Abstract: A system and method are provided for determining deflection of a tower of a wind turbine, the wind turbine including a nacelle with a machine head and a rotor atop of the tower. A fixed location relative to the tower is established, and a total deflection of a geographic location (“geo-location”) of the fixed location is determined. Components of the total deflection are determined that are generated by non-thrust loads acting on the tower. The non-thrust loads deflection components are subtracted from the total deflection to determine a thrust loads deflection component corresponding to deflection of the tower from operational thrust loads on the rotor.

Abstract: A method and associated system are provided for determining a yaw heading (?heading) of a wind turbine, the wind turbine having a tower and a nacelle that includes a machine head and rotor at a top thereof. The method includes configuring a single rover receiver of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) at a fixed position relative to the nacelle. A GNSS geographic location of a tower top pivot point (TPP) of the wind turbine is determined, as well as an angular offset of the rover receiver (?rover) relative to a centerline axis of the nacelle. Based on the GNSS geo-location of the TPP and a GNSS geo-location of the rover receiver, an angular vector () relative to North of a line between the TPP and the rover receiver is determined. The yaw heading (?heading) is computed from a difference between the angle () and the angular offset (?rover) of the rover receiver.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling a wind turbine. Accordingly, a controller of the wind turbine determines a thermal gradient of the tower due to solar heating. The controller also determines a displacement of a reference point of the wind turbine from a nominal position resulting from a thermal expansion of a portion of the tower. The displacement includes a displacement magnitude and a displacement direction. The displacement direction is in a radial direction opposite of a maximal peak of the thermal gradient. Additionally, the controller determines a correction factor corresponding to the displacement and a setpoint for a component of the wind turbine based, at least in part, on the correction factor. Finally, an operating state of the wind turbine is established based, at least in part, on the setpoint.

Abstract: A method and associated system are provided for determining a yaw heading (?heading) of a wind turbine, the wind turbine having a tower and a nacelle that includes a machine head and rotor at a top thereof. The method includes configuring a single rover receiver of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) at a fixed position relative to the nacelle. A GNSS geographic location of a tower top pivot point (TPP) of the wind turbine is determined, as well as an angular offset of the rover receiver (?rover) relative to a centerline axis of the nacelle. Based on the GNSS geo-location of the TPP and a GNSS geo-location of the rover receiver, an angular vector () relative to North of a line between the TPP and the rover receiver is determined. The yaw heading (?heading) is computed from a difference between the angle () and the angular offset (?rover) of the rover receiver.

Abstract: A wind turbine and method are provided for defining a plurality of thrust limits for the wind turbine located at a site and having a rotor with rotor blades, wherein the thrust limits define values of aerodynamic thrust on the rotor not to be exceeded in operation. The method includes providing a wind speed distribution representative for the site and defining one or more isolines of constant turbulence probability representing a turbulence parameter as a function of wind speed. The isolines correspond to quantile levels of turbulence of the wind speed distribution and the turbulence parameter is indicative of wind speed variation. The turbulence parameter is determined by continuously measuring wind speed upstream of the rotor with an active sensing system and calculating the wind speed variations from the measured wind speed. Turbulence ranges are defined with respect to the isolines and thrust limits are defined for the turbulence ranges.

Abstract: A wind turbine and method are provided for defining a plurality of thrust limits for the wind turbine located at a site and having a rotor with rotor blades, wherein the thrust limits define values of aerodynamic thrust on the rotor not to be exceeded in operation. The method includes providing a wind speed distribution representative for the site and defining one or more isolines of constant turbulence probability representing a turbulence parameter as a function of wind speed. The isolines correspond to quantile levels of turbulence of the wind speed distribution and the turbulence parameter is indicative of wind speed variation. The turbulence parameter is determined by continuously measuring wind speed upstream of the rotor with an active sensing system and calculating the wind speed variations from the measured wind speed. Turbulence ranges are defined with respect to the isolines and thrust limits are defined for the turbulence ranges.

Abstract: A method for controlling a distributed power system is provided, the system including an aggregator communicatively coupled to a plurality of nodes, each of the plurality of nodes including an associated load. The method includes receiving, at the aggregator, a commanded power profile from an independent service operator, the commanded power profile including a commanded power deviation for the distributed power system, calculating, using the aggregator, a score for each of the plurality of nodes based on a current operating power of each node, selecting, using the aggregator, a subset of the plurality of nodes based on the calculated scores, and commanding, using the aggregator, each node in the subset to adjust its current power by a respective predetermined amount, the predetermined amounts determined based on the commanded power deviation.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for determining a geographic location of a tower top pivot point (TPP) of a wind turbine tower having a nacelle that includes a machine head and rotor at a top thereof. At least one rover receiver of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is configured at a fixed position on the nacelle. A plurality of 360-degree yaw sweeps of the nacelle are conducted and the geo-location signals received by the rover receiver during the yaw sweeps are recorded. With a controller, the geo-location signals are converted into a circular plot and a radius of the plot is determined, the radius being a distance between the rover receiver and the TPP. Based on a GNSS geo-location of the rover receiver and the radius, a geo-location of the TPP is computed.

Abstract: A method and system of determining or estimating a descent profile includes receiving a final approach fix for a target destination, repeatedly back-calculating a set of subsequent models, determining a descent profile based on the repeated back-calculating the set of subsequent models, and operating the aircraft in accordance with the descent profile.

Abstract: A method for controlling a distributed power system is provided, the power system including an aggregator communicatively coupled to a plurality of nodes. The method includes receiving, at the aggregator, a specified aggregated power level, and at each of a plurality of sample times recurring at a regular interval, receiving, at the aggregator from each of the nodes, a condensed dataset, calculating, at the aggregator, a global value based on the specified aggregated power level, the condensed datasets, and a control prediction horizon, transmitting the global value to each of the nodes, solving, at each of the plurality of nodes, a local optimization problem based on the received global value and a local model prediction horizon for that node that is longer than the control prediction horizon, and controlling, at each of the plurality of nodes, a load based on the solved local optimization problem.

Abstract: A method and system of determining or predicting a climb profile for an aircraft, includes receiving, by a controller module, an initial climb profile defining a portion of a flight plan for the aircraft between takeoff and a cruise profile, and an altitude climb constraint defining at least one altitude limitation of the aircraft, determining, by the controller module, that the initial climb profile does not satisfy the altitude constraint, and determining an updated climb profile based on a set of subsequent climb models.

Abstract: A method, medium, and system to receive actual flight schedule data, including flight details associated with each flight of the actual flight schedule; determine an estimate of at least one of airline operations performance constraints and metrics based on the actual flight schedule data and at least one of business rules and an execution of a simulation-based model; and generate a record of corrected actual flight data based on the estimate of at least one of airline operations performance constraints and metrics and the actual flight data.

Abstract: A method and system of determining or estimating a descent profile includes receiving a final approach fix for a target destination, repeatedly back-calculating a set of subsequent models, determining a descent profile based on the repeated back-calculating the set of subsequent models, and operating the aircraft in accordance with the descent profile.

Abstract: A method and system of determining or predicting a climb profile for an aircraft, includes receiving, by a controller module, an initial climb profile defining a portion of a flight plan for the aircraft between takeoff and a cruise profile, and an altitude climb constraint defining at least one altitude limitation of the aircraft, determining, by the controller module, that the initial climb profile does not satisfy the altitude constraint, and determining an updated climb profile based on a set of subsequent climb models.

Abstract: A vehicle location determination system and method provide an estimate of real time location of the vehicle along a route in response solely to vehicle GPS information and vehicle speed information such that the estimated real time distance is robust to errors and disturbances associated with both the vehicle GPS information and vehicle speed information to ensure the estimated real time location information is accurate.

Abstract: The present techniques provide methods and systems for recording micro-holograms on a holographic disk using a plurality of counter-propagating light beams in parallel. The parallel counter-propagating light beams overlap to form interference patterns on a data layer and over multiple data tracks in the holographic disk. Rotating the disk enables the parallel recording of micro-holograms over multiple data tracks, thus reducing recording time. Further, the illumination pattern may include illuminated spots and non-illuminated regions, such that each illumination spot may cover a relatively small fraction of the data layer plane, possibly controlling the depth spread of the recorded micro-hologram. In some embodiments, data in the parallel signal beams may be retrieved from a master holographic disk or may be modulated into the parallel signal beams.

Abstract: A method for sensing a position of a lead wire during winding of a wire on a coil form to form a precision coil is provided. The method includes acquiring data representative of at least a portion of the precision coil, identifying portions of the acquired data that represent the wire in the precision coil, and determining a position of the lead wire on the coil form from the identified portions of the acquired data.

Abstract: A method, medium, and system to receive actual flight schedule data, including flight details associated with each flight of the actual flight schedule; determine an estimate of at least one of airline operations performance constraints and metrics based on the actual flight schedule data and at least one of business rules and an execution of a simulation-based model; and generate a record of corrected actual flight data based on the estimate of at least one of airline operations performance constraints and metrics and the actual flight data.

Abstract: A wire disposing assembly having a support, an axial traverser sub-assembly, a support arm, and a linear stage is provided. The support is configured to receive a plurality of turns of a wire, where the support is configured to rotate. The axial traverser sub-assembly is operatively coupled to the support. Further, a rate of motion of the axial traverser sub-assembly is coupled to a speed of rotation of the support. The support arm includes a resin unit configured to dispose resin on at least a portion of the wire, and a wire disposing device configured to guide a portion of the wire being disposed on a surface of the support. The linear stage is operatively coupled to the support arm.

Abstract: A gripping element may be commanded to move to pre-determined robot-frame locations, and markings may be punched into a calibration sample capture substrate at each location. A calibration image may be obtained, and fiducial markings on the gripping element may be detected. A set of calibration regions of interest may be predicted, and the previously punched markings may be detected. A sampling system may then create a mapping transfer function between detected image locations and real-world locations resulting from the commanded locations of the gripping element when the markings were punched. An indication may subsequently be received that a biological sample capture substrate is ready to be processed. An image of the sample capture substrate may be obtained, and the fiducial markings may be detected. Based on those image locations and the mapping transfer function, biological sample portions may be automatically taken from the sample capture substrate.