Patents by Inventor Brandon Shane Gerber
Brandon Shane Gerber 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).
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Patent number: 10036692Abstract: The present subject matter is directed to a method for estimating rotor blade loads, e.g. a blade root resultant moment, of a wind turbine. In one embodiment, the method includes measuring, via one or more sensors, a plurality of operating parameters of the wind turbine. Another step includes estimating out-of-plane and in-plane forces acting on the rotor blade based at least partially on the plurality of operating parameters. Further, the method includes determining an application point for the out-of-plane and in-plane forces along a span of the rotor blade. A further step includes estimating out-of-plane and in-plane moments of the rotor blade based at least partially on the out-of-plane and in-plane forces and the respective application points. Thus, the method includes calculating the load acting on the rotor blade based at least partially on the out-of-plane and in-plane moments.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2014Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Brandon Shane Gerber, Tim Robert Gerloff
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Patent number: 9759192Abstract: A system and method for braking a wind turbine includes monitoring rotation of the wind turbine generator rotor. A braking torque is applied to reduce the rotational speed of the rotor at a first setpoint rotational speed. The braking torque is proportionally increased as the rotational speed of the rotor increases beyond the first detected setpoint rotational speed up to a maximum braking torque.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2012Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Brandon Shane Gerber, Aaron Yarbrough
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Patent number: 9631606Abstract: The present subject matter is directed to a system and method for dynamically controlling a wind turbine. The method includes operating the wind turbine based on a thrust set point and a speed set point. A next step includes determining a desired change in actual speed of the wind turbine in response to control actuations starting from an instantaneous operating point. The method also includes determining a desired change in thrust of the wind turbine in response to control actuations starting from the instantaneous operating point. Next, the method determines at least one parameter set point that achieves the desired change in speed and the desired change in thrust and controls the wind turbine based on the parameter set point so as to maintain the actual thrust and the actual speed of the wind turbine within a certain tolerance of the thrust set point and the speed set point, thereby regulating loads acting on the wind turbine while simultaneously maintaining optimal or near optimal power output.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2014Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert Peter Slack, Brandon Shane Gerber, Thomas Franklin Perley, Bernardo Adrian Movsichoff
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Patent number: 9624905Abstract: Systems and methods for preventing excessive loading on a wind turbine are disclosed. The method includes determining a current wind turbine parameter using at least one operating condition via a processor, the operating condition indicative of wind turbine operation; storing the current wind turbine parameter in a memory store over a predetermined time period; calculating a standard deviation of a plurality of the stored current wind turbine parameters; determining a future wind turbine parameter; calculating a maximum wind turbine parameter as a function of the standard deviation of the plurality of stored wind turbine parameters and the future wind turbine parameter; and, controlling the wind turbine based on a difference between the maximum wind turbine parameter and a parameter setpoint to prevent excessive loading from acting on the wind turbine.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2013Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Brandon Shane Gerber, Jignesh Govindlal Gandhi, Venkata Krishna Vadlamudi
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Patent number: 9605558Abstract: Systems and methods for preventing excessive loading on a wind turbine are disclosed. The method includes: measuring an actual wind parameter upwind from the wind turbine using one or more sensors; providing the measured wind parameter to a processor; providing a plurality of wind turbine operating data to the processor; utilizing the plurality of operating data to determine an estimated wind turbine condition at the wind turbine; generating a control wind profile based on the actual wind parameter and the estimated wind turbine condition; and, implementing a control action based on the control wind profile to prevent excessive loading from acting on the wind turbine.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2013Date of Patent: March 28, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Brandon Shane Gerber, Arne Koerber
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Patent number: 9567978Abstract: A control system for a wind turbine includes a detecting system configured to determine at least one of a rotor load, a wind shear, a wind speed, and a load imbalance due to wind shear. An adjusting system is configured to adjust a shaft moment set point correction value based on at least one of the rotor load, the wind shear, the wind speed, and the load imbalance. A compensating system is configured to compute a shaft moment correction command based on the shaft moment set point correction value output from the adjusting system. A pitch system is configured to adjust a pitch of at least one blade of the wind turbine based on the shaft moment set point correction command, or a yaw system is configured to adjust the yaw position of a rotor based on the shaft moment set point correction command.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2014Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Monika Marwaha, Brandon Shane Gerber, Jignesh Govindlal Gandhi, Mark Edward Cardinal, Thomas Franklin Perley
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Patent number: 9551320Abstract: A method and system for reducing a torsional movement and/or a torsional loading of a tower of a wind turbine is disclosed includes generating a tower torsion signal with a detection system and providing the signal to an asymmetric load control assembly. The tower torsion signal may correspond to an actual torsional movement of the tower or a torsional loading of the tower. The asymmetric load control assembly is configured to mitigate an asymmetric load acting on the wind turbine using the tower torsion signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2012Date of Patent: January 24, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Brandon Shane Gerber
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Patent number: 9551321Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling a wind turbine are disclosed. The method includes: measuring a loading condition acting on the wind turbine; determining a first scaler factor based on the measured loading condition; determining a correction parameter for the wind turbine, the correction parameter a function of at least two measured operating conditions and representative of a real-time operational state of the wind turbine; determining a second scaler factor based on the correction parameter; calculating an adjustment set point based on the first scaler factor and the second scaler factor; and, controlling the wind turbine based on the adjustment set point.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2013Date of Patent: January 24, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Brandon Shane Gerber, Thomas Franklin Perley, Rahul Rastogi
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Patent number: 9366230Abstract: A method for reducing loads acting on a wind turbine in response to transient wind conditions may generally include determining an actual value for a blade parameter of a rotor blade of the wind turbine using a first sensor associated with the rotor blade, monitoring a secondary operating parameter of the wind turbine using a second sensor, determining a predicted value for the blade parameter based on the secondary operating parameter, comparing the actual value to the predicted value and performing a corrective action to reduce the loads acting on the wind turbine if the actual value differs from the predicted value by at least a differential threshold.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2013Date of Patent: June 14, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Brandon Shane Gerber, Rahul Rastogi
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Publication number: 20160138571Abstract: The present subject matter is directed to a method for estimating rotor blade loads, e.g. a blade root resultant moment, of a wind turbine. In one embodiment, the method includes measuring, via one or more sensors, a plurality of operating parameters of the wind turbine. Another step includes estimating out-of-plane and in-plane forces acting on the rotor blade based at least partially on the plurality of operating parameters. Further, the method includes determining an application point for the out-of-plane and in-plane forces along a span of the rotor blade. A further step includes estimating out-of-plane and in-plane moments of the rotor blade based at least partially on the out-of-plane and in-plane forces and the respective application points. Thus, the method includes calculating the load acting on the rotor blade based at least partially on the out-of-plane and in-plane moments.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2014Publication date: May 19, 2016Inventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Brandon Shane Gerber, Tim Robert Gerloff
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Publication number: 20160115941Abstract: A control system for a wind turbine includes a detecting system configured to determine at least one of a rotor load, a wind shear, a wind speed, and a load imbalance due to wind shear. An adjusting system is configured to adjust a shaft moment set point correction value based on at least one of the rotor load, the wind shear, the wind speed, and the load imbalance. A compensating system is configured to compute a shaft moment correction command based on the shaft moment set point correction value output from the adjusting system. A pitch system is configured to adjust a pitch of at least one blade of the wind turbine based on the shaft moment set point correction command, or a yaw system is configured to adjust the yaw position of a rotor based on the shaft moment set point correction command.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2014Publication date: April 28, 2016Inventors: Monika Marwaha, Brandon Shane Gerber, Jignesh Govindlal Gandhi, Mark Edward Cardinal, Thomas Franklin Perley
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Patent number: 9190944Abstract: A method and system for controlling a wind turbine generator detect wind speeds and, at a first defined wind speed, control generator torque and generator rotational speed to achieve a pre-defined power for the wind turbine generator at the first defined wind speed. As wind speed increases beyond the first defined wind speed, one of generator torque or generator rotational speed is increased and the other of generator rotational speed or generator torque is proportionally decreased to maintain the generator power substantially constant at the pre-defined power.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2014Date of Patent: November 17, 2015Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Brandon Shane Gerber, Aaron Yarbrough
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Publication number: 20150292483Abstract: The present subject matter is directed to a system and method for dynamically controlling a wind turbine. The method includes operating the wind turbine based on a thrust set point and a speed set point. A next step includes determining a desired change in actual speed of the wind turbine in response to control actuations starting from an instantaneous operating point. The method also includes determining a desired change in thrust of the wind turbine in response to control actuations starting from the instantaneous operating point. Next, the method determines at least one parameter set point that achieves the desired change in speed and the desired change in thrust and controls the wind turbine based on the parameter set point so as to maintain the actual thrust and the actual speed of the wind turbine within a certain tolerance of the thrust set point and the speed set point, thereby regulating loads acting on the wind turbine while simultaneously maintaining optimal or near optimal power output.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2014Publication date: October 15, 2015Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert Peter Slack, Brandon Shane Gerber, Thomas Franklin Perley, Bernardo Adrian Movsichoff
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Publication number: 20150118047Abstract: A method for determining parameters of a wind turbine is disclosed. The method may generally include receiving signals from at least one Micro Inertial Measurement Unit (MIMU) mounted on or within a component of the wind turbine and determining at least one parameter of the wind turbine based on the signals received from the at least one MIMU.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2012Publication date: April 30, 2015Inventors: Ken Yoon, Brandon Shane Gerber, Lisa Kamdar Ammann, Hai Qiu, Yong Yang, Zhilin Wu, Xu Fu, Lihan He, Na Ni, Qiang Li
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Publication number: 20150086356Abstract: Systems and methods for preventing excessive loading on a wind turbine are disclosed. The method includes determining a current wind turbine parameter using at least one operating condition via a processor, the operating condition indicative of wind turbine operation; storing the current wind turbine parameter in a memory store over a predetermined time period; calculating a standard deviation of a plurality of the stored current wind turbine parameters; determining a future wind turbine parameter; calculating a maximum wind turbine parameter as a function of the standard deviation of the plurality of stored wind turbine parameters and the future wind turbine parameter; and, controlling the wind turbine based on a difference between the maximum wind turbine parameter and a parameter setpoint to prevent excessive loading from acting on the wind turbine.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2013Publication date: March 26, 2015Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Brandon Shane Gerber, Jignesh Govindlal Gandhi
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Publication number: 20150056072Abstract: Systems and methods for preventing excessive loading on a wind turbine are disclosed. The method includes: measuring an actual wind parameter upwind from the wind turbine using one or more sensors; providing the measured wind parameter to a processor; providing a plurality of wind turbine operating data to the processor; utilizing the plurality of operating data to determine an estimated wind turbine condition at the wind turbine; generating a control wind profile based on the actual wind parameter and the estimated wind turbine condition; and, implementing a control action based on the control wind profile to prevent excessive loading from acting on the wind turbine.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2013Publication date: February 26, 2015Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Brandon Shane Gerber, Arne Koerber
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Publication number: 20150005966Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling a wind turbine are disclosed. The method includes: measuring a loading condition acting on the wind turbine; determining a first scaler factor based on the measured loading condition; determining a correction parameter for the wind turbine, the correction parameter a function of at least two measured operating conditions and representative of a real-time operational state of the wind turbine; determining a second scaler factor based on the correction parameter; calculating an adjustment set point based on the first scaler factor and the second scaler factor; and, controlling the wind turbine based on the adjustment set point.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2013Publication date: January 1, 2015Inventors: Brandon Shane Gerber, Thomas Franklin Perley, Rahul Rastogi
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Publication number: 20140271181Abstract: A method for reducing loads acting on a wind turbine in response to transient wind conditions is disclosed. The method may generally include determining an actual value for a blade parameter of a rotor blade of the wind turbine using a first sensor associated with the rotor blade, monitoring a secondary operating parameter of the wind turbine using a second sensor, determining a predicted value for the blade parameter based on the secondary operating parameter, comparing the actual value to the predicted value and performing a corrective action to reduce the loads acting on the wind turbine if the actual value differs from the predicted value by at least a differential threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2013Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Brandon Shane Gerber, Rahul Rastogi
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Publication number: 20140203560Abstract: Wind turbines and methods for adjusting pitch angles of rotor blades in wind turbines are provided. A method includes monitoring an operational value of the wind turbine, and providing the operational value to a controller, the controller utilizing a proportional integral derivative control algorithm to adjust the pitch angle. The method further includes adjusting a gain factor for the proportional integral derivative control algorithm to a first gain value when the operational value is within a first operational region, and adjusting a gain factor for the proportional integral derivative control algorithm to a second gain value when the operational value is within a second operational region. The second gain value is different from the first gain value, and the second operational region is different from the first operational region.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2013Publication date: July 24, 2014Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Brandon Shane Gerber, Thomas Franklin Perley
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Publication number: 20140167416Abstract: A method and system for controlling a wind turbine generator detect wind speeds and, at a first defined wind speed, control generator torque and generator rotational speed to achieve a pre-defined power for the wind turbine generator at the first defined wind speed. As wind speed increases beyond the first defined wind speed, one of generator torque or generator rotational speed is increased and the other of generator rotational speed or generator torque is proportionally decreased to maintain the generator power substantially constant at the pre-defined power.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2014Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Brandon Shane Gerber, Aaron Yarbrough