Patents by Inventor Stefan Rieken

Stefan Rieken 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: 11454219
    Abstract: A rotor assembly for a wind turbine includes a rotor blade extending between a blade root and a blade tip, a rotatable hub, a pitch bearing arranged between the rotor blade and a hub of the wind turbine, and a stiffener ring. The pitch bearing has an outer race, an inner race rotatable relative to the outer race, and a plurality of roller elements arranged between the outer race and the inner race. The stiffener ring is arranged between one of the inner race or the outer race of the pitch bearing and the blade root. Further, the stiffener ring has a symmetrical shape so as to provide uniform stiffness to the pitch bearing so as to provide a uniform stiffness to the pitch bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Stefan Rieken
  • Publication number: 20200355165
    Abstract: A rotor assembly for a wind turbine includes a rotor blade extending between a blade root and a blade tip, a rotatable hub, a pitch bearing arranged between the rotor blade and a hub of the wind turbine, and a stiffener ring. The pitch bearing has an outer race, an inner race rotatable relative to the outer race, and a plurality of roller elements arranged between the outer race and the inner race. The stiffener ring is arranged between one of the inner race or the outer race of the pitch bearing and the blade root. Further, the stiffener ring has a symmetrical shape so as to provide uniform stiffness to the pitch bearing so as to provide a uniform stiffness to the pitch bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventor: Stefan Rieken
  • Patent number: 9797504
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a lubrication system for a gearbox that is part of a drivetrain assembly, e.g. of a wind turbine. The lubrication system includes a ring assembly having a first ring and a detached, second ring. The first and second rings are configured to fit within a gap located between a planetary gear system and a gearbox housing of the gearbox, e.g. due to operational and/or system tolerances. When installed, the first and second rings of the ring assembly are arranged together so as to form at least one opening therebetween, thereby being configured to direct a lubricant from the gearbox housing to the planetary gear system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Edwin Hidding, Stefan Rieken
  • Publication number: 20160238125
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a lubrication system for a gearbox that is part of a drivetrain assembly, e.g. of a wind turbine. The lubrication system includes a ring assembly having a first ring and a detached, second ring. The first and second rings are configured to fit within a gap located between a planetary gear system and a gearbox housing of the gearbox, e.g. due to operational and/or system tolerances. When installed, the first and second rings of the ring assembly are arranged together so as to form at least one opening therebetween, thereby being configured to direct a lubricant from the gearbox housing to the planetary gear system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Edwin Hidding, Stefan Rieken
  • Patent number: 9261075
    Abstract: A light intensity detection system for a wind turbine including a single light sensor adapted to measure the intensity of light, a housing for protecting the single light sensor from environmental influences, and a driving mechanism configured to allow the single light sensor to receive light from a first direction at a first time and from a second direction at a second time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rong Li, Shijiang Liu, Chenggang Huang, Weiguo Zhang, Qi Zhang, Stefan Rieken
  • Publication number: 20150308406
    Abstract: A light intensity detection system for a wind turbine including a single light sensor adapted to measure the intensity of light, a housing for protecting the single light sensor from environmental influences, and a driving mechanism configured to allow the single light sensor to receive light from a first direction at a first time and from a second direction at a second time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rong LI, Shijiang LIU, Chenggang HUANG, Weiguo ZHANG, Qi ZHANG, Stefan RIEKEN
  • Patent number: 8805595
    Abstract: A wind turbine which is composed of several subunits is provided. Each of the several subunits includes a controller. Each of the controllers is adapted to operate in a cooperative mode and in an isolated mode. In the cooperative mode, one of the controllers operates as a master controller and the remaining controllers operate as slave controllers. In the isolated mode, each subunit is exclusively controlled by its respective controller, wherein each of the controllers acts as an independent master controller for its subunit. Further, a method for operating a wind turbine which includes at least two subunits is provided. Each of the at least two subunits includes at least one sensor, at least one actuator and a controller. The method for operating the wind turbine is carried out independently in each subunit and includes detecting at least one sensor signal; and determining and transferring a command to at least one actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Detlef Menke, Stefan Rieken
  • Patent number: 7956482
    Abstract: The present patent application concerns wind turbine having a rotor with a first rotor blade and a pitch control system with a controller and a first drive system for adjusting a pitch angle of the first rotor blade, wherein the drive system is adapted to transform rotational energy of the rotor blade rotating about its longitudinal axis into another form of energy such that a counter torque against the rotating direction is induced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jacob Johannes Nies, Patrick Achenbach, Peter Rogall, Axel Braicks, Stefan Rieken
  • Publication number: 20090187282
    Abstract: A wind turbine which is composed of several subunits is provided. Each of the several subunits includes a controller. Each of the controllers is adapted to operate in a cooperative mode and in an isolated mode. In the cooperative mode, one of the controllers operates as a master controller and the remaining controllers operate as slave controllers. In the isolated mode, each subunit is exclusively controlled by its respective controller, wherein each of the controllers acts as an independent master controller for its subunit. Further, a method for operating a wind turbine which includes at least two subunits is provided. Each of the at least two subunits includes at least one sensor, at least one actuator and a controller. The method for operating the wind turbine is carried out independently in each subunit and includes detecting at least one sensor signal; and determining and transferring a command to at least one actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Inventors: Detlef Menke, Stefan Rieken
  • Publication number: 20090184519
    Abstract: The present patent application concerns wind turbine having a rotor with a first rotor blade and a pitch control system with a first drive system for adjusting a pitch angle of the first rotor blade, wherein the drive system is adapted to transform rotational energy of the rotor blade rotating about its longitudinal axis into another form of energy such that a counter torque against the rotating direction is induced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Inventors: Jacob Johannes Nies, Patrick Achenbach, Peter Rogall, Axel Braicks, Stefan Rieken
  • Patent number: 7372173
    Abstract: A wind farm with at least two wind turbines (1, 2, 3, 4) connected to a power grid is provided, said wind farm further comprising a control unit (5) connected to said at least two wind turbines (1, 2, 3, 4), and a sensor unit (6) connected to said power grid and said control unit (5), wherein said sensor unit (6) is adapted to measure the grid frequency of said power grid and to transmit said measured grid frequency to said control unit (5), and wherein said control unit (5) is adapted to control the output of real power of said wind farm according to said measured grid frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hans Lütze, Stefan Rieken, Dietmar Meyer
  • Publication number: 20070047163
    Abstract: A wind farm with at least two wind turbines (1, 2, 3, 4) connected to a power grid is provided, said wind farm further comprising a control unit (5) connected to said at least two wind turbines (1, 2, 3, 4), and a sensor unit (6) connected to said power grid and said control unit (5), wherein said sensor unit (6) is adapted to measure the grid frequency of said power grid and to transmit said measured grid frequency to said control unit (5), and wherein said control unit (5) is adapted to control the output of real power of said wind farm according to said measured grid frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2004
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Inventors: Hans Lutze, Stefan Rieken, Dietmar Meyer