System and method for improved extreme load control for wind turbine components

A system for reducing extreme loads acting on a component of a wind turbine, the wind turbine having at least one rotor blade, the system comprising:

• one or more sensors at the at least one rotor blade configured to measure a plurality of operating parameters of the wind turbine, wherein the plurality of operating parameters comprise at least one of the following:
• rotor position, blade weight, and torque;
• a controller configured with the one or more sensors, the controller comprising a processor configured to perform a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations comprising:
• calculating an edgewise blade moment of the at least one rotor blade as a function of the plurality of operating parameters of the wind turbine;
• calculating an edgewise blade moment and a blade flap moment of the at least one rotor blade as a function of the rotor position, the blade weight, and the torque of the at least one rotor of the wind turbine;
• predicting a load and an associated load angle of the at least one rotor blade as a function of the edgewise blade moment and the blade flap moment of the at least one rotor blade, the load corresponding to a blade root resultant moment of the at least one rotor blade;
• predicting a pitch angle of the at least one rotor blade of the wind turbine;
• generating a load envelope for the component that comprises at least one load value for the pitch angle and the load angle;
• and,
• implementing a control action comprising pitching the at least one rotor blade when the load is outside of the load envelope.