With Measuring, Testing, Signalling Or Inspection Means Patents (Class 416/61)
  • Patent number: 11927175
    Abstract: A rotor blade with a leading edge and a trailing edge is provided, wherein the rotor blade is for being exposed to a fluid flowing substantially from the leading edge to the trailing edge, the rotor blade includes at least three sensors designed for detecting flow characteristics of the fluid and providing respective sensor signals, wherein the sensors are arranged with a non-uniform spacing, and the rotor blade further includes at least one actuator for producing an anti-noise signal based on a sensor signal, the sensors and the actuator are arranged at the surface of the rotor blade, and the actuator is arranged and prepared such that flow-induced edge noise of the rotor blade, which is generated by the fluid, is at least partly cancelled out by the anti-noise signal. A method for creating such rotor blade and a related wind turbine is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
    Inventors: Steven Buck, Stefan Oerlemans
  • Patent number: 11927176
    Abstract: Provided is a bearing arrangement for a wind turbine including a bearing housing and a drive shaft, whereby the drive shaft is arranged within the bearing housing in an axial direction along a longitudinal axis of the bearing housing, the bearing arrangement further comprising a downwind bearing and an upwind bearing as radial fluid bearings, whereby the downwind bearing and the upwind bearing are arranged between the bearing housing and the drive shaft, whereby the bearing housing is formed from at least two separate bearing housing pieces, whereby the at least two separate bearing housing pieces are joined with each other and/or the drive shaft is formed from at least two separate drive shaft pieces, whereby the at least two separate drive shaft pieces are joined with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY A/S
    Inventors: Edom Demissie, Claus Michaelsen, Morten Soerensen
  • Patent number: 11905927
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for monitoring a wind turbine (10). The system receives a signal (426) indicative of a pitch force being applied to a blade (20) of a wind turbine (10). The signal (426) is sampled to generate a discrete time-domain signal (426) including a plurality of pitch force samples. Samples are selected for analysis using a sampling window (326) that excludes samples obtained under operating conditions determined to be detrimental to obtaining good data. The selected samples are processed to generate a spectral density (150) of the signal (426), and the frequency content of the spectral density (150) analysed to determine the condition of one or more components of the wind turbine (10). If the analysis indicates that a component of the wind turbine (10) needs attention, the system generates an alarm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Frank Møller Hansen
  • Patent number: 11906545
    Abstract: A laser radar device calculates a wind speed for each of a plurality of divided sections obtained by dividing a trajectory drawn by a laser beam in front of a wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shumpei Kameyama, Nobuki Kotake, Yutaka Kajiyama
  • Patent number: 11885301
    Abstract: Provided is a method for identifying a blade malposition of a rotor blade of a wind power installation having one rotor and at least three rotor blades which in terms of the blade angles thereof are individually adjustable. For each rotor blade an actual angle is detected as the actual value of the blade angle; and the blade malposition is identified as a function of a blade angle deviation of the rotor blade and a rotational progress of the rotor. The blade angle deviation describes a deviation of the actual angle from a reference angle, and the rotational progress is representative of an angle about which the rotor has rotated onward after a start criterion. Blade malpositions in rotor blades which in terms of the blade angles thereof are individually adjustable are identified rapidly and reliably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Frommann, Enno von Aswege, Stephan Vollack
  • Patent number: 11866151
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting fixed pitch operation of a variable pitch propeller of an engine are provided. A command signal for maintaining a rotational speed of the propeller at a reference speed is output. An actual value of at least one of the rotational speed and a blade angle of the propeller is obtained. From the actual value, it is assessed whether an expected change in the at least one of the rotational speed and the blade angle of the propeller has occurred in response to the command signal. Responsive to determining that the expected change in the at least one of the rotational speed and the blade angle of the propeller has not occurred in response to the command signal, operation of the propeller at fixed pitch is detected and an alert output accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Jagoda Krzywon
  • Patent number: 11840934
    Abstract: Provided is a casing deformation amount measuring apparatus for a steam turbine including a casing, a plurality of nuts fixed to an outer surface of the casing, a plurality of bolts individually screwed, at each one side end portion thereof, in the nuts and projecting to an outer side in a diametrical direction of the casing from the outer surface of the casing, and a lagging material held by the plurality of bolts and covering the casing. The casing deformation amount measuring apparatus includes a target mounted on another side end portion of one of the bolts and exposed to the outer side in a diametrical direction of the casing with respect to the lagging material, and a distance meter that is disposed in an opposing relation to the target on the outer side in a diametrical direction of the casing and measures a distance to the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Igawa
  • Patent number: 11835543
    Abstract: There is provided a blade angle feedback system for an aircraft-bladed rotor rotatable about a longitudinal axis and having an adjustable blade pitch angle. A feedback device is coupled to rotate with the rotor and to move along the axis with adjustment of the blade pitch angle. The feedback device comprises a body having position marker(s) embedded therein, the body made of a first material having a first magnetic permeability and the position marker(s) comprising a second material having a second magnetic permeability greater than the first. Sensor(s) are positioned adjacent the feedback device and configured for producing, as the feedback device rotates about the axis, sensor signal(s) in response to detecting passage of the position marker(s). A control unit is communicatively coupled to the sensor(s) and configured to generate a feedback signal indicative of the blade pitch angle in response to the sensor signal(s) received from the sensor(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Dana Tomescu, James Jarvo
  • Patent number: 11835030
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein may include methods, systems, and tangible, non-transient, computer-readable media having instructions thereupon for determining a damage state of a wind turbine gearbox. A method performed, executed on a processor of a system, or implemented by a processor as instructions, may comprise producing a damage state diagnostic, producing a damage progression model for the wind turbine gearbox using operational data and a state transition function, and combining the damage state diagnostic with the damage progression model using a hybrid prognostics model to produce a probability distribution of a current damage state estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignees: Sentient Science Corporation, Acciona Energia
    Inventors: Vijayant Kumar, Nathan Bolander, Gunther Auer, Inigo Zalacain, Mercedes Irujo, Enrique Iriarte
  • Patent number: 11821325
    Abstract: A failure detection method and system for a propeller control unit coupled to a propeller are provided. An actual value of a blade angle and/or a rotational speed of the propeller are obtained. A comparison between the actual value and a threshold is performed. In response to determining, based on the comparison, that the actual value exceeds the threshold, the propeller control unit is caused to adjust the blade angle to bring the blade angle and/or the rotational speed towards the threshold. A subsequent actual value of the blade angle and/or the rotational speed is obtained. From the subsequent value, it is determined whether the blade angle and/or the rotational speed has been brought towards the threshold. In response to determining that the blade angle and/or the rotational speed has failed to be brought towards the threshold, failure of the propeller control unit is detected and an alert is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Jagoda Krzywon
  • Patent number: 11821405
    Abstract: A fluid power generator can enhance power generation efficiency by efficiently using the drag force of wind without increasing the size of blades, and includes: an ascending air current-forming body provided at a rotary shaft; a plurality of spiral blades which are spirally formed along the outer circumferential surface of the ascending air current-forming body; and a generator which generates electricity by rotation of the ascending air current-forming body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Inventor: Jun Kyu Park
  • Patent number: 11814185
    Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided an aerial vehicle that is operable to fly, the aerial vehicle having at least a first and second subsystem that are operably connected, wherein the first subsystem comprises a first flight module, first one or more effectors that are selectively operable to generate a first force sufficient to cause the aerial vehicle to fly; and the second subsystem comprises a second flight module, second one or more effectors that are selectively operable to generate a second force sufficient to cause the aerial vehicle to fly; such that the first or second subsystem can be selectively used to fly the aerial vehicle not relying on the one or more effectors of the other subsystem. There is further provided a corresponding method for controlling an aerial vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Verity AG
    Inventors: Markus Hehn, Markus Waibel, Luca Gherardi, Raffaello D'Andrea
  • Patent number: 11746887
    Abstract: An arrangement includes a structure affixed to a housing, a planetary carrier mounted rotatably in the structure affixed to the housing, an oil bushing ring, and a first means and a second means for contactless power transmission. The oil bushing ring forms a lubricant-conducting joint between the structure affixed to the housing and the planetary carrier. The structure affixed to the housing has the first means and the oil bushing ring has the second means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Christian Riess, Umit Kutluay, Philipp Lang
  • Patent number: 11746742
    Abstract: A wind rotor is disclosed that produces energy optimally for a given thrust overturning moment. By designing rotors with suboptimal aerodynamic efficiency, they can have optimal thrust performance, which will reduce the substructure cost and/or enable greater energy capture for a given substructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
    Inventor: Brandon Lee Ennis
  • Patent number: 11719225
    Abstract: A method for setting a pitch angle of a rotor blade for a rotor of a wind turbine, a control device for setting a pitch angle of a rotor blade for a rotor of a wind turbine, and a wind turbine. In particular, a method for setting a pitch angle of a rotor blade for a rotor of a wind turbine, in particular for avoiding suction-side flow separation, wherein the rotor blade is movable rotationally about a rotor blade longitudinal axis for setting the pitch angle by means of a pitch drive, comprising the steps: determining an aerodynamic power of the rotor, establishing a nominal pitch angle as a function of the aerodynamic power, and setting the pitch angle to the established nominal pitch angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventor: Ulf Schaper
  • Patent number: 11713747
    Abstract: A method of operating a wind turbine. The wind turbine is operated over an operating period in accordance with a control strategy. A sensor signal is received over the operating period from a sensor measuring an operational parameter of the turbine. A model is used to obtain a modelled fatigue value based on the sensor signal. The modelled fatigue value provides an estimate of fatigue loading applied to a component of the turbine over the operating period. The control strategy is modified based on the modelled fatigue value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Jakob Vestergaard, Anders Steen Nielsen, Juan Pablo Murcia
  • Patent number: 11708175
    Abstract: A method of monitoring the health of an aircraft propeller whilst the propeller is in operation, the propeller having a plurality of blades extending radially outwardly from hub arms of a propeller hub, which in turn extend radially outwardly from a central axis extending through the propeller and a propeller drive shaft, is provided. The method comprises obtaining measurements representative of the strain in each of at least some of the hub arms using strain sensors, each of the strain sensors being provided on a respective hub arm. A corresponding propeller health monitoring system, an aircraft propeller comprising the system and an aircraft comprising the propeller are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: RATIER-FIGEAC SAS
    Inventors: Brian P. Huth, Abdellah El Haloui
  • Patent number: 11692526
    Abstract: Methods and Apparatuses for rotational speed avoidance control of a wind turbine, and the wind turbine are provided. An exemplary method includes: identifying whether a wind turbine operates repeatedly traversing a rotational speed avoidance range, based on statistical information about a rotational speed of a generator being in the rotational speed avoidance range; and adjusting a parameter of a pitch control system and/or a parameter of an electromagnetic torque control of the wind turbine based on the statistical information about the rotational speed being in the rotational speed avoidance range, in response to determining that the wind turbine operates repeatedly traversing the rotational speed avoidance range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: BEIJING GOLDWIND SCIENCE & CREATION WINDPOWER EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xinli Zhang
  • Patent number: 11674498
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling a wind turbine of a wind farm. Accordingly, a controller prepares a yaw bias correction function based, at least in part, on a yaw offset function, and on wind speed measurement data and wind direction reference data of a wind event acting on at least a portion of the wind farm. The controller also applies the yaw bias correction function based at least in part on position data of a nacelle of the wind turbine, to yaw the nacelle of the wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Scott Charles Evans, Kasi Viswanadha Raju Gadiraju, Joseph Lawrence Chacon, Samuel Bryan Shartzer
  • Patent number: 11668282
    Abstract: A method of operating a wind energy installation having a rotor with at least one rotor blade that is angularly adjustable by an adjustment drive. In response to the occurrence of at least one special operating case, in particular at least one malfunction case, the rotor blade is adjusted in a direction of a shutdown position by the adjustment drive. In the shutdown position, a supply of energy from an energy storage device to the adjustment drive is switched off and/or a pitch brake for holding the rotor blade in its current position is closed. In response to at least one activation signal, the rotor blade is adjusted by the adjustment drive in an adjustment mode of operation while the special operating case is still ongoing, in particular while the malfunction case is still ongoing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Service GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Hör, Stefan Behl, Karsten Warfen
  • Patent number: 11655828
    Abstract: An airfoil for a fan section of a turbine engine may include a fan blade or an outlet guide vane, and an edge guard attached thereto. The edge guard may include a heating conduit disposed within at least a portion of the edge guard. An anti-icing system for a plurality of fan blades or outlet guide vanes may include a fluid supply pathway configured to supply heating fluid to respective ones of a plurality of heating conduits within the edge guards attached to respective ones of a plurality of fan blades and/or to a plurality of outlet guide vanes. The heating fluid may include bleed air from a core air flowpath. A method of inhibiting icing on an airfoil may include flowing a heating fluid into a heating conduit disposed within an edge guard attached to the airfoil and heating the edge guard with the heating fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Li Zheng, Nicholas Joseph Kray, Changjie Sun
  • Patent number: 11649056
    Abstract: A thermally isolated sensor associated with a gas turbine engine includes a sensor probe configured to measure a temperature of a fluid associated with the gas turbine engine, and a base to be coupled to the gas turbine engine. The thermally isolated sensor includes a leading projection coupled to the base that extends into the fluid. The leading projection is configured to be heated by a heat source associated with the gas turbine engine. The thermally isolated sensor includes a trailing projection coupled to the base that extends into the fluid. The trailing projection is downstream from the leading projection. The trailing projection includes an inlet, and the sensor probe is disposed within the inlet and thermally isolated from the leading projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Morris Anderson, Peter Anthony
  • Patent number: 11629616
    Abstract: A radially flexible connection joint for a gas turbine engine includes an exhaust manifold flange operatively coupling an exhaust cylinder to an exhaust manifold of the gas turbine engine. The exhaust cylinder includes a cylindrical flange that extends radially outwardly from a rotation axis of the gas turbine. The cylindrical flange defines a downstream axial face. The exhaust manifold is positioned downstream from the exhaust cylinder. The exhaust manifold includes an upstream edge. The exhaust cylinder and the exhaust manifold are substantially coaxial with the rotation axis of the gas turbine. The exhaust manifold flange has a bellows portion that extends radially between the cylindrical flange of the exhaust cylinder and the upstream edge of the exhaust manifold. The bellows portion permits relative radial motion of the exhaust cylinder and the exhaust manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Power Systems Mfg., LLC
    Inventors: Brian John Loucks, Kevin Carpenter, Kevin Powell
  • Patent number: 11598311
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling a wind turbine in response to a blade liberation event. Accordingly, estimated response signatures for the wind turbine are determined. Sensor data indicative of at least two actual response signatures of components of the wind turbine to a rotor loading are collected. The actual response signatures are compared to the estimated response signatures. The two or more actual response signatures meeting or exceeding the estimated response signatures is indicative of a blade liberation event. In response to detecting the blade liberation event, a rapid shutdown control logic is initiated to decelerate the rotor at a rate which exceeds a nominal deceleration rate of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Jingting Xiao
  • Patent number: 11585323
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for cooperative controlling wind turbines of a wind farm, wherein the wind farm includes at least one pair of turbines aligned along a common axis approximately parallel to a current wind direction and having an upstream turbine and a downstream turbine. The method includes the steps of: a) providing a data driven model trained with a machine learning method and stored in a database, b) determining a decision parameter for controlling at least one of the upstream turbine and the downstream turbine by feeding the data driven model with the current power production of the upstream turbine which returns a prediction value indicating whether the downstream turbine will be affected by wake, and/or the temporal evolvement of the current power production of the upstream turbine; c) based on the decision parameter, determining control parameters for the upstream turbine and/or the downstream turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Inventors: Per Egedal, Peder Bay Enevoldsen, Alexander Hentschel, Markus Kaiser, Clemens Otte, Volkmar Sterzing, Steffen Udluft, Marc Christian Weber
  • Patent number: 11572865
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of controlling a wind turbine comprising a tower supporting a rotor comprising a plurality of pitch-adjustable rotor blades. The method includes obtaining a movement signal indicative of a lateral movement of the tower; determining a pitch modulation signal, based on the movement signal, for actuating a rotor blade to produce a desired horizontal force component to counteract the lateral movement of the tower; determining a radial force component acting on a rotor blade; determining a phase offset parameter for the rotor blade based on the radial force component; and, transforming the pitch modulation signal into a pitch reference offset signal for the rotor blade based on the phase offset parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Karthik Vasudevan, Poul Brandt Christensen, James Alexander Nichols, Jacob Deleuran Grunnet
  • Patent number: 11554851
    Abstract: Methods and systems for governing an aircraft propeller of an engine are described. The method comprises obtaining a fluid flow command for speed control of the propeller, determining pulse parameters of a pulse width modulated valve control signal for actuating a two-position solenoid valve in accordance with the fluid flow command based on an average fluid flow through the solenoid valve and an opening and closing time of the solenoid valve, generating the valve control signal with the pulse parameters as determined, and transmitting the valve control signal to the solenoid valve for actuating the solenoid valve, thereby controlling the speed of the propeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Gabriel Meunier, Nicolas Des Roches-Dionne
  • Patent number: 11518506
    Abstract: A blade pitch adjustment mechanism includes a pitch cylinder having a first face and pitch slots extending longitudinally from the first face, a blade sleeve having a second face and a blade slot extending longitudinally from the second face, the blade sleeve is configured to be rotationally positioned in the pitch cylinder with the second face located with the first face, wherein the blade slot and the pitch slots are cooperative to form keyway, corresponding to a discrete blade pitch, when the blade slot is aligned with a pitch slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Paul Haldeman, Michael Seifert, Timothy McClellan Mosig, Aaron Acee, Diana R. Tinlin, Andrew Thomas Carter, Glenn Thornton Lancaster
  • Patent number: 11499531
    Abstract: In a method, impulse response information indicative of an impulse response is determined based on an impulse introduced into a lightning conductor and characterized by an electromagnetic wave. The impulse response information representing at least a waveform and a travel time determined after the introduction of the impulse based on reflection thereof. Evaluation information is specified based on the determined impulse response information. The impulse response information is analyzed at least with respect to the represented waveform and travel time of the introduced and reflected electromagnetic wave. The evaluation information is indicative of whether or not the lightning conductor is functional. The determined evaluation information is output. Also disclosed are a device for practicing this method, a rotor blade for a wind turbine that includes at least one lightning conductor and a device for practicing the method, and a system with one or more devices for practicing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: RWE Renewables GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Schlüter, Heiner Strauß, Kim Weyrich
  • Patent number: 11498668
    Abstract: According to certain aspects of the disclosure, a computer-implemented method may be used for rotorcraft track and balance. The method may include capturing one or more images of at least one rotating blades of a rotorcraft and analyzing the one or more images of the at least one rotating blades to determine blade information. Additionally, the method may include determining a location of the at least one rotating blades in the one or more images based on the blade information and calculating blade position information based on the determined location of the at least one rotating blade and a parameter of a user device capturing the one or more images. Additionally, the method may include displaying the blade position information to the user device and displaying instructions on one or more adjustments to the at least one rotating blades of the rotorcraft based on the blade position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL S.R.O.
    Inventors: Patrik Moravek, Pavel Badin, Michal Dobes
  • Patent number: 11473595
    Abstract: A ceiling fan comprising a motor having a rotating blade hub and a downrod mount. The ceiling fan also has multiple blades mounted to the rotating blade hub. The downrod has an upper end configured to mount to a structure and a lower end with a mount motor. The ceiling fan also has multiple studs provided in one of the downrod mount or the motor mount and corresponding openings provided in the other of the downrod mount or the motor mount. The studs are received within the openings to aid in securing the downrod to the motor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Hunter Fan Company
    Inventors: Phillip Santolucito, Agustin Chacon
  • Patent number: 11441541
    Abstract: A main shaft assembly of a wind turbine and method for manufacturing the same are provided. Accordingly, the main shaft assembly includes a structural/shaft body defining a cavity therein. The shaft body is configured to transmit a load of the wind turbine developed in response to the wind. An inner body is located within the cavity. The inner body is non-loadbearing with respect to the load. At least one sensor is coupled to the inner body and positioned within the cavity for detecting a deflection of the shaft body in response to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Robert Peter Slack, Roberto Leal Rodriguez, Michael A. Garry, Matteo Bellucci
  • Patent number: 11422052
    Abstract: The diagnostic system for diagnosing a rotor imbalance of a wind turbine based on acceleration data measured on a nacelle of a wind turbine which is supported by a tower includes a measuring device provided with a triaxial vibration sensor suitable for measuring acceleration data corresponding to vibrations occurring on the nacelle. The system also includes a processing system for processing the acceleration data, suitable for determining the rotor imbalance according to the acceleration data measured on at least two axes on the nacelle. The invention also relates to a method for diagnosing the rotor imbalance of a wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: SEREEMA
    Inventors: Jerome Imbert, Bruno Pinto, Kevin Michel
  • Patent number: 11420772
    Abstract: A sensor signal comprising a first signal pulse having a first voltage amplitude and a second signal pulse having a second voltage amplitude greater than or substantially equal to the first voltage amplitude is obtained from a sensor positioned adjacent a feedback device coupled to rotate with an aircraft-bladed rotor about a longitudinal axis and to move along the axis with adjustment of the rotor's blade pitch angle. The feedback device comprises a reference feature configured to generate the second signal pulse and varying detectable feature(s) configured to generate the first signal pulse and to cause a change in the first voltage amplitude as a function of an axial position of the feedback device along the axis. A voltage ratio is determined based on the first voltage amplitude and the second voltage amplitude, and the axial position of the feedback device is determined from the voltage ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Dana Tomescu, James Jarvo, Ella Yakobov
  • Patent number: 11407494
    Abstract: A method of controlling a propeller assembly, having a blade, piston end cap, and piston, with a pitch control unit, having a transfer bearing and a blade angle unit, the method comprising: axially moving a transfer tube relative to and circumscribing the transfer bearing, and sensing an axial movement of the transfer tube with the blade angle unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: GE Aviation Systems Limited
    Inventor: Christopher Roy Carrington
  • Patent number: 11401913
    Abstract: The disclosure proposes a yaw calibration method and system for a wind turbine. The calibration method includes: establishing a cylindrical coordinate graph of wind resource distribution based on historical wind farm operation data, to determine a wind direction interval of main inflow wind conditions of a wind farm; calculating an effective value of active power of each wind speed sub-interval, and obtaining a fitted power curve of each refined interval through curve fitting; and setting an angle between a central axis of a refined interval for a fitted power curve corresponding to a calibration curve in each wind speed range and a central axis of the to-be-calibrated wind direction interval as a yaw error calibration value in the wind speed range, to establish a wind speed-yaw error calibration value lookup table; and determining a yaw error calibration value under a current wind direction and a current wind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignees: North China Electric Power University, Guodian New Energy Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhongwei Lin, Chenzhi Qu, Chuanxi Wang, Zhenyu Chen, Xiangyu Han, Zhen Xie, Qingru Cui, Gengda Li, Xiongwei Li
  • Patent number: 11391263
    Abstract: A wind turbine including yaw control comprising a controller receiving an input signal, and providing an output control signal to a yaw actuator. The input signal to the controller is based on: a first feedback signal that is indicative of the relative wind direction determined with respect to the wind turbine, wherein the first feedback signal is filtered with a first low pass filter; and a second feedback signal that is indicative of the activity of the yaw actuator. The control technique of the invention significantly improves the ability of a yaw system to maintain a zero degree yaw error during steady state wind conditions, or in other words to maintain an accurate heading of the nacelle pointing into the wind, as well as reducing the maximum yaw error experienced during yaw system activation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Tobias Gybel Hovgaard, Martin Møller Sørensen
  • Patent number: 11365691
    Abstract: There is provided a blade angle feedback system for an aircraft-bladed rotor rotatable about a longitudinal axis and having an adjustable blade pitch angle. A feedback device is coupled to rotate with the rotor and to move along the axis with adjustment of the blade pitch angle. The feedback device comprises a body having position marker(s) embedded therein, the body made of a first material having a first magnetic permeability and the position marker(s) comprising a second material having a second magnetic permeability greater than the first. Sensor(s) are positioned adjacent the feedback device and configured for producing, as the feedback device rotates about the axis, sensor signal(s) in response to detecting passage of the position marker(s). A control unit is communicatively coupled to the sensor(s) and configured to generate a feedback signal indicative of the blade pitch angle in response to the sensor signal(s) received from the sensor(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Dana Tomescu, James Jarvo
  • Patent number: 11084601
    Abstract: According to one implementation, a damage detection system includes: a physical quantity detection unit, a flight condition changing part and a damage detection part. The physical quantity detection unit detects a physical quantity of a structural object composing an aircraft during a flight of the aircraft. The flight condition changing part changes at least one flight condition of the aircraft to at least one specific flight condition when the physical quantity of the structural object has been detected by the physical quantity detection unit. The damage detection part determines whether a damage arose in the structural object, based on a physical quantity which has been detected, from the structural object of the aircraft flying with the at least one specific flight condition, by the physical quantity detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masakatsu Abe, Hideki Soejima, Takeshi Fukurose
  • Patent number: 11009003
    Abstract: A hub for a wind turbine is longitudinally extended along a longitudinal axis between a front tip and a rear shaft flange is provided. The hub comprises: at least one blade flange for connecting a respective blade to the hub, at least one top edge on an external surface of the hub, the top edge being positioned with respect to a vertical direction over the front tip, when the hub is positioned in a service position, a plurality of service steps, each step) being oriented for permitting an individual to move between the front tip and the top edge or between the rear shaft flange and the top edge when the hub is positioned around the longitudinal axis in the service position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Inventor: Nicolas Chernobilsky
  • Patent number: 10989227
    Abstract: The blades for a rotor of a gas turbine engine are all manufactured to the same design. However, manufacturing tolerances mean that in practice each individual blade is different to the others. It is proposed to arrange the blades around the circumference of the rotor in a manner that limits excessive stress being induced in the blades due to differences in the vibration response between a given blade and its two neighbouring blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Bharat M. Lad
  • Patent number: 10976220
    Abstract: A wireless sensor antenna system for a turbomachine including a rotating blade including a passive sensor is disclosed. The wireless sensor antenna system includes an antenna extending continuously along a circumferential interior surface of a casing of the turbomachine that surrounds the rotating blade. The antenna is configured to receive a return wireless signal from the passive sensor. A power transmission element extends along the at least portion of the circumferential interior surface of the casing to power the passive sensor by emitting an electromagnetic signal to power the passive sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kurt Kramer Schleif, Mario Joseph Arceneaux
  • Patent number: 10954794
    Abstract: The blades for a rotor of a gas turbine engine are all manufactured to the same design. However, manufacturing tolerances mean that in practice each individual blade is different to the others. It is proposed to arrange the blades around the circumference of the rotor in a manner that limits excessive stress being induced in the blades due to differences in the vibration response between a given blade and its two neighbouring blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Bharat M. Lad
  • Patent number: 10928811
    Abstract: According to some embodiments, a system and method are provided to model a sparse data asset. The system comprises a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by the processor perform a method to model a sparse data asset. Relevant data and operational data associated with the newly operational are received. A transfer model based on the relevant data and the received operational data. An input into the transfer model is received and a predication based on data associated with the received operational data and the relevant data is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Fuxiao Xin, Larry Swanson, Rui Xu, Morgan Salter, Achalesh Pandey, Ramu Chandra, Weizhong Yan
  • Patent number: 10864979
    Abstract: A system and method for determining a position of a feedback ring of a propeller of an aircraft engine are provided. The feedback ring is coupled to the propeller to rotate with the propeller and to be displaced along a longitudinal axis with adjustment of a blade angle. An engagement member is configured to engage the feedback ring and to be displaced along a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis with displacement of the feedback ring. A sensor comprises a first member coupled to the engine and a second member coupled to the engagement member. The second member is moveable relative to the first member along the longitudinal direction as the engagement member is displaced. The sensor generates a signal indicative of a longitudinal position of the second member relative to the first member. A controller determines an axial position of the feedback ring from the sensor signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Joseph Ernesto Marone, Ian Farrell
  • Patent number: 10844833
    Abstract: A blade adapter for rotor blades of wind turbines, for increasing the rotor diameter, has a first end for attaching to the rotor hub, and a second end, spaced apart in the axial direction, for connecting to the blade root of a rotor blade. In addition, the blade adapter, at its first and second end, has a pitch circle for connecting to the rotor hub or to the rotor blade, wherein the wall of the blade adapter extending in the axial direction is open outwardly, in the form of a truncated cone, from the first end toward the second end, in at least one portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: SENVION GmbH
    Inventor: Alf Trede
  • Patent number: 10781795
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method for detecting a mass imbalance in a rotor of a wind turbine. The method includes receiving, with a computing device, sensor data indicative of an operating characteristic of the wind turbine. The method also includes determining, with the computing device, a mean amplitude of a designated frequency component of the operating characteristic. Furthermore, the method includes determining, with the computing device, when a mass imbalance is present within the rotor based on the mean amplitude of the designated frequency component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Oladodja Achraf Gbadamassi, Akshay Krishnamurty Ambekar, Soeren Georg
  • Patent number: 10767635
    Abstract: A technical object of the present disclosure is to provide an anemometer for a wind turbine which is capable of precisely measuring a wind velocity and a wind direction. To this end, an anemometer for a wind turbine of the present disclosure is an anemometer for a wind turbine which is used for a wind turbine including a plurality of rotating blades and a hub which is equipped at a rotation center of the plurality of rotating blades and has a nosecone and is equipped in the nosecone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Korea Aerospace Research Institute
    Inventor: Byeong Hee Chang
  • Patent number: 10717516
    Abstract: A support structure for a propulsor blade includes at least one sleeve configured to support a root portion of the propulsor blade, the at least one sleeve fixedly attached to a surface of the root portion. The support structure also includes a preloading component configured to apply a residual compressive force to the at least one sleeve and the root portion of the propulsor blade, the residual compressive force configured to maintain an attachment of the at least one sleeve to the root portion. The propulsor blade and root portion may incorporate composite structural materials. The support structure and/or the preloading component increases the high cycle fatigue strength and bending capacity of blade retention assemblies (including, e.g., composite-to-metal joints) when subjected to high cycle bending loads under reduced centrifugal load conditions, thereby making further reductions in the size and weight of blade retention assemblies feasible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: ROTATING COMPOSITE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: John A. Violette, Eric Stephen Loos
  • Patent number: 10689127
    Abstract: According to one implementation, a damage detection system includes: a physical quantity detection unit, a flight condition changing part and a damage detection part. The physical quantity detection unit detects a physical quantity of a structural object composing an aircraft during a flight of the aircraft. The flight condition changing part changes at least one flight condition of the aircraft to at least one specific flight condition when the physical quantity of the structural object has been detected by the physical quantity detection unit. The damage detection part determines whether a damage arose in the structural object, based on a physical quantity which has been detected, from the structural object of the aircraft flying with the at least one specific flight condition, by the physical quantity detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masakatsu Abe, Hideki Soejima, Takeshi Fukurose