# US 10,767,635 B2 · Wind direction and wind velocity measuring apparatus for wind turbine, and device and method for controlling yaw angle of wind turbine by using same

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- Number: US 10,767,635 B2
- Document ID: US10767635B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/315,731
- Filed: 2017-06-01
- Published: 2019-08-08
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-12
- Assignees: Korea Aerospace Research Institute
- Applicants: Korea Aerospace Research Institute
- Inventors: Byeong Hee Chang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767635B2

## CPC

- F03D 17/00: Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics (testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30)
- F03D 1/00: Wind motors with rotation axis substantially parallel to the air flow entering the rotor (controlling thereof F03D7/02)
- F03D 7/02: the wind motors having rotation axis substantially parallel to the air flow entering the rotor
- F03D 7/0204: {for orientation in relation to wind direction}
- F03D 7/0224: {Adjusting blade pitch}
- G01P 5/02: by measuring forces exerted by the fluid on solid bodies, e.g. anemometer
- G01P 5/24: by measuring the direct influence of the streaming fluid on the properties of a detecting acoustical wave
- G01P 13/045: {with speed indication}
- F05B 2270/32: Wind speeds
- F05B 2270/321: Wind directions
- F05B 2270/328: Blade pitch angle
- F05B 2270/329: Azimuth or yaw angle
- F05B 2270/80: Devices generating input signals, e.g. transducers, sensors, cameras or strain gauges
- Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
- F03D: WIND MOTORS
- G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G})
- 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 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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,
wherein the anemometer is equipped in the nosecone; and
wherein the anemometer comprises:
a first ultrasonic sensor which oscillates a first ultrasonic wave and receives a second ultrasonic wave;
a second ultrasonic sensor which oscillates the second ultrasonic wave and receives the first ultrasonic wave;
a third ultrasonic sensor which oscillates a third ultrasonic wave in a first direction intersecting the first ultrasonic wave and receives a fourth ultrasonic wave in a second direction opposing to the first direction; and
a fourth ultrasonic sensor which oscillates the fourth ultrasonic wave in the second direction and receives the third ultrasonic wave in the first direction,
wherein the first and second ultrasonic sensors measure a first wind velocity in a same direction as a transmitting direction of the first ultrasonic wave and
the third and fourth ultrasonic sensors measure a second wind velocity in a same direction as a transmitting direction of the third ultrasonic wave.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The anemometer according to claim 1, further comprising:
a support unit which supports the first, second, third, and fourth ultrasonic sensors to the nosecone,
wherein the first, second, third, and fourth ultrasonic sensors, the support unit, and a rotary shaft of the hub are disposed on one plane.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The anemometer according to claim 2, wherein the support unit includes:
a center support shaft which is equipped in the nosecone to be disposed to coincide with an axial direction of the rotary shaft;
a first support member which is branched at a distal end of the center support shaft and supports the first ultrasonic sensor and the fourth ultrasonic sensor; and
a second support member which is branched at a distal end of the center support shaft and supports the second ultrasonic sensor and the third ultrasonic sensor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The anemometer according to claim 3, wherein the first support member includes:
a first branching unit branched at the center support shaft; and
a first mounting unit which is equipped at a distal end of the first branching unit and supports the first ultrasonic sensor and the fourth ultrasonic sensor at ends of the first mounting unit, and
the second support member includes:
a second branching unit branched at the center support shaft; and
a second mounting unit which is equipped at a distal end of the second branching unit and supports the second ultrasonic sensor and the third ultrasonic sensor at ends of the second mounting unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The anemometer according to claim 4, wherein an anti-freezing hot wire is equipped in each of the first and second mounting units.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The anemometer according to claim 3, wherein the transmitting direction of the first ultrasonic wave and the transmitting direction of the third ultrasonic wave are disposed on a same line, as seen from the direction of the rotary shaft.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A yaw angle control apparatus of a wind turbine using the anemometer according to claim 1, comprising:
an arithmetic unit which calculates a velocity of an axial wind blowing in an axial direction of the rotary shaft of the hub and a velocity of a cross wind blowing in a direction which is perpendicular to the rotary shaft and is horizontal with a ground using the first and second wind velocities measured by the anemometer; and
a control unit which controls a yaw angle of the rotary shaft using the velocity of the cross wind calculated by the arithmetic unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The yaw angle control apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the arithmetic unit calculates the velocity of the axial wind and the velocity of the cross wind using the following Equations 1 and 2,
{right arrow over (U1)}={right arrow over (U)}×cos θ+({right arrow over (V)}×cos ϕ+{right arrow over (W)}×sin ϕ)=sin θ
{right arrow over (U2)}×{right arrow over (U)}×cos θ−({right arrow over (V)}×cos ϕ+{right arrow over (W)}×sin ϕ)=sin θ [Equation 1]
in which {right arrow over (U1)} is the first wind velocity measured by the anemometer, {right arrow over (U2)} is the second wind velocity measured by the anemometer, θ is a half an angle between {right arrow over (U1)} and {right arrow over (U2)}, and ϕ is a rotation angle of the nosecone and when {right arrow over (U1)} and {right arrow over (U2)} are parallel to the ground, ϕ is “zero” degree, and
{right arrow over (U)}=({right arrow over (U1)}+{right arrow over (U2)})/(2×cos θ)
{right arrow over (V)}=({right arrow over (U1)}−{right arrow over (U2)})/(2×cos ϕ×sin θ)−{right arrow over (W)}×tan ϕ [Equation 2]
in which {right arrow over (U)} is the velocity of the axial wind, {right arrow over (V)} is the velocity of the cross wind, and {right arrow over (W)} is a velocity of a vertical wind blowing in a direction perpendicular to the ground.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The yaw angle control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein as the velocity {right arrow over (V)} of the cross wind, an average value when ϕ is “0” degree and “180” degrees is used.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The yaw angle control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit is configured to perform operations including:
determining whether an absolute value of the velocity of the cross wind is smaller than an allowable reference value; and
adjusting the yaw angle when the absolute value of the velocity of the cross wind is equal to or larger than the reference value.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The yaw angle control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein in the adjusting of the yaw angle, the yaw angle of the rotary shaft is controlled such that a magnitude of the velocity of the cross wind is reduced.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The yaw angle control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to perform operations further including:
starting adjusting a pitch angle of a blade so as to interwork with the axial wind when the absolute value of the velocity of the cross wind is smaller than the reference value.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

A yaw angle control method of a wind turbine using the yaw angle control apparatus of a wind turbine according to claim 7, the method comprising:
measuring the first and second wind velocities;
calculating the velocity of the axial wind and the velocity of the cross wind using the measured first and second wind velocities; and
controlling a yaw angle of the rotary shaft using the calculated velocity of the cross wind.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The yaw angle control method according to claim 13, wherein in the calculating, the velocity of the axial wind and the velocity of the cross wind are calculated using the following Equations 1 and 2,
{right arrow over (U1)}={right arrow over (U)}×cos θ+({right arrow over (V)}×cos ϕ+{right arrow over (W)}×sin ϕ)=sin θ
{right arrow over (U2)}×{right arrow over (U)}×cos θ−({right arrow over (V)}×cos ϕ+{right arrow over (W)}×sin ϕ)=sin θ [Equation 1]
in which {right arrow over (U1)} is the first wind velocity measured by the anemometer, {right arrow over (U2)} is the second wind velocity measured by the anemometer, θ is a half an angle between {right arrow over (U1)} and {right arrow over (U2)}, and ϕ is a rotation angle of the nosecone and when {right arrow over (U1)} and {right arrow over (U2)} are parallel to the ground, ϕ is “zero” degree, and
{right arrow over (U)}=({right arrow over (U1)}+{right arrow over (U2)})/(2×cos θ)
{right arrow over (V)}=({right arrow over (U1)}−{right arrow over (U2)})/(2×cos ϕ×sin θ)−{right arrow over (W)}×tan ϕ [Equation 2]
in which {right arrow over (U)} is the velocity of the axial wind, {right arrow over (V)} is the velocity of the cross wind, and {right arrow over (W)} is a velocity of a vertical wind blowing in a direction perpendicular to the ground.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The yaw angle control method according to claim 14, wherein as the velocity {right arrow over (V)} of the cross wind, an average value when ϕ is “0” degree and “180” degrees is used.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The yaw angle control method according to claim 13, wherein the controlling includes:
determining whether an absolute value of the velocity of the cross wind is smaller than an allowable reference value; and
adjusting the yaw angle when the absolute value of the velocity of the cross wind is equal to or larger than the reference value.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The yaw angle control method according to claim 16, wherein in the adjusting of the yaw angle, the yaw angle of the rotary shaft is controlled such that a magnitude of the velocity of the cross wind is reduced.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The yaw angle control method according to claim 16, wherein the controlling further includes:
starting adjusting a pitch angle of a blade so as to interwork with the axial wind when the absolute value of the velocity of the cross wind is smaller than the reference value.

### Claim 19 (depends on 2)

A yaw angle control apparatus of a wind turbine using the anemometer according to claim 2, comprising:
an arithmetic unit which calculates a velocity of an axial wind blowing in an axial direction of the rotary shaft of the hub and a velocity of a cross wind blowing in a direction which is perpendicular to the rotary shaft and is horizontal with a ground using the first and second wind velocities measured by the anemometer; and
a control unit which controls a yaw angle of the rotary shaft using the velocity of the cross wind calculated by the arithmetic unit.