Method and apparatus for controlling the tip speed of a blade of a wind turbine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsKevin Kinzie, Stefan Herr, Benoit Petitjean
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for controlling a tip speed of a blade of a wind turbine. The method includes determining the wind speed proximate the wind turbine; maintaining a first substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade during variable wind speeds above a first predetermined nominal wind speed and below the second predetermined nominal wind speed; maintaining a second substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade during variable wind speeds above a second predetermined nominal wind speed. The noise generated by wind at the second predetermined nominal wind speed is greater than noise generated by the blade at the second constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade.
Claims20
A method for controlling a tip speed of a blade of a wind turbine, the blade attached to a hub having a shaft, and an electrical generator coupled thereto, said method comprising:
- monitoring a wind speed proximate the wind turbine;
- maintaining a first substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade during variable wind speeds above a first predetermined nominal wind speed and below a second predetermined nominal wind speed, the first predetermined nominal wind speed being less than the second predetermined nominal wind speed;
- and
- maintaining a second substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade during variable wind speeds above the second predetermined nominal wind speed, the second substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade being greater than the first substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade.
A method for controlling a tip speed of a blade of a wind turbine, the blade attached to a hub having a shaft, and an electrical generator coupled thereto, said method comprising:
- determining a wind speed proximate the wind turbine;
- maintaining a first substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade during variable wind speeds above a first programmed nominal wind speed and below a second programmed nominal wind speed, the first programmed nominal wind speed being less than the second programmed nominal wind speed;
- and
- maintaining a second substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade during variable wind speeds above the second predetermined nominal wind speed, the second substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade being greater than the substantially first constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade.
A wind turbine comprising:
- a rotor comprising a hub, at least one rotor blade coupled to the hub, and a rotor shaft coupled to the hub for rotation therewith;
- an electrical generator coupled to the rotor shaft, the electrical generator configured to couple to an electrical load;
- sensors for sensing conditions of the wind turbine;
- and
- a control system coupled to the sensors, the control system configured to control a speed of a tip of the rotor blade by:
- determining a wind speed proximate the wind turbine;
- wherein the control system maintains a first substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade during variable wind speeds above a first programmed nominal wind speed and below a second programmed nominal wind speed, the first programmed nominal wind speed being less than the second programmed nominal wind speed;
- wherein the control system maintains a second substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade during variable wind speeds above the second predetermined nominal wind speed, the second substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade being greater than the first substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.