Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090035148 | Wind Turbine Blade Drainage - A wind turbine includes a tower supporting a drive train with a rotor, at least one hollow blade extending radially from the rotor; a drain hole arranged in a tip portion of the blade; a baffle, arranged inside the blade and inboard of the drain hole, for impeding a flow of particulate matter to the drain hole; a flexible drain conduit arranged inside the blade for connecting to the drain hole; and a non-flexible drain conduit arranged inside the blade for connecting to the flexible drain conduit, the non-flexible conduit having a plurality of openings for receiving fluid from inside the blade. | 02-05-2009 |
20090148291 | MULTI-SECTION WIND TURBINE ROTOR BLADES AND WIND TURBINES INCORPORATING SAME - A multi-section blade for a wind turbine comprising a hub extender connected to a hub of the wind turbine is provided. The blade includes at least one pitchable outboard section. The hub extender can have a pitch bearing located near the interface between the hub and hub extender, or the hub extender and outboard blade section. The hub extender can be configured to pitch or not pitch with the outboard blade sections. An aerodynamic fairing is configured to mount over the hub extender and is configured to not pitch with the outboard blade sections. | 06-11-2009 |
20090297353 | WIND TURBINE BLADES WITH TWISTED TIPS - A blade for a wind turbine includes a total backward twist of between approximately 6 degrees and approximately 15 degrees between an outer approximately 1 percent to approximately 10 percent of a rotor radius of the blade. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297354 | WIND TURBINE BLADES WITH TWISTED AND TAPERED TIPS - A blade for a wind turbine includes a total backward twist of between approximately 6 degrees and approximately 15 degrees between an outer approximately 1 percent to approximately 10 percent of a rotor radius of the blade; and a total normalized chord change of between approximately one percent and approximately two percent between the outer approximately 1 percent to approximately 10 percent of the rotor radius of the blade. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297355 | WIND TURBINE BLADE PLANFORMS WITH TWISTED AND TAPERED TIPS - A blade for a wind turbine includes a total backward twist of between approximately 6 degrees and approximately 15 degrees between an outer approximately 1 percent to 10 percent of a rotor radius of the blade; and an approximate planform distribution within the following ranges | 12-03-2009 |
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 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110206529 | SPAR ASSEMBLY FOR A WIND TURBINE ROTOR BLADE - A spar assembly for a rotor blade of a wind turbine is disclosed. The spar assembly may generally include a first spar cap and a second spar cap spaced apart from the first spar cap such that a cross-sectional area is defined directly between the first and second spar caps. Additionally, the spar assembly may include a web having a first end disposed adjacent to the first spar cap and a second end disposed adjacent to the second spar cap. The web may be configured such that at least a portion of an inner surface of the web is disposed outside of the cross-sectional area. | 08-25-2011 |
20110223034 | WIND TURBINE ROTOR BLADE - A rotor blade for a wind turbine is disclosed. In one embodiment, the rotor blade includes a tip, a root, and a body extending between the tip and the root. The body has surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. The body further defines an inboard portion, an outboard portion, and a bend therebetween. The bend is defined such that the outboard portion extends outwardly with respect to the inboard portion. The bend is stiffened to reduce opening of the bend during deflection of the rotor blade. | 09-15-2011 |
20120141283 | ROTOR BLADE FOR A WIND TURBINE AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A rotor blade for a wind turbine is disclosed. The rotor blade may generally include a body formed at least partially from a core material. The body may generally define a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The rotor blade may also include a plurality of shear members and a plurality of stiffening members. The shear members may generally extend between the pressure and suction sides of the body and may each include a first end and a second end. The stiffening members may be spaced apart around the pressure and suction sides of the body, with each stiffening member being disposed at the first end or the second end of one of the shear members. Additionally, the rotor blade may include a skin extending around an outer perimeter of the body. | 06-07-2012 |
20120141287 | WIND TURBINE ROTOR BLADE JOINT - A joint for connecting a first blade segment and a second blade segment of a wind turbine rotor blade is disclosed. The joint includes a body, the body including an outer surface and an inner surface. The outer surface has an aerodynamic contour that generally corresponds to an aerodynamic contour of the first blade segment and the second blade segment. The body includes a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. In some embodiments, the joint further includes a channel defined in the outer surface of the body. The channel includes a generally continuous base wall extending between opposing sidewalls. The inner surface includes the base wall. In other embodiments, the joint further includes a channel defined in the body, and a shell extending from the body in a generally span-wise direction. | 06-07-2012 |
20130101428 | ROTOR BLADE FOR A WIND TURBINE AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - In one aspect, a method for manufacturing a rotor blade for a wind turbine is disclosed. The method may generally include assembling a blade blank comprising a shear member and a volume of core material and removing material from the blade blank to form a body having a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The shear member may have a first end disposed adjacent to the pressure side and a second end disposed adjacent to the suction side. In addition, the method may include positioning a skin around an outer perimeter of the body. | 04-25-2013 |
20130193686 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING PITCH ANGLES FOR A WIND TURBINE DURING PEAK SHAVING - A method for determining pitch angles for at least one rotor blade of a wind turbine during peak shaving is disclosed. The method may generally include receiving a signal with a controller associated with a peak shaving parameter of the wind turbine and determining a target pitch angle for the at least one rotor blade based on a mathematical relationship between the target pitch angle and the peak shaving parameter, wherein the mathematical relationship is modeled as a non-linear function. | 08-01-2013 |
20140042745 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SPEED AND TORQUE OF A WIND TURBINE DURING POST-RATED WIND SPEED CONDITIONS - A method and system for controlling a wind turbine generator at wind speeds in excess of rated wind speed to detect wind speeds and, at rated wind speed, control generator torque and generator rotational speed to achieve a rated power for the wind turbine generator. As wind speed increases beyond the rated wind speed, one of generator torque or generator rotational speed is increased and the other of generator rotational speed or generator torque is proportionally decreased to maintain the generator power substantially constant at rated power. | 02-13-2014 |
20140050579 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BRAKING A WIND TURBINE ROTOR AT AN OVERSPEED CONDITION - A system and method for braking a wind turbine includes monitoring rotation of the wind turbine generator rotor. A braking torque is applied to reduce the rotational speed of the rotor at a first setpoint rotational speed. The braking torque is proportionally increased as the rotational speed of the rotor increases beyond the first detected setpoint rotational speed up to a maximum braking torque. | 02-20-2014 |
20140086747 | ASYMMETRIC LOAD CONTROL FOR TORSION FATIGUE REDUCTION IN A WIND TURBINE TOWER - A method and system for reducing a torsional movement and/or a torsional loading of a tower of a wind turbine is disclosed includes generating a tower torsion signal with a detection system and providing the signal to an asymmetric load control assembly. The tower torsion signal may correspond to an actual torsional movement of the tower or a torsional loading of the tower. The asymmetric load control assembly is configured to mitigate an asymmetric load acting on the wind turbine using the tower torsion signal. | 03-27-2014 |
20140167416 | System and Method for Controlling Speed and Torque of a Wind Turbine During Post-Rated Wind Speed Conditions - A method and system for controlling a wind turbine generator detect wind speeds and, at a first defined wind speed, control generator torque and generator rotational speed to achieve a pre-defined power for the wind turbine generator at the first defined wind speed. As wind speed increases beyond the first defined wind speed, one of generator torque or generator rotational speed is increased and the other of generator rotational speed or generator torque is proportionally decreased to maintain the generator power substantially constant at the pre-defined power. | 06-19-2014 |
20140203560 | WIND TURBINE AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING ROTOR BLADE PITCH ANGLE IN WIND TURBINE - Wind turbines and methods for adjusting pitch angles of rotor blades in wind turbines are provided. A method includes monitoring an operational value of the wind turbine, and providing the operational value to a controller, the controller utilizing a proportional integral derivative control algorithm to adjust the pitch angle. The method further includes adjusting a gain factor for the proportional integral derivative control algorithm to a first gain value when the operational value is within a first operational region, and adjusting a gain factor for the proportional integral derivative control algorithm to a second gain value when the operational value is within a second operational region. The second gain value is different from the first gain value, and the second operational region is different from the first operational region. | 07-24-2014 |
20140271181 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDUCING LOADS ACTING ON A WIND TURBINE IN RESPONSE TO TRANSIENT WIND CONDITIONS - A method for reducing loads acting on a wind turbine in response to transient wind conditions is disclosed. The method may generally include determining an actual value for a blade parameter of a rotor blade of the wind turbine using a first sensor associated with the rotor blade, monitoring a secondary operating parameter of the wind turbine using a second sensor, determining a predicted value for the blade parameter based on the secondary operating parameter, comparing the actual value to the predicted value and performing a corrective action to reduce the loads acting on the wind turbine if the actual value differs from the predicted value by at least a differential threshold. | 09-18-2014 |
20150056072 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING EXCESSIVE LOADING ON A WIND TURBINE - Systems and methods for preventing excessive loading on a wind turbine are disclosed. The method includes: measuring an actual wind parameter upwind from the wind turbine using one or more sensors; providing the measured wind parameter to a processor; providing a plurality of wind turbine operating data to the processor; utilizing the plurality of operating data to determine an estimated wind turbine condition at the wind turbine; generating a control wind profile based on the actual wind parameter and the estimated wind turbine condition; and, implementing a control action based on the control wind profile to prevent excessive loading from acting on the wind turbine. | 02-26-2015 |
20150086356 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING EXCESSIVE LOADING ON A WIND TURBINE - Systems and methods for preventing excessive loading on a wind turbine are disclosed. The method includes determining a current wind turbine parameter using at least one operating condition via a processor, the operating condition indicative of wind turbine operation; storing the current wind turbine parameter in a memory store over a predetermined time period; calculating a standard deviation of a plurality of the stored current wind turbine parameters; determining a future wind turbine parameter; calculating a maximum wind turbine parameter as a function of the standard deviation of the plurality of stored wind turbine parameters and the future wind turbine parameter; and, controlling the wind turbine based on a difference between the maximum wind turbine parameter and a parameter setpoint to prevent excessive loading from acting on the wind turbine. | 03-26-2015 |