Rotor pitch control method and apparatus for parking wind turbine
AssigneeThe Wind Turbine Company
InventorsKenneth J. Deering, Dean A. Davis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wind turbine is configurable with at least one blade is pitched to provide relatively high sensitivity to wind direction or sheer so as to perform a rudder function which moves the blades such that the vertical plane defined by the blade ends is substantially parallel to the wind direction. In one aspect, the wind turbine has at least two different blades having two different blade pitches. In one embodiment, the rudder action configures a two bladed wind turbine such that a non-rudder blade, having a pitch different from the rudder blade, has its free end pointing substantially directly into the wind, providing relatively low cross-sectional resistance to the wind and accordingly relatively low load.
Claims26
Apparatus for control of blade pitch in a wind turbine having a plurality of blades each having a blade pitch, comprising:
- a first pitch actuator, coupled to a first blade of said wind turbine, wherein said first blade has an adjustable blade pitch and wherein said first pitch actuator is controllable to adjust the pitch of said first blade, to position said first blade to have a first blade pitch different from the pitch of one of said plurality of blades.
A method for use in connection with a wind turbine, having a plurality of blades, comprising:
- positioning a first of said plurality of blades, during a first time period, to have a first blade pitch which is different from a second blade pitch of a second of said plurality of blades.
Apparatus comprising:
- a wind turbine, having a plurality of blades:
- means for positioning a first of said plurality of blades, during a first time period, to have a first blade pitch which is different from a second blade pitch of a second of said plurality of blades.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.