Determining an equivalent mechanical load
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorIb Frydendal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for determining an equivalent mechanical load of a component includes a dynamic mechanical loading. A first measurement value of the mechanical load of the component is measured and compared to a first reference value. Further, at least one count value representing the number of load half-cycles of the component is updated based upon the result of comparing, wherein the load half-cycles correspond to a predetermined range of mechanical loads and occur within a time period prior to the measurement of the first measurement value. A first equivalent mechanical load of the component is determined based on the first updated count value. It is further described a program element and a computer-readable medium having stored a program for controlling the described equivalent mechanical load determining method.
Claims17
A method for operating a component of a wind turbine by determining an equivalent mechanical load of the component, which component is subjected to a dynamic mechanical loading during operation, the method comprising:
- measuring a first measurement value of the mechanical load of the component during the operation of the component,
- operating at least one data processor for:
- comparing the first measurement value with a first reference value,
- first updating at least one count value representing the number of load half-cycles of the component based upon a result of the comparing,
- wherein the load half-cycles have a predetermined range of mechanical loads, which are measured within a time period prior to the measuring of the first measurement value,
- determining a first equivalent mechanical load of the component based upon a first updated count value,
- updating the first reference value to a second reference value based on the result of comparing the first measurement value with the first reference value,
- measuring a second measurement value of the mechanical load of the component during the operation of the component,
- operating the at least one data processor for:
- comparing the second measurement value with the second reference value,
- second updating the at least one count value representing the number of load half-cycles of the component based on the result of comparing the second measurement value with the second reference value, wherein the load half-cycles have a predetermined range of mechanical loads, which are measured within a time period prior to the measurement of the second measurement value,
- determining a second updated equivalent mechanical load of the component based on the second updated count value,
- further comparing the first measurement value with a further first reference value,
- further first updating at least one further count value representing the number of further load half-cycles of the component based on the result of further comparing, wherein the further load half-cycles have a further predetermined range of mechanical loads, which are measured within the time period prior to the measurement of the first measurement value and which comprise a lower bound being higher than a lower bound of the predetermined range of mechanical loads, and
- adapting the first updated count value,
- wherein determining the first equivalent mechanical load of the component is based on the adapted first updated count value and on the further first updated count value,
- triggering an indicative signal if the first updated equivalent load and/or the second updated equivalent load exceeds a preset threshold value, and
- adjusting operation of the component based on the triggered indicative signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.