# US 2014/0152013 A1 · Method of yawing a rotor of a wind turbine

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- Number: US 2014/0152013 A1
- Document ID: US20140152013A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/129,400
- Filed: 2012-07-03
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-04
- Assignees: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
- Inventors: Chris Spruce
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152013A1

## CPC

- F03D 7/0204: {for orientation in relation to wind direction}
- F03D 7/042: {by means of an electrical or electronic controller}
- F05B 2270/309: Rate of change of parameters
- F05B 2270/321: Wind directions
- F05B 2270/329: Azimuth or yaw angle
- F05B 2270/701: proportional
- 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 (1) in which the yaw speed of a rotor (4) of the wind turbine (1) is increased, in a direction to reduce yaw error, from a first speed to a faster second speed when at least one of a yaw error threshold and a rate of change in yaw error threshold is exceeded. Yaw error is an amount an axis about which the rotor (4) is rotatable is offset from the wind direction to which the rotor (4) is exposed. As a result, the maximum loads that a wind turbine 1 should withstand may be reduced and lighter wind turbine components result.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of yawing a rotor of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
increasing yaw speed of a rotor of a wind turbine, in a direction to reduce yaw error, from a first speed to a faster second speed when at least one of a yaw error threshold and a rate of change in yaw error threshold is exceeded, yaw error being an amount an axis about which the rotor is rotatable is offset from wind direction to which the rotor is exposed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the second speed is between substantially 3 times and substantially 20 times faster than the first speed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the second speed is between substantially 5 times and 15 times faster than the first speed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein the second speed is substantially 10 times faster than the second speed.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the first speed is substantially 0.3 degrees per second.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein blades of the wind turbine rotor are pitchable to induce stall.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising controlling at least one motor to increase the yaw speed of the rotor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one motor is an electric motor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A controller comprising means for implementing the method according to claim 1.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A computer program for implementing the method according to claim 1.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement the method according to claim 1.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

A wind turbine comprising the controller according to claim 9.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

A wind turbine comprising the computer program according to claim 10.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

A wind turbine comprising the computer program product according to claim 11.