# US 10,480,484 B2 · Wind turbine, yaw control device, and operation control method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,484 B2 - Document ID: US10480484B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/250,121 - Filed: 2016-08-29 - Published: 2017-08-31 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-29 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. - Applicants: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Mitsuya Baba - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480484B2 ## CPC - F03D 7/0204: {for orientation in relation to wind direction} - F03D 7/042: {by means of an electrical or electronic controller} - F03D 9/25: the apparatus being an electrical generator (F03D9/22 takes precedence) - F03D 80/85: {Cabling} - F05B 2270/32: Wind speeds - Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction - F03D: WIND MOTORS - F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A wind turbine includes: a wind turbine rotor; a nacelle supporting the wind turbine rotor rotatably; a yaw rotation part configured to rotate the nacelle; and a yaw control part configured to operate the yaw rotation part in a yaw rewind mode of rotating the nacelle in such a direction that a yaw angle changes toward zero, if an absolute value of the yaw angle exceeds a threshold which is variable in accordance with a wind-velocity parameter representing a magnitude of a wind velocity. The threshold increases with an increase in the wind-velocity parameter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wind turbine comprising: a wind turbine rotor; a nacelle supporting the wind turbine rotor rotatably; a yaw rotation part configured to rotate the nacelle; and a yaw control part configured to operate the yaw rotation part in a yaw rewind mode of rotating the nacelle in such a direction that a yaw angle changes toward zero, if an absolute value of the yaw angle exceeds a threshold which is variable in accordance with a wind-velocity parameter representing a magnitude of a wind velocity, wherein the threshold increases with an increase in the wind-velocity parameter, and the yaw control part is configured to: in the rewind mode, change the yaw angle to within a predetermined angular range without making the nacelle follow a wind direction when the wind-velocity parameter is less than the threshold; and in the rewind mode, change the yaw angle until an absolute value of the yaw angle reaches 180 degrees or less and the nacelle follows the wind direction when the wind-velocity parameter is not less than the threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the threshold is set in stages in accordance with a plurality of ranges of the wind-velocity parameter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the threshold is set to increase monotonically with an increase in the wind-velocity parameter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein a maximum value of the threshold is smaller than a hardware limit which is a rotational limit of the nacelle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the threshold is set to be larger during operation of the wind turbine than during a standby state of the wind turbine. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the wind-velocity parameter includes at least one of a wind velocity, an output of the wind turbine, a rotation speed of the wind turbine rotor, or a torque of the wind turbine rotor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the wind-velocity parameter is a statistical value, in a predetermined period, of at least one of a wind velocity, an output of the wind turbine, a rotation speed of the wind turbine rotor, or a torque of the wind turbine rotor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A yaw control device used for the wind turbine according to claim 1, configured to operate the yaw rotation part of the wind turbine in a yaw rewind mode of rotating the nacelle of the wind turbine in such a direction that a yaw angle changes toward zero, if an absolute value of the yaw angle exceeds a threshold which is variable in accordance with a wind-velocity parameter representing a magnitude of a wind velocity, wherein the threshold increases with an increase in the wind-velocity parameter. ### Claim 9 A method of controlling operation of a wind turbine which comprises a wind turbine rotor, a nacelle supporting the wind turbine rotor rotatably, and a yaw rotation part configured to rotate the nacelle, the method comprising: a step of operating the yaw rotation part in a yaw rewind mode of rotating the nacelle in such a direction that a yaw angle changes toward zero, if an absolute value of the yaw angle exceeds a threshold which is variable in accordance with a wind-velocity parameter representing a magnitude of a wind velocity, wherein the threshold increases with an increase in the wind-velocity parameter, and the step of operating the yaw rotation part includes: changing the yaw angle to within a predetermined angular range without making the nacelle follow a wind direction when the wind-velocity parameter is less than the threshold; and changing the yaw angle until an absolute value of the yaw angle reaches 180 degrees or less and the nacelle follows the wind direction when the wind-velocity parameter is not less than the threshold value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of controlling operation of a wind turbine according to claim 9, wherein the threshold is set in stages in accordance with a plurality of ranges of the wind-velocity parameter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of controlling operation of a wind turbine according to claim 9, wherein the threshold is set to increase monotonically with an increase in the wind-velocity parameter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of controlling operation of a wind turbine according to claim 9, wherein a maximum value of the threshold is smaller than a hardware limit which is a rotational limit of the nacelle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of controlling operation of a wind turbine according to claim 9, further comprising setting the threshold to be larger during operation of the wind turbine than during a standby state of the wind turbine.