the main body (51) for facilitating the assembly/disassembly of the planetary gear unit (21); the planet carrier (29) being rotatably mounted on said outer casing (31) by means of a first bearing (72) in contact with said main body (51) at the rotor side and by means of a second bearing (73) in contact with said backplate (53) at the generator side.

Abstract: A control system to improve the production of a variable speed wind turbine comprising control devices for a standard regulation tracking a power vs. generator speed curve that also uses an alternative regulation for optimizing the energy production along determinate time periods Tb for compensating previous energy losses at a higher power Pb than the power determined by the standard regulation, the alternative regulation being based on a continuous calculation of the accumulated lost energy ALE as the energy lost with respect to the maximum allowed energy production according to the standard regulation and the fixation of the higher power Pb and a setting of the duration of the time periods Tb being compatible with wind turbine electrical or mechanical limitations. A wind turbine controlled by the method.

Abstract: Reinforced hollow for a wind turbine tower comprising a lower ring (2) that determines an opening (3) for the installation of an access door (not represented) inside the tower (1). The hollow incorporates at least one structural element (4) that is fastened on both sides of the opening (3) of the tower's lower ring (2), providing the rigidness necessary to attach a door and permit the reduction of the thickness of the ring by 10-20%.

Abstract: An energy efficient climate control system for an offshore wind turbine that is integrated with the component cooling system is disclosed. The climate control system includes a cooling circuit adapted to carry heat generated by a component of the nacelle to outside the nacelle. The climate control system also includes an airflow system adapted to receive a warm outflow of coolant from the cooling circuit, across a variable flow control valve, the airflow system supplying clean ambient air to the nacelle at a predetermined relative humidity. The variable flow control valve regulates a flow rate of the coolant through the airflow system to adjust the relative humidity of the air entering the nacelle.

Abstract: A wind turbine blade transversely divided in an inboard module (13) and an outboard module (33) provided on their end sections with connecting means, comprising, respectively, an inboard spar (15), an inboard upper shell (17) and an inboard lower shell (19); an outboard spar (35), an outboard upper shell (37) and an outboard lower shell (39); and arranged so that the aerodynamic profile of said inboard and outboard modules (13, 33) is defined by said upper and lower shells (17, 19; 37, 39), in which the inboard spar (15) is composed of two cap prefabricated panels (21, 23) and two web prefabricated panels (25, 27), and the outboard spar (35) is composed of first and second prefabricated panels (41, 43) integrating its caps (45, 47) and webs (49, 51). The invention also refers to a method of fabricating said wind turbine blade.

Abstract: A system and method to cool the air inside the nacelle and the heat generating components, particularly of an offshore wind turbine is presented. The ambient air first enters an air handling unit near the tower bottom where the airborne water droplets and salt particles are removed. The clean air is then compressed adiabatically, thus increasing the dew point temperature of the water vapor in the air. The high pressure, high temperature air from the compressor is then cooled and dehumidified in a sea water-to-air heater exchanger or an air-to-air heat exchanger. The high pressure air from the heat exchanger then enters the turbine at the tower bottom and flows up to the nacelle where it is allowed to expand adiabatically in a duct. The duct helps direct the resulting cold air over the heat generating components. The cold air can also used to cool these components internally. The warm air ultimately exits the nacelle at the rear top.

Abstract: The invention describes a regulating device that adapts to the aerodynamic profile of a mold bed made of composite material offsetting the geometrical deviations occurring in the mold bed. The device comprises some stiffening ribs (20) supported on a surface of the bed (10) of the mold and is equipped with actuators (21) that modify the curvature of the bed (10) of the mold.

Abstract: The invention describes a mold for non-metallic wind turbine blade shells that comprises two semi-molds, upper and lower, hinged with a pivoting system and equipped with stiffening ribs that hold a system of air conduits on it, and which is partitioned transversely in at least two parts (1A, 2A) and (1B, 2B) that are joined together with some fastening ribs (13A, 13A?, 13B, 13B?). The invention likewise describes the manufacturing method for this mold and the method to obtain a wind turbine blade by replacing an already constituted part of the mold to obtain a geometry differentiated from the original in one of its parts, and to manufacture another family of wind turbine blades.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of reducing a mechanical load on the occurrence of voltage dip in the wind turbines. The wind turbine generator controller and the converter control unit work in combination to control the oscillation generated due to voltage dip in the wind turbine 100. The method applies a ramp in power recovery to allow the enhanced DTD damp oscillations before the peak in torque happens. The method involves the step of: delivering a maximum active power value by the converter control unit to the wind turbine generator controller. Next step is setting a saturation value for the set points to enhance the drive train limits. In the next step, ramping is applied to the power set points of the wind turbine generator. And finally an enhanced drive train damping s applied to the ramped value of the power in order to reduce the mechanical load in the wind turbine and to damp the oscillation in the wind turbine generator.

Abstract: Converter control system coupled between a wind turbine generator and the electric power distribution grid, comprising at least two converter modules connected in parallel which are enabled/disabled by out-of-phase pulse-width modulation (PWM) patterns. The control device guarantees dynamic switching of the converter modules irrespective of the enabling or disabling of at least one converter module, constantly delivering electric power to the distribution grid.

Abstract: A direct-drive wind turbine comprising an external rotor having an external annular body and a stator, a nacelle which is mounted on an upper part of a tower and which houses a shaft-holder mechanism for supporting the horizontal shaft, a plurality of blade-holder structures arranged equidistantly on external peripheral portions of the external annular body, and a blade root connected to the blade-holder structure, said turbine also including a distal end part connected to the blade root, a lateral hatch for accessing an internal chamber in the blade extender and a door for closing the hatch.

Abstract: Construction arrangement of a permanent magnet rotor in an electric machine that comprises a plurality of notches having permanent magnets inserted axially to form the poles of the electric machine. The magnetic magnets are arranged in the notches made in the geometry of the magnetic plate constituting the mechanical structure of the rotor. The axial notches divide the geometry of the rotor stacked plate into two areas separated by a narrow magnetic strip known as the bridge, through which the dispersion magnetic flux is regulated. The dispersion magnetic flux established thereby is reduced by at least 20% because of the recess on the mentioned bridge.

Abstract: The mechanical brake comprises a double disc (D1 and D2) rotating with the transmission shaft and some brake calipers (P1 and P2) that apply friction on the disc when activated electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically. The brake is characterized because its high-speed shaft (Ea) is equipped with a drive train, adapting its diameter to some dimensions marked by the existing space and anchoring the brake calipers directly to the cover of the gearbox (M). The mechanical brake thus constituted is capable of braking with the pitch actuator in power position, in initial conditions of nominal power and at nominal average wind speed for an installation below 1 MW.

Abstract: A reactive power compensation system for compensating reactive power requirements in an electrical power system. The reactive power compensation system includes a static synchronous compensation unit, a current harmonics elimination unit, and a compensation control unit. The static synchronous compensation unit includes a plurality of static synchronous compensation modules for compensating reactive power in the electrical power system. The current harmonics elimination unit includes a plurality of active filter modules for eliminating current harmonics generated in the electrical power system. The compensation control unit implements a sequential control mechanism for regulating the operation of the static synchronous compensation modules and the active filter modules.

Abstract: A sealing arrangement for a bearing assembly. The sealing arrangement can include a static seal carrier coupled to a static component of the bearing assembly and including a first plurality of rings, a rotating seal carrier coupled to a rotating component of the bearing assembly and including a second plurality of rings, the first plurality of rings and the second plurality of rings disposed in an interdigitated arrangement so as to define a tortuous passageway therebetween, the tortuous passageway having one end in communication with a high pressure area of the bearing assembly and a second end in communication with a low pressure area of the bearing assembly, and a scraper seal coupled to the rotating seal carrier and disposed over the second end of the tortuous passageway.