Wind Turbine
OwnerFrederick W. Piaseckiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wind turbine has a horizontal axis of rotation and features a hub beam and two turbine blades attached to opposing ends of the hub beam in a spaced-apart relation. The blades have a first position in which the blades are radially arrayed about the hub beam. The blades have a second position in which the blades are folded and moored to the tower. A control system communicates with weather sensors and determines whether to move the blades between the first and second positions.
Claims23
A horizontal wind-powered electrical generating unit apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a tower;
- b. an electrical generator, said electrical generator being supported by said tower above a ground;
- c. a wind turbine rotor, said wind turbine rotor being operably connected to said electrical generator and supported by said tower above said ground, said turbine rotor having a first position and a second position, said turbine rotor being configured for rotation in response to a wind when said turbine rotor is in said first position, said turbine rotor being moored to said tower and not rotatable when said turbine rotor is in said second position;
- d. an actuator, said actuator being operably connected to said tower, said actuator being configured to receive a mooring command and an un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command.
(canceled)
(canceled)
A method for generating electrical power, the method comprising:
- a. providing a tower and a rotor supported by said tower above a ground, said rotor having a first position and a second position, said rotor being configured for rotation in response to a wind when said rotor is in said first position, said rotor being moored to said tower when said rotor is in said second position;
- b. generating electrical power by an electrical generator, said electrical generator being rotationally attached to said rotor, said electrical generator being configured to generate electrical power in response to a rotation of said rotor when said rotor is in said first position;
- c. detecting a weather condition using a weather sensor, said weather sensor being located at a weather sensor location, said weather condition sensor being in communication with a control system;
- d. determining by said control system of whether an operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition;
- e. generating a mooring command by said control system when said rotor is in said first position and said control system determines that said operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition;
- f. activating an actuator in response to said mooring command, said actuator being operably connected to said tower, said actuator being configured to receive said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command
- g. generating an un-mooring command by said control system when said blade is in said second position and said control system determines that said operating limitation will not be exceeded based on said weather condition;
- h. activating said actuator in response to said un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.