# US 2018/0320659 A1 · System and Method for Reducing Wind Turbine Rotor Blade Loads > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0320659 A1 - Document ID: US20180320659A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/586,506 - Filed: 2017-05-04 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-04 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Alicia Mae Zinnecker; Ryan Michael Sunyak - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180320659A1 ## CPC - F03D 7/0224: {Adjusting blade pitch} - F03D 7/024: {of individual blades} - F03D 7/042: {by means of an electrical or electronic controller} - F03D 17/00: Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics (testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30) - F05B 2270/1095: by limiting mechanical stresses - F05B 2270/326: Rotor angle - F05B 2270/327: Rotor or generator speeds - F05B 2270/328: Blade pitch angle - F05B 2270/331: Mechanical loads - 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 The present disclosure is directed to a method for reducing loads of one or more rotor blades of a wind turbine. The method includes monitoring a load of a first rotor blade. If the load of the first rotor blade exceeds a first load threshold, the method also includes designating a rotor plane sector in which the first rotor blade is located as a high load rotor plane sector. The method further includes adjusting, via a pitch drive mechanism, a pitch angle of a second rotor blade toward a first position before the second rotor blade enters the high load rotor plane sector. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for reducing loads of one or more rotor blades of a wind turbine, the method comprising: monitoring a load of a first rotor blade; if the load of the first rotor blade exceeds a first load threshold, designating a rotor plane sector in which the first rotor blade is located as a high load rotor plane sector; and, adjusting, via a pitch drive mechanism, a pitch angle of a second rotor blade toward a first position before the second rotor blade enters the high load rotor plane sector. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating, via the pitch drive mechanism, the adjusting step when the second rotor blade is positioned a predetermined number of rotor plane sectors apart from the high load rotor plane sector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined number of rotor plane sectors is associated with a rotational velocity of the second rotor blade. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising defining a plurality of uniformly-sized rotor plane sectors of a rotor plane defined by the one or more rotor blades, the rotor plane sector being within the plurality of rotor plane sectors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting, via the pitch drive mechanism, the pitch angle of the second rotor blade toward a second position when the second rotor blade exits the high load rotor plane sector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the load of the first rotor blade falls below a second load threshold when positioned in the high load rotor plane sector, removing the designation of the high load rotor plane sector from the rotor plane sector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the second load threshold is less than the first load threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the load of the first rotor blade further comprises monitoring a load of a root section of the first rotor blade. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the pitch angle of the second rotor blade based on a magnitude of the load of the first rotor blade exceeding the first load threshold in the high load rotor plane sector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising determining a number of times in which the load of the first rotor blade falls below the second load threshold when positioned in the high load rotor plane sector and, if the number of times exceeds a threshold, removing the designation of the high load rotor plane sector from the rotor plane sector. ### Claim 11 A system for reducing loads of one or more rotor blades of a wind turbine, the system comprising: a pitch drive mechanism for adjusting a pitch angle of the one or more of the rotor blades; and a controller communicatively coupled to the pitch drive mechanism, the controller being configured to perform one or more operations, the one or more operations comprising: monitoring a load of a first rotor blade; if the load of the first rotor blade exceeds a first load threshold, designating the rotor plane sector in which the first rotor blade is located as a high load rotor plane sector; and, controlling the pitch drive mechanism to adjust the pitch angle of the second rotor blade toward a first position before the second rotor blade enters the high load rotor plane sector. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more operations further comprise controlling the pitch drive mechanism to adjust the pitch angle of the second rotor blade toward the first position when the second rotor blade is positioned a predetermined number of rotor plane sectors apart from the high load rotor plane sector. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined number of rotor plane sectors is associated with a rotational velocity of the second rotor blade. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein a rotation of the one or more rotor blades defines a rotor plane, the rotor plane defining a plurality of uniformly-sized rotor blade sectors. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more operations further comprise controlling the pitch drive mechanism to adjust the pitch angle of the second rotor blade toward a second position when the second rotor blade exits the high load rotor plane sector. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more operations further comprise removing the designation of the high load rotor plane sector from the rotor plane sector when the load of the first rotor blade falls below a second load threshold when positioned in the high load rotor plane sector. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the second load threshold is less than the first load threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more operations further comprise monitoring a load of a root section of the first rotor blade. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more operations further comprise determining the pitch angle of the second rotor blade based on a magnitude of the load of the first rotor blade exceeding the first load threshold in the high load rotor plane sector. ### Claim 20 A method for reducing loads of one or more rotor blades of a wind turbine, the method comprising: monitoring a load of a first rotor blade; if the load of the first rotor blade exceeds a first load threshold, defining a high load rotor plane sector as a portion of a rotor plane where the first rotor blade exceeds a first load threshold; and, adjusting, via a pitch drive mechanism, a pitch angle of a second rotor blade toward a first position before the second rotor blade enters the high load rotor plane sector.