Method and apparatus for wind turbine rotor load control based on shaft radial displacement

A method comprising:

• receiving signals from one or more proximity sensors facing a shaft indicating radial displacement of the shaft of a wind turbine;
• determining a load placed on the wind turbine based on the signals from the one or more sensors;
• and
• causing one or more blades of the wind turbine to change pitch based on the determined load.

An article comprising an electronically-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed, cause one or more processors to:

• receive signals from one or more proximity sensors connected to a shaft indicating radial displacement of the shaft of a wind turbine;
• determine a load placed on the wind turbine based on the signals from the one or more sensors;
• and
• cause one or more blades of the wind turbine to change pitch based on the determined load.