Wind turbine shutdown system
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsChristopher L. Stoltze, Joel E. Parker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to the invention, a wind turbine 10 incorporates a wind vane 105 which mechanically controls a valve 100 that directs the output of a turbine driven hydraulic pump 75 to yaw the turbine out of the wind upon a loss of system power or load. The turbine yaws out of the wind at an angular rate that is roughly proportional to rotor speed so that excessive teeter amplitudes are not encountered. The mechanically driven pump advantageously provides power to yaw the rotor out of the wind even if all electrical power is lost.
Claims12
A wind turbine comprising an airfoil blade mounted on a rotatable hub, the improvement characterized by:
- an hydraulic pump driven by said blade for providing an hydraulic output,
- an hydraulic motor for yawing said blade in relation to a wind stream,
- a control means for yawing said blade into and out of the wind stream as desired,
- a first circuit means directed by said control means for controlling a first flow of said hydraulic output to drive said hydraulic motor such that said blade is yawed into and out of the wind stream, and
- a second circuit means for mechanically controlling a second flow of said hydraulic output to control said hydraulic motor such that said blade is yawed out of the wind in an emergency.
A wind turbine comprising an airfoil blade mounted on a rotatable hub, the improvement characterized by:
- an hydraulic pump driven by said blade for providing an hydraulic output,
- an hydraulic motor for yawing said blade in relation to a wind stream,
- a control means for yawing said blade into and out of the wind stream as desired,
- a wind vane,
- a first circuit means directed by said control means for controlling a first flow of said hydraulic output to drive said hydraulic motor such that said blade is yawed into and out of the wind stream, and
- a second circuit means for mechanically controlling, as a function of a position of said wind vane and a position of said blade, a second flow of said hydraulic output to control said hydraulic motor such that said blade is yawed out of the wind in an emergency.
A wind turbine comprising an airfoil blade mounted on a rotatable hub, the improvement characterized by:
- an hydraulic pump driven by said blade for providing an hydraulic output,
- an hydraulic motor driven by said hydraulic output for yawing said blade in relation to a wind stream,
- a control means for yawing said blade into and out of the wind stream as desired,
- a first circuit means directed by said control means for controlling a first flow of said hydraulic output to drive said hydraulic motor such that said blade is yawed into and out of the wind stream, and
- a second circuit means for mechanically controlling a second flow of said hydraulic output to control said hydraulic motor such that said blade is yawed out of the wind, said second circuit means yawing said blade if said control means fails to send a signal to said second circuit means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.