# US 10,865,778 B2 · Method for ascertaining a value of an ice buildup quantity on at least one rotor blade of a wind turbine, and use thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,778 B2 - Document ID: US10865778B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/066,821 - Filed: 2016-12-05 - Published: 2018-12-27 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-29 - Assignees: Fos4X GmbH - Applicants: Fos4X GmbH - Inventors: Mathias Müller; Thomas Schauss; Florian Rieger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865778B2 ## CPC - F03D 80/40: Ice detection; De-icing means - F03D 17/00: Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics (testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30) - F05B 2270/334: Vibration measurements - 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 Embodiments of the invention describe a method for ascertaining a value of an ice buildup quantity on at least one rotor blade (111, 112) of a wind turbine (100) and to the use thereof. The method has the steps of ascertaining a base value (G) for at least one natural frequency of the rotor blade when vibrations are excited in an ice buildup-free state; ascertaining a shift base factor for shifting the at least one natural frequency relative to the ice buildup-free state in the event of an ice buildup quantity which is increased by a specific value; detecting a measurement value or a measurement value curve of a measurement variable which is suitable for determining the current natural frequency of the rotor blade (111, 112); determining the current natural frequencies of the rotor blade (111, 112); and deriving a current shift factor by comparing the current natural frequencies with the base value (G), comparing the current shift factor with the shift base factor, and deriving a value for the ice buildup quantity using the comparison. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for determining a value for an ice buildup quantity on at least one rotor blade of a wind turbine, comprising: determining a base value for at least one natural frequency of the rotor blade when vibrations are excited in an ice-buildup-free state; determining a shift base factor for a shift of the at least one natural frequency in relation to the ice-buildup-free state in the case of an ice buildup quantity that has been increased by a specific value; capturing a measurement value or a measurement value curve of a measurement variable that is suitable for identifying the current natural frequencies of the rotor blade, and identifying the current natural frequencies of the rotor blade; deriving a current shift factor by comparing the current natural frequencies to the base value; comparing the current shift factor to the shift base factor; deriving a value for the ice buildup quantity on the basis of the comparison; setting a threshold value that specifies the maximum possible ice buildup quantity on the rotor blade; determining whether or not the derived value for the ice buildup quantity exceeds the threshold value; and if the threshold value being exceeded is determined: determining that an erroneous value was determined for the value of the ice buildup. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining the base value comprises capturing the measurement value or the measurement value curve of the measurement variable in the ice-buildup-free state; and/or wherein determining the base value comprises a simulation of the natural frequency of the rotor blade in the ice-buildup-free state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific value of the increased ice buildup quantity is 50 kg or less. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measurement variable is a vibration curve in or on the rotor blade and wherein the current natural frequencies are derived from a frequency characteristic of the vibration curve. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measurement variable is captured at a plurality of measurement points or in a plurality of measurement regions on or in the rotor blade. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ice buildup quantity relates to an ice mass and/or to an ice volume and/or to an ice layer thickness; wherein the ice buildup quantity preferably relates to an ice mass and/or to an ice volume in the region of the rotor blade tip and/or to an ice layer thickness in the region of the rotor blade tip. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The use of the method as claimed in claim 1 for determining the operating parameters of a rotor blade de-icing device that are required for a de-icing process. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The use of the method as claimed in claim 1 for a plurality of wind turbines of a wind farm, comprising: determining the respective value for the ice buildup quantity at each wind turbine of the plurality of wind turbines; comparing the values; determining a hazard indicator for an ice buildup for at least one wind turbine of the plurality of wind turbines from the comparison. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific value of the increased ice buildup quantity is approximately 10 kg. ### Claim 10 A method for determining a value for an ice buildup quantity on at least one rotor blade of a wind turbine, comprising: determining a base value for at least one natural frequency of the rotor blade when vibrations are excited in an ice-buildup-free state; determining a shift base factor for a shift of the at least one natural frequency in relation to the ice-buildup-free state in the case of an ice buildup quantity that has been increased by a specific value; capturing a measurement value or a measurement value curve of a measurement variable that is suitable for identifying the current natural frequencies of the rotor blade; identifying the current natural frequencies of the rotor blade; deriving a current shift factor by comparing the current natural frequencies to the base value; comparing the current shift factor to the shift base factor; deriving a value for the ice buildup quantity on the basis of the comparison, wherein one value for the ice buildup quantity is determined in each case on at least two rotor blades of the wind turbine, further comprising: comparing the values for the respective ice buildup quantity; and determining by means of the comparison whether or not the imbalance of the rotor of the wind turbine exceeds a value that is set or settable in advance. ### Claim 11 A method for determining a value for an ice buildup quantity on at least one rotor blade of a wind turbine, comprising: determining a base value for at least one natural frequency of the rotor blade when vibrations are excited in an ice-buildup-free state; determining a shift base factor for a shift of the at least one natural frequency in relation to the ice-buildup-free state in the case of an ice buildup quantity that has been increased by a specific value; capturing a measurement value or a measurement value curve of a measurement variable that is suitable for identifying the current natural frequencies of the rotor blade; identifying the current natural frequencies of the rotor blade; deriving a current shift factor by comparing the current natural frequencies to the base value; comparing the current shift factor to the shift base factor; and deriving a value for the ice buildup quantity on the basis of the comparison, wherein the specific value of the increased ice buildup quantity is 20 kg or less.