| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090211173 | COMPOSITE WIND TURBINE TOWER - A composite wind turbine tower, method for fabricating a composite wind tower and an apparatus for forming a composite wind tower. The tower includes a first layer and a second layer, each having a matrix material and a plurality of reinforcing fibers disposed in the matrix material. The tower further includes a core layer disposed intermediate to the first layer and the second layer. The tower is capable of being partially or fully fabricated on-site. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090266004 | COMPOSITE WIND TURBINE TOWER AND A METHOD FOR FABRICATING SAME - A method for fabricating a tower or component thereof for use with a wind turbine is disclosed. The method comprises weaving a fibrous tow in a shape corresponding to the shape of the tower or component to form a flexible textile preform; and laminating the flexible textile preform to form a composite shell. Also disclosed is a wind turbine assembly comprising a composite wind turbine tower and a wind turbine coupled to the tower. | 10-29-2009 |
| 20090320609 | Turbomachinery system fiberoptic multi-parameter sensing system and method - A fiberoptic multi-parameter sensing system for monitoring turbomachinery system shaft static and dynamic torques, vibration modes and associated operation status includes a multi-furcated fiber bundle based optical splitter configured to transmit light to a surface of at least one turbomachinery system shaft through a plurality of optical fiber bundles disposed at a plurality of locations in proximity to the surface of the at least one shaft, in which the plurality of locations together are arranged in a substantially axial direction between the ends of the at least one shaft. The system further includes an array of high-temperature bifurcated fiber bundle based reflectance probes to receive reflectance signals from the shaft surface and send to an array of photosensitive detectors, configured to detect dynamic light reflected from the at least one turbomachinery system shaft surface in response to the transmitted light during rotation of at least one turbomachinery system shaft and generate dynamic reflected light signals there from. A sensing mechanism is configured to determine a torque or vibration on at least one turbomachinery system shaft in response to the dynamic reflected light signal signatures based on time-domain and frequency-domain signal processes. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100047058 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TEMPERATURE SENSING IN TURBINES - A method for measuring temperature of a rotating body such as a steam turbine is provided. The method includes striking a light beam onto the rotating body onto the rotating body and measuring a reflectance of the light beam from the rotating body. The method further includes obtaining a temperature of the rotating body based upon the measured reflectance. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100050777 | RESISTIVE CONTACT SENSORS FOR LARGE BLADE AND AIRFOIL PRESSURE AND FLOW SEPARATION MEASUREMENTS - A fluid dynamic polymer-based contact sensor measures ambient pressure based on the resistivity changes across the sensor under different ambient pressures. The pressure sensor may applied to airfoil structures such as wind turbine blades without impacting the blade structure and fluid dynamic characteristics. The sensor may also be applied to fluid measurements. The pressure measurements are used to measure blade performance with high fidelity. The pressure measurements are transmitted to processing to determine blade characteristics and environment including flow separation, stagnation point, angle of attack, lift and drag and wind speed. Further processing of the pressure distribution may identify wind shear, up-flow and yaw error. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100054916 | RESISTIVE CONTACT SENSORS FOR LARGE BLADE AND AIRFOIL PRESSURE AND FLOW SEPARATION MEASUREMENTS - A wind turbine blade instrumentation structure and method is provided for fluid dynamic polymer-based contact sensors measuring ambient pressure based on the resistivity changes across the sensor. The pressure sensors may applied in predetermined patterns to airfoil structures, such as wind turbine blades, without impacting the blade structure and fluid dynamic characteristics. The pressure sensors measure blade performance with high fidelity. The pressure measurements are transmitted to processing to determine blade characteristics and environment including flow separation, stagnation point, angle of attack, lift and drag and wind speed. Further processing of the pressure distribution may identify wind shear, up-flow and yaw error. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100074572 | FIBER OPTIC SENSING DEVICE AND METHOD - A device includes a stationary, rotary component, and a fiber optic sensing system. The fiber optic sensing system includes a cable having one or more fiber optic sensors disposed on the stationary component, the rotary component, or combinations thereof. The fiber optic sensing system is configured to detect one or more first parameters including temperature, strain, pressure, vibration, torque; or combinations thereof related to the stationary component, the rotary component, or combinations thereof. The one or more first parameters is used to determine one or more second parameters including thermal expansion, clearance, fluid flow rate variation, condensation, fluid leakage, thermal loss, life, thermal stress, or combinations thereof related to the stationary component, the rotary component, or combinations thereof. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100080500 | FIBEROPTIC CLEARANCE DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A fiberoptic system for clearance detection between rotating and stationary turbomachinery components is presented. The system comprises an optical fiber probe comprising a plurality of optical fibers, at least one of the optical fibers comprising a transmission fiber and at least one of the optical fibers comprising a signal fiber; a light source for providing light through the transmission fiber towards a target; filters for receiving light from the signal fibers, at least two of the filters for filtering different wavelengths; and at least one photodetector for receiving filtered light from the filters. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100132270 | MODULAR SURFACE FOUNDATION FOR WIND TURBINE SPACE FRAME TOWERS - A modular surface foundation for wind turbine space frame towers, an apparatus to form panels of housing members of modular surface foundation, and method of forming the modular surface foundation for wind turbine space frame towers is provided. The modular surface foundation comprises a plurality of footing members, and a housing member disposed on each of the footing members, the housing members extending from the footing members and attaching to one or more structural members forming a portion of a wind turbine tower, wherein the housing member provides support and increased height for the space frame tower and includes an interior space. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100132877 | VERTICAL MANUFACTURING OF COMPOSITE WIND TURBINE TOWER - A method of manufacturing a composite tower, includes at least partially filling a form with a curable resin; at least partially curing the resin in the form; raising the form partly over the at least partially cured resin; and at least partially filling the raised form with more curable resin applied against the cured resin. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100133827 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A WIND TURBINE - A control system for a wind turbine having a tower, a generator, and at least one rotor blade. The control system includes a sensor configured to measure an angle of inclination of the tower with respect to a surface, at least one pitch assembly configured to adjust a pitch angle of the rotor blade, and a controller configured to control at least one of the pitch assembly and the generator based on the measured angle of inclination. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100135789 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING A WIND TURBINE - A method for controlling operation of a wind turbine is described. The wind turbine includes a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades and an upwind wind condition measurement device. The method includes measuring a wind condition upwind from the rotor using the upwind wind condition measurement device and providing the measured wind condition to a processor. The method also includes determining a control algorithm parameter, based at least partially on the measured wind condition, that controls at least one of a wind turbine response bandwidth, a wind turbine response speed, and a wind turbine control error range. The method also includes determining a wind turbine operating command based at least partially on the control algorithm parameter and applying the wind turbine operating command to operation of the wind turbine. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100138062 | METHOD AND SYSTEMS FOR UTILIZING EXCESS ENERGY GENERATED BY A RENEWABLE POWER GENERATION SYSTEM TO TREAT ORGANIC WASTE MATERIAL - A method for using excess energy generated by a renewable power generation system including at least one renewable power generator to treat organic waste material to generate crude oil. The method includes providing a renewable power generation management system operatively coupled to the renewable power generation system. The renewable power generation management system receives operational data from a pump load operatively coupled to the renewable power generator, and/or operational data from an electrical grid operatively coupled to the renewable power generator. Based at least in part on anticipated energy requirements, excess energy is supplied to the pump load to facilitate treating the organic waste material to generate crude oil. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100195089 | WIND VELOCITY MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A wind anemometer comprises a light source for transmitting pulsed light signals, a receiver for receiving backscattered signals from airborne particles for each pulse of the transmitted pulsed light signals, a detector for detecting the received backscattered signals, and a processor to determine location of the airborne particles with respect to the anemometer based on the detected backscattered signals. The processor estimates wind velocity using changes in location of the airborne particles over at least one time interval. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20110133475 | SUPPORT TOWER FOR USE WITH A WIND TURBINE AND SYSTEM FOR DESIGNING SUPPORT TOWER - A lattice tower for use with a wind turbine. The lattice tower includes at least one support extending from a supporting surface. At least one cross-support member is coupled to the support to form the lattice tower. A reinforcement assembly is coupled to the support to transfer at least a portion of a bending load and a torsional load induced to the support to the reinforcement assembly to facilitate reducing a local distortion of the support. | 06-09-2011 |
