Patents by Inventor Ralf Messing

Ralf Messing 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: 11441537
    Abstract: A method for controlling a wind turbine and an associated wind turbine. The wind turbine is operated according to an operating point, wherein the operating point is determined at least by a pitch angle and a tip speed ratio, wherein one of the operating points corresponds to a maximum power coefficient, wherein, in a partial load range, the wind turbine is operated at an operating point which differs from the operating point with the maximum power coefficient. The distance of the operating point from the operating point with the maximum power coefficient is set in accordance with a measured turbulence measure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Messing
  • Patent number: 11441538
    Abstract: A wind turbine includes a tower, an aerodynamic rotor operable at a variable rotor speed and having a plurality of rotor blades each having an adjustable rotor blade setting angle and a generator for generating an electrical output power. An operating characteristic curve is prespecified for operating the wind turbine. The operating characteristic curve indicates a relationship between the rotor speed and the output power. A controller is provided, which sets the output power in accordance with the operating characteristic curve depending on the rotor speed. The the operating characteristic curve has a starting rotation speed to which the rotor speed increases as soon as the wind turbine starts when a sufficient wind speed is reached. The starting rotation speed is defined depending on a tower natural frequency of the wind turbine and/or depending on a detected turbulence measure of the prevailing wind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Messing, Mustafa Onur Kimilli, Frank Zimmermann, Maik Nitsche, Matthias Giesler
  • Patent number: 11428204
    Abstract: A two-part or multi-part rotor blade and also to a method which is associated with it. The rotor blade is split into at least one rotor blade component which is close to the hub and one rotor blade component which is remote from the hub at a separation point in the longitudinal direction, wherein the rotor blade component which is close to the hub and the rotor blade component which is remote from the hub can be connected at the separation point for operation of the wind turbine. A ratio of profile thickness to profile depth, called relative thickness, at the separation point lies within a range of from 0.4 to 0.5. An improved two-part or multi-part rotor blade in spite of the unexpectedly high relative thicknesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Messing, Mustafa Onur Kimilli, Florian Rubner
  • Publication number: 20220268253
    Abstract: A rotor for a wind, to a wind turbine and to a method for increasing the yield of a rotor of a wind turbine. In particular, a rotor for a wind turbine, comprising at least one rotor blade, having a rotor blade trailing edge and rotor blade leading edge extending between the rotor blade root and the rotor blade tip over a rotor blade length, a profile depth established between the rotor blade leading edge and the rotor blade trailing edge, and an adjustable pitch angle, wherein the rotor blade has at least one profile element which is arranged on the rotor blade trailing edge or in the region adjacent to the rotor blade trailing edge for increasing the profile depth by an enlargement value, characterized by a control unit for determining a pitch angle to be set, which is configured to determine the pitch angle to be set depending on the enlargement value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf Messing, Ellen Bauer, Florian Rubner
  • Publication number: 20220235735
    Abstract: A rotor blade of a wind turbine, having a rotor blade length, a rotor blade depth extending over the rotor blade length, a rotor blade thickness extending over the rotor blade length, and a thickness of a trailing edge of the rotor blade extending over the rotor blade length, wherein, in a region of the rotor blade length, the rotor blade simultaneously has a splitter plate that has a predetermined length and a Gurney flap that has a predetermined height, wherein a ratio of the predetermined height of the Gurney flap to the predetermined length of the splitter plate at a particular position in the direction of the rotor blade length is selected in such a manner that a threshold value that decreases with a relative profile thickness, which is defined as a ratio of the rotor blade thickness to the rotor blade depth, is not reached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf MESSING, Jochen STEMBERG, Hauke MAASS
  • Publication number: 20220220933
    Abstract: A method for designing and operating a wind power plant for generating electrical power from wind, wherein the wind power plant has an aerodynamic rotor with rotor blades of which the blade setting angle can be adjusted, wherein the rotor blades are populated with a plurality of vortex generators between the rotor blade root and the rotor blade tip, characterized in that the population with the vortex generators in the longitudinal direction of the respective rotor blade is carried out up to a radius position which is determined depending on the air density at a site of the wind power plant. A rotor blade of a wind power plant, to an associated wind power plant and to a wind farm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf MESSING, Mustafa Onur KIMILLI, Stefanie BOTT
  • Publication number: 20220186714
    Abstract: A method for detecting an accretion of ice on a rotor blade of a rotor of a wind turbine is provided. The can be operated at a variable rotational speed. The method includes recording a wind speed of a wind acting upon the rotor, recording an operating variable that is dependent on the wind speed and comparing the recorded operating variable or the recorded wind speed with a reference variable of a characteristic wind-speed-dependent operating-variable curve of the wind turbine. The characteristic operating-variable curve indicates an operating variable assumed to be optimal in dependence on the wind speed. The method includes detecting an accretion of ice on the rotor blade if the recorded operating variable or the recorded wind speed, deviates from the reference variable by at least a predetermined minimum deviation specified in dependence on the wind speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf MESSING, Daniel SENFTLEBEN
  • Patent number: 11353005
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind power installation is provided. The wind power installation comprises an aerodynamic rotor with rotor blades, where the rotor can be operated with a variable rotor rotation speed. The wind power installation outputs an output power generated from wind for feeding into an electrical supply grid. The wind power installation can be operated in a normal operating mode without power reduction and in a reduced operating mode with power reduction, in which a specified power reduced with respect to a rated installation power is specified. When operating in the reduced operating mode for wind speeds above a rated wind speed, at least in one rotation speed increase region, the wind power installation increases its rotor rotation speed as the wind speed rises further.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Messing, Christian Möller
  • Publication number: 20220034296
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind power installation for the purpose of generating electrical power from wind, wherein the wind power installation has an aerodynamic rotor having rotor blades that can be adjusted in their blade angle, and the rotor is operated at a settable rated rotor speed, wherein a turbulence class at a site of the wind power installation is determined, and the rated rotor speed is defined in dependence on the determined turbulence class.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf MESSING, Hauke MAASS, Florian RUBNER, Christian MÖLLER
  • Patent number: 11193470
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind turbine, in particular at a location characterized by a cold climate is provided. The method includes, specifying an air density at a location of the wind turbine, setting a blade angle of an adjustable rotor blade based on an output power, torque and/or rotor speed. The method includes setting the blade angle as a function of a at pitch characteristic curve which specifies the blade angle as a function of the output power, the torque and/or the rotor speed and as a function of the air density. According to the pitch characteristic curve, the blade angle has a minimum as a function of the air density in a region of a reference density of an atmosphere at the location which is characterized by a cold climate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Messing, Stefanie Bott, Hendrik Schnell
  • Patent number: 11193472
    Abstract: A method of controlling a wind power plant for generating electrical power from wind is provided. The plant comprises a rotor having rotor blades with adjustable blade angles and the rotor can be operated at a variable rotational speed. The method includes controlling the plant in a partial load mode when wind speed is below a nominal speed and, controlling the plant in a storm mode when the wind speed is above a storm commencement speed. An output power of the plant in the partial load mode and storm mode is adjusted according to an operating characteristic curve that determines a relationship between the rotational speed and the output power. A partial load characteristic curve is used as the operating characteristic curve for controlling the power plant in partial load mode, and a storm mode characteristic curve is used as the operating characteristic curve for controlling the plant in storm mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Messing, Mustafa Onur Kimilli, Daniel Senftleben
  • Patent number: 11181092
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine, a wind turbine, a wind park and a method for configuring a rotor blade which is divided in two.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Messing, Mustafa Onur Kimilli
  • Publication number: 20210355912
    Abstract: A method for designing and operating a wind power installation for generating electrical power from wind, wherein the wind power installation has an aerodynamic rotor with rotor blades of which the blade pitch angle can be adjusted, wherein the rotor blades are populated with a plurality of vortex generators between the rotor blade root and the rotor blade tip, characterized in that a radius position up to which the population with the vortex generators in the longitudinal direction of the respective rotor blade is carried out is determined depending on a sound power level to be set at a site of the wind power installation. A rotor blade of a wind power installation, to an associated wind power installation and to a wind farm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventor: Ralf MESSING
  • Patent number: 11174837
    Abstract: a method of controlling a wind power installation comprising the steps: detecting a precipitation in the region of the wind power installation by a precipitation sensor, and controlling the wind power installation in a first operating mode based on a first pitch angle characteristic in which the pitch angle is set in dependence on the power, and in a second operating mode based on a second pitch angle characteristic, wherein the first operating mode is selected if there is no precipitation and the second operating mode is selected if there is precipitation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Messing, Rodolphe Lebosq, Florian Rubner
  • Publication number: 20210340946
    Abstract: A rotor blade of a rotor of a wind turbine, and to an associated wind turbine, and to a method for optimizing a wind turbine. Prior to being mounted on the wind turbine, the rotor blade is split at a parting point into an inner blade section and an outer blade section, wherein a longitudinal direction of the rotor blade is defined from the root section to the blade tip, wherein the rotor blade has at least one swirl element, wherein the swirl element has an extent in the longitudinal direction of the rotor blade, wherein a distance between a start, facing toward the root section and an end, facing toward the rotor blade tip, of the swirl element in the longitudinal direction is referred to as total length, and wherein a distance between the parting point and the outer end of the swirl element is referred to as outer length, wherein a ratio of outer length to total length is less than 0.25.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: Ralf MESSING, Jan Carsten ZIEMS, Florian RUBNER
  • Patent number: 11131291
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind power installation for generating electrical power from wind, wherein the wind power installation has an aerodynamic rotor with rotor blades of which the blade angle is adjustable, and the rotor can be operated at a variable rotor rotation speed. Furthermore, the wind power installation has a generator, which is coupled to the aerodynamic rotor, in order to generate an output power. Here, the output power is set depending on the wind in a partial-load mode in which the wind is so weak that the wind power installation cannot yet be operated at its maximum output power, an actual air density of the wind is detected and each blade angle is set depending on the rotor rotation speed and depending on the detected air density. A wind power installation is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Messing, Tobias Weber
  • Publication number: 20210231101
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind turbine, in particular at a location characterized by a cold climate is provided. The method includes specifying an air density at a location of the wind turbine, setting a blade angle of an adjustable rotor blade based on an output power, torque and/or rotor speed. The method includes setting the blade angle as a function of a pitch characteristic curve which specifies the blade angle as a function of the output power, the torque and/or the rotor speed and as a function of the air density. According to the pitch characteristic curve, the blade angle has a minimum as a function of the air density in a region of a reference density of an atmosphere at the location which is characterized by a cold climate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Ralf MESSING, Stefanie BOTT, Hendrik JANSSEN
  • Publication number: 20210222671
    Abstract: A rotor blade, with a suction side and a pressure side, for a wind turbine, having a rotor blade root of a hub region for attaching the rotor blade to a rotor hub, a rotor blade tip, which is arranged on a side, facing away from the rotor blade root, of a tip region, at least one vortex generator, which is arranged between the rotor blade root and the rotor blade tip, wherein the at least one vortex generator comprises swirl elements with a length and a height, which are arranged one next to the other in a longitudinal direction of the rotor blade and are in each case oriented at an angle to a main flow direction of the rotor blade, wherein, in the longitudinal direction of the rotor blade, the swirl elements have a lateral spacing to one another. A variation in the geometry of the swirl elements is realized in a manner dependent on a respective distance between the arrangement of the swirl elements and the rotor blade root.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Ralf MESSING, Jochen STEMBERG
  • Publication number: 20210190038
    Abstract: Provided is a method for operating a wind turbine, an associated wind turbine and a wind park. The method comprises a) providing an indicator for the occurrence of a flow separation on a pressure side of a rotor blade of a rotor of the wind turbine, and b) changing an operational management of the wind turbine using the indicator, wherein the indicator comprises a pitch angle of the rotor blade. By using the pitch angle as an indicator, a flow separation on the pressure side of the rotor blade can be effectively prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Ralf Messing, Carl Michael Schwarz
  • Patent number: 11035343
    Abstract: A wind power installation with a tower, an aerodynamic rotor, wherein the aerodynamic rotor can be operated with a variable rotor speed and has a number of rotor blades respectively with an adjustable rotor blade angle, a generator for generating an electrical output power, wherein for operating the wind power installation an operating characteristic, which indicates a relationship between the rotor speed and the output power, is specified and a controller, which sets the output power in a way corresponding to the operating characteristic in dependence on the rotor speed, is provided, wherein selectable as the operating characteristic is a reduced-tonality operating characteristic, which is designed such that an excitation of a system resonance of the wind power installation is reduced as compared with an optimum-power operating characteristic, without however excluding a speed that excites this system resonance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Messing, Wojciech Giengiel, Sven Seeberg