Patents Assigned to GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
  • Patent number: 10103590
    Abstract: A wedge mechanism including at least one wedge element and a guide member. The guide member is attached to the second assembly and adapted for receiving the wedge element in a way that and at least an inactive position of the mechanism is defined where the first and second assemblies can be detached from each other, and an active position where at least one of the wedge element and the guide member presses against two different sectors of the first assembly such that the first assembly and the second assembly remain attached to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: GE RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES WIND B.V.
    Inventors: Adrian Bueno De Santiago, Santiago Claramunt Estecha, César Muñiz Casais
  • Patent number: 10087911
    Abstract: Method of manufacturing an impregnated metal insert for a wind turbine blade root, the insert comprising an outer surface and an open end adapted to receive a fastening element for attachment to a wind turbine rotor hub, wherein the method comprises covering the insert outer surface with one or more resin pre impregnated fiber layers, and heating for curing such that a resin impregnated fiber layer adheres to the outer surface of the insert. The disclosure is further related to the method of manufacturing a portion of a wind turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventor: Luca Feigl
  • Patent number: 10066598
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade having a blade surface comprising a pressure side and a suction side, comprising one or more flow disturbing devices for provoking air flow separation arranged on the suction side of the blade, wherein the flow disturbing device is removable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventor: Isaac Gil Mollà
  • Patent number: 10054106
    Abstract: A counterweight system for a wind turbine is provided. The wind turbine comprises a rotor hub positioned on a wind turbine tower such that the rotor hub is configured to rotate around an axis, the rotor hub comprising one or more mounting surfaces, the counterweight system comprising: The system comprises a beam comprising a connection element adapted to be attached to the mounting surfaces, the beam being provided with a first steering mechanism adapted to control an orientation of the beam with respect to the connection element. Furthermore, the system comprises a counterweight mass coupled to the beam. Moreover, methods for installing blades to a rotor hub of a wind turbine are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventors: Isaac Gil Mollà, Elsa Rondeleux
  • Patent number: 10018186
    Abstract: Wind turbines are provided comprising a support structure having a tower and a nacelle mounted on the support structure. A first region (damper region) of the wind turbine including at least a first part of the nacelle is flexibly coupled to a second region (to be damped) of the wind turbine including at least the support structure. Methods are also provided for determining a suitable stiffness of the flexible coupling of the damper region to the region to be damped of any one of said wind turbines. These methods comprise determining a modal mass of the region to be damped depending on a given tower bending mode; and determining the stiffness of the flexible coupling of the damper region to the region to be damped depending on the calculated modal mass of the region to be damped and on the mass of the damper region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventors: Roger Bergua, Jordi Jové
  • Patent number: 10018179
    Abstract: The present wind turbine blade comprises an airfoil structure comprising an airfoil shape, an internal support structure arranged spanwise along the length of the blade within the airfoil structure, and an elastic connection joining a portion of an inner surface of the airfoil structure with a portion of the internal support structure. The airfoil structure can be passively pitched relative to the internal support structure according to aerodynamic pressure distribution at different blade locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventor: Jaume Betran Palomas
  • Patent number: 10020715
    Abstract: In a first aspect, a method is provided for manufacturing a permanent magnet module for a generator by using a mold with a resin inlet and a heating system for heating the inside of the mold. The method comprises placing inside the mold a module base with one or more receptacles for receiving permanent magnets, and inserting permanent magnets in the receptacles of the module base. The method further comprises closing the mold having in its inside the module base with inserted permanent magnets, and introducing resin into the closed mold through the inlet of the mold. The method still further comprises causing the heating system to operate for at least partially curing the resin. In a second aspect, permanent magnet modules are provided manufactured by performing any of the previous methods of manufacturing a permanent magnet module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventors: Adrian Bueno De Santiago, César Muñiz Casais
  • Patent number: 9973045
    Abstract: Generator rotor comprising a rotor rim and a plurality of permanent magnet modules and a plurality of anchors arranged at an outer or inner circumference of the rotor rim such that the anchors substantially fix the permanent magnet modules to the rotor, wherein the permanent magnet modules comprise a base having a bottom surface, two axially extending side surfaces and a top surface, and one or more rows of magnets mounted on said top surface, wherein the two side surfaces of the permanent magnet modules each comprise an axially extending groove, and wherein the anchors have a shape that substantially fits exactly in axially extending grooves of neighboring permanent magnet modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventors: César Muñiz Casais, Santiago Claramunt Estecha
  • Patent number: 9957950
    Abstract: A blade pitch system for a wind turbine comprising a motor coupled to a central reduction gearing, wherein a rotatable output of the central reduction gearing is fixed to a mobile link that in use is joined to the blade and allows rotation of the blade around its longitudinal axis and a static part of the central reduction gearing or the motor is fixed to a static link that in use is joined to a wind turbine hub, wherein the system further comprises one or more flexible couplings to couple the central reduction gearing or the motor and the static or the mobile link such that torque about a blade longitudinal axis is transmitted between the blade and the reduction gearing while substantially limiting the transmission of other loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventors: Santiago Canedo Pardo, Javier Garcia Cervilla
  • Patent number: 9945255
    Abstract: It comprises a body that has an inertial asymmetrical and/or the body is asymmetrical in terms of geometry and/or mass of with respect to a XZ plane passing substantially through the centre of a wind turbine rotor for withstanding asymmetrical loads acting on the wind turbine. The inertia in sections of the structural member body at one side of the XZ plane may be 50% greater than the inertia in sections of the structural member body at another side of the XZ plane. The structural member may connect the wind turbine tower with the wind turbine rotor and may comprise at least two asymmetrical portions defined on both sides of the XZ plane which may be mutually asymmetrical reinforcing elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventors: Jordi Ayneto Pou, Josep Bosch Collado
  • Patent number: 9945350
    Abstract: Methods of installing a blade in a wind turbine are provided, the wind turbine comprising a tower, a nacelle and rotor hub, the rotor hub comprising a guiding element. The method includes providing a blade holder, wherein the blade holder comprises a beam, the beam being attached to the blade holder. The method further includes providing lifting equipment for lifting the blade holder, attaching the blade holder to the blade, wherein the blade comprises a mount for mounting the blade to the rotor, connecting the lifting equipment to the blade holder, hoisting the blade holder with the blade towards the rotor hub, arranging the beam near the guiding element, bringing the guiding element and the beam in contact with each other and attaching the blade mount to the rotor hub. Wind turbines comprising a rotor hub, the rotor hub comprising a guiding element are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventor: Isaac Gil Mollà
  • Patent number: 9932966
    Abstract: Method for avoiding voltage instability in an electrical grid of an offshore wind park, the offshore wind park electrical grid being connected at a first end of a high voltage alternating current (HVAC) transmission and the main land electrical grid being connected at a second end of the HVAC transmission, each of the wind turbines being connected to the wind park electrical grid, the method comprises determining a main land phase angle at or near the second end of the HVAC transmission; measuring an individual wind turbine phase angle at one or more wind turbines; determining the difference between each of the measured individual wind turbine phase angles and the main land phase angle; and determining whether the difference between one of the measured individual wind turbine phase angle and the main land phase angle exceeds a threshold phase angle difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventors: Oriol Gomís Bellmunt, Mónica Aragüés Peñalba
  • Patent number: 9926909
    Abstract: A locking arrangement comprises a locking member having a longitudinal axis that is contained in a working plane where shear forces are concentrated when the locking member is in a locking position. The working plane is arranged substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the parts to be locked when in said locking position in which at least one part of the wind turbine is prevented from being rotated relative to at least another part around said axis of rotation. A Wind turbine generator is provided having a rotor with a rotor flange portion and a stator with a stator flange portion, with both flange portions being complimentarily shaped and defining a locking housing for receiving said locking member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventors: Pere Cortada Acosta, Jordi Ayneto Pou
  • Patent number: 9923422
    Abstract: A rotor assembly comprises a number of rotor segments forming a rotor structure and a central structure connected to the rotor structure and at least partially arranged between at least two of the rotor segments, for example surrounded by the rotor structure. A wind turbine generator comprising a stator assembly and said rotor assembly and a wind turbine comprising such a generator are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventor: Pere Cortada Acosta
  • Patent number: 9902468
    Abstract: Tension leg platform structure for wind turbines It comprises a buoyant structure (110), a platform (120) and at least one anchoring tendon (30) for connecting the platform (120) to a seabed (20) comprising at least a hybrid structure with at least one pre-stressed cable (31) and a pre-stressed concrete structure (32) associated therewith. The anchoring tendons(30) may comprise segments of a given length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventor: Josep Prats Mustarós
  • Patent number: 9885342
    Abstract: Provided are first and second mutually rotatable elements and a bearing arrangement associated therewith including at least one single film-like chamber formed between the first and second elements, a number of fluid injectors for injecting fluid into the hydraulic chamber and a control device for separately controlling the pressure of the fluid injected by the injectors depending at least on loads on the first element or the second element. A driving device is also provided for driving at least one of the elements in rotation, including hydraulic chambers which volume is defined by the relative position of the first and second elements and a pump device for filling the chamber with fluid to rotate the elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventor: Jaume Betran Palomas
  • Patent number: 9869294
    Abstract: The safety structure comprises temporarily deployable safety bars that can be attached to a support member associated with at least one of a wind turbine hub, a wind turbine blade, a wind turbine root section, a wind turbine yaw mechanism, a wind turbine tower base, a wind turbine foundation, and a wind turbine nacelle. The bars can be coupled with each other and the structure may comprise at least one inflatable portion. The safety bars are first attached to the support member surrounding a wind turbine portion and then coupled to each other defining a fence structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventors: Ricardo Lázaro, Miquel Tarragó Raventós