Method for operating a wind turbine with reduced blade fouling
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsWouter Haans, Jacob Johannes Nies
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of operating a wind turbine is provided. The wind turbine has at least one rotor blade and an active flow control (AFC) system. The at least one rotor blade has at least one aperture defined through a surface thereof, and the AFC system is configured to modify aerodynamic properties of the at least one rotor blade by ejecting gas through the at least one aperture. The method includes operating the wind turbine in a first mode, determining an environmental condition surrounding the wind turbine indicative of fouling of the AFC system, and operating the wind turbine in a second mode different than the first mode based on the environmental condition. The second mode facilitates reducing fouling of the AFC system.
Claims20
A method of operating a wind turbine having at least one rotor blade and an active flow control (AFC) system, the at least one rotor blade having at least one aperture defined through a surface thereof and the AFC system configured to modify aerodynamic properties of the at least one rotor blade by ejecting gas through the at least one aperture, said method comprising:
- operating the wind turbine in a first mode;
- determining an environmental condition surrounding the wind turbine indicative of fouling of the AFC system;
- and
- operating the wind turbine in a second mode different than the first mode based on the environmental condition, the second mode facilitating reducing fouling of the AFC system.
A method of operating a wind turbine having at least one rotor blade and an active flow control (AFC) system, the at least one rotor blade including at least one aperture defined through a surface of the at least one rotor blade and the AFC system configured to modify aerodynamic properties of the at least one rotor blade, said method comprising:
- determining an environmental condition surrounding the wind turbine indicative of precipitation;
- and
- adjusting at least one of a pitch angle and an azimuth angle of the at least one rotor blade such that the at least one aperture is wetted.
A wind turbine comprising:
- at least one rotor blade;
- an active flow control (AFC) system at least partially defined in said at least one rotor blade, said AFC system configured to modify aerodynamic properties of said at least one rotor blade;
- a sensor configured to measure an environmental condition surrounding said wind turbine;
- and
- a wind turbine controller configured to:
- operate said wind turbine in a first mode;
- and
- operate said wind turbine in a second mode different than the first mode depending on the environmental condition, the second mode including adjusting at least one operation parameter of said wind turbine such that fouling of said AFC system is reduced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.