# US 12,000,379 B2 · Wind turbine system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,379 B2 - Document ID: US12000379B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/006,092 - Filed: 2021-07-01 - Published: 2023-08-31 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-21 - Assignees: Vestas Wind Systems A/S - Applicants: Vestas Wind Systems A/S - Inventors: Dan Hilton; Johnny Nielsen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000379B2 ## CPC - F03D 17/00: Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics (testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30) - F03D 1/02: having a plurality of rotors - F03D 7/0204: {for orientation in relation to wind direction} - F05B 2270/1095: by limiting mechanical stresses - F05B 2270/328: Blade pitch angle - F05B 2270/329: Azimuth or yaw angle - F05B 2270/331: Mechanical loads - F05B 2270/80: Devices generating input signals, e.g. transducers, sensors, cameras or strain gauges - F05B 2270/802: Calibration thereof - 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 system comprising: a wind turbine; and a monitoring system, wherein the wind turbine comprises: a tower; an arm extending from the tower, a rotor-nacelle assembly (RNA) carried by the arm; and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor carried by the arm or the RNA. The monitoring system is configured to receive position data from the GNSS sensor and obtain a moment or force measurement on the basis of the position data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wind turbine system comprising: a wind turbine including: a tower, an arm extending from the tower, a rotor-nacelle assembly (RNA) carried by the arm, and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor carried by the arm or the RNA; and a monitoring system configured to; receive position data from the GNSS sensor, and determine a moment or force measurement on the basis of the position data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wind turbine system according to claim 1, wherein the arm is a first arm, the RNA is a first RNA; and wherein the wind turbine is a multi-rotor wind turbine further comprising a second arm extending from the tower; and a second rotor-nacelle assembly (RNA) carried by the second arm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The wind turbine system according to claim 2, further comprising a second Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor carried by the second arm or the second RNA. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The wind turbine system according to claim 3, wherein the position data is first position data, the tower comprises a tower body and a yaw structure which is rotatably mounted to the tower body, the first arm extends from the yaw structure, the second arm extends from the yaw structure, and the monitoring system is configured to receive second position data from the second GNSS sensor and obtain a yaw moment measurement on the basis of the first position data and the second position data, wherein the yaw moment measurement indicates a net yaw moment applied to the yaw structure by the first and second arms. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The wind turbine system according to claim 4, further comprising a yaw control system which is configured to apply a yaw control torque to the yaw structure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wind turbine system according to claim 1, further comprising a control system configured to control an operating parameter of the wind turbine on the basis of the moment or force measurement. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The wind turbine system according to claim 6, wherein the operating parameter is a blade pitch or generator torque. ### Claim 8 A method of monitoring a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a tower; an arm extending from the tower; a rotor-nacelle assembly (RNA) carried by the arm; and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor carried by the arm or the RNA, the method comprising: generating position data with the GNSS sensor; and obtaining a moment or force measurement on the basis of the position data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the moment or force measurement is obtained on the basis of the position data and on the basis of a stiffness parameter which is indicative of a stiffness of the arm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the position data comprises first position data; the wind turbine further comprises a reference Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor; the method further comprises generating reference position data with the reference GNSS sensor; and the moment or force measurement is obtained on the basis of the first position data and on the basis of the reference position data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the reference GNSS sensor is carried by the tower or a root of the arm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the position of the root of the arm is determined on the basis of the reference position data from the reference GNSS sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the arm extends from a root away from the tower, and the method further comprises determining a position of a root of the arm, wherein the moment or force measurement is obtained on the basis of the position data and the position of the root of the arm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, further comprising defining a reference axis of the arm, wherein the moment or force measurement is obtained on the basis of the position data and the reference axis of the arm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the tower comprises a tower body and a yaw structure which is rotatably mounted to the tower body, the arm extends from the yaw structure, and the reference GNSS sensor is carried by the yaw structure. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the position data comprises horizontal position data and/or the position data comprises vertical position data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the position data comprises horizontal position data; the moment or force measurement comprises a horizontal moment or force measurement; and the method further comprises generating vertical position data with the GNSS sensor; and obtaining a vertical moment or force measurement on the basis of the vertical position data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, further comprising controlling an operating parameter of the wind turbine on the basis of the moment or force measurement. ### Claim 19 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the moment or force measurement is a root bending moment measurement obtained on the basis of the position data and a length of the arm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the arm is a first arm and the RNA is a first RNA; and wherein the wind turbine is a multi-rotor wind turbine further comprising a second arm extending from the tower; and a second rotor-nacelle assembly (RNA) carried by the second arm. ### Claim 21 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, further comprising a second Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor carried by the second arm or the second RNA. ### Claim 22 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the tower comprises a tower body and a yaw structure which is rotatably mounted to the tower body a yaw structure, the first arm extends from the yaw structure, the second arm extends from the yaw structure, the position data is first position data and the method further comprises generating second position data with the second GNSS sensor; and obtaining a yaw moment measurement on the basis of the first position data and the second position data, wherein the yaw moment measurement indicates a net yaw moment applied to the yaw structure by the first and second arms. ### Claim 23 (depends on 8) The computer program product comprising software code adapted to monitor a wind turbine when executed on a data processing system, the computer program product being adapted to perform the method of claim 8. ### Claim 24 A method of monitoring a multi-rotor wind turbine, the multi-rotor wind turbine comprising: a tower, the tower comprising a tower body and a yaw structure which is rotatably mounted to the tower body; a first arm extending from the yaw structure, a first rotor-nacelle assembly (RNA) carried by the first arm; a first Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor carried by the first arm or the first RNA; a second arm extending from the yaw structure; a second rotor-nacelle assembly (RNA) carried by the second arm; and a second Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor carried by the second arm or the second RNA, the method comprising: generating first position data with the first GNSS sensor; generating second position data with the second GNSS sensor; and obtaining a yaw moment measurement on the basis of the first position data and the second position data, wherein the yaw moment measurement indicates a net yaw moment applied to the yaw structure by the first and second arms. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method according to claim 24, further comprising rotating the yaw structure to change a yaw angle of the first and second arms.