Patents by Inventor Per Brath

Per Brath 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: 10364796
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of controlling a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising wind turbine blades attached to a rotor hub and a control system for pitching the blades relative to the hub. The method comprises providing wake sectors assigned to different wind directions and providing a normal pitch schedule to control an output parameter of the wind turbine (e.g. power, rotational speed), comprising pitch reference values as a function of the wind speed and at least one of the parameters of thrust coefficient Ct and axial induction factor a. Further, is provided a modified pitch schedule to control a modified output parameter of the wind turbine, comprising pitch reference values in dependence of the wind speed and at least one modified parameter of the thrust coefficient and/or the axial induction factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Per Brath, Martin Ansbjerg Kjær, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen
  • Patent number: 10344740
    Abstract: A method of detecting a fault mode of a sensor is provided. The sensor may be, for example, a bending moment sensor and may sense a bending moment of a blade on a wind turbine generator (WTG). The method includes comparing data output by a first sensor with reference data indicating what is expected to be output by the first sensor to produce a first comparison result and comparing data output by the first sensor with data output by a second sensor to produce a second comparison result. A determination of whether the first sensor has entered a fault mode is made based at least in part on the first and second comparison results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Fabio Caponetti, Per Brath, Keld Hammerum, Johnny Nielsen
  • Patent number: 9856855
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to wind turbine generators, and more specifically to the deactivation of wind turbines in a wind turbine park. A wind park controller may be configured to retrieve data indicating fatigue experienced by each wind turbine of the wind turbine park, and deactivate those turbines determined to be the most fatigued, thereby increasing the lifetime of turbines in the wind turbine park.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Martin Ansbjerg Kjær, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Per Brath, Søren Dalsgaard
  • Patent number: 9835137
    Abstract: A method of operating a wind turbine is provided. The wind turbine comprises a turbine rotor with at least two blades, each blade having a variable pitch angle. The method comprises determining mechanical loads on the blades, determining an asymmetric load moment experienced by the turbine rotor based on the mechanical loads on the blades, determining high order harmonics from the asymmetric load moment, and determining an individual pitch control signal for each of the blades for varying the pitch angle of each blade to compensate for the asymmetric load moment. The individual pitch control signal for each blade is determined at least based on the high order harmonics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Martin Atzler, Per Brath, Thomas Krüger, Ali Zaib
  • Patent number: 9644610
    Abstract: The disclosure is provides for warning a wind turbine generator (WTG) in a wind park of an extreme wind event. According to one embodiment, one or more front line WTGs of the wind park that detect extreme wind events and provide the warning are adaptively selected based on a measured wind direction. Thus, the selection of front line WTGs is adaptive to changing wind conditions. In another embodiment, a wind park includes a group of one or more WTGs of a first type located in an inner region of the wind park and a plurality of WTGs of a second type located in an outer region of the wind park that at least partially surrounds the inner region. The first type of WTG is structurally weaker and/or rated for higher performance than the second type of WTG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Søren Dalsgaard, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Per Brath, Martin Ansbjerg Kjær
  • Publication number: 20170009739
    Abstract: A method of detecting a fault mode of a sensor is provided. The sensor may be, for example, a bending moment sensor and may sense a bending moment of a blade on a wind turbine generator (WTG). The method includes comparing data output by a first sensor with reference data indicating what is expected to be output by the first sensor to produce a first comparison result and comparing data output by the first sensor with data output by a second sensor to produce a second comparison result. A determination of whether the first sensor has entered a fault mode is made based at least in part on the first and second comparison results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Fabio CAPONETTI, Per BRATH, Keld HAMMERUM, Johnny NIELSEN
  • Patent number: 9447778
    Abstract: A method of detecting a fault mode of a sensor is provided. The sensor may be, for example, a bending moment sensor and may sense a bending moment of a blade on a wind turbine generator (WTG). The method includes comparing data output by a first sensor with reference data indicating what is expected to be output by the first sensor to produce a first comparison result and comparing data output by the first sensor with data output by a second sensor to produce a second comparison result. A determination of whether the first sensor has entered a fault mode is made based at least in part on the first and second comparison results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Fabio Caponetti, Per Brath, Keld Hammerum, Johnny Nielsen
  • Publication number: 20160230741
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of controlling a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising wind turbine blades attached to a rotor hub and a control system for pitching the blades relative to the hub. The method comprises providing wake sectors assigned to different wind directions and providing a normal pitch schedule to control an output parameter of the wind turbine (e.g. power, rotational speed), comprising pitch reference values as a function of the wind speed and at least one of the parameters of thrust coefficient C, and axial induction factor a. Further, is provided a modified pitch schedule to control a modified output parameter of the wind turbine, comprising pitch reference values in dependence of the wind speed and at least one modified parameter of the thrust coefficient and/or the axial induction factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Per BRATH, Martin Ansbjerg KJÆR, Jesper Sandberg THOMSEN
  • Patent number: 9062653
    Abstract: A method of operating a wind turbine has the following steps: receiving (13) multiple sensor signals being indicative of the state of the wind turbine (19); analyzing (14) the multiple sensor signals in order to determine whether a specific alarm condition is met as predefined in one of a plurality of different predefined alarm scenarios (30); further analyzing (15) at least one of the multiple sensor signals in accordance with analyzing steps as predefined in the alarm scenario (30) for which the specific alarm condition is met in order to determine (16) whether the wind turbine (19) is to be put into either a predefined safe mode, a shutdown mode or a continued operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Per Brath
  • Patent number: 9062656
    Abstract: A wind turbine control system suitable for minimizing actuation of pitch actuators is disclosed. The control system uses an error gain schedule in full load control for reducing pitch actuation when the difference between the rotor speed and the reference rotor speed is not critical for the load of wind turbine components. The error gain schedule may be a nonlinear function which reduces the gain for low rotor speed errors. The use of the error gain schedule may reduce wear of the pitch actuators and may improve reduction of structural oscillations since focus removed from tracking the rotor speed reference when the speed error is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Per Brath, Kasper Zinck Ostergaard
  • Publication number: 20150132129
    Abstract: A method of operating a wind turbine is provided. The wind turbine comprises a turbine rotor with at least two blades, each blade having a variable pitch angle. The method comprises determining mechanical loads on the blades, determining an asymmetric load moment experienced by the turbine rotor based on the mechanical loads on the blades, determining high order harmonics from the asymmetric load moment, and determining an individual pitch control signal for each of the blades for varying the pitch angle of each blade to compensate for the asymmetric load moment. The individual pitch control signal for each blade is determined at least based on the high order harmonics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Martin Atzler, Per Brath, Thomas Krüger, Ali Zaib
  • Publication number: 20140207296
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to wind turbine generators, and more specifically to the deactivation of wind turbines in a wind turbine park. A wind park controller may be configured to retrieve data indicating fatigue experienced by each wind turbine of the wind turbine park, and deactivate those turbines determined to be the most fatigued, thereby increasing the lifetime of turbines in the wind turbine park.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Martin Ansbjerg Kjær, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Per Brath, Søren Dalsgaard
  • Publication number: 20130214535
    Abstract: A method of operating a wind turbine has the following steps: receiving (13) multiple sensor signals being indicative of the state of the wind turbine (19); analyzing (14) the multiple sensor signals in order to determine whether a specific alarm condition is met as predefined in one of a plurality of different predefined alarm scenarios (30); further analyzing (15) at least one of the multiple sensor signals in accordance with analyzing steps as predefined in the alarm scenario (30) for which the specific alarm condition is met in order to determine (16) whether the wind turbine (19) is to be put into either a predefined safe mode, a shutdown mode or a continued operation mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Inventor: Per Brath
  • Publication number: 20130144449
    Abstract: The disclosure is provides for warning a wind turbine generator (WTG) in a wind park of an extreme wind event. According to one embodiment, one or more front line WTGs of the wind park that detect extreme wind events and provide the warning are adaptively selected based on a measured wind direction. Thus, the selection of front line WTGs is adaptive to changing wind conditions. In another embodiment, a wind park includes a group of one or more WTGs of a first type located in an inner region of the wind park and a plurality of WTGs of a second type located in an outer region of the wind park that at least partially surrounds the inner region. The first type of WTG is structurally weaker and/or rated for higher performance than the second type of WTG.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventors: Søren Dalsgaard, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Per Brath, Martin Ansbjerg Kjær
  • Publication number: 20130110414
    Abstract: A method of detecting a fault mode of a sensor is provided. The sensor may be, for example, a bending moment sensor and may sense a bending moment of a blade on a wind turbine generator (WTG). The method includes comparing data output by a first sensor with reference data indicating what is expected to be output by the first sensor to produce a first comparison result and comparing data output by the first sensor with data output by a second sensor to produce a second comparison result. A determination of whether the first sensor has entered a fault mode is made based at least in part on the first and second comparison results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Fabio CAPONETTI, Per BRATH, Keld HAMMERUM, Johnny NIELSEN
  • Publication number: 20110305568
    Abstract: A wind turbine control system suitable for minimising actuation of pitch actuators is disclosed. The control system uses an error gain schedule in full load control for reducing pitch actuation when the difference between the rotor speed and the reference rotor speed is not critical for the load of wind turbine components. The error gain schedule may be a nonlinear function which reduces the gain for low rotor speed errors. The use of the error gain schedule may reduce wear of the pitch actuators and may improve reduction of structural oscillations since focus removed from tracking the rotor speed reference when the speed error is low.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Inventors: Per Brath, Kasper Zinck Østergaard
  • Patent number: 7954372
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method, system and computer readable code for diagnosis of pitch and/or load defects of e.g. wind turbines as well as wind turbines using said diagnosis method and/or comprising said diagnosis system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Per Brath, Søren Dalsgaard, Mogens Blanke
  • Publication number: 20110001319
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method, system and computer readable code for diagnosis of pitch and/or load defects of e.g. wind turbines as well as wind turbines using said diagnosis method and/or comprising said diagnosis system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Per Brath, Søren Dalsgaard, Morgens Blanke