Patents by Inventor Andrew Scott Wilkinson

Andrew Scott Wilkinson 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: 7740448
    Abstract: A method for controlling a pitch control system of a wind turbine includes providing a charged backup battery configured to supply no energy to a DC link when full AC input power is available, wherein the DC link includes a DC link capacitor. The method further includes using energy stored in the DC link capacitor to operate a pitch control system during a loss or dip of AC input power, and maintaining charge on the DC link capacitor using the charged backup battery as voltage across the DC link capacitor drops during the operation of the pitch control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Nedward Meyer, Jeffrey Alan Melius, Cyrus David Harbourt, Christopher L. Tschappatt, Howard Ross Edmunds, William John Bonneau, Amy Marlene Ridenour, Andrew Scott Wilkinson
  • Patent number: 7235895
    Abstract: A rotor for a wind turbine generator includes a rotatable hub forming a cavity. A plurality of rotor blades is connected to the hub. A heat sink is at least partially positioned within the cavity and extends along a portion of a corresponding rotor blade. The heat sink includes a bottom surface mounted on a thermal energy generating component of the wind turbine generator. An opposing top planar surface includes a plurality of pins extending therefrom. The pins form an air flow path through the pins to dissipate the generated thermal energy from the thermal energy generating component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan Melius, Cyrus David Harbourt, Brian Matthew Aiken, Christopher Todd Moore, Howard Ross Edmunds, Brian Eric Lindholm, Christopher McMenamin, William John Bonneau, Amy Marlene Ridenour, Andrew Scott Wilkinson
  • Patent number: 7126236
    Abstract: A method for powering a pitch motor drive system for at least one DC pitch motor of a wind turbine includes rectifying a voltage using a bridge circuit to thereby supply a DC link voltage to a bridge comprising active switching devices, and utilizing at least one link capacitor to smooth the DC link voltage and act as an energy sink and source for the DC pitch motor or motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Cyrus David Harbourt, Jeffrey Alan Melius, Amy Marlene Ridenour, David Gerard Wanner, Jr., Howard Ross Edmunds, Andrew Scott Wilkinson