Wind Patents (Class 290/55)
  • Patent number: 12263760
    Abstract: An airflow charging system and vehicle include a turbine, a driveline pulley and a driving belt, a main charging pulley and a charging belt, a processor, and a memory. The turbine is configured to rotate the driveline pulley, and the driveline pulley is operably connected to an electric motor. The main charging pulley is operably connected to the electric motor, and rotation of the main charging pulley is configured to charge a battery. The battery provides power to the electric motor. The memory includes instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to receive a first signal indicating that the vehicle is in motion, operate the electric motor to rotate the turbine, receive a second signal from the vehicle indicating a vehicle speed, and, if the vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed, stop operating the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Vela De Vento Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua M. Sardina
  • Patent number: 12264648
    Abstract: A mastless vertical axis wind turbine that comprises a plurality of sails that rotate about a vertical axis under the influence of wind. A platform is connected to and in tension with the plurality of sails at one or more points about the bottom of the plurality of the sails. Also, an external frame is connected to and in tension with the plurality of sails at one or more points about the top of the plurality of the sails. The external frame itself comprises a plurality of legs that converge above the plurality of sails at a central point about the vertical axis of rotation and extend beyond the path swept by the plurality of sails. A coupling mechanism connects one or more of the plurality of legs to the plurality of sails and allows the sails to rotate about the vertical axis of rotation while the legs remain stationary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: J. Hench Consulting, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven C. Hench
  • Patent number: 12258143
    Abstract: A turbine mounted behind an aircraft wing provides a specified proportion of a propulsive force in the aircraft flight direction to an amount of power generated by the turbine when driven by the airflow trailing the wing. The turbine converts a portion of the otherwise wasted energy in the rotational vortices trailing the aircraft wing into thrust that reduces aircraft drag while also providing electricity to power electrical systems on the aircraft. In one embodiment, the method used to construct the turbine saves computation time by using an optimization routine to define a preliminary turbine configuration based on an idealized vortex model and then matches it to the flow trailing an actual aircraft wing. The method is also capable of modeling a turbine construction that will use the energy in the wake solely to generate electricity without increasing drag on the aircraft or solely to reduce drag without generating electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: Continuum Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Glen R. Whitehouse, Todd R. Quackenbush
  • Patent number: 12258946
    Abstract: An elevated or ground level vertical cylinder houses one or more propellers and/or turbines that are rotated by heated air convection within or around or above the cylinder. The rotating shafts of the propellers generate electricity in an area at bottom of or below the cylinder. For added, improved air flow directions and volumes; and, for stabilization of the rotating shaft or shafts, a circular pyramid collar structure is disposed below the cylinder. Heat is directed to the cylinder by a plurality of sun tracking concave mirrors that are positioned in concentric circles at various heights. The cylinder may be composed of concrete, ceramics, metal compounds or other materials and operate with a surface temperature that may range 70 to 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit. An optimized system may be constructed on less than one, one or more than one acre of land that could appear as a park like setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Inventor: Warren Arthur Burtis
  • Patent number: 12253062
    Abstract: An apparatus for extracting power includes a track and an airfoil coupled to the track. The track includes first and second elongate sections, where the first elongate section is positioned above the second elongate section. The airfoil is moveable in opposite directions when alternately coupled to the first elongate section and second elongate section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Airloom Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Lumley
  • Patent number: 12252661
    Abstract: A method for the preparation of homo- and copolymers of alkyl (meth)acrylates having a low residual monomer content involves preparing a reaction mixture containing monomers, charging the reaction mixture, heating the reaction mixture, adding an additional monomer after initial monomer conversion, and optional further processing of the reaction mixture. The homo- and copolymers of alkyl (meth)acrylates obtained by this method as useful in lubricant applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Evonik Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Frank-Olaf Mähling, Maria Stimeier, Thomas Schimmel, Stefan Karl Maier, Sofia Sirak
  • Patent number: 12253061
    Abstract: The invention relates to a drive system for interior wind turbines, consisting of a rotatable tower (5) with a rotor mounted at hub height, the generator (16) being located at the foot of the tower (5) on a drive/generator platform (13) and the rotor torque being transferred from above downwards to the generator (16). Particular requirements are placed on such a drive system as the height of the interior wind turbine increases. A steel-wire-cable-reinforced flat belt (18) is used as a transfer element, the ends of which are joined in a particular way to form an endless belt the pretensioning of which is regulated dependent on the properties of the wind, and automatic monitoring is provided which executes an immediate controlled shut-down of the drive system if damage occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: BEVENTUM GMBH
    Inventor: Horst Bendix
  • Patent number: 12253063
    Abstract: A method includes determining, by a control system, from among a plurality of categories, a current category of an incoming wind approaching a wind turbine, and setting, by the control system, a yaw bias of the wind turbine based on the current category. In some examples, the plurality of categories includes two or more wind conditions, such as a first wind condition in which wind contacting an upper rotor of the wind turbine is veering and wind contacting a lower rotor of the wind turbine is veering, a second wind condition in which the wind contacting the upper rotor of the wind turbine is veering and the wind contacting the lower rotor of the wind turbine is backing, and so on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Jiarong Hong, Linyue Gao
  • Patent number: 12247548
    Abstract: A wind powered turbine is disclosed that comprises two concentric cylinders. The first cylinder is located within the perimeter of the second cylinder. Both the first cylinder and the second cylinder comprise a plurality of blades. The first cylinder and its blades move in response to wind activity. The second cylinder and its blades do not move when the first cylinder and its blades are moving. The curvature of the blades of the first cylinder and the curvature of the blades of the second cylinder are in different directions with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Earth Friendly Energy Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Coan, Joseph Vuotto, Nicola Vuotto, Michael Vuotto, Bogdan Wos
  • Patent number: 12247551
    Abstract: A wind turbine generator (10) includes a tower (12), a nacelle (14) rotatably mounted to the tower (12), the nacelle having a longitudinal axis and being configured to align the longitudinal axis with the direction of the incoming wind during operation of the wind turbine generator (10), one or more heat-generating components (22) housed in the wind turbine generator (10), and a containerized HVAC module (26) mounted on a roof (31) of the nacelle (14) and operably connected to the one or more heat-generating h components (22) for cooling the heat-generating components (22). The module (26) includes a shipping container (30) having a floor (32), a roof (34), a pair opposed longer side walls (36), a pair of opposed shorter end walls (38), and a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis of the shipping container (30) being oriented generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the nacelle (14), the shipping container (30) having at least one heat exchanger (40) therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Jens Demtröder, Torben Ladegaard Baun, Jesper Nyvad
  • Patent number: 12237802
    Abstract: A power generation system includes a rotating body, a generator, a brake circuit, a voltage sensor, and a control device. When rotation speed of the rotating body exceeds a first threshold, the control device executes a brake operation by the brake circuit. When a release condition determined based on at least one of a value of a generated voltage detected by the voltage sensor and the rotation speed of the rotating body is satisfied after the rotation speed of the rotating body is lower than the first threshold, the control device stops the brake operation by the brake circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kouhei Ono
  • Patent number: 12221226
    Abstract: A system and a method for contactless power generation for a lighting arrangement configured on an aircraft propeller. Power is produced when a magnetic field produced by an arrangement of magnets on an airframe magnetically interacts with coils configured on an aircraft propeller. When the propeller spins, rotation of the mounted coils through the magnetic fields of the magnets generate power. Electrical wiring carrying charge from the coils to the lights is laid into grooves formed in propeller blades which connect to lights inserted in formed sockets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Textron Aviation Inc.
    Inventor: Brian T. Cozine
  • Patent number: 12222133
    Abstract: A system and method utilize one or more fans each having fan blades. The fan blades have a desiccant material on an outer surface. The desiccant material is operable to adsorb airborne moisture in an ambient airflow and desorb moisture in a heated airflow. The fan blades are operable to drive one or both of the ambient airflow and heated airflow via rotation of the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi Neelakantan, Michael Benedict, Kathryn F. Murphy, Mahati Chintapalli, Stephen Meckler
  • Patent number: 12218569
    Abstract: A stator segment for an electric machine, in particular for a wind turbine generator is provided, the stator segment including a support structure, a lamination stack, and at least one fastening member for fastening the lamination stack to the support structure, wherein the lamination stack includes a plurality of lamination packets stacked between a drive end and a non-drive end, each lamination packet including a yoke having a plurality of teeth extending radially outwards on one side of the yoke and a connection structure formed at the side opposite the teeth, the connection structure being shaped to engage with the at least one fastening member in such a way that a part of the fastening member extends within the yoke. Furthermore, a stator, a wind turbine and a method of manufacturing are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY A/S
    Inventor: Simon Vyff Jensen
  • Patent number: 12209574
    Abstract: An air-actuated power generating system includes a housing assembly mounted on an air storage device. An air compressor is disposed within the housing assembly and communicates with the air storage device to compress air into pressurized air and to transmit the pressurized air to the air storage device. A vane assembly is disposed on the housing assembly and is connected to the air compressor so as to be rotated by wind to drive operation of the air compressor. An air-actuated motor is connected to the air storage device. A power generator is connected to the air-actuated motor. The air-actuated motor is operable by the pressurized air discharged from the air storage device, thereby driving the power generator to generate electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Inventor: Tien-Ming Chang
  • Patent number: 12208888
    Abstract: A rotary wing aircraft has a body (2), a rotor (3) positioned so as to extend outward from within the body (2) and to rotate about its axis, at least one blade (4) extending outward from the rotor (2) and providing lift and/or thrust force to the body (2) by its movement, at least one outer blade (401) positioned in the blade (4) and providing lift and/or thrust force to the body (2), and at least one mechanism (5) enabling the outer blade (401) to switch from a retracted first position in which the it is almost entirely located in the blade (4) to a second position in which it extends outward from the blade (4) by moving linearly under the influence of the centrifugal force generated during the movement of the rotor (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: TUSAS—TURK HAVACILIK VE UZAY SANAYII ANONIM SIRKETI
    Inventor: Burhan Sahin
  • Patent number: 12209570
    Abstract: The present invention is a wind turbine system with multiple generator modules that maximize the use of the mast of a wind turbine by implementing an electrical generator module with a magnetic assembly. In some embodiments, the system includes a set of blades adapted to rotate on a horizontal axis and coupled to a first rotor. A first generator is coupled to the first rotor and disposed within a housing. The mast of the system extends from the housing and encloses a second generator module. A gearbox module is adapted to engage the first rotor through a first gear shaft and engage the second rotor through a second gear shaft. The gearbox module may be adapted to selectively engage the second generator module when a windspeed exceeds a threshold windspeed. A magnetic assembly disposed within the mast is adapted to induce an electric current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Inventor: Henry Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 12196183
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a cooling control method and a cooling control apparatus for a generator of a wind turbine. A cooling device of the generator and an intermittent operation device are connected to a frequency converter, the frequency converter controls the cooling device and the intermittent operation device to start up at different times, and the cooling control method includes: under a condition that a starting condition of the intermittent operation device is determined to be satisfied, calculating a predicted temperature of the generator; under a condition that the predicted temperature is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold temperature, using the frequency converter to control the intermittent operation device to start up to execute the predetermined related action; and using the frequency converter to control the cooling device to start up to cool the generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: BEIJING GOLDWIND SCIENCE & CREATION WINDPOWER EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Liquan Chen, Liangnian Lv
  • Patent number: 12199436
    Abstract: A micro-power wind-solar hybrid energy harvesting and power generating device including a solar power generation module, a wind power generation module, a control module, an energy storage module, and an accessory structure are provided. The solar power generation module is mainly composed of a solar thin film cell and a corresponding interface control circuit, and the wind power generation module includes a wind-induced vibration structure, a cantilever beam structure, a piezoelectric element, and a corresponding interface control circuit. The solar thin film cell is mounted at a top of the wind-induced vibration structure, and interface control circuits, the energy storage module, etc. are all arranged inside the wind-induced vibration structure. The control module is configured to handle an energy harvesting and power generating algorithm of the wind-solar hybrid power generating device to maximize the power generation quality and the power generation efficiency of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignees: State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd. Research Institute, STATE GRID JIANGSU ELECTRIC POWER CO., LTD., TAIZHOU POWER SUPPLY BRANCH OF STATE GRID JIANGSU ELECTRIC POWER CO., LTD., JIANGSU ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yongling Lu, Zhen Wang, Chengbo Hu, Jinggang Yang, Jun Jia, Guojiang Zhang, Rong Sun, Hui Fu, Rushan Wang, Ting Chen, Nan Yao, Ziquan Liu, Xueqiong Zhu, Hai Xue
  • Patent number: 12199474
    Abstract: A rotor for an electric machine, especially a generator of a direct drive wind turbine, includes a cylindrical rotor housing with several magnet means arranged at the inner housing surface, wherein each magnet means includes several magnet elements arranged in a row parallel to an axis of rotation, wherein the inner housing surface is provided with at least one groove-like recesses extending parallel to the axis of rotation, wherein each recess is covered by the magnet elements of a row, and wherein at least two magnet elements in at least some of the rows are arranged with at least one gap extending in the circumferential direction, which gap communicates with the respective recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY A/S
    Inventors: Ziad Azar, Reza Nilifard
  • Patent number: 12188452
    Abstract: A tower for a wind turbine extending axially along a longitudinal axis of the wind turbine includes a rail attached to an external surface of the tower, the rail providing a guide to which a service trolley is attachable in order to be movable along the rail. The tower includes: a plurality of axially adjacent tower segments, each tower segment extending axially between two axial ends, a respective flange being provided at one or both of the axial ends for connecting the respective tower segment to another tower segment. The rail is provided at the flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY S.L.
    Inventors: Juan Manuel Osorio Martinez, Vicente Señas Perez
  • Patent number: 12180933
    Abstract: A linear network of wind turbine blade arrays has a plurality of wind turbine blade arrays. Each of the wind turbine blade arrays has a frame with a top structure and a bottom structure. The top structure is spaced from the bottom structure with first and second opposite vertical side structures. The top structure includes a top enclosure and the bottom structure includes a bottom enclosure. A plurality of shafts are spaced apart from one another along and extending between the top structure and the bottom structure. Each shaft is configured to rotate about a respective shaft axis within the frame. A blade formation for each shaft is arranged and configured to interact with moving air to cause rotation movement of the respective shaft. At least one generator is operatively connected to at least one shaft. The generator is mounted in one of the top enclosure and bottom enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2024
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Airiva Renewables, Inc.
    Inventor: Joe D Doucet
  • Patent number: 12180927
    Abstract: A linear-motion guiding device is disposed on the wall of the container. The wind turbine includes, at the lower end of the support column, a support-column lower end member capable of being fixed to the linear-motion guiding device. A slider of the linear-motion guiding device is provided with a guide member, and a bolt is inserted through a bolt insertion hole in the support-column lower end member and is screwed into a threaded hole in the guide member. The apparatus includes an attachment guide part including a stepped bolt and a flanged step part, the attachment guide part being configured to guide the support-column lower end member to a position and an attitude in which the bolt insertion hole in the support-column lower end member is aligned with the threaded hole in the guide member when the support-column lower end member is not fixed to the slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryosuke Karasawa
  • Patent number: 12184159
    Abstract: A solar power generation system is provided for more efficiently and cost-effectively generating and delivering power. The solar power generation system includes a plurality of distributed power converter nodes each configured to convert DC power received from a solar module into a deadband DC waveform. The deadband DC power generated by each power converter node is then transmitted to a centralized grid interface box, which is configured to unfold the deadband DC waveform into an AC signal suitable for transmission to an electric power grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Southwire Company, LLC
    Inventors: Charles Hume, David Sykes, Aldo P. Della Sera, Juan Galindo, Andrew M. Pluister, Mark Crosier
  • Patent number: 12176845
    Abstract: A hybrid solar wind power generation device includes a wind-driven module and a solar module drivingly connected with a drive shaft of a power generator. The wind-driven module has a wind-driven blade set drivable by wind power to drive the drive shaft for driving the power generator to generate power. The solar panel set has multiple solar panels arranged at intervals to drive the motor for driving the solar panel and the drive shaft to rotate. Both the wind-driven module and the solar module serve to drive the drive shaft for driving the power generator to generate power. During the process of power generation, the sunlight passes through the hollow sections between the wind-driven blades and the solar panels in rotation and project onto the ground. This improves the shortcoming that the sunlight is blocked from the space under the equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Inventor: Ping-Chun Huang
  • Patent number: 12175171
    Abstract: A method for obtaining an improved transformer design for a power plant, including the steps of defining one or more critical temperatures (?hwnormal, ?hwcontingency, ?h, ?o) in the operation of the transformer, determining a limit (?hw,maxnormal, ?hw,max contingency, ?h,max, ?o,max) for at least one of the critical temperatures and obtaining an adjusted design of the transformer by using a data set of transformer loading, the data set comprising the amount of time (H) at a specific load level (?) for a specific ambient temperature (?a). The method further includes the step of producing a transformer having the adjusted values of the design parameters (??hr, ??or, R, x, y) and/or using a transformer having the adjusted values of the design parameters (??hr, ??or, R, x, y) in the power plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI ENERGY LTD
    Inventors: Tor Laneryd, Sebastian Seier
  • Patent number: 12163774
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are solar-based semi-mobile recharge skids (“solar skids”) for augmenting on-site fixed charging stations and/or mobile recharge stations, as well as for autonomous operation—that is, the solar skids may operate in conjunction with fixed charging stations, mobile recharge stations, both, or neither (i.e., operating independently). These solar skids are able to supply DC power for charging high-power electric-based autonomous vehicles—including providing variable charging power levels if needed—in a relatively short period of time and at relatively low cost. Various implementations are also directed to modular—based solar skids that can be interconnected for even higher levels and greater availability of recharge power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: RENU ROBOTICS CORP.
    Inventors: Tim Alan Matus, Michael Odell Blanton, John Henry Gold
  • Patent number: 12166403
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to electrical machines and methods for cooling active elements of electrical machines. More in particular, the present disclosure relates to generators and methods for cooling adjacent active rotor elements and/or adjacent active stator elements of a generator of a wind turbine, e.g. of a direct drive wind turbine. An electrical machine comprises a rotor including a plurality of active rotor elements, a stator including a plurality of active stator elements, and an air gap separating the active rotor elements and the active stator elements. The electrical machine further comprises a radiation absorber arranged between a first and a second adjacent active rotor elements or between a first and a second adjacent active stator elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Szymon Bañkowski, Sadeo Ramtahal, Julio Cesar Urresty
  • Patent number: 12166399
    Abstract: A high-efficiency, high specific power electric motor/generator for aircraft use provides a cantilevered external rotor removed from load thrust and vibration by an isolator and hearing set between the rotor and stator reducing material demands and weight otherwise required for stiffness to preserve close rotor/stator proximity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Hinetics LLC
    Inventors: Jianqiao Xiao, Kiruba S. Haran
  • Patent number: 12166387
    Abstract: A method for assembling a generator rotor carrying permanent magnets defining a magnetic field and a generator stator defining an armature having a plurality of coils includes moving one or both of the generator rotor and the generator stator towards the other of the generator stator and the generator rotor to generate relative movement between the generator rotor and the generator stator. Simultaneously with the relative movement, the coils of the armature are electrically feed such that circulating currents along the armature create a magnetic field in an opposite direction of the magnetic field created by the permanent magnets to reduce a magnetic attraction between the generator rotor and the generator stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Pablo Pozo Torres, Vincent Teychenne De Blazi, Mikhail Avanesov, Álvaro Francés Pérez, Julio Cesar Urresty, Regis Peron
  • Patent number: 12155218
    Abstract: A battery storage and/or a wind turbine including the battery storage. A generator for generation of an electric current. An electric flow path configured for conducting the electric current to an electric grid via a power converter, the power converter. The battery storage electrically connected to the electric flow path, the battery storage comprising a plurality of battery cells, each battery cell comprising at least one battery element and at least two semiconductor switches. A controller is configured for selectively controlling the voltage over the battery storage by controlling the status of the at least two semiconductor switches of a plurality of the battery cells, and thereby whether a current path through the battery storage is bypassing the at least one battery element or passing through the at least one battery element of one or more of the plurality of battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: KK Wind Solutions A/S
    Inventors: Chris Damgaard, Lorand Bede, Anders Eggert Maarbjerg
  • Patent number: 12152564
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for both consumer and utility scale energy extraction from flow-based energy sources. The passive system may utilize directing perforations on a surface in order to create and air jet vortex generators. Alternatively the system may provide for flow through discrete orifices aligned with the span of an aerodynamic assembly in a co-flow direction, utilizing a Coanda effect. Further additional configurations include directing flow through a perforated surface skin that is near the trailing edge on the suction side. Even further are embodiments for blowing air directly out of the trailing edge of an airfoil. The disclosed systems and methods support a wide variety of scenarios for fluid flow energy extraction, such as wind or water flow, as well as for related products and services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Texas Tech University System
    Inventor: Carsten Hein Westergaard
  • Patent number: 12145698
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for nautical stationkeeping of free-floating objects. In one example, a method includes adjusting translational motion of a body freely floating in water by rotating the body. The translational motion may be adjusted, for instance, to maintain the body within a geographic area. In certain examples, the adjustment of the translational motion may be realized via a Magnus effect induced by rotating the body. The body may be configured as, for example, a free-floating object such as a wave engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Lone Gull Holdings, Ltd.
    Inventors: Grzegorz Filip, Bradley Beeksma
  • Patent number: 12149132
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a generator segment of a segmented generator, in particular of a permanently excited segmented rotary generator, of a wind turbine, comprising a rotor segment of a rotor, and a stator segment of a stator, wherein the rotor segment and the stator segment in an operation position are disposed so as to be mutually spaced apart in a radial direction by an air gap, and are disposed so as to be mutually spaced apart in an axial direction by an axial spacing; wherein the rotor segment and the stator segment are able to be disposed and/or displaced relative to one another along a rotation axis by the axial spacing, between an operation position and a transport position that is different from the operation position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: WOBBEN PROPERTIES GMBH
    Inventors: Manuel Feith, Wojciech Giengiel, Stephan Jöckel, Alexander Philipp, Sebastian Bauer, Lars Fischer, Wilko Gudewer, Andreas Recktenwald
  • Patent number: 12145472
    Abstract: An airflow charging system and vehicle include a turbine, a driveline pulley and a driving belt, a main charging pulley and a charging belt, a processor, and a memory. The turbine is configured to rotate the driveline pulley, and the driveline pulley is operably connected to an electric motor. The main charging pulley is operably connected to the electric motor, and rotation of the main charging pulley is configured to charge a battery. The battery provides power to the electric motor. The memory includes instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to receive a first signal indicating that the vehicle is in motion, operate the electric motor to rotate the turbine, receive a second signal from the vehicle indicating a vehicle speed, and, if the vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed, stop operating the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Vela De Vento Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua M. Sardina
  • Patent number: 12143058
    Abstract: An a arrangement for controlling a DC-link-voltage of a DC-link connected between a generator side converter portion and a utility grid side converter portion of a wind turbine includes: a generalized predictive control module adapted: to receive as control module input values a current value of the DC-link-voltage and a reference value of the DC-link-voltage and to derive a reference value of a DC current based on the control module input values, the reference value of a DC current defining the DC current to be injected into the DC-link, wherein the arrangement is adapted to control the generator side converter portion and/or the utility grid side converter portion based on the reference value of the DC current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
    Inventors: Nuno Miguel Amaral Freire, Tao Wang, Zi-Qiang Zhu
  • Patent number: 12140120
    Abstract: Provided is a method for operating a wind turbine having a generator and a rotor with rotor blades. The method includes generating electrical power from wind using the generator, using a first part of the generated power as an auxiliary component for supplying auxiliary devices of the turbine used for operating the turbine, where the auxiliary component varies up to a limit. The method includes feeding a second part of the generated electrical power into a grid as a feed-in component, checking the grid for a grid fault that does not allow feeding power into the grid and continuing the operation of the turbine when the fault is detected. The generation of power from wind is reduced to a cut-back power that corresponds to the limit the auxiliary component for operating the auxiliary devices is used from the cut-back power and remaining residual power of the cut-back power is consumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: WOBBEN PROPERTIES GMBH
    Inventors: Ingo Mackensen, Kai Busker, Stefan Gertjegerdes
  • Patent number: 12129824
    Abstract: A method of installing an offshore wind turbine includes the step of raising a full-length tower for the offshore wind turbine by moving it longitudinally from a container in a substructure, the substructure being a support structure for the wind turbine, wherein the substructure is arranged with a container configured for housing a tower for the wind turbine substantially in its entirety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Grant Prideco, Inc.
    Inventors: Oddvar Høydal, Thor Lars Ludvig Strand, Boro Barjaktarovic
  • Patent number: 12129825
    Abstract: A controller is provided for a floating wind turbine including a rotor with a number of rotor blades connected to a generator. The controller includes an active damping controller for calculating one or more outputs for damping both a first motion of the floating wind turbine in a first frequency range and a second motion of the floating wind turbine in a second frequency range based on an input of the first motion and an input of the second motion, The controller is arranged to calculate an output for controlling a blade pitch of one or more of the rotor blades and/or for controlling a torque of the generator based on an actual rotor speed, a target rotor speed, and the one or more outputs from the active damping controller such that both the first motion and the second motion will be damped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: EQUINOR ENERGY AS
    Inventor: Bjørn Skaare
  • Patent number: 12128995
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed herein for minimizing movement of an offshore wind turbine. Using the technologies described, a wind turbine may be mounted on a marine platform that is constructed and deployed to reduce environmental loads (e.g., wind, waves, . . . ) on the platform in both shallow and deep water. In some configurations, a fully restrained platform (FRP) is configured to support a wind turbine. According to some examples, moorings are attached to the FRP and/or the structure of the wind turbine structure to reduce movement in six degrees of freedom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Entrion Wind, Inc.
    Inventors: Eivind Johnsen, Li Lee
  • Patent number: 12123405
    Abstract: An arrangement including a transmission, a feedthrough tube, and a fixing means is disclosed. A fixing means is disclosed whereby the feedthrough tube is fixed in the transmission. The fixing means includes an electrical non-conductor. Arrangements are disclosed in which the feedthrough tube is fixed axially and immovably in the fixing means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignees: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG, ZF WIND POWER ANTWERPEN N.V., VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S'
    Inventors: Wim De Laet, Stijn Rottiers
  • Patent number: 12123400
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to controlling an operation of a wind turbine. A first plurality of extreme load measures indicative of extreme loads experienced by at least part of the wind turbine during the first period of time are determined and a load probability characteristic is then determined based on a statistical analysis of the distribution of the first plurality of extreme load measures. A control strategy for controlling the operation of the wind turbine is then modified based at least in part on a comparison of the load probability characteristic and a design load limit and the wind turbine is then subsequently controlled in accordance with the modified control strategy for a second period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEM A/S
    Inventors: Anders Steen Nielsen, Søren Hove Sørensen, Tobias Gybel Hovgaard
  • Patent number: 12116971
    Abstract: Provided is a power generation system including a wave power generator that can be configured in a simple manner. The power generation system 1 includes: a power generation unit including a wave power generator 11; a power storage unit 40 accumulating electric power obtained by the power generation unit; a production unit 51 producing at least one of hydrogen and an organic hydride based on the electric power obtained by the power storage unit; and a tank 53 located below compared to the wave power generator 11 and storing at least one of the hydrogen and the organic hydride obtained by the production unit 51.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: TATSUMI RYOKI CO., LTD
    Inventors: Toyoshi Kondo, Nobuhide Hamano
  • Patent number: 12118275
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for determining a wind turbine layout in a wind power plant comprising a plurality of wind turbines. The method comprises the steps of generating a plurality of random layout candidates fulfilling a set of basic requirements, and then performing a pre screening process on each of the plurality of random layout candidates. Based on the pre-screening process, a subset of layout candidates is selected and detailed optimization is performed on the layout candidates of the selected subset of layout candidates. Based on the detailed optimization, an optimized layout for the wind power plant is selected among the optimized layout candidates of the subset of layout candidates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventor: Juan Pablo Murcia
  • Patent number: 12110858
    Abstract: Provided is a marine current energy generating device for a deep sea cage. The marine current energy generating device includes a vortex vibration generating portion, where the vortex vibration generating portion is used for generating vortex vibration on a side facing away from a marine current; power generating portions, where several nano friction generators are arranged in the power generating portions, and the several nano friction generators generate power by using the vortex vibration generated by the vortex vibration generating portion and are electrically connected to each other; a guide portion, where the guide portion is used for making the vortex vibration generating portion perpendicular to a direction of the marine current all the time; and corrosion protection assemblies, where the corrosion protection assemblies are arranged at joints of the vortex vibration generating portion to the power generating portions and the guide portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2024
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: GUANGDONG OCEAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Qing Xu, Haowei Li, Yingpeng Cai, Weibin Xu, Xiaojia Fang
  • Patent number: 12110871
    Abstract: The segments of a segmented wind turbine rotor blade are screwed together at respective connection ends via a plurality of connecting bolts. Sleeve-shaped pressure pieces are arranged between the rotor blade segments, each of which is mounted on a connecting bolt. A plurality of first metal sheets is provided, each first metal sheet being arranged between a respective connection end and several pressure pieces, so that an electrically conductive connection is formed between several pressure pieces via a first metal sheet. The first metal sheets, which are associated with the first connection end, are each arranged along the circumference of the rotor blade offset from the first metal sheets, which are associated with the second connection end. Further, a metal sheet for a segmented wind turbine rotor blade is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Nordex Energy SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Lipka, Gerald Festner, Benedikt Haspel
  • Patent number: 12110875
    Abstract: The invention refers to a combined power generator for near shore area wherein on a support frame are mounted, at the base a vertical wave turbine coupled by a ratchet coupling to a wind turbine coupled in its turn by a speed raising coupling to an electric generator and above a photovoltaic platform with solar tracking system, with bi-facial photovoltaic panels, with a system of mirrors for the reflection of light on the back of the bi-facial photovoltaic panels, a hybrid controller and an inverter for taking over the electricity from the electric generator and the photovoltaic panels respectively and the transformation to the corresponding parameters for sending into the electrical network. By placing the three convertors vertically the energy efficiency on the surface unit in near-shore areas increase. Other advantages of the installation are: constructive simplicity, low price of construction, maintenance and operation, wave breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Inventor: Nicolae Ghinda
  • Patent number: 12107521
    Abstract: A piezoelectric power generator includes a stiff segment having a plurality of piezoelectric elements. A flexible segment extends from the stiff segment, and a shape memory element is incorporated into the flexible segment to control its stiffness. A network of capillary-like tubes are also integrated into the flexible segment to control its density (mass). The proposed design optimizes the performance of the piezoelectric wind energy generator under high-speed conditions by controlling mass and stiffness of the flexible segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2024
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: KING FAISAL UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Hussain Altammar
  • Patent number: 12104579
    Abstract: A canopy for a direct drive wind turbine is provided. The canopy includes an interface section configured for mechanically coupling the canopy to a generator, wherein the interface section includes at least one outlet configured to receive cooling fluid exhausted by the generator and eject the received cooling fluid. A wind turbine including such a canopy is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
    Inventors: Simon Vyff Jensen, Morten Lauridsen Jensen
  • Patent number: 12104572
    Abstract: A semi-submersible floating wind power generator includes a wind power generator set, a post device, a load carrying device and a mooring device. The wind power generator set is disposed at a first end of the post device. The load carrying device is disposed at a second end of the post device. The mooring device is disposed at the second end of the post device. The post device includes a main post and multiple auxiliary posts. The main post is disposed in parallel with the multiple auxiliary posts, and second ends of the multiple auxiliary posts are aligned such that the second ends of the multiple auxiliary posts form a first plane, and the second end of the main post is disposed at a position closer to the first end of the main post than the first plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: SHANGHAI JIAO TONG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yanping He, Yongsheng Zhao, Zhe Chen, Yadong Liu, Chao Huang, Jie Yang, Haoyu Wu, Mingzhi Li, Xiaoli Gu