Patents by Inventor Poul Brandt Christensen

Poul Brandt Christensen 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: 11795911
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to controlling a wind turbine having a tower damping system actuable to control components of vibrational movement of the tower, a side-side component of a vibrational movement of the tower in a horizontal plane; and a fore-aft component of the vibrational movement of the tower in the horizontal plane are determined; and a control signal based on the side-side and fore-aft components is determined such that the tower damping system produces a force that increases or decreases the vibrational movement of the tower such that the side-side and fore-aft components are substantially equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Jacob Deleuran Grunnet, Fabio Caponetti, Poul Brandt Christensen
  • Publication number: 20230235725
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of controlling operation of a wind turbine having a tower. The method includes determining an overall control output including lateral oscillation control for dampening lateral oscillation of the tower, and using the overall control output to control wind turbine operation. The method further includes receiving lateral oscillation sensor data indicative of a level of lateral oscillation of the tower, determining a rated lateral oscillation control output in dependence on the received lateral oscillation data, and receiving an indication of yaw error of the wind turbine. A lateral oscillation control output included in the overall control output is determined to be de-rated from the rated lateral oscillation control output when the indicated yaw error is above a predetermined lower threshold level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Nicolaj Winther JOHANSEN, Poul Brandt CHRISTENSEN, Brian Ank MERTZ, John SCHWENSEN
  • Publication number: 20230184218
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling power generation of a VSM wind turbine. The wind turbine comprises a machine side converter, a line side converter, a DC link, and an electric storage device electrically connected to the DC link. The method comprises determining a first power control signal to the machine side converter, determining a second power control signal for controlling a desired output power of the line side converter based on a storage device voltage error, and a power production reference, and determining a charging current reference for controlling charging and discharging of the electric storage device based on a DC-link voltage error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Torsten LUND, John Godsk MIELSEN, Gert Karmisholt ANDERSEN, Kouroush NAYEBl, Poul Brandt CHRISTENSEN, Germán Claudio TARNOWSKl, Esmaeil EBRAHIMZADEHVESHAREH
  • Publication number: 20230050448
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for damping drive train oscillations of a VSM configured wind turbine. The method comprises determining a drive train damping power signal based on speed signal representing a generator speed, determining a power deviation based on a combination of a power reference for a desired power production, the drive train damping power-signal, a grid power supplied by the line side converter to the grid and a damping power, determining a virtual synchronous machine angle based on the power deviation so that the derivative of the virtual synchronous machine rotational speed is indicative of the power deviation, determining a converter reference for controlling the line side converter to generate the desired active power based on the virtual synchronous machine angle and a voltage reference for a voltage amplitude to be generated by the line side converter, and applying the converter reference to the line side converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Esmaeil EBRAHIMZADEHVESHAREH, Torsten LUND, Mark FABER, Poul Brandt CHRISTENSEN, Gert Karmisholt ANDERSEN
  • Patent number: 11572865
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of controlling a wind turbine comprising a tower supporting a rotor comprising a plurality of pitch-adjustable rotor blades. The method includes obtaining a movement signal indicative of a lateral movement of the tower; determining a pitch modulation signal, based on the movement signal, for actuating a rotor blade to produce a desired horizontal force component to counteract the lateral movement of the tower; determining a radial force component acting on a rotor blade; determining a phase offset parameter for the rotor blade based on the radial force component; and, transforming the pitch modulation signal into a pitch reference offset signal for the rotor blade based on the phase offset parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Karthik Vasudevan, Poul Brandt Christensen, James Alexander Nichols, Jacob Deleuran Grunnet
  • Patent number: 11300101
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling a power plant for reducing spectral disturbances in an electrical grid being operative connected to the power plant, the power plant comprising a plant controller, at least one wind turbine and at least one auxiliary energy source, wherein the at least one wind turbine comprises a rotor adapted to drive a power generator via a shaft, wherein the generator is connectable with the electrical grid, and at least one damping controller configured to compensate structural oscillations of the wind turbine by controlling a torque on the shaft, wherein the at least one damping controller is capable of setting a limit of a control action on the shaft, the method comprising the steps of determining disturbance information for the power plant in the form of an electrical disturbance at a point of measurement electrically connected to the power plant, determining set-points for the at least one auxiliary energy source based on the determined disturbance information
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Tobias Gybel Hovgaard, Poul Brandt Christensen
  • Publication number: 20220034295
    Abstract: A method of charging an energy storage system, such as a battery, a capacitor, or a super capacitor, using a wind turbine is described. The method comprises establishing if turbine power production can be increased and establishing if the energy storage system is capable of taking a charge. If both conditions are met, the power generated by the wind turbine is increased above a rated power of the wind turbine and the additional power is used to charge the energy storage systems. A method of control is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Søren DALSGAARD, Julio Xavier Vianna NETO, Kim SØRENSEN, Poul Brandt CHRISTENSEN, Fabio CAPONETTI
  • Patent number: 11215163
    Abstract: The present invention relates to control of a wind turbine where nacelle vibration is reduced by use of blade pitching or generator torque modulation. The nacelle vibrations are reduced based on a position signal of the nacelle. An actuator signal is determined based on the position signal and applied to the actuator capable of reducing nacelle vibration. The actuator signal is gain adjusted based on a separation between the rotor frequency and tower vibration frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Fabio Caponetti, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Poul Brandt Christensen
  • Publication number: 20210277869
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of controlling a wind turbine comprising a tower supporting a rotor comprising a plurality of pitch-adjustable rotor blades. The method includes obtaining a movement signal indicative of a lateral movement of the tower; determining a pitch modulation signal, based on the movement signal, for actuating a rotor blade to produce a desired horizontal force component to counteract the lateral movement of the tower; determining a radial force component acting on a rotor blade; determining a phase offset parameter for the rotor blade based on the radial force component; and, transforming the pitch modulation signal into a pitch reference offset signal for the rotor blade based on the phase offset parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Karthik VASUDEVAN, Poul Brandt CHRISTENSEN, James Alexander NICHOLS, Jacob Deleuran GRUNNET
  • Patent number: 11038400
    Abstract: A method of controlling a wind turbine is provided. The method comprises providing a primary power reference signal and a secondary power reference signal. The primary power reference signal is limited according to a primary signal limit. The secondary power reference signal is limited according to a secondary signal limit. The primary power reference signal and the secondary power reference signal are combined to provide a combined power reference signal, which is provided to a power or torque control system of the wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Poul Brandt Christensen, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Gert Karmisholt Andersen
  • Patent number: 10982651
    Abstract: A method for damping an oscillation of a tower of a wind turbine is disclosed, wherein a pitch angle of each of the one or more rotor blades is individually adjustable, the method comprising damping the oscillation of the tower by pitching each rotor blade individually according to tower damping pitch control signals, wherein each tower damping pitch control signal comprises a first periodic component, where a first frequency of the first periodic component corresponds to a frequency difference between a tower frequency of the oscillation of the tower and a rotor frequency of a rotation of the rotor, and where a second periodic component has been reduced or removed. A second frequency of the second periodic component corresponds to a frequency sum of the tower frequency and the rotor frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Fabio Caponetti, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Jacob Deleuran Grunnet, Poul Brandt Christensen
  • Patent number: 10968888
    Abstract: A method for controlling a wind turbine is disclosed, the wind turbine comprising a set of wind turbine blades (1), each wind turbine blade (1) being provided with at least one air deflector (2) being movable between an activated position in which it protrudes from a surface of the wind turbine blade (1) and a de-activated position. The occurrence of an event causing a change in operational conditions is registered, and a new operating state for the wind turbine is determined, the new operating state meeting requirements of the changed operational conditions. The air deflectors (2) of the wind turbine blades (1) and pitch angles of the wind turbines blades (1) are controlled in order to reach the new operating state for the wind turbine, and in such a manner that the control of the pitch angles of the wind turbine blades (1) is performed while taking information regarding the control of the air deflectors (2) into account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Poul Brandt Christensen, Claus Thybo, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen
  • Patent number: 10920747
    Abstract: There is provided a method for controlling a hydraulic pitch force system (220) so as to reduce or eliminate a decrease in hydraulic oil pressure (241) if a hydraulic system parameter value is outside a hydraulic system parameter range, the method comprising: Obtaining (690) the hydraulic system parameter value, and operating the hydraulic pitch force system (220) according to a reduced mode (692) if the hydraulic system parameter value is outside the hydraulic system parameter range, wherein in the reduced mode one or more pitch based activities are reduced (694) or suspended. An advantage thereof may be that it enables keeping the wind turbine in production in certain instances rather than shutting down the wind turbine. In aspects, there is furthermore presented a computer program product, a pitch control system (250) and a wind turbine (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Martin Ansbjerg Kjær, Frank Møller Hansen, Jacob Hviid Nielsen, Jesper Lykkegaard Neubauer, Poul Brandt Christensen, Fabio Caponetti, Christian Skallebæk, Robert Grøn-Stevens, Kasper Zinck Østergaard
  • Publication number: 20200204041
    Abstract: A method of controlling a wind turbine is provided. The method comprises providing a primary power reference signal and a secondary power reference signal. The primary power reference signal is limited according to a primary signal limit. The secondary power reference signal is limited according to a secondary signal limit. The primary power reference signal and the secondary power reference signal are combined to provide a combined power reference signal, which is provided to a power or torque control system of the wind turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Poul Brandt CHRISTENSEN, Jesper Sandberg THOMSEN, Gert Karmisholt ANDERSEN
  • Publication number: 20190383265
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling a power plant for reducing spectral disturbances in an electrical grid being operative connected to the power plant, the power plant comprising a plant controller, at least one wind turbine and at least one auxiliary energy source, wherein the at least one wind turbine comprises a rotor adapted to drive a power generator via a shaft, wherein the generator is connectable with the electrical grid, and at least one damping controller configured to compensate structural oscillations of the wind turbine by controlling a torque on the shaft, wherein the at least one damping controller is capable of setting a limit of a control action on the shaft, the method comprising the steps of determining disturbance information for the power plant in the form of an electrical disturbance at a point of measurement electrically connected to the power plant, determining set-points for the at least one auxiliary energy source based on the determined disturbance information
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Tobias Gybel HOVGAARD, Poul Brandt Christensen
  • Patent number: 10502186
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling a wind turbine in a manner that takes into account the degree of loading of and damage to one or more components of the turbine are provided. An operational load on a wind turbine part is determined, and is used to compute a damage signal. The damage signal is indicative of the potential damage to the component or to the turbine as a whole that will result if action is not taken to reduce or mitigate the determined load. When the damage signal exceeds a pre-determined threshold, load-reducing wind turbine control means are activated to obviate the estimated damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Thomas Krüger, Martin Atzler, Poul Brandt Christensen, Robert Bowyer
  • Publication number: 20190368467
    Abstract: A method for controlling a wind turbine is disclosed, the wind turbine comprising a set of wind turbine blades (1), each wind turbine blade (1) being provided with at least one air deflector (2) being movable between an activated position in which it protrudes from a surface of the wind turbine blade (1) and a de-activated position. The occurrence of an event causing a change in operational conditions is registered, and a new operating state for the wind turbine is determined, the new operating state meeting requirements of the changed operational conditions. The air deflectors (2) of the wind turbine blades (1) and pitch angles of the wind turbines blades (1) are controlled in order to reach the new operating state for the wind turbine, and in such a manner that the control of the pitch angles of the wind turbine blades (1) is performed while taking information regarding the control of the air deflectors (2) into account.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Poul Brandt CHRISTENSEN, Claus THYBO, Jesper Sandberg THOMSEN
  • Patent number: 10415548
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining dynamic parameters associated with damping properties of a wind turbine. The method involves active excitation of tower oscillations by adjusting the pitch or rotor torque. After the active excitation, the parameters can be determined from the passive decay of the excited oscillations. Alternatively, the oscillations can be actively damped, so that the parameters can be determined from the active decay of the excited oscillations. The method for promoting oscillations may be triggered in response to different events or in response to predetermined times for determining the actual dynamic parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Fabio Caponetti, Ian Couchman, Jacob Deleuran Grunnet, Ilias Konstantinos Ariston, Poul Brandt Christensen
  • Patent number: 10378513
    Abstract: To efficiently nm a wind turbine in varying wind speeds, the wind turbine may be configured to switch between two different electrical configurations that offer different efficiencies depending on wind speed. For example, a star configuration may be preferred during low wind speeds while a delta configuration is preferred for high wind speeds. Before switching, the power output by the turbine's generator may be driven to zero. Doing so, however, removes load from the rotor blades which cause the rotor speed to increase. Instead, the rotor speed may be controlled such that the speed stays at or above the speed of the rotor immediately before the generator power is ramped down. Maintaining rotor speed at or slightly above the current speed while switching between electrical configurations may mitigate the torque change experienced by the turbine and reduce the likelihood of structural failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Martin Ansbjerg Kjær, Peter Koldkjær, Rasmus Molgaard Hviid Knudsen, Maryam Soleimanzadeh, Martin Møller Sørensen, Ali Zaib, Arvishwa Kumar Singh, Poul Brandt Christensen, Michael Houlind Jensen
  • Patent number: 10302067
    Abstract: The invention relates to a controller configured to determine one or more future values of blade control references and/or a generator control references for a wind turbine generator. The first of the future values of the control references are used for control purposes. The future control references are determined from a physical model of a system of the wind turbine generator by solving an optimization problem which includes at least one cost function and at least one constraint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Eik Herbsleb, Fabiano Daher Adegas, Poul Brandt Christensen, Robert Bowyer, Fabio Caponetti, Ian Couchman, Lars Finn Sloth Larsen