Patents Assigned to Inventus Holdings, LLC
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Patent number: 9341158Abstract: Noise produced by the blades of a wind turbine electric generator is reduced by creating randomly varied serrations on the trailing edge of the blade, thereby creating vortices of varying size, energy, and distance from the trailing edge. This configuration creates vortices that tend to cancel one another while avoiding the creation of adjacent, mutually reinforcing vortices.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2012Date of Patent: May 17, 2016Assignee: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Gregory J. Smith, Daniel Brake
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Patent number: 9077204Abstract: The present invention includes a system and method for generating, controlling and storing dispatchable renewable energy. The system may include one or more wind power generation facilities and one or more solar power generation facilities to generate power that can be stored by one or more storage facilities. The power can be supplied to a power grid at a level determined by actual or predicted weather conditions, based on variable power demands. The power generated by the renewable energy sources may be combined with power generated by conventional power generation facilities to provide power in a dispatchable manner.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2012Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Eduardo J. More, Gregory F. Ellena, Daniel Brake, James A. Keener
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Publication number: 20150184854Abstract: A system and method disclosed may include a dynamic pressure sensor or probe having a wave guide and wave guide tube and a temperature sensor disposed therethrough in order to optimally install and position the temperature sensor to measure combustor flame characteristics. The dynamic pressure sensor is preferably positioned or mounted on the outer casing of the combustor. By taking advantage of the placement of an existing dynamic pressure sensor, a temperature sensor—for instance a fine wire temperature probe—can be disposed through the interior of the dynamic pressure sensor so that combustion flame characteristics can be measured near the combustion liner.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2013Publication date: July 2, 2015Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventor: Jonathan A. Frost
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Publication number: 20150096174Abstract: A method for performing uptower maintenance of a wind turbine in order to replace the main bearing on the turbine shaft is disclosed. Embodiments of this method to perform maintenance may include installing a rotor lock to resist rotation of the main shaft during maintenance, providing a lifting device in order to elevate the main shaft, removing the main bearing from its main bearing housing, and installing a replacement split main bearing. A crane may also be installed uptower to assist in the maintenance.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2014Publication date: April 9, 2015Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Martin E. Lohan, Per Eske Fenger, Charles Asheim, Miguel A. Gonzalez, Daniel M. Brake
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Publication number: 20140360015Abstract: A method of lowering a wind turbine blade after removal from a wind turbine lowers the blade in a vertical position to a point near the ground, and rotates it to a horizontal position for emplacement on a cradle. A winch is situated in the nacelle of the wind turbine. A cable extends downward from the winch to the blade root where it may be secured to a load cell. A tip end shoe is placed around the lower portion of the blade, and includes a crane hook receiving component that is used when the blade orientation is being changed. Tag lines are attached to the root and the tip end shoe, and extend to points on the ground where technicians manipulate them to prevent the blade from being blown into the tower.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2014Publication date: December 11, 2014Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Martin E. Lohan, Henrik Pander, Daniel M. Brake
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Patent number: 8805596Abstract: The present invention includes a Computer Assisted Reset (CAR) system that allows a central operations team to remotely reset turbine faults across multiple wind turbine platforms and SCADA systems with a single interface. The system also allows automatic resets to occur. One aspect of the invention includes a Modbus to OPC Translator. The translator permits the implementation of a system where a PLC located at wind turbine control sites can accept control messages or commands organized or formatted in accordance with the Modbus protocol and sent over an Internet Protocol connection, with the translator receiving the requests through the PLC and generating an appropriate OPC (“OLE Process Control”) request. The OPC request may then be passed onto a corresponding OPC server residing in the SCADA system for each wind turbine control site.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2010Date of Patent: August 12, 2014Assignee: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Gregory F. Ellena, George Quiroga, Jacques LaFleur
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Publication number: 20140184193Abstract: A method and apparatus use a programmable logic circuit to receive data representing environmental conditions such as irradiance, temperature, wind, snow, elevation, and the like, in a given location, to provide an input signal to a simulated variable power source which produces an output that approximates the output of a variable power source such as a photovoltaic panel that is subject to such environmental conditions. Power from the simulated variable power source is separately directed to each of a number of power converters and the efficiency of each power converter is tested to determine the optimum power converter for use with the variable power source in the given location.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2012Publication date: July 3, 2014Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Daniel E. Waugh, Christopher D. Wright
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Patent number: 8757984Abstract: A method of minimizing the flow of hydraulic fluid within a hydraulic accumulator mounted in the rotating hub of a wind turbine comprises mounting the accumulator within the hub such that the longitudinal axis of the accumulator is substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of the hub.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2011Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Martin E. Lohan, Joseph W. Nalder
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Patent number: 8746053Abstract: A method of optimizing performance of a wind turbine electric generator (WTG) comprises the steps of measuring the performance of a wind turbine electric generator, defining an area on a blade of the WTG, placing stall flags within said defined area, monitoring the behavior of the stall flags when the WTG is operating, determining a stall line based upon the stall flags during operation, installing vortex generators on the blade adjacent to and upwind of said stall line, monitoring the behavior of said stall flags during operation with vortex generators installed on all blades, and measuring the performance of the WTG to detect improved performance. If there is little or no improvement, repeating the steps on a second WTG using different placement within the defined area for the vortex generators.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2011Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Daniel Brake, Jeffrey Hammitt, Georgios Pechlivanoglou
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Publication number: 20140133981Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for monitoring wind turbines, generally comprising a microphone for picking up acoustic emissions from a wind turbine and outputting a signal corresponding to the emissions; a filter for splitting the signal into a plurality of signals according to a plurality of frequency bands; and a processor for processing the plurality of signals and generating sound level data corresponding to at least a subset of the frequency bands. The system compares the sound level data with a sound threshold and generates an alarm signal when the sound level data exceeds the sound threshold. Alternatively, the system may include different thresholds corresponding to the different frequency bands, and an alarm can be generated when one or more of the different thresholds are exceeded by the different signals in the different frequency bands.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2013Publication date: May 15, 2014Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Ann Frey, Frank Roark, Miguel Gonzalez
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Publication number: 20130184884Abstract: The present invention includes a system and method for generating, controlling and storing dispatchable renewable energy. The system may include one or more wind power generation facilities and one or more solar power generation facilities to generate power that can be stored by one or more storage facilities. The power can be supplied to a power grid at a level determined by actual or predicted weather conditions, based on variable power demands. The power generated by the renewable energy sources may be combined with power generated by conventional power generation facilities to provide power in a dispatchable manner.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2012Publication date: July 18, 2013Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Eduardo J. More, Gregory F. Ellena, Daniel Brake, James A. Keener
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Publication number: 20130162043Abstract: A method of configuring a renewable energy curtailment and control system uses a master controller and a plurality of controllers configured to control a cluster of renewable energy resources to deliver predetermined amounts of actual power and reactive power to a point of interconnect with a grid in accordance with contractual requirements with users of electrical power while reducing reactive power flow between renewable resources in the cluster.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2012Publication date: June 27, 2013Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Gregory F. Ellena, Scott Thorp, Kevin McWhorter, George Quiroga, Mark Mango, Maximiliano Caceres
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Publication number: 20130149162Abstract: Noise produced by the blades of a wind turbine electric generator is reduced by creating randomly varied serrations on the trailing edge of the blade, thereby creating vortices of varying size, energy, and distance from the trailing edge. This configuration creates vortices that tend to cancel one another while avoiding the creation of adjacent, mutually reinforcing vortices.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2012Publication date: June 13, 2013Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventor: Inventus Holdings, LLC
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Publication number: 20130068253Abstract: A system and method for heating a purging fluid contained in a portable oil sump or reservoir, and pumping the hot purging fluid through a bearing housing in order to purge the bearing and bearing housing of accumulated hardened grease, sludge, and debris. The heated purging fluid can then be suctioned into the sump or reservoir, screened and filtered, and re-circulated through bearing housing to continue purging the bearing and bearing housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2011Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Miguel A. Gonzalez, Daniel M. Brake, Gregory John Smith, Andrew John Simon
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Publication number: 20120226485Abstract: Models for predicting ice formation and/or accumulation on wind turbine blades and methods of their use in optimizing performance of wind turbines in the presence of adverse local weather conditions are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the predictive models include historical data of local meteorological conditions including, inter alia, wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity conditions and are useful, inter alia, for preemptively managing performance of wind turbines operation/shutdown cycles in response to a future predicted blade icing event based on a model of the present invention.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2011Publication date: September 6, 2012Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Alexander Creagh, Dustin Carlson, Jeffrey McIntyre, Timothy Tompkins, Tim Hall, Craig Dohrmann, Travis Simmons, Brent Haxton, Miguel Gonzalez, Van R. Culver, George Quiroga, Ann Marie Frey
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Publication number: 20120207597Abstract: A method of minimizing the flow of hydraulic fluid within a hydraulic accumulator mounted in the rotating hub of a wind turbine comprises mounting the accumulator within the hub such that the longitudinal axis of the accumulator is substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of the hub.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2011Publication date: August 16, 2012Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Martin E. Lohan, Joseph W. Nalder
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Publication number: 20120166000Abstract: The present invention includes a Computer Assisted Reset (CAR) system that allows a central operations team to remotely reset turbine faults across multiple wind turbine platforms and SCADA systems with a single interface. The system also allows automatic resets to occur. One aspect of the invention includes a Modbus to OPC Translator. The translator permits the implementation of a system where a PLC located at wind turbine control sites can accept control messages or commands organized or formatted in accordance with the Modbus protocol and sent over an Internet Protocol connection, with the translator receiving the requests through the PLC and generating an appropriate OPC (“OLE Process Control”) request. The OPC request may then be passed onto a corresponding OPC server residing in the SCADA system for each wind turbine control site.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2010Publication date: June 28, 2012Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Gregory F. Ellena, George Quiroga, Jacques LaFleur
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Publication number: 20120151769Abstract: A method of optimizing performance of a wind turbine electric generator (WTG) comprises the steps of measuring the performance of a wind turbine electric generator, defining an area on a blade of the WTG, placing stall flags within said defined area, monitoring the behavior of the stall flags when the WTG is operating, determining a stall line based upon the stall flags during operation, installing vortex generators on the blade adjacent to and upwind of said stall line, monitoring the behavior of said stall flags during operation with vortex generators installed on all blades, and measuring the performance of the WTG to detect improved performance. If there is little or no improvement, repeating the steps on a second WTG using different placement within the defined area for the vortex generators.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2011Publication date: June 21, 2012Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventors: Daniel Brake, Jeffrey Hammitt, Georgios Pechlivanoglou
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Publication number: 20090291481Abstract: The present invention relates to novel processes for producing ethanol from citrus waste using suitable solvent extractions to reduce the presence of fermentation inhibiting compounds, such as limonene, from citrus waste. The extraction can be performed before or after the polysaccharides present in aqueous mixtures comprising citrus waste are converted into fermentable sugars.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2009Publication date: November 26, 2009Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventor: Gregory Loyde Hillyer
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Publication number: 20090291482Abstract: The present invention relates to processes for producing ethanol from citrus waste wherein the level of fermentation-inhibiting compounds found in citrus waste or the complex polysaccharide or sugars derived therefrom is reduced using a pre-fermentation treatment step to lower the level of fermentation-inhibiting compounds to the fermentation feedstock.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2009Publication date: November 26, 2009Applicant: Inventus Holdings, LLCInventor: Gregory Loyde Hillyer