# US 8,784,059 B2 · Port purging and deicing system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,784,059 B2 - Document ID: US8784059B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/071,953 - Filed: 2011-03-25 - Published: 2012-09-27 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-25 - Assignees: Frontier Wind, LLC - Applicants: Leigh Zalusky; Thomas Jay Green; Joshua P. Karch - Inventors: Leigh Zalusky; Thomas Jay Green; Joshua P. Karch - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784059B2 ## CPC - F03D 17/00: Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics (testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30) - F03D 80/40: Ice detection; De-icing means - F05B 2240/3052: adjustable - F05B 2270/80: Devices generating input signals, e.g. transducers, sensors, cameras or strain gauges - Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction - F03D: WIND MOTORS - F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract An active sensing system for wind turbines is described. The sensing system may include a plurality of ports, a local sensing device and a load mitigation device and may be operably coupled to a control system. The plurality of ports, local sensing device, and load mitigation device may be operably coupled and configured to monitor air pressure on wind turbine blades, determine if proper sensing operation is occurring, and eradicate an obstruction if proper sensing operation is being prevented by the obstruction. Associated methods performing the sensing and eradication of the obstruction including purging and deicing are disclosed. Wind turbines and wind turbine blades with the active sensing system are also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sensing module for a wind turbine blade comprising: a plurality of ports, wherein a first port of the plurality of ports is housed on a suction side of the blade and a second port of the plurality of ports is housed on a pressure side of the blade; a local sensing device; and a load mitigation device, wherein the plurality of ports, local sensing device, and load mitigation device are operably coupled and the sensing module is configured to: monitor air pressure, determine if proper sensing operation is occurring, and eradicate an obstruction if proper sensing operation is being prevented by the obstruction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sensing module for a wind turbine blade of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ports are configured to facilitate application of pressurized air supplied from a control module in a hub to eradicate the obstruction from the turbine blade. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sensing module for a wind turbine blade of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of ports houses a heater configured to perform deicing of the port surface on the turbine blade when activated. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The sensing module for a wind turbine blade of claim 3, wherein the heater includes a thermocouple. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The sensing module for a wind turbine blade of claim 3, wherein the heater includes a resistive temperature sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sensing module for a wind turbine blade of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of ports includes a ceramic port core housing a heater and a temperature sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The sensing module for a wind turbine blade of claim 3, wherein the heater is operably coupled to and controlled by a bang-bang circuit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sensing module for a wind turbine blade of claim 1, wherein the load mitigation device includes a plurality of pairs of pressure ports. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The sensing module for a wind turbine blade of claim 8, wherein the load mitigation device is configured to mitigate loads on the turbine blade by protruding an air deflection member beyond a surface of the wind turbine blade to cause a change in an air pressure difference on the surface of the blade. ### Claim 10 A wind turbine comprising: a plurality of turbine blades operably connected around a turbine hub; and a sensing system configured to monitor air pressure on the turbine blades including a plurality of sensor modules being housed in each turbine blade and a control module housed in the hub, the sensor modules each including a plurality of pressure ports, a local sensing device and a load mitigation device and the control module including a master controller and a dry air system, wherein the sensing system is an active sensing system configured to determine if proper sensing operation is being prevented and to actively eradicate an obstruction that is preventing proper sensing operation from the wind turbine, wherein the local sensing device of each of the sensor modules is configured to receive pressure data from two or more respective pressure ports of the plurality of pressure ports and determine a pressure differential between the two or more respective pressure ports. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The wind turbine of claim 10, wherein the sensing system is configured to actively eradicate the obstruction by one of purging the obstruction by supplying pressurized air and deicing an obstruction by heating the obstruction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The wind turbine of claim 10, wherein the sensing system is configured to actively eradicate the obstruction by supplying pressurized air and deicing an obstruction by heating the obstruction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The wind turbine of claim 10, wherein the wind turbine is a variable blade length wind turbine. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The wind turbine of claim 10, wherein the sensing system is arranged so as to provide pressure port sensor coverage of air pressure conditions over a range of 60% and 95% of the blade span. ### Claim 15 A method for monitoring wind turbine blade operation with an active sensing system, comprising the steps of: monitoring operational characteristics of a turbine blade including detecting air pressure on a surface of a turbine blade by detecting differences in air pressure measured at first and second pressure ports of a complimentary pair of pressure ports housed and spaced on the turbine blade; detecting an error in monitoring of the operational characteristics of the turbine blade; and causing the sensing system to perform an eradicating action to eradicate a portion of an obstruction on the turbine blade, wherein the eradicating action includes supplying both heat and pressurized air at a pressure port. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method for monitoring wind turbine blade operation with an active sensing system of claim 15, wherein the eradicating action is performed coincident with operation of the wind turbine without stopping wind turbine operation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method for monitoring wind turbine blade operation with an active sensing system of claim 15, wherein the supplying pressurized air is performed before or after supplying heat. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method for monitoring wind turbine blade operation with an active sensing system of claim 17, wherein the eradicating action includes supplying pressurized air from a dry air system housed in a turbine hub. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method for monitoring wind turbine blade operation with an active sensing system of claim 18, wherein the pressurized air is supplied in one of pulses of air and varied pressures of air. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method for monitoring wind turbine blade operation with an active sensing system of claim 15, wherein the eradicating action is performed simultaneously at a plurality of ports. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method for monitoring wind turbine blade operation with an active sensing system of claim 20, wherein heat is supplied to a first port simultaneously with pressurized air being supplied to a second port. ### Claim 22 A wind turbine comprising: a plurality of blades operably connected around a turbine hub; and a sensing system configured to monitor air pressure on the turbine blades including a plurality of sensor modules being housed in each turbine blade, the sensor modules each including a plurality of pressure ports, a local sensing device and a load mitigation device, wherein the sensing system is configured to determine if proper sensing operation is being prevented and to actively eradicate an obstruction that is preventing proper sensing operation from the wind turbine by supplying pressurized air and deicing the obstruction by heating the obstruction.