Method and apparatus for reducing rotor blade deflections, loads, and/or peak rotational speed
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsEmilian Mieczyslaw Moroz, Kirk Gee Pierce
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Abstract
A method for reducing at least one of loads, deflections of rotor blades, or peak rotational speed of a wind turbine includes storing recent historical pitch related data, wind related data, or both. The stored recent historical data is analyzed to determine at least one of whether rapid pitching is occurring or whether wind speed decreases are occurring. A minimum pitch, a pitch rate limit, or both are imposed on pitch angle controls of the rotor blades conditioned upon results of the analysis.
Claims20
A method for reducing at least one of loads, deflections of rotor blades, or peak rotational speed of a wind turbine, said method comprising:
- controlling pitch angles of the rotor blades;
- and
- providing said pitch angle control with a hysteresis loop to delay said pitch control.
A wind turbine comprising a rotor having one or more rotor blades, said wind turbine configured to:
- control pitch angles of said rotor blades;
- and
- delay said pitch angle control utilizing a hysteresis loop.
A method for reducing at least one of loads, deflections of rotor blades, or peak rotational speed of a wind turbine, said method comprising:
- storing recent historical pitch related data, wind related data, or both;
- analyzing the stored recent historical data to determine at least one of whether rapid pitching is occurring or whether wind speed decreases are occurring;
- and
- imposing a minimum pitch, a pitch rate limit, or both on pitch angle controls of the rotor blades conditioned upon results of said analysis.
A wind turbine comprising a rotor having one or more rotor blades, said wind turbine further comprising a control system comprising at least one rotor blade pitch control output, said control system configured to:
- store recent historical pitch related data, wind related data, or both;
- analyze the stored recent historical data to determine at least one of whether rapid pitching is occurring or whether wind speed decreases are occurring;
- and
- impose a minimum pitch, a pitch rate limit, or both on said pitch control output of said rotor blades conditioned upon results of said analysis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.