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).
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Patent number: 10364796Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 16, 2014Date of Patent: July 30, 2019Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Per Brath, Martin Ansbjerg Kjær, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen
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Patent number: 10344740Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 19, 2016Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Fabio Caponetti, Per Brath, Keld Hammerum, Johnny Nielsen
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Patent number: 9856855Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 29, 2012Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Martin Ansbjerg Kjær, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Per Brath, Søren Dalsgaard
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Patent number: 9835137Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 7, 2013Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Martin Atzler, Per Brath, Thomas Krüger, Ali Zaib
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Patent number: 9644610Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 6, 2011Date of Patent: May 9, 2017Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Søren Dalsgaard, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Per Brath, Martin Ansbjerg Kjær
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Publication number: 20170009739Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2016Publication date: January 12, 2017Inventors: Fabio CAPONETTI, Per BRATH, Keld HAMMERUM, Johnny NIELSEN
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Patent number: 9447778Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 2, 2011Date of Patent: September 20, 2016Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Fabio Caponetti, Per Brath, Keld Hammerum, Johnny Nielsen
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Publication number: 20160230741Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2014Publication date: August 11, 2016Inventors: Per BRATH, Martin Ansbjerg KJÆR, Jesper Sandberg THOMSEN
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Patent number: 9062653Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 19, 2011Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/SInventor: Per Brath
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Patent number: 9062656Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 10, 2009Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/SInventors: Per Brath, Kasper Zinck Ostergaard
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Publication number: 20150132129Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2013Publication date: May 14, 2015Applicant: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Martin Atzler, Per Brath, Thomas Krüger, Ali Zaib
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Publication number: 20140207296Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2012Publication date: July 24, 2014Applicant: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Martin Ansbjerg Kjær, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Per Brath, Søren Dalsgaard
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Publication number: 20130214535Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2011Publication date: August 22, 2013Inventor: Per Brath
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Publication number: 20130144449Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2011Publication date: June 6, 2013Inventors: Søren Dalsgaard, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Per Brath, Martin Ansbjerg Kjær
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Publication number: 20130110414Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2011Publication date: May 2, 2013Applicant: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Fabio CAPONETTI, Per BRATH, Keld HAMMERUM, Johnny NIELSEN
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Publication number: 20110305568Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2009Publication date: December 15, 2011Inventors: Per Brath, Kasper Zinck Østergaard
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Patent number: 7954372Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 7, 2008Date of Patent: June 7, 2011Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/SInventors: Per Brath, Søren Dalsgaard, Mogens Blanke
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Publication number: 20110001319Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2008Publication date: January 6, 2011Applicant: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Per Brath, Søren Dalsgaard, Morgens Blanke