Wind turbine

A horizontal wind-powered electrical generating unit apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

• a. a tower;
• b. an electrical generator, said electrical generator being supported by said tower above a ground;
• c. a wind turbine rotor, said wind turbine rotor being operably connected to said electrical generator and supported by said tower above said ground, said turbine rotor having a first position and a second position, said turbine rotor being configured for rotation in response to a wind when said turbine rotor is in said first position, said turbine rotor being moored to said tower and not rotatable when said turbine rotor is in said second position;
• d. an actuator, said actuator being operably connected to said tower, said actuator being configured to receive a mooring command and an un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command;
• e. a weather sensor, said weather sensor being configured to detect a weather condition, wherein said weather sensor is located at a weather sensor location, said weather sensor location is in a spaced apart relation to said tower and said rotor;
• f. a control system, said control system being in communication with said weather sensor, said control system being configured to generate said mooring command and said un-mooring command based upon said weather condition detected by said weather sensor, said control system being configured to communicate said mooring command and said un-mooring command to said actuator, wherein said sensor is a one of a plurality of weather sensors located at a plurality of weather sensor locations and wherein said weather condition is a one of a plurality of weather conditions, said control system being configured to generate said mooring command based upon said plurality of weather conditions detected by said plurality of weather sensors, wherein said control system comprises:
• i. a microprocessor, said microprocessor being operably connected to said plurality of weather sensors and to said mooring actuator;
• ii. a computer memory connected to said microprocessor, said computer memory storing a control rule accessible to said microprocessor, said microprocessor being configured to apply said control rule to said plurality of weather conditions detected by said plurality of weather sensors to generate said mooring and said unmooring command;
• and
• iii. a condition sensor, said condition sensor being configured to detect an operating condition of the apparatus, said microprocessor being in communication with said condition sensor, said microprocessor being configured to apply said control rule to said operating condition detected by said condition sensor in combination with said plurality of weather conditions to generate said mooring and said unmooring command.

A horizontal wind-powered electrical generating unit apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

• a. a tower;
• b. an electrical generator, said electrical generator being supported by said tower above a ground;
• c. a wind turbine rotor, said wind turbine rotor being operably connected to said electrical generator and supported by said tower above said ground, said turbine rotor having a first position and a second position, said turbine rotor being configured for rotation in response to a wind when said turbine rotor is in said first position, said turbine rotor being moored to said tower and not rotatable when said turbine rotor is in said second position;
• d. an actuator, said actuator being operably connected to said tower, said actuator being configured to receive a mooring command and an un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command said actuator comprising:
• i. an electrical engagement system, said electrical engagement system selectably connecting an electrical output of said electrical generator to an electrical load, said electrical engagement system being configured to remove said electrical load from said electrical output of said generator in response to said mooring command, said electrical engagement system being configured to restore said electrical load to said electrical output of said generator in response to said unmooring command;
• ii. a brake/indexer supported by said tower, said rotor having an axis of rotation, said axis of rotation being generally horizontal with respect to said ground, said brake/indexer being configured to selectably restrain a rotation of said rotor about said axis of rotation in response to said mooring command, said brake/indexer being configured to release said rotor and to allow said blade to rotate about said axis of rotation in response to said un-mooring command;
• iii. a folding actuator, said rotor defining a mooring hinge, said rotor when in said second position being folded about said mooring hinge, said rotor when in said first position being unfolded about said mooring hinge, said folding actuator being configured to selectably fold and unfold said rotor about said mooring hinge in response to said mooring command and said un-mooring command, respectively;
• iv. a cradle, said cradle being attached to said tower, said rotor engaging said cradle when said rotor is in said second position;
• v. a clamp, said clamp being attached to said tower, said clamp being selectably movable between a clamped position and a released position, said clamp when in said clamped position securing said rotor to said cradle when said rotor is in said second position, said clamp when in said released position not securing said rotor to said cradle.

A method for generating electrical power, the method comprising:

• a. providing a tower and a rotor supported by said tower above a ground, said rotor having a first position and a second position, said rotor defining a rotor hub, said rotor being configured for rotation about said rotor hub in response to a wind when said rotor is in said first position, said rotor defining a blade, said blade having a folding hinge, said blade being folded about said folding hinge and releasably attached to said tower when said rotor is in said second position, said blade not being releasably attached to said tower when said rotor is in said first position;
• b. generating electrical power by an electrical generator, said electrical generator being rotationally attached to said rotor, said electrical generator being configured to generate electrical power in response to a rotation of said rotor when said rotor is in said first position;
• c. detecting a weather condition using a weather sensor, said weather sensor being located at a weather sensor location, said weather condition sensor being in communication with a control system;
• d. determining by said control system of whether an operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition;
• e. generating a mooring command by said control system when said rotor is in said first position and said control system determines that said operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition;
• f. activating an actuator in response to said mooring command, said actuator being operably connected to said tower, said actuator being configured to receive said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command
• g. generating an un-mooring command by said control system when said blade is in said second position and said control system determines that said operating limitation will not be exceeded based on said weather condition;
• h. activating said actuator in response to said un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command.

A method for generating electrical power, the method comprising:

• a. providing a tower and a rotor supported by said tower above a ground, said rotor having a first position and a second position, said rotor being configured for rotation in response to a wind when said rotor is in said first position, said rotor being moored to said tower when said rotor is in said second position;
• b. generating electrical power by an electrical generator, said electrical generator being rotationally attached to said rotor, said electrical generator being configured to generate electrical power in response to a rotation of said rotor when said rotor is in said first position;
• c. detecting a weather condition using a weather sensor, said weather sensor being located at a weather sensor location, said weather condition sensor being in communication with a control system;
• d. determining by said control system of whether an operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition;
• e. generating a mooring command by said control system when said rotor is in said first position and said control system determines that said operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition;
• f. activating an actuator in response to said mooring command, said actuator being operably connected to said tower, said actuator being configured to receive said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command
• g. generating an un-mooring command by said control system when said blade is in said second position and said control system determines that said operating limitation will not be exceeded based on said weather condition;
• h. activating said actuator in response to said un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command, wherein said weather sensor is a one of a plurality of weather sensors located at a plurality of weather sensor locations, and wherein said weather condition is a one of a plurality of weather conditions, said plurality of weather conditions being selected from a list consisting of a wind direction, a wind speed, a wind profile by elevation, an air temperature, a humidity, a barometric pressure, a radar return, a weather prediction and a weather alert, said control system being configured to generate said mooring command based upon said plurality of weather conditions detected by said plurality of weather sensors.

A method for generating electrical power, the method comprising:

• a. providing a tower and a rotor supported by said tower above a ground, said rotor having a first position and a second position, said rotor being configured for rotation in response to a wind when said rotor is in said first position, said rotor being moored to said tower when said rotor is in said second position;
• b. generating electrical power by an electrical generator, said electrical generator being rotationally attached to said rotor, said electrical generator being configured to generate electrical power in response to a rotation of said rotor when said rotor is in said first position;
• c. detecting a weather condition using a weather sensor, said weather sensor being located at a weather sensor location, said weather condition sensor being in communication with a control system;
• d. determining by said control system of whether an operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition;
• e. generating a mooring command by said control system when said rotor is in said first position and said control system determines that said operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition;
• f. activating an actuator in response to said mooring command, said actuator being operably connected to said tower, said actuator being configured to receive said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command
• g. generating an un-mooring command by said control system when said blade is in said second position and said control system determines that said operating limitation will not be exceeded based on said weather condition;
• h. activating said actuator in response to said un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command, wherein said actuator comprises:
• i. a brake/indexer supported by said tower, said brake/indexer being configured to selectably restrain a rotation of said rotor in response to said mooring command, said brake/indexer being configured to release said rotor and to allow said rotor to rotate in response to said un-mooring command;
• ii. a mooring hinge actuator, said rotor comprising a mooring hinge, said rotor when in said second position being folded about said mooring hinge, said rotor when in said first position being unfolded about said mooring hinge, said mooring hinge actuator being configured to selectably fold said rotor about said mooring hinge in response to said mooring command, said mooring hinge actuator being configured to selectably unfold said rotor about said mooring hinge in response to said un-mooring command;
• iii. a cradle, said cradle being attached to said tower, said rotor engaging said cradle when said rotor is in said second position;
• iv. a clamp, said clamp being attached to said tower, said clamp being selectably movable between a clamped position and a released position, said clamp when in said clamped position securing said folded rotor to said cradle when said rotor is in said second position, said clamp when in said released position not securing said rotor to said cradle;
• v. an electrical engagement system, said electrical engagement system selectably connecting an electrical output of said electrical generator to an electrical load, said electrical engagement system being configured to remove said electrical load from said electrical output of said generator in response to said mooring command, said electrical engagement system being configured to restore said electrical load to said electrical output of said generator in response to said unmooring command.