Patents by Inventor William Edwin Holley

William Edwin Holley 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: 10107261
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing oscillation loads of a wind turbine induced by high turbulence and/or combined with other environmental conditions are provided. The method includes determining at least one wind parameter at the wind turbine; monitoring an operating condition of the wind turbine; determining, by a processor, a variance of at least one of the monitored operating condition or a plurality of the wind parameters, wherein the variance is indicative of an oscillation occurring at one or more wind turbine components; determining, by a processor, an operating set point based on the variance; and, operating the wind turbine based on the operating set point when the variance indicates that the oscillation has a frequency within a certain frequency band so as to modify the frequency, wherein the modified frequency is outside of the frequency band and reduces oscillation loads occurring at the one or more wind turbine components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Danian Zheng, Xiongzhe Huang, William Edwin Holley, Conner B. Shane, Raveendra Penmatsa, Jignesh Govindlal Gandhi, Timothy Botsford Cribbs
  • Publication number: 20160305403
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing oscillation loads of a wind turbine induced by high turbulence and/or combined with other environmental conditions are provided. The method includes determining at least one wind parameter at the wind turbine; monitoring an operating condition of the wind turbine; determining, by a processor, a variance of at least one of the monitored operating condition or a plurality of the wind parameters, wherein the variance is indicative of an oscillation occurring at one or more wind turbine components; determining, by a processor, an operating set point based on the variance; and, operating the wind turbine based on the operating set point when the variance indicates that the oscililation has a frequency within a certain frequency band so as to modify the frequency, wherein the modified frequency is outside of the frequency band and reduces oscillation loads occurring at the one or more wind turbine components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventors: Danian Zheng, Xiongzhe Huang, William Edwin Holley, Conner B. Shane, Raveendra Penmatsa, Jignesh Govindlal Gandhi, Timothy Botsford Cribbs
  • Patent number: 9341159
    Abstract: Methods are provided for controlling wind turbine loading. In one embodiment, a method includes the steps of determining a current thrust value for the wind turbine, calculating a thrust differential based on the current thrust value and a predetermined maximum thrust value, calculating a desired pitch offset value based on the thrust differential and a thrust sensitivity value, and adjusting a pitch of the wind turbine utilizing the pitch offset value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Arne Koerber, William Edwin Holley, Leonardo Cesar Kammer, Charudatta Subhash Mehendale
  • Publication number: 20140301842
    Abstract: Methods are provided for controlling wind turbine loading. In one embodiment, a method includes the steps of determining a current thrust value for the wind turbine, calculating a thrust differential based on the current thrust value and a predetermined maximum thrust value, calculating a desired pitch offset value based on the thrust differential and a thrust sensitivity value, and adjusting a pitch of the wind turbine utilizing the pitch offset value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Arne Koerber, William Edwin Holley, Leonardo Cesar Kammer, Charudatta Subhash Mehendale
  • Patent number: 8803352
    Abstract: Wind turbines and methods for controlling wind turbine loading are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes the steps of determining a current wind speed. The method further includes determining a tip speed ratio and a pitch angle that maximize a power coefficient under at least one of the following conditions: a thrust value is less than or equal to a pre-established maximum thrust, a generator speed value is less than or equal to a pre-established maximum generator speed, or a generator torque is less than or equal to a pre-established maximum generator torque. The method further includes calculating a desired generator speed value based on the current wind speed and a tip speed ratio. The method further includes calculating a desired generator power value based on the desired generator speed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Compay
    Inventors: Arne Koerber, William Edwin Holley, Leonardo Cesar Kammer, Charudatta Subhash Mehendale
  • Patent number: 7581921
    Abstract: A control system for a rotary machine is provided. The rotary machine has at least one rotating member and at least one substantially stationary member positioned such that a clearance gap is defined between a portion of the rotating member and a portion of the substantially stationary member. The control system includes at least one clearance gap dimension measurement apparatus and at least one clearance gap adjustment assembly. The adjustment assembly is coupled in electronic data communication with the measurement apparatus. The control system is configured to process a clearance gap dimension signal and modulate the clearance gap dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bharat Sampathkumaran Bagepalli, Patrick Lee Jansen, Gary R. Barnes, Thomas Frank Fric, James Patrick Francis Lyons, Kirk Gee Pierce, William Edwin Holley, Corneliu Barbu
  • Patent number: 7352075
    Abstract: A method for controlling a rotational speed of a rotor having at least one rotor blade, a rotor shaft, and an electrical generator coupled thereto. The method includes controlling a torque of the rotor shaft by controlling a torque of the electrical generator, alternating between changing an angle of pitch of the at least one rotor blade and maintaining the angle of pitch of the at least one rotor blade substantially constant, and maintaining a substantially constant rotational speed of the rotor during variable wind speeds above a predetermined rated wind speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lawrence Donald Willey, John Noel Cunningham, Eric Gebhardt, Ulrich Uphues, William Edwin Holley, Kirk Gee Pierce
  • Publication number: 20070292260
    Abstract: A control system for a rotary machine is provided. The rotary machine has at least one rotating member and at least one substantially stationary member positioned such that a clearance gap is defined between a portion of the rotating member and a portion of the substantially stationary member. The control system includes at least one clearance gap dimension measurement apparatus and at least one clearance gap adjustment assembly. The adjustment assembly is coupled in electronic data communication with the measurement apparatus. The control system is configured to process a clearance gap dimension signal and modulate the clearance gap dimension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventors: Bharat Sampathkumaran Bagepalli, Patrick Lee Jansen, Gary R. Barnes, Thomas Frank Fric, James Patrick Francis Lyons, Kirk Gee Pierce, William Edwin Holley, Corneliu Barbu