With Control Means Responsive To Non-cyclic Condition Sensing, Centrifugal Actuation, Torque Or Thrust Patents (Class 416/31)
  • Patent number: 11965484
    Abstract: There is presented a method for damping an edgewise vibration of a rotor blade of a wind turbine, wherein the method comprises measuring at the rotor blade a motion parameter of the edgewise rotor blade vibration, generating based on said motion parameter a blade pitch angle control signal, and damping the edgewise vibration of the rotor blade by pitching the rotor blade according to the blade pitch angle control signal, wherein the blade pitch angle control signal is arranged so that a resulting force on a rotor blade pitched according to the blade pitch angle control signal, in a direction of the edgewise vibration of the rotor blade in a coordinate system, which rotates with a rotor of the wind turbine, is opposite and proportional to the edgewise rotor blade vibration velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Fabio Caponetti, Claus Thy Henningsen, Robert Grøn-Stevens
  • Patent number: 11965579
    Abstract: Provided is a wind turbine, including a tower and a damper module, especially a slosh damper module arranged in the tower, which damper module includes a frame with at least two elongated first frame ends at one side of the frame and at least two elongated second frame ends at the opposite side of the frame, which first and second frame ends are fixed to first and second fixation elements arranged at an inner wall of the tower, wherein the first frame ends are immovably fixed to the fixation elements while the second frame ends are fixed sliding relative to the fixation elements, wherein the first and second fixation elements are first and second plates fixed to the and extending horizontal from the inner wall, on which the first and second frame ends comprising flat support areas rest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY A/S
    Inventors: Upendra Kumar, Adam Lord, Madhup Tiwari, Christian Vogelsang
  • Patent number: 11965486
    Abstract: A wind park with wind turbines and airborne wind energy systems where a first zone and a second zone is defined for at least one of the airborne wind energy systems such that the risk of collision between apart of that airborne wind energy systems and a part of one of the wind turbines is higher when the airborne unit of that airborne wind energy system is in the second zone than when it is in the first zone, and different control parameters are applied to the control of at least one of the wind turbine and the airborne wind energy system depending on the position of the airborne unit relative to the defined zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Thomas S. Bjertrup Nielsen, Torben Ladegaard Baun
  • Patent number: 11866180
    Abstract: An example hybrid aircraft propulsion system includes one or more power units configured to output electrical energy onto one or more electrical busses; a plurality of propulsors; and a plurality of electrical machines, each respective electrical machine configured to drive a respective propulsor of the plurality of propulsors using electrical energy received from at least one of the one or more electrical busses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Andrew Long
  • Patent number: 11739734
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for determining fatigue loads in a wind turbine. Such a method may comprise obtaining operational metadata representative for an operational situation, and determining whether the operational metadata corresponds to operational metadata from one of a plurality of previously defined operational situations for which fatigue loads are known, the plurality of previously defined operational situations being stored in an operational situations database. If the operational metadata representative for the operational situation substantially corresponds to operational metadata from the stored previous operational situation, then the fatigue loads for the stored previously define operational situation are summed to historically accumulated fatigue loads to determine total accumulated fatigue loads. Methods for registering an operational situation in a wind turbine are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Ganesh Neogi, Arne Scheunemann
  • Patent number: 11732691
    Abstract: A method of masking wind turbine noise from a wind turbine. Masking noise is generated to produce resultant noise with a modulation depth which is less than a modulation depth of the wind turbine noise and an average level which is greater than an average level of the wind turbine noise. The masking noise is either un-modulated masking noise with a substantially constant level, or amplitude-modulated masking noise which is phase-shifted relative to the wind turbine noise and has a modulation depth which is less than the modulation depth of the wind turbine noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Erik Sloth
  • Patent number: 11731757
    Abstract: An aircraft uses trajectory-based control algorithms for blade pitch (or twist). This approach greatly enhances the ability of the actuator to accurately achieve the desired blade pitch and to track the commanded pitch position. An actuator includes an electronic rotor blade controller that converts communicated or desired changes in pitch (or similar parameter) to actual physical effects that match the desired changes as closely as possible. The controller preferably includes a motor drive circuit, such as an h-bridge, a communication circuit for connection to external commands, and a processor with associated enabling circuitry (e.g. memory, I/O) to coordinate and implement the control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas Karl Berger, David Wade Milanes, James Stewart Robertson
  • Patent number: 11639712
    Abstract: Described is a system for monitoring deflection of turbine blades of a wind turbine comprising a tower. The system comprises a position detecting apparatus mounted to the wind turbine, the position detection apparatus comprising position detection components each detecting a presence or absence of a corresponding one of the segments of the turbine blades; and a deflection controller configured to receive the presence or absence detection and to use the presence or absence detection to determine a distance of each of the segments of the turbine blades relative to the tower, whereby the distance of each of the segments of the turbine blades relative to the tower is representative of the deflection of the turbine blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignees: INSTITUT NATIONAL D'OPTIQUE, INNERGEX INC.
    Inventors: Vincent David, Daniel Cantin, Robert Guillemette, Jonathan Cloutier
  • Patent number: 11629695
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind turbine wherein a parameter for a wind hitting the wind turbine is determined from present values for the generator speed and/or the wind speed at each point in time (t). A temporal change variable is formed for the parameter at each point in time (t). For the temporal change variables, which occurred in a past time interval, the third and/or fourth statistical moment is calculated for a distribution of the temporal change values in the time interval. If at least one of the statistical moments exceeds a predetermined value, then a detection signal is set for an extreme gust, which triggers one or both of the steps: increasing a setpoint value for the blade pitch angle starting from an actual value thereof, and reducing a setpoint value for the generator speed starting from an actual value thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Nordex Energy SE & Co. KG
    Inventor: Michael Niss
  • Patent number: 11549486
    Abstract: A method is provided for monitoring a pitch control system for a rotor blade of a wind turbine. The method comprises a step of receiving a blade pitch signal representative of a pitch position of the rotor blade, a step of determining a pitch deviation, based on the blade pitch signal and a blade pitch reference. If the determined pitch deviation exceeds a first pitch deviation threshold, a pitch deviation variable is increased by an amount that depends on the determined pitch deviation, the first pitch deviation threshold, and a duration of a time period during which the determined pitch deviation has been exceeding the first pitch deviation threshold. An error signal is provided when the increased pitch deviation variable exceeds a pitch deviation variable threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Christian Jeppesen, Silvia Estelles Martinez
  • Patent number: 11359604
    Abstract: A system for a wind park including: a control system in communication with a plurality of unmanned air vehicles, wherein the control system is configured to deploy one or more unmanned air vehicles during a triggering condition; and wherein the deployed unmanned air vehicles are guided towards an assigned wind turbine and to interact with a blade of that wind turbine in order to control oscillation of the blade. The invention also embraces a method for reducing blade oscillations of a wind turbine, comprising: monitoring for a triggering condition associated with the wind turbine; on detecting the triggering condition, deploying unmanned air vehicles towards a wind turbine and interacting with a blade of the wind turbine using the unmanned air to control oscillation of the blade. The invention therefore provides an efficient approach to controlling blade oscillations with minimal human operator involvement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Gunnar K. Storgaard Pedersen, Ivar J. B. K. Jensen, Gerner Larsen, Christian Skov Frederiksen, Klaus Lynge Petersen
  • Patent number: 11104429
    Abstract: An aircraft rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade rotatable about an axis of rotation and a weighted assembly mounted to the aircraft rotor blade. The weighted assembly includes an actuator which moves a mass to adjust a moment of the rotor blade assembly when the rotor blade is rotated about the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eric Dunn
  • Patent number: 10960974
    Abstract: The present embodiments disclose a torque dependent and resonant operating thrust-generating rotor assembly including a cyclic pitch control system for controlling tilting moments about a longitudinal rotor blade axis of one or more rotor blades, in order to control the pitch angle of the rotor blades and thereby also the horizontal movements of a helicopter vehicle or a rotary wing aircraft. A rotor torque assembly of the rotor assembly is further configured to operate in resonance, thereby providing a resonant gain effecting a rotational offset in relation to changes in torque generated by the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: FLIR Unmanned Aerial Systems AS
    Inventors: Petter Muren, Trygve Frederik Marton, Ivar Johnsrud, Pal Hagh Sandberg, Christian Moengen, Jo Eyvin Bjaarstad
  • Patent number: 10655493
    Abstract: An arrangement for detecting a shaft break, including a shaft and a reference shaft that can be rotated together with the shaft, wherein an opening in the shaft overlaps with an opening in the reference shaft in an operational state of the shaft according to the intended use, and a signal conductor that can be severed extends through the two openings and is operatively connected to an evaluation unit, and the evaluation unit is configured to detect a severing of the signal conductor by applying a signal to the signal conductor to detect a shaft break of the shaft. The invention further relates to a turbomachine and a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventor: Rudolf Lueck
  • Patent number: 10396695
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method for protecting an electrical power system connected to a power grid. The electrical power system includes at least one cluster of electrical power subsystems. Each of the electrical power subsystems defines a stator power path and a converter power path for providing power to the power grid. The converter power path includes a partial power transformer. The electrical power system further includes a subsystem switch configured with each of the electrical power subsystems and a cluster transformer connecting each cluster of electrical power subsystems to the power grid. A cluster switch is configured with the cluster transformer. A controller is communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of electrical power subsystems. Thus, the controller monitors the electrical power system for faults, and if a fault is detected in the cluster, sends, via one of the subsystem switches or the power converters, a block signal to the cluster switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Govardhan Ganireddy, John Leo Bollenbecker, Rajni Burra, Robert Gregory Wagoner, Anthony Michael Klodowski
  • Patent number: 10252813
    Abstract: A method of assisting the piloting of an aircraft, such as a helicopter, includes determining a limiting power margin of a power plant of the aircraft relative to a power limit at an operating rating of an engine of the power plant. The limiting power margin is transformed into a collective pitch margin for the operating rating. The collective pitch margin represents the margin between a current collective pitch of blades of a main rotor of the aircraft and a collective pitch limit of the blades of the main rotor. The collective pitch limit is determined and then displayed on a display of the aircraft for a pilot to view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
    Inventors: Didier Casolaro, Gregory Abbas
  • Patent number: 10161383
    Abstract: Methods of operating a variable speed wind turbine as a function of a wind speed, the wind turbine having a rotor with a plurality of blades, and one or more pitch mechanisms for rotating the blades. The method comprising a sub-nominal zone of operation for wind speeds below the nominal wind speed and a supra-nominal zone of operation for wind speeds above the nominal wind speed. In the supra-nominal zone, the blades are pitched so as to maintain the rotor speed substantially constant, and a tip speed ratio of the wind turbine is substantially continuously being determined and wherein an instantaneous minimum pitch angle is substantially continuously being determined based on the instantaneous tip speed ratio, and the blades are never pitched below the instantaneous minimum pitch angle. The disclosure further relates to a wind turbine suitable for carrying out such methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: GE RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES WIND B.V.
    Inventor: Isaac Pineda Amo
  • Patent number: 10030630
    Abstract: A method for controlling a wind turbine during shutdown is disclosed, said wind turbine comprising a rotor carrying at least three wind turbine blades adapted to be pitched individually. A first shutdown strategy is initially selected, and subsequently a second shutdown strategy is selected, the second shutdown strategy ensuring alignment of the pitch angles of the wind turbine blades. The time for switching from the first shutdown strategy to the second shutdown strategy is calculated on the basis of a misalignment of the pitch angles, and in order to align the pitch angles before an estimated point in time where the pitch angles must be aligned, in order to avoid excessive asymmetric loads on the wind turbine blades and/or on the rotor. According to an alternative embodiment, the first shutdown strategy includes moving the wind turbine blades towards a feathered position at identical pitch rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventor: Keld Hammerum
  • Patent number: 9677545
    Abstract: A locking arrangement includes at least a rotatable part, a stationary part with respect to the first part, and a locking member having locking protrusions. At least one working plane passing through the locking protrusions is defined in a locking position where compression forces are concentrated which are reaction forces to external forces tending to rotate the parts relative to each other. The parts have locking protrusions defining gaps for receiving the locking protrusions in the locking position for preventing the parts from being rotated to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: ALSTOM Renewable Technologies
    Inventor: Santiago Claramunt Estecha
  • Patent number: 9652839
    Abstract: A ground based wind turbine blade inspection system and method consists of a thermal imaging camera configured to detect propagating defects by acquiring thermal imaging data from a wind turbine blade when it is substantially at thermal equilibrium with respect to surrounding air and analyzing the thermal imaging data with a processor to identify thermal effects associated with latent defects caused by internal friction due to cyclic gravitational stresses and wind loads during normal turbine operation. The system permits latent defects to be identified using a ground-based in situ inspection before they become visually apparent, which allows repairs to be made economically while the blade is in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: DIGITAL WIND SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: John W. Newman
  • Patent number: 9644614
    Abstract: A lightning protection system for a wind turbine with a tower, a nacelle, a blade hub and a blade attached to the blade hub is provided. The lightning protection system includes an inner conductor inside the blade, an outer conductor arranged outside the blade and in electrical communication with the inner conductor, a collecting conductor arranged at the front end of the nacelle and in electrical communication with the outer conductor and a down-conductor connected to ground and in electrical communication with the collecting conductor. The outer conductor and the collecting conductor have substantially a same distance to the rotational axis. Further, a wind turbine with such a lightning protection system is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Kaj Olsen
  • Patent number: 9476312
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a hub configured to couple to a mast, a grip configured to couple to the hub and a rotor blade, a pitch actuator coupled to the grip and configured to change a pitch of the rotor blade relative to the mast, and a delta-3 restraint coupled to the pitch actuator, wherein the delta-3 restraint is fixed relative to the mast. An apparatus comprising a hub configured to couple to a mast, a grip configured to couple to the hub and a rotor blade, a pitch actuator coupled to the grip and configured to change a pitch of the rotor blade relative to the mast, and a delta-3 restraint coupled to the pitch actuator, wherein the delta-3 restraint is configured to control the pitch of the blade relative to the mast when the pitch actuator fails, and wherein the delta-3 restraint provides an instantaneous blade pitch-flap coupling response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Foskey, Frank B. Stamps
  • Patent number: 9334852
    Abstract: A lightning protection system for a wind turbine with a tower, a nacelle, a blade hub and a blade attached to the blade hub is provided. The lightning protection system includes an inner conductor inside the blade, an outer conductor arranged outside the blade and in electrical communication with the inner conductor, a collecting conductor arranged at the front end of the nacelle and in electrical communication with the outer conductor and a down-conductor connected to ground and in electrical communication with the collecting conductor. The outer conductor and the collecting conductor have substantially a same distance to the rotational axis. Further, a wind turbine with such a lightning protection system is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Kaj Olsen
  • Patent number: 9147013
    Abstract: A wireless sensor module for use in a wireless sensor network. The sensor module collects sensor data in a periodic manner with a first time period. The sensor data is logged in a non-volatile ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) within the sensor module. The sensor module is placed in a reduced power idle mode between sensor data collection periods, wherein the logged sensor data is preserved by the FRAM during the idle mode. A representation of the logged sensor data is transmitted over a radio channel to a remote receiver in a periodic manner with a second time period, wherein the second time period is longer than the first time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rafael A. Mena, Arun Vellore Chandramouli Kumar
  • Patent number: 9051921
    Abstract: A lightning rod system for wind turbine blades formed by various connections set up on carbon fiber laminates on the blade, equipotentializing the surface of the flanges of the beam through the deviations of a primary cable with the respective auxiliary cables, carried out with the use of a device having terminals that are connected between the ends of the cited auxiliary cable on the connection between the carbon laminates and the conductor cable or primary cable and which has elevated inductance so that it reduces the passage of current across the carbon laminate and favors the conduction through the metal cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: GAMESA INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY, S.L.
    Inventors: Ion Arocena De La Rua, Eneko Sanz Pascual
  • Publication number: 20150147174
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, apparatus and computer program products for coordinating the control of a floating wind turbine (101) between a wind turbine controller (111) and a platform controller (110). One or more wind turbine control systems and/or one or more platform control systems may be altered based on 102 said coordinated control of said floating wind turbine (101).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: MHI VESTAS OFFSHORE WIND A/S
    Inventors: Ian Couchman, Robert Bowyer
  • Publication number: 20150139797
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, apparatus and computer program products for controlling a wind turbine that comprises a nacelle and one or more turbine blades to reduce or prevent edgewise vibrations building up on the one or more turbine blades. It is identified 202 whether the nacelle is unable to yaw to an upwind position and initiating a corrective action 203 to prevent edgewise vibrations building up on the one or more turbine blades if the nacelle is unable to yaw to an upwind position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Kenneth Tougaard Simonsen, Paw Rosenvard, David Steele
  • Patent number: 9033662
    Abstract: A control apparatus C of a horizontal axis wind turbine apparatus WTG calculates the value en of a pitch angle command for each blade based on the rate of change ?D of the azimuth angle ? of a Nacelle N and the rotor azimuth angle of the blades B1, B2 and B3, causes the rotor R to generated torque around the yaw axis by periodically controlling the angle change of the pitch angle of the blades B1, B2 and B3, and using that torque, controls the rate of change of the azimuth angle of the nacelle N. The value of that angle change is calculated as a value that increases as the inputted value of the rate of the change ?D increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeo Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9014863
    Abstract: A control system may be used for rotor blade control. The control system comprises a number of turbulence sensors provided across the surface of a wind turbine blade. The control system monitors the turbulence sensors and when turbulent airflow is detected controls an aerodynamic parameter of the blades. In one embodiment, the parameter is the pitch of the rotor blades. This means that stall-like blade conditions can be avoided, and power generation from the wind turbine can be optimized. The control system may also use measurements of output power to be considered in combination with the turbulence based measurements to add a higher level of responsiveness and precise control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Ib Olesen
  • Publication number: 20150104307
    Abstract: One example of an actuation system for an active blade element of a rotor blade includes an actuator system coupled to a linear transmission system. The actuator system attaches to a structure within a rotor blade and provides a linear motion in a direction that is spanwise to the rotor blade. The linear transmission system is coupled with the actuator system and to an active blade element attached to the rotor blade. The linear transmission system receives the linear motion provided by the actuator system, and responsively provides at least a partial rotation of the active blade element about an axis of the linear transmission system which is in the direction that is substantially parallel to the spanwise axis of the rotor blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Christopher Foskey, Frank B. Stamps
  • Patent number: 9004862
    Abstract: A control system for calibrating a wind turbine sensor placed on a component of a wind turbine and related methods are disclosed. The wind turbine includes a rotor having at least one wind turbine blade. The method comprises pitching one or more of the at least one of the wind turbine blades according to a predetermined pitch movement which induces a vibratory motion in the at least one turbine blade. A wind turbine sensor measures a vibratory response signal at least partly caused by the vibratory motion. A characteristic sensor response value is determined from the vibratory response signal. The characteristic sensor response value may be compared to a predetermined sensor calibration parameter to determine whether a difference is greater than a predefined tolerance parameter. In this manner, the wind turbine sensor may be calibrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Erik Carl Lehnskov Miranda
  • Publication number: 20150093243
    Abstract: A wind turbine including a rotor, a nacelle, a support structure for the nacelle and at least one wind sensing apparatus mounted on the support structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Marc CANAL VILA, Jordi ARMET UNZETA
  • Patent number: 8951011
    Abstract: According to the inventive concept, there is provided a wind turbine with at least one blade. The wind turbine comprises a first accelerometer mounted at a first radial position of the blade and being adapted to determine a first acceleration value, and a second accelerometer mounted at a second radial position of the blade different from the first radial position, and the accelerometer being adapted to determine a second acceleration value. The wind turbine further comprises a controller adapted to generate a signal based on said first and second acceleration values. There is also provided a method for monitoring a blade of a wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Xiao Qian Li, Ingemann Hvas Sandvad, Srikanth Narasimalu
  • Publication number: 20150030448
    Abstract: The rotor blades of a wind turbine each have a plurality of fibre-optic pressure variation sensors which can detect the onset of a stall condition. The output of the stall condition sensors is input to a stall count circuit which increases a stall count signal each time a stall indication is received. The stall count signal is decayed exponentially over time and the current signal is summed with the decayed signal from a previous sampling period to form a value from which a stall margin is determined. An ?:? curve of tip speed to wind speed ratio ? against pitch angle reference ? is then determined from the stall margin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Asger Svenning Andersen, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Jacob Krogh Kristoffersen, Ib Svend Olesen, Jonas Romblad
  • Publication number: 20140377065
    Abstract: Method for controlling a wind turbine, comprising the steps of determining a boundary layer profile of the wind coming towards the wind turbine, determining the wind velocity at a predetermined height based on the boundary layer profile, and operating the wind turbine to maintain the emitted noise below a predetermined noise level when the wind velocity at the predetermined height is below a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventor: Alvaro Matesanz
  • Publication number: 20140377066
    Abstract: A portable airborne wind-energy power conversion system, alone or in a modular array, wherein each portable airborne system comprises tethered airship, hydrogen generation system, hydrogen recovery system, and control system, wherein the tethered airship comprises a self-inflating horizontal-axis wind turbine rotor, an electrical generator, a self-inflating aerodynamic shroud surrounding the wind turbine rotor, and stabilizing fins, wherein the aerodynamic shroud has the geometry of a wind concentrator and diffuser in fluid communication with the wind turbine rotor that is located in the narrowest section of the shroud between the concentrator and diffuser sections of said shroud, wherein the airship is additionally self-deflating and the entire system is collapsible into a volume less than one tenth of its original size, so that the portable airborne system can be easily transported, stored, or relocated, wherein the system can continue to produce usable power, even during the process of self-deflation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventor: Alexander Anatoliy Anderson
  • Publication number: 20140363292
    Abstract: A method of estimating an amount of undesired loading experienced by at least a portion of a structure (100) is provided. The structure (100) may be, for example, a wind turbine generator (WTG) and the portion for which undesired loading is estimated may be, for example, a rotor (130) of the WTG. The method includes receiving a first signal characterizing instantaneous stress experienced by a component (140) of the structure (100) and filtering out at least a portion of the received first signal that corresponds to the desired loading experienced by the component to produce a first filtered signal. The amount of undesired loading experienced by the at least a portion of the structure (100) is estimated based at least partially on the first filtered signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Soren Dalsgaard, Asger Svenning Andersen, Lars Risager
  • Publication number: 20140219797
    Abstract: The present invention relates a wind turbine comprising a wind turbine tower with a nacelle provided on the top to which a rotor hub with one or more wind turbine blades is rotatably mounted so that they form a rotor plane. A floating foundation having a upper section is mounted to the bottom of the wind turbine tower, wherein the foundation has a buoyant body configured to be installed at an offshore position having a water depth of about 40 m or more. The wind turbine blade comprises an inner blade section coupled to an outer blade section by a pitch junction in which a pitch mechanism is coupled to a pitch control system configured to regulate the pitch of the outer blade section relative to the inner blade section at wind speeds above a first wind speed. This allows the pitching to be used to counteract the tilting of the wind turbine caused by the different thrusts acting on the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: ENVISION ENERGY (DENMARK) APS
    Inventors: Michael FRIEDRICH, Anders Varming REBSDORF
  • Publication number: 20140193257
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an acoustic noise monitoring system for a wind turbine, comprising: a microphone for monitoring acoustic noise, the microphone adapted to be mounted to the exterior of a wind turbine nacelle; an input, the input adapted to receive operating conditions data from a wind turbine; a processor, the processor adapted to receive data from the microphone and the input; and storage memory, adapted to store the acoustic noise data and the operating conditions data. The processor is adapted to apply a transfer function to said acoustic noise data to correlate said data with a set of acoustic noise data measured at a remote location from the wind turbine. The system may comprise a controller adapted to generate a control signal, for outputting to a wind turbine controller, for adjusting the operating parameters of the wind analyser turbine in dependence on said correlated data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Frank Ormel, Bryan Edwards
  • Patent number: 8764393
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind power plant (WEA) before or during the performance of maintenance work on the wind power plant (WEA). At least one physical condition of the surroundings outside the wind power plant (WEA) induced by wind movement outside the wind power plant (WEA) is detected as an external physical condition. At least one physical condition of a component of the wind power plant (WEA) influenced by wind movement outside the wind power plant (WEA) is detected as an internal physical condition. The at least one external physical condition and/or at least one internal physical condition are evaluated. The at least one external physical condition is compared with a predetermined reference value for the external physical condition. The at least one internal physical condition is compared with a predetermined reference value for the internal physical condition. Depending on the comparison, at least one warning message is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Senvion SE
    Inventors: Martin Von Mutius, Jens Altemark, Alf Trede
  • Publication number: 20140178197
    Abstract: A method of controlling a wind turbine comprising blades attached to a rotor hub for rotation in a rotor plane and a control system for individually pitching the blades relative to the hub. The method comprises dividing the rotor plane into a number of sectors, determining the individual sectors for each blade during the rotation by means of an azimuth angle sensor, and obtaining blade sensor data from a blade sensor on an individual blade relating to a sector, and comparing the obtained data with data relating to the same sector and representing blade sensor data on other blades. When an event is detected in a given sector, an individual pitch contribution is determined in the sector, and the blades are then pitched according to this individual pitch contribution for that given sector at least partly during passage of the sector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Lars Risager, Søren Dalsgaard, Jacob Krogh Kristoffersen, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Søren Sørensen, Asger Svenning Andersen
  • Publication number: 20140169967
    Abstract: Methods and devices are described for reducing the torque and the level of vibration on a helicopter rotor blade by maintaining a constant lift and constant (low) drag on each section of the blade throughout the entire revolution. A rotor system includes a trackway defining a continuous travel circuit, truck members operatively coupled with the trackway wherein the truck members are selectively translatable along the travel circuit, prime movers operatively coupled with the truck member for selectively moving the truck members along the travel circuit, elongate rotor blades having proximal ends operatively coupled with the truck members and opposite free distal ends wherein the rotor blades are carried with the truck members along the travel circuit thereby generating an upward force for lifting associated load-carrying vehicles. The methods and apparatus allow the rotor blades and the transmission to be significantly lighter and easier to manufacture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Bluebirds Technology LLC
    Inventor: John Anthony Wilkins
  • Publication number: 20140154075
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to wind turbine generators, and more specifically to improving power production in wind turbine generators. A rotor plane of the wind turbine may be divided into a plurality of sections. A characteristic of wind associated with each section may be determined. An optimal pitch angle may be determined for each section based on the associated wind characteristic. A pitch controller may adjust the pitch angle of a blade to the optimal pitch angle as the blade sweeps through the section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Jacob Krogh Kristoffersen, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen
  • Publication number: 20140140844
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling a wind turbine comprising a pitch of one or more blades and collecting first data indicative of a dynamic condition of the first wind turbine blade and a rotor, the first data comprising rotor data and first deflection data, the rotor data indicative of the azimuth position and rotational velocity of the rotor in a rotor plane perpendicular to the rotor axis, and the first deflection data indicative of the position, speed and acceleration of one or more parts of the first wind turbine blade. The method comprises calculating an expected tower clearance distance at a later time of tower passage for the first blade based on the first data including acceleration of one or more parts of the first blade, and performing measures to prevent tower collision, if the expected tower clearance distance fulfills a collision risk criterion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: LM WP PATENT HOLDING A/S
    Inventor: Mark Olaf Slot
  • Publication number: 20140140842
    Abstract: Described embodiments include a wind turbine system. In this embodiment, the system includes a wind turbine including a rotor blade having a controllable feature and attached to a rotor hub drivingly coupled to an electric generator. The controllable feature is configured if activated to decrease a noise generated by the rotor blade and correspondingly to decrease electric power generated by the electric generator. The wind turbine system includes a sensor configured to detect a parameter indicative of present or possible future noise generation state of the rotor blade. The wind turbine system includes a noise manager circuit configured to select a noise mitigation measure responsive to the detected parameter and in compliance with a minimum electric power generation requirement assigned to the wind turbine. The wind turbine system includes a control circuit configured to activate the controllable feature in response to the selected noise mitigation measure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: ELWHA LLC
    Inventors: William David Duncan, Roderick A. Hyde, David B. Tuckerman, Lowell L. Wood, JR.
  • Patent number: 8727722
    Abstract: A system and methods for reducing vibration in a rotatable member are provided. The system includes a blade tracking sensor, a rotatable member comprising an adjustable aspect, and a control computer. The control computer is configured to determine an axial position of each blade, determine a first blade that is displaced by a greatest distance along the axis in a first direction, modify an aspect of the first blade to facilitate reducing a vibration in the rotary blade system, determine if the vibration level in the rotary blade system is reduced, and select another rotatable member to modify such that a vibration in the rotary blade system is facilitated being further reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Peter B. Houser, John Henry Studer, Gerald L. Vossler, John Hafer
  • Publication number: 20140119914
    Abstract: Load control systems and methods for shafts are provided. The load control system includes a sensor assembly. The sensor assembly includes a plurality of ultrasonic probes mounted to the shaft, each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors configured to produce an ultrasonic wave on the shaft. The sensor assembly further includes a plurality of receivers mounted to the shaft, each of the plurality of receivers configured to sense the ultrasonic wave produced by one of the plurality of ultrasonic probes. The load control system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor assembly and configured to measure a travel time of the ultrasonic wave produced by each of the plurality of ultrasonic probes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Sascha Schieke, Bharat Bagepalli, Nilesh Tralshawala, Aditi Koppikar, Pekka Sipilae
  • Publication number: 20140099202
    Abstract: The main subject matter of the invention is a device (1) for setting a turbomachine propeller blade (2), characterised in that it comprises a first disc (3) and a second disc (4) respectively provided with first (5) and second (6) coupling means, the first (3) and second (4) discs being coaxial, means of tilting (9, 10, 11, 12) at least one of the first (3) and second (4) discs with respect to the other, the device (1) being configured so that, during a tilting of at least one of the first (3) and second (4) discs with respect to the other, the coupling distance (D) of said at least one blade (2) on the first (3) and second (4) discs remains constant, bringing about the rotation of said at least one blade (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: SNECMA
    Inventors: Norman JODET, Adrien Dubois, Rasika Fernando, Mathieu Gruber
  • Publication number: 20140037448
    Abstract: A wind turbine includes multiple blades, multiple Micro Inertial Measurement Units (MIMUs) for sensing parameter signals of the blades, and a control system. The control system includes a blade bending moment calculation unit, a blade bending moment error signal calculation unit, and a pitch angle compensation command calculation unit. The blade bending moment calculation unit is used for calculating blade bending moment values of the blades based at least on the sensed parameters. The blade bending moment error signal calculation unit is used for calculating blade bending moment error signals of the blades based on the calculated blade bending moment values of the blades and multiple blade bending moment commands. The pitch angle compensation command calculation unit is used for calculating pitch angle compensation commands of the blades based on the calculated blade bending moment error signals to adjust pitch angles of the blades respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Inventors: Xu FU, NA NI, Qiang LI, Zhilin WU, Lihan HE, Hai QIU, Yong YANG, Gerald Addison CURTIN, JR., Myungkeun YOON
  • Publication number: 20140030089
    Abstract: A method of operating at least one wind turbine is described, comprising: determining a plurality of stress events of at least one component of the at least one wind turbine; determining at least one accumulated stress from at least two of the plurality of stress events; determining at least one residual lifetime based at least partially on the at least one accumulated stress.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventor: Anders WICKSTRÖM